Apply Technology In Chinese Teaching and Learning Effectively

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Here are something you may try for teaching Chinese

1. Mentormob

Create playlists of content that students could work through

Create your own Playlist on MentorMob!

2. Bubblr

3. Bookr




4. Story Bird

Experienced Group Working for Distance Education Class

Working remotely in groups is so different. It is really a so nice experience to work as a student, and I could know how my students felt before. Although I applied this strategy in my classroom, I don't think I could understand the difficulties my students had before. I completely felt how they were feeling though this assignment-group project for creating a activity. I appreciate the whole process, which taught me so much.

Getting Together
We were assigned to different group at the beginning of this class with classmates' contact information. I think it is working well because we could know who we need to contact and how to contact them. So, I contacted my group member easily, and get the message faster. I thought it would be working easily to get all activities done soon. Unfortunately, the locations of our group members are so different, and it is so difficulty to adjust the timezone for our group. One of our group members has 8 hours differences from mine, and another two members have a 3 hours differences. Although we were trying very hard to match each other's time zone, we did not start the first hangout meeting till two days left before the due day. Even now, one group member still cannot get together with us. So, I completely understand how hard to make a group project in a distance education class for students.

Working Together
I love working remotely in groups. I was so excited and happy to see my friends from different locations. I am so happy that I could make friends by this way. Also, it is so nice to collect all ideas and work out for the assignment. The whole communication was great, we were talking something fun and get the work done. The best part I feel is making friends and build up network with colleagues. I love this collaboration.

Issues and Concerns
There are some issues as well even though I enjoyed working with my group members. The problems:
1) taking time to contact the group member to meet together, these are nothing about any technology skills or knowledge, this is about some issue we cannot control. How students could get the grade if they did not participate just because any issued they cannot control. How instructor to give the grade to these students.
2) the grades student should based on the evidences, students have done. For example, the evident for this assignment is the recording of voicethread and worksheet we were working on. However, some group members cannot make meeting, and then they cannot work on this group project because of so many reasons like we discussed before, technology, or internet connection, or time zone. How could instructor adjust the grade for so many uncontrolled factors. Students who have done a lot would deserve a good grade. However, is it "fair" for those students who cannot make this project? I am thinking is any alternative assessment could be used for the distance education.

At last, I really want to say I enjoyed the distance class, which I was looking for. I love technologies and I love to apply technologies in my class teaching, no matter face-to-face or distance. This is such a wonderful experience!

Learning from Group 9

I think the activity from group 9 is very nice to use for distance education class. I would adopt it's idea for my own. The activity they designed is interpersonal mode for novice students. This is group activity to work on food reorganization. The procedure for this activity is: 1. Give students detailed descriptions and guidelines of the activity. 2. Assign students in pairs. 3. Give students the prepared worksheets.

4. Students do interpersonal communication online by Skype, QQ or Wechat.5. Students complete the worksheet by information they get. 6. The teacher read the worksheet and give students feedback.

I would add one tool to make this activity fit my distance classroom. I would apply Google Doc to this activity. I think it would be better to let students work on a shared Google Document at the same time. Since this is Synchronous, it would be better to have students to edit at the same time, and instructor also could watch how they are working on.

I like this activity's idea because it is very simple and easy to apply and fit any teaching content. Also, pair working is always helpful for distance education students. So, I would like to adopt group 9's idea! 

Distance Learning and Three Modes of Communications

I think all these three modes are important for different ways. I would not tend to focus one more than others, since each one has it's own function to develop students' skills. I would design variety of activities to apply each mode or two modes, even three modes at the same activities in student learning. I think a distance learning environment is very helpful for students to learn language. Distance learning could provide students an open space to learn, no matter time and location limitations. Distance learning also allow every one to share the useful resources. In addition,  distance learning could be helpful for regular class as well, it allow us to learn target language with native speakers, who live far away from them. Therefore, distance learning could provide many opportunities for teachers and learners to apply three modes of communication.

The ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) Performance Guidelines are “performance standards” that describe the language proficiency of language learners in Standards-based language programs, how well students demonstrate competencies, “how well should students be expected to do the what from the content standards”. These guidelines are organized according to the three Modes of Communication (Interpersonal, Interpretive, and Presentational) and provide an organizing principle and a view of language that reflects real communication.

1. INTERPERSONAL MODE

• The Interpersonal Mode is characterized by active negotiation of meaning among individuals. Participants observe and monitor one another to see how their meaning and intentions are being communicated. Adjustments and clarifications can be made accordingly. As a result, there is a higher probability of ultimately achieving the goal of successful communication in this mode than in the other two modes. The Interpersonal Mode is most obvious in conversation, but both the interpersonal and negotiated dimensions can be realized through reading and writing, such as the exchange of personal letters or electronic mail messages.

2. INTERPRETIVE MODE

• The Interpretive Mode is focused on the appropriate cultural interpretation of meanings that occur in written and spoken form where there is no recourse to the active negotiation of meaning with the writer or the speaker. Such instances of “one-way” reading or listening include the cultural interpretation of texts, oral or written, must be distinguished from the notion of reading and listening “comprehension,” where the term could refer to understanding a text with an American mindset. Put another way, interpretation differs from comprehension in that the former implies the ability to “read (or listen) between the lines.”

• Since the Interpretive Mode does not allow for active negotiation between the reader and the writer or the listener and the speaker, it requires a much more profound knowledge of culture from the outset. The more one knows about the other language and culture, the greater the chances of creating the appropriate cultural interpretations of a written or spoken text. It must be noted, however, that cultural literacy and the ability to read or listen between the lines are developed over time and through exposure to the language and culture.

3. PRESENTATIONAL MODE

• The Presentational Mode refers to the creation of messages in a manner that facilities interpretation by members of the other culture where no direct opportunity for active negotiation of meaning between members of the two cultures exists. Examples of the “one-way” writing and speaking require a substantial knowledge of language and culture from the outset, since the goal is to make sure that members of the other culture, the audience, will be successful in reading and listening between the lines.

Cited from  ACