I have found Skype to be a very effective tool for classroom usage.
The ways in which I can use Skype as a Spanish teacher are very diverse
and helpful. With the various accents and cultures that are
present in the Spanish speaking world it will be very helpful for the
students to not only be aware of them, but to interact with them as well. In my future classroom I will link up with
schools from different countries in order for the students to Skype each
other. This would be like a pen pal, but
instead it would be a Skype pal. I think
that the students would find speaking English and Spanish with students from
other countries to be a very fun and challenging activity. We would be able to converse with students
from different countries in order to work on listening comprehension and
cultural knowledge. This would also give
our students the opportunity to express ideas and opinions about our own
culture.
Dropbox and other online storage tools are a fantastic way to make sure
that your information is saved in a secure place other than your computer;
which as Kristin put it, “Might get run over by a car.” While this is a sad statement, it is also a
very true one. We have to be careful
about our files. I, however, am someone
who can be easily overwhelmed by too many technology resources, so I must
choose one and stick to it until it is on its way out. Organization is crucial, find one with an
interface and style that you like and use it.
At least for me that is what I will try to do.
Diigo will definitely come in handy as a way to organize my bookmarks
and place sticky notes on parts of the website to guide me to relevant
information. This will speed up my
search process for materials that I have already encountered.
Google reader will also aid in the speed at which I can find websites
that contain information that I desire. This is exciting and I know I will make
the most out of it.
When the July dust settles a bit, I hope you'll stop by the Language Resource Center in the basement of North Quad to chat with Philomena. She has a lot of great ideas for Skype-conferencing with international speakers!
ReplyDeleteWow! I never thought of being able to use Skype to assist in foreign language teaching. That is SUCH a great idea! I would have loved if I could do that when I was in Spanish class. What do you think of sharing context though? Part of language is being able to listen and see others speak definitely, but how would you help students learn to communicate at different levels? Would you have lesson plans or conversation topics that the students could focus on together? What do you think the benefits of having this cross-cultural interaction would be on the student's perspective?
ReplyDeleteThis is a great point. I think that I would begin by using lessons that focus on "getting to know you" and then move on to other topics. The students would also be able to choose certain things that they would like to talk about too, as long as they are appropriate. I think that this would help them gain a perspective on their own culture by speaking about it and learning about other cultures.
DeleteI love your idea of using Skype in your classroom. It seems like it would be a great tool to use for learning a language. I think one of the most important aspects of learning a foreign language is being able to communicate with a native speaker. Do you think you would organize how students use Skype? For example, when they Skype with their pen pal, would you have one session focus on food, while another might focus on current events? I think it would be interesting to have students Skype about maybe the unit they are studying. Anyway, I love your Skype idea and think it will work really well in your classroom?
ReplyDeleteI think Skype is also a great tool for cross-cultural, international, interactive learning. I mentioned this to my group already, but I tutor Greek students in English on skype about once a week. It is helpful because I can also draw or write things and then show them using a screen. Plus I can see what they are writing and check grammar by having them type things into chat. The only problem I could see is that, not all schools will have a computer for every student in your class, which could prove problematic, but even more so finding a school in another country that also would have computers for their students. Or did I misunderstand and you would have your entire class look at a big screen and vice-versa and the teachers co-teach in a digital classroom setting?
ReplyDeleteThis is something that I have not had to think about much yet. I believe that having "guest speakers" through Skype would be an important thing to have the whole class participate in. The students could also use their computers at home to Skype with students or use a computer in class. I would have to wait and see what my school SES looks like and adapt to the situation.
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