Bamboo Dance

2006-11-17T23:43:00.000-08:00

Reflection of the CALL Class

In order to check how my lesson plan works and how successful CALL resources can be used in language teaching classes, I invited two students to carry out a part of my 3-hours lesson.

The lesson I designed was for a group of students but today I only had two students so the time of each stage was shorter. Also I didn’t use OHT but used PPT instead. The class was taught by following my lesson procedure and the students finished the tasks quite well. In the language analysis stage, I didn’t use a lot time to clarify the meaning and the form of target language. This is because of the level of these two students are higher than the level of my target students in my lesson plan. But the pronunciation stage was very important to them according to their reaction. The students I chose today have mastered knowledge of English grammar of past simple, but they cannot pronounce abbreviation and contractions correctly. I found out that the drilling practice helped them a lot to produce appropriate pronunciation.

When the class went to the language practice stage, they were asked to use the website to do grammar quiz. Because the class was not taught in school, the students didn’t need to log on to access to the internet. However because there was a problem of the connection where the class was taught, the students had to the quiz several time as the connection to the internet was poor. Those quizzes were not difficult for these two students as they knew the grammar of past simple and both of them are good at using computers. Again the drilling of the pronunciation later benefited them a lot.

Because there are no ‘connected speech’ software in the computers we used, we only worked the first half of the lesson plan.

From today’s teaching I realize that the usage of CALL resources is limited by many factors. For example, if we are going to use some website or information from the internet, the quality of the connection is very important. Otherwise the class cannot be carried out successfully. Also if we are going to use some software in computer lab, we have to supply enough equipment to support the class and the students have to master skills of using computers before the class. Teaching teachers or students to use CALL resources properly could be a long time process as well as money consuming. So the practicability of CALL is till a topic that would be argued and discussed for a period of time.

2006-11-12T01:41:00.000-08:00

Nearly there

Finally, handed in the second assignment!! So the next step is to carry out part of the lesson we designed and to refelct it in our blogs. However we have so many assignments to do at the moment and have no time to think about delivering that lesson yet. Anyway, better finishing these tasks first and then try to find one or two students to carry out my CALL lesson.
Cheer up and we are nearly there!!!

2006-11-01T03:39:00.000-08:00

CALL assignment!!

Today i begin to write my second assignment of CALL. Because i have no teaching experience before so it is hard for me to design a 3 hours class. Even more have to relate it to CALL. It will be a hard work!!!

However, when i was researching some websites for english study, i found out there are so many good websites and many of them are free!!!

So next job will be choosing proper websites for my assignment. Anyway, now it is too late, better do it tomorrow. :)

2006-10-13T19:40:00.000-07:00

Last block class of CALL

Today we had last class of CALL course and i got some ideas for my second assignment already (hopefully).
There are many issues involved in CALL and i am thinking that if the usage of CALL is really necessary for all language teaching classes.
At the same time, there are many teachers may not be able to use computer technology quite well. It would be another problem for using CALL in language classroom.
So is it necessary to design computer skills class in teaching traning courses? Or those language teachers have to learn technology by themselves.
Well, anyway, don't have to get up at 8:00 in satarday morning. Great!!!

2006-09-16T05:34:00.000-07:00

a surprised CALL class

i went to a CALL class last friday and was surprised about it.
it wasn't like the class in my imagination. i'v never thought about that nowadays there are still some people know nothing about computers. For me, that class was a computer skill class but not a language class at all. So when i came back i was wondering: is CALL suitable for those students? it seems like wasting teacher's time. i personally think those students should learn how to use computer first and then go to a language class.

Spring is coming, hope everyone can have a nice holiday.

2006-09-16T05:17:00.000-07:00

Classmates' Blogs

Yuna: http://loveyuna.blog.com
Summer: http://goforyourpassion.blog.com/
Rochelle: http://wonyung.blogspot.com
Toni: http://tonisblogg.blogspot.com
Estelle Austin: www.callreflection.blog.com
Jenney: http://jennyunitec.blogspot.com
Sherry: http://walker-sherry.blogspot.com
Marlene: http://blogg-out.blogspot.com
Mahzad: http://mahzadsblog.blogspot.com/
Judy: http://judeob.blogspot.com/

2006-07-21T20:50:00.000-07:00

New Blog!!

wow, i got two english blogs today.
haha,but it was by accident.
anyway, not so many differences.
let's blog today!!!!!!