Resourcing, Rapport & Real-Time

I have been trying to organize my uneasy relationship with technology. Three categories keep on popping into my head:

Resourcing
This is my daily habit of collecting data for my teaching content. It may be an online list of irregular verbs organized in a more semantic way. It may mean tapping a movie script database that is amazing in scope. It's the treasure hunting and gathering. It's the chore of ubiquitous capture. Stuff in a cloud that I may use some day. "How did he know that?" a student asks. He knew that because he did his homework.

Rapport
I have been trying to have a conversation with my students and colleagues. "How was your weekend?" now performs the function of 'time to get the class started'. In class, they expect me to monologue. I try to twist it into a dialog, but the context-the room the chairs and occasion is hard to shake for a student. Email is much the same way. One way. Formalized exchanges lacking the spontaneity that would be so beneficial to the learning experience. Enter texting, twittering and all the other social networking applications that have annexed our lives. Do I dare employ these schemes to reach and converse with my students? Do they dare do the same with me? What is the net value of such endeavor?

Real-Time
How to use technology effectively in the actual 'real-time' delivery of content? Teachers have always had this as a real question for their classes. The chalkboard, the slate-these technologies are older than dirt (Actually dirt was used in the clay tablets that possibly used in the early classrooms). Since the 50s we have been using some sort of media to enhance learning. Slide projectors, filmstrips, cassette, VCRs, DVDs, SMART-boards and SMART-internet enabled classrooms are all part of the laundry list of 'modern' tools. There are real challenges to implementing these devices into the classrooms-cost is a big one, but the real challenge is not how to get the SMART-board working but how to get the teacher to be smart  in how they use these contraptions?

As I see it, looking at the use of technology in teaching in three different modes or functions: Resourcing, Rapport & Real-Time helps me organize and prioritize my efforts in becoming excellent at all three.

The DLP Project

The Digital Learning Portfolio (DLP) will be the place where you will demonstrate your learning accomplishments. It is not for learning only technology things. It is a place to show your learning. Just like the hard copy version of a learning portfolio shows iterations of your various assignments in chronological sequence the DLP displays this same information digitally. 

 

This will be the only thing I will look at when I assign grades to you for this course.

 

The initial elements of the your DLP needed are: 

It all starts with a working microblogging platform (posterous) used as the virtual location of your work. Then, you need a good title, a good subtitle and a profile picture.

 

Tagging Used for Search and Navigation

There is no need to order your pieces in your DLP. Everything will be organized with a clever tagging structure. There needs to be a logical tagging structure that has, at its base, the required tags to facilitate navigation through your DLP. The required tags are: PREP, Storytelling, AD, Resourcing, Real-Time, Rapport, and so on. You can of course create more tags for your own reasons. Hopefully, you will start adding more to your DLP than what is required.

 

Every PCS assignment will have a tag associated with it. This way anyone can search and find any piece of information on your DLP.

 

For example, if you have found something that you think will help you build communication with your students-it could be a quote, something you said on twitter, an article from a publication or website or a picture or movie then post that on your DLP and then ‘tag’ it with the tag: Rapport. In another case, you might have taken notes on something your learned while we were doing our AD (Afternoon Dialogue) in class one day then you would ‘tag’ it with the tag: AD. If you feel that there’s a story you learned or found and want to use it for your PREP assignment then you need to give it two tags: a PREP tag and a Storytelling tag.

 

One of the goals I have for you as a teacher is to start developing good habits of ‘ubiquitous capture’. All this means is that you start to collect and store information that may be used as an answer to a future problem. Creating and contributing to a digital learning portfolio is one way to facilitate this.

 

Keep an eye out for the assignments you will need to post in your DLP. Below are some things already mentioned.

 

 

The other PCS assignments to be included are:

1. a good title

2. a good subtitle

3. a good profile picture

4. An audioclip (MP3) of your E of your PREP. Please make sure it is not longer than 1 or 2 minutes. (tag: PREP)

5. Read and make a comment on two other classmates’ E of PREP audioclip.

6. Post an image that reminds you of home. (tag: Home)

 

 

 

ok...go to it!

Joint ACP TEFL "KOGI TACO PARTY" and POTLUCK invitation

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Please come and enjoy a day of relaxing and eating with your TEFL Classmates and teachers.

Joint ACP TEFL "KOGI TACO PARTY" and POTLUCK

Day/Time: November 7th,  2pm to 5pm

Location: William Mason Park

*meet at 1:45pm at California and Harvard and we will walk to the park together. If you arrive late then call (949) 233-9456 for our location. It is a big park.

If you want to drive, there is a $5 entrance fee every time you enter. Why not just meet us and walk in on foot. It is free!


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TEFL will be providing ‘KOGI-style’ tacos and water and plates/utensils.

What would you like to share? We could eat appetizers, desserts…what do you like to eat?

Bring Frisbees, balls, kites-any recreational equipment you want.

Please RSVP ROGER (email or twitter) by Wednesday, Nov. 4th.

If you want to volunteer in preparations, please let me know as well. I could use some help.

We would love you to come!