The class went well enough after a couple mis-starts.
I got in at 9:02 and no one there! First student showed about 9:08, and as I was then marking in moodle I asked her to wait, second student about 9:15. Third about 9:25, but by then I had to exit and return because they couldn't hear me due to echoes and "cutting out." At 10:15 we took a break because I needed to log out again.
The content seemed fine, although I hadn't prepared one thing before the start (model test scores) and I felt I wasn't really ready to "lecture" unit 13 in Harmer... I was hoping they had read it, but they hadn't.
One student talks "enough" the other two really don't. We talked a bit about that, how I had hoped that student talking time covered half the live hours.
We talked about the midterm briefly, but more about grading/marking/assessing, which is, of course, related to the midterm as well as unit 13. They are understandably concerned about their test scores. We moved the test date back one day, because they want more time to prepare. However, I'm afraid it will negatively impact their preparation for Monday's class. Still, I made the change.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
kids in USA
This is sort of undated... an overview of my kids English growth in USA. (note - I'm not teaching in a classroom this month while in USA, except for teaching the GDU course, so I'm writing this as a "language teacher/observer.")
I try to bring my kids to USA every 18 months or so. This will be their longest visit: Jan 18 - Feb 15 2011. Last visit was summer 2009, prior was about Jan 4 - 28, 2008, and we celebrated a late Christmas at their grandparents' home. (I don't remember the timing of earlier visits.)
That "late Christmas" visit in 2008 was very significant. My daughter was 3 1/2 then (she's 6 1/2 now). She never spoke English prior to that visit, though she heard it frequently. When she first came, she would speak only to my brother (#5 of 7 sons, I'm son #3) who speaks Korean - he was in the Marine Corps in Korea for two tours, has a Korean wife, he speaks trashy but pretty fluent Korean). By the time she left California she would speak with my mother and father, a little chatterbox, but her English was very limited. More importantly, when they got back to Korea, she continued to use English -- with her older brother! He had always yelled at her in English as well as Korean, such as "get out of my room!" That was a pleasant surprise, and they still often talk to each other in English. One day I asked my son why, and he just looked at me in surprise, as if "why not? it's not special." He said "I don't think about that."
Last visit, we went on an overnight camping trip with another brother (#4). My daughter didn't love the camping, but she loved spending time with her uncle. (He's very fun.) The visit definitely impacted the kids fluency (comfort and speed) in English and added to their cultural awareness.
This visit, the kids were speaking only English until my wife came, and she speaks Korean to them more than I wish (while we are here). So they are using some Korean, but still mostly English, and watching 4 hours per day or more of American TV. I don't mind the TV, it both gives me a break and loads up their English. We are reading books from the local library. My son is definitely behind in his reading skills, compared to American kids (maybe early 2nd grade level, and he's 11.5 years old!) though he's very good in Korean reading. But he's gaining confidence, and I think he will finally do alright.
I try to bring my kids to USA every 18 months or so. This will be their longest visit: Jan 18 - Feb 15 2011. Last visit was summer 2009, prior was about Jan 4 - 28, 2008, and we celebrated a late Christmas at their grandparents' home. (I don't remember the timing of earlier visits.)
That "late Christmas" visit in 2008 was very significant. My daughter was 3 1/2 then (she's 6 1/2 now). She never spoke English prior to that visit, though she heard it frequently. When she first came, she would speak only to my brother (#5 of 7 sons, I'm son #3) who speaks Korean - he was in the Marine Corps in Korea for two tours, has a Korean wife, he speaks trashy but pretty fluent Korean). By the time she left California she would speak with my mother and father, a little chatterbox, but her English was very limited. More importantly, when they got back to Korea, she continued to use English -- with her older brother! He had always yelled at her in English as well as Korean, such as "get out of my room!" That was a pleasant surprise, and they still often talk to each other in English. One day I asked my son why, and he just looked at me in surprise, as if "why not? it's not special." He said "I don't think about that."
Last visit, we went on an overnight camping trip with another brother (#4). My daughter didn't love the camping, but she loved spending time with her uncle. (He's very fun.) The visit definitely impacted the kids fluency (comfort and speed) in English and added to their cultural awareness.
This visit, the kids were speaking only English until my wife came, and she speaks Korean to them more than I wish (while we are here). So they are using some Korean, but still mostly English, and watching 4 hours per day or more of American TV. I don't mind the TV, it both gives me a break and loads up their English. We are reading books from the local library. My son is definitely behind in his reading skills, compared to American kids (maybe early 2nd grade level, and he's 11.5 years old!) though he's very good in Korean reading. But he's gaining confidence, and I think he will finally do alright.
Jan 26 online (PPP TTT ESA ARC compared)
new technological wrinkle -- my voice echoed for students. So almost everything I did was textchat, plus some whiteboard work (see further below). The other challenges of teaching from across the Pacific remained - student voices echoed for me (not for each other) and video image of them froze on my computer after less than 5 minutes (but not for them).
old pedagogical challenge -- students hadn't prepared for class. Only one had viewed the MATL-1 video (and written a reactionnaire), none had completed the Two of Three VODs assignment, because the system wasn't working correctly until Monday evening (they couldn't watch a video, it kept stopping).
