Although I am not a chicken-livered kind of person, I got really scared when I saw this assignment for Week 1. The reason is quite simple - I had never used blogs before. What's more, I had not even read other people's blogs. Why? Probably because I much prefer face-to-face contact. However, having read some materials on the subject and also having viewed some example blogs suggested by Deborah, I much changed my way of thinking about blogs.
Teachers in Poland - at least the ones I know and work with - do not use blogs for teaching purposes. Actually, they rarely even use the web for teaching, or it is limited only to using the materials offered by various publishing houses or institutions. Therefore, I feel absolutely amazed and intrigued by the opportunities that blogs offer for both teachers and students. Aware of the fact that anyone can read my own blog - even my students - I promise to use the web, and blogs in particular, for the good of my students, my fellow teachers and for my own as well.
Having discovered the various, though still basic, uses of blogs, let me share a few spontaneous reflections.
To start with, as a teacher I can choose the type of blog that would best suit my students' and my classes' needs. Whether it is going to be a tutor blog, a class blog, or a learner blog (or a combination of all three) depends on how I want to use it and what for. As an introduction to the adventure with the web, I would probably choose the first type bearing in mind mind that it is not an ESL, but an EFL class. However, with time I would try to move to the class blog as soon as possible to create the kind of environemnt to enable them to practise English outside the classroom which they they have very few opportunites to do. And apart from all the obstacles that all may and definitely will face on the way, blogging serves an invaluable source of communicative real-life tasks.
Furthermore, traditional (classroom) teaching suffers certain drawbacks, such as time limits; we do only have 90 mintes per week and at least 15 students in each group! With blogs I could extend this time according to my students needs. Obviously it requires more time time devoted to teaching from me - but can you imagine the results?! I already see my students eager to visit our class blog in the evening to check what others think about their piece of writing, or how Ms Zubel commented their group discussion. I also imagine those shy and quiet students (though there not many nowadays) who desperately want to have their share in the discussion on job prospects for the students of political science in Cracow.
"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one..."
See you on my blog next week.
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ReplyDeleteDear Joanna
ReplyDelete(I deleted the previous post as I noticed a spelling error.)
Please accept my sincere condolences on the loss of your country's president. It sounds to me from all the tributes pouring into your country that he was loved. To lose so many fellow countrymen must be hard.
May God be with you and your country in the difficult days ahead.
Strength!
Nalini
Hi Joanna
ReplyDeleteIt is great to hear your eagerness to embrace this new tool. I have heard about blogs, even been invited to add my comments but never made the effort to see what it was all about. I am looking forward to see some of final products.
Wishing you all the best.
Juliet
Hi Nalini,
ReplyDeleteI want to thank you a lot for your kind words in this difficult time for us Poles. The morning news touched me deep in my heart abd felt as if a lost a close relative, actually nearly a hundred of them. It's absolutley unimaginable for me and I still cannot truly believe in what has happened. Someone said today that even the worst war has never brought about the death of so many key figures in any nation's history.
We need to be strong now and above all stand as one in the face of this undescribable tragedy.
Joanna