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Online communities for language teachers Maria Teresa Ciaffaroni [email protected] om Britsh Council, Milan, November 26 - 28, 2007 Learning Technologies: Bridging the Gap between Technology and Pedagogy

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Online communities for language teachers

Maria Teresa Ciaffaroni

[email protected]

Britsh Council, Milan, November 26 - 28, 2007

Learning Technologies: Bridging the Gap between Technology and Pedagogy

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Digital nativesor digital immigrants?

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A digital native is a person who has grown up with digital technology such as computers, the Internet, mobile phones and MP3. A digital immigrant is an individual who grew up without digital technology and adopted it later. A digital native might refer to their new "camera"; a digital immigrant might refer to their new "digital camera".

Wikipedia (M Prensky 2001)

Definition

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Natives at home….

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……..at school

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Digital Native Learners Prefer

To receive information quickly from multiple multimedia source

Parallel processing and multitasking

To process pictures, sounds and video before text

Random access to hyperlinked multimedia information

To interact/network simultaneously with many others

To learn “just-in-time.”

Instant gratification and instant rewards

Learning that is relevant, instantly useful and fun

Preferences

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Preferences

Digital Immigrant Teachers Prefer

Slow and controlled release of information from limited sources

Singular processing and single or limited tasking

To provide text before pictures, sounds and video

To provide information linearly, logically and sequentially

Students to work independently rather than network and interact

To teach “just-in-case” (it’s on the exam)

Deferred gratification and deferred rewards

To teach to the curriculum guide and standardized tests

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Immigrants teaching natives…

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How to cope?

Learning the new “language”, that is, trying toexperiment with technology try Web 2 “tools” first hand work co-operatively interact networkmultitaskshare (ideas, experiences, materials, expertise….)

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How can you do that?

Joining Becoming a Webhead or another online Community at Evonline, a ProfessionalDevelopment Project sponsored by TESOLInternational

collaborative, online discussion sessions or hands-on virtual workshops

held every year in January and February last for six weeks offer seminars on ESOL relevant topics sessions are free and open to TESOL members and

non-members

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What for?

To become a well integrated digital immigrant

if not a digital native … that is to

deal with Web-based communication tools (web 2 tools)

be introduced to CMC for EFL/ESL learn how to blend ICT and CMC in one’s daily

practice Learn how to use technologies in one’s teaching

practices

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Why?

“In a community of practice members actually work and learn cooperatively and in a

multitasking manner. It seems that teachers nurtured in such constructivist environments

become capable of extrapolating the techniques used in their own scaffolding to the

benefit of their student learners”

V. Stevens 2005

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The Webhead experience

Virtual GroupsText and voice synchronous communication tools Blogs, Wikis, Web pages Podcasting Virtual classrooms Online class materialsBlended learning

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Conclusions

“Joining a community such as Becoming a Webhead is a significant advantage and enrichment at the professional and personal levels. It is a pleasant and useful way to learn about and start using different Web-based communication tools, gradually introduce them in your teaching-learning process and, last but not least, meet colleagues from all over the world and thus enhance your professional horizons in unprecedented ways.”

D. Gonzales

T. Almeida d'Eça

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References

Gonzalez, D,.Almeida d'Eça, T. (2005) Becoming a Webhead: First Steps in Blended and Online Efl/esl Teaching, in IATEFL Poland Computer SIG, http://www.iatefl.org.pl/call/j_review22.htm

Prensky. M (2001) Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/

Prensky. M (2006) Listen to the Natives, Stevens, V. (2005). "The future is now: How CMC tools for professional development enhance learning environments for students." 2005 TESOL CALL Interest Session Academic Session: Future Visions of CALL. http://www.homestead.com/prosites-vstevens/files/efi/papers/tesol/2005/gvs_pres.htm

Stevens, V. (2005). "The future is now: How CMC tools for professional development enhance learning environments for students." 2005 TESOL CALL Interest Session Academic Session: Future Visions of CALL. http://www.homestead.com/prosites-vstevens/files/efi/papers/tesol/2005/gvs_pres.htm