So, I took something I had thought I might do on Friday (presentation) and did it tonight (Wednesday)
I did a more detailed chart of comparing ESA/ARC/PPP/TTT/TBL live on the whiteboard, which they appreciated. I told them that I had intended to make such a comparison one of their assignments, but since they were struggling with it I gave it to them. And noted that as you run later in class (more to the right) the distinctions become less clear or overlaps become more common, and that for each of these (ARC, PPP, ESA, etc) the order can be changed, it's just that these are the most common presentation organizations. (The image below is blurry, a system save of the whiteboard -- maybe a screencapture would be better next time!)
We adjusted some deadlines to reflect the reality of this year's Sollal -- Wed-Friday really means Tuesday evening through Sunday night away from home, at relatives.
old pedagogical challenge -- students hadn't prepared for class. Only one had viewed the MATL-1 video (and written a reactionnaire), none had completed the Two of Three VODs assignment, because the system wasn't working correctly until Monday evening (they couldn't watch a video, it kept stopping).
So, I took something I had thought I might do on Friday (presentation) and did it tonight (Wednesday)
I did a more detailed chart of comparing ESA/ARC/PPP/TTT/TBL live on the whiteboard, which they appreciated. I told them that I had intended to make such a comparison one of their assignments, but since they were struggling with it I gave it to them. And noted that as you run later in class (more to the right) the distinctions become less clear or overlaps become more common, and that for each of these (ARC, PPP, ESA, etc) the order can be changed, it's just that these are the most common presentation organizations. (The image below is blurry, a system save of the whiteboard -- maybe a screencapture would be better next time!)
We adjusted some deadlines to reflect the reality of this year's Sollal -- Wed-Friday really means Tuesday evening through Sunday night away from home, at relatives.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Jan 24 online
Class worked today, more or less. I'm satisfied, I guess --
The VODs are up and working, which is good.
I was much more "positive" (encouraging) on student work today. TBLT lesson plans (Lesson Plans #2). I need to do more of that.
- Lost student videos after about 5 minutes (frozen)
- Got echoes in student voices at same time
- I lost students at one point, didn't know until about 5 minutes later, had to log out and rejoin
- Fortunately, all my uploads were still there (because students were still in class)
The VODs are up and working, which is good.
I was much more "positive" (encouraging) on student work today. TBLT lesson plans (Lesson Plans #2). I need to do more of that.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Jan 21 - Online NOT
the online class website wouldn't open for me or my students today (Friday, Jan 21).
I sent out a few SMS from Naver. wrote a short News Forum explaining the class rule for this situation (keep trying for 15 minutes, send me an email or SMS (if I'm in the country), come back and try again at the 30 minutes point).
I wrote a long News Forum posting outlining some of what I would have talked about in the class related to some assignments - not their work, my comments. But what took 20 minutes to write could have been done, I think, in less than 5 minutes by voice, and I would have had some feedback from them, perhaps.
But I do need to keep working on my interpersonal skills!
I sent out a few SMS from Naver. wrote a short News Forum explaining the class rule for this situation (keep trying for 15 minutes, send me an email or SMS (if I'm in the country), come back and try again at the 30 minutes point).
I wrote a long News Forum posting outlining some of what I would have talked about in the class related to some assignments - not their work, my comments. But what took 20 minutes to write could have been done, I think, in less than 5 minutes by voice, and I would have had some feedback from them, perhaps.
But I do need to keep working on my interpersonal skills!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Jan 20 in USA
I had an online class on Wednesday early morning (4:30am in California is 9:30pm in Korea) that did not go so well, as there was echo on all the students voices and the webcams didn't work... but they could see/hear each other fine, and no problems seeing/hearing me. the point is, I want them doing more and me less.
I saw the recorded video, and there was no echo! Strange.
I'm not sure how I'm going to resolve this. Perhaps it will work better tomorrow morning, when I use the notebook computer with the neighbor's wireless internet instead of my mother's clunky computer. Hope So!
I saw the recorded video, and there was no echo! Strange.
I'm not sure how I'm going to resolve this. Perhaps it will work better tomorrow morning, when I use the notebook computer with the neighbor's wireless internet instead of my mother's clunky computer. Hope So!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Jan 17 online
Last class before going to US. Hope I can do Wednesday's class, both physically and mentally present!
Still, it seems many aren't reading, or not reading well Perhaps I need a quiz to start class. I think we have sufficient rapport (even if not the best). I really do want to talk less, they just don't seem forthcoming.
Still, it seems many aren't reading, or not reading well Perhaps I need a quiz to start class. I think we have sufficient rapport (even if not the best). I really do want to talk less, they just don't seem forthcoming.
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