Blog+Selections

=Blog selections:=

Selection #1 :
[|Linda’s reflection on discussion of action research presentations] One claim today stated that when teachers ask //divergent questions// with adequate wait time, students are given the opportunity to justify, synthesize and analyze their thoughts in the second language. In Sue’s presentation, the use of high interest student chosen topics for discussion allowed students to enjoy communication in the foreign language. Students felt empowered by this participation. I think this is a key goal for us as foreign language //teacher/researchers//. We can use our //research lens// to examine and evaluate how teachers can set the stage for students to //build an identity// for themselves as a speakers of the foreign language. This identity combined with the classroom identity of //community of learners// could transform the foreign language class into a subject area class, one the same level of math or English, where the class is learning content that happens to be in another language, rather than a class where students are learning a FOREIGN language. This blog entry was made on July 18. I am beginning to see the importance of reevaluating the teacher role in employing the methods that have been presented in language class. I am focusing on teaching techniques as a means to help students restructure their identities as foreign language speakers. I choose this selection to illustrate my thinking after one week. The foundational literature and particularly the specialized vocabulary of the field are still being absorbed. I italicized new collocations for me.

**Selection #2:**
 [|Tarea para el quinto grado] **Estimados estudiantes,** **Vayan a este __ [|enlace] __ para empezar la siguiente actividad.**

 **Actividad #2:** **En GoogleDocs, abren y comparten sus documentos con dos miembros de la clase.. Abren “Show discussion” y r****evisen sus listas, agregando palabras nuevas a su lista personal.** **Si hay una palabra de vocabulario desconocido, hablen del significado entre Uds. sin pedir una traducción directa. Si todavía no entienden una de las palabras, búsquenla en este __ [|enlace] __ de diccionario. Destaquen con un color las palabras que te fueron nuevas (si habían.)**
 * Actividad #1:****Hagan una lista de palabras que describen la primera pintura por categoria:****sustantivos, adjectivos, verbos, etc.** 


 * Actividad #3: Escriban una oración completa para cada una de las cinco pinturas que contesta esta pregunta:**


 * ¿En su opinion, cúales son las emociones que se expresan en esta pintura? ¿Por qué?**

**Actividad #4: Credito extra.** **Encuentren dos pinturas que representan la felicidad y expliquen en un parrafo breve por que las escogieron. Pueden usar este __ [|enlace] __ para encontrar pinturas. Mándenme su parrafo con el imagen o enlace que emplearon.** Entréguenme su lista por correo electrónico antes del lunes. Atentamente, Sra. Linda ejemplo para actividad #4: Esta foto representa la felicidad para mí porque cuando me siento feliz me lleno de energía y quiero bailar y brincar como una niña.   Developing this tech homework assignment on the blog on July 21 is a big deal to me. I only knew how to read my email and do other simple computer tasks before I came. I didn't just gain computer skills, I put into practice the tech ideas addressed in the course. My assignment redefines the traditional view of literacy because it is multimodal, with its links to external sources and use of Google Docs. The lesson also validates the kind of computer home use the students engage in by allowing for a collaborative assignment on Google Docs. In addition, the assignment exposes the students to a larger experience of the foreign language's culture through its link to Hispanic art. This is my orientation to True North in the tech aspect of the course.  

Selection #3 :
 [|A Foreign Language Webquest Assessment] A webquest uses technology in the format of a webpage to present a lesson. > [] > This webquest focuses on the theme of legends. All directions and the reading are written in Spanish. > This webquest has several pages that clearly state the focus and activities for the lesson. Each page has graphics that coordinate with the content. > At the bottom of this post is an artifact from the conclusion. I feel that the conclusion is coming the closest to stating the essential questions that could have guided this lesson. Instead, this is merely a comprehension lesson. > This webquest is mostly incongruent with the “thinking together using technology” model. > 1. The students are not asked any essential questions, so there is little thinking. Thinking can be defined as creating disciplined minds around a concept. Thinking involves considering one’s prior knowledge, one’s sociocultural environment, and the common body of knowledge from a field of study to synthesize and redefine one’s understandings. Bakhtin states that “The single adequate form for verbally expressing authentic human life is the open-ended dialogue”. For Bakhtin, thinking is a participatory act in the discourse of human consciousness. > 2. The lesson is very much like reading a book and answering workbook questions. It does not use the affordances of technology to broaden the student exposure to the foreign language. > 3. The thinking together using technology model involves technology assisted lessons that validate the students’ real life use of computers-multimodal and social. The site is not multimodal; it only has a link to the story and the work pages. There are no social websites or social tech activities, such as the use of Twitter, in the lesson. > Conclusión > > > > > **La leyenda le permite a las actuales generaciones conocer hechos fantásticos, que explican fenómenos de la naturaleza que se han transmitido oralmente….** **Y que de seguro nuestros abuelos y padres alguna vez nos han contado.**

This selection is from July 25th class assignment on evaluating a webquest. Now I'm seeing more than methods. I didn't know exactly what metacognition meant when I arrived here, but now I believe I'm beginning to understand (see #1 above). There are deeper levels to learning and seeing the world that will never be touched if we only look at vocabulary lists in language class. I'm acquiring some of the specialized vocabulary of the field, grasping the salient points of the foundational literature, starting to formulate research questions, and intensively reworking my understandings of foreign language instruction. This is my evidence of orienting toward True North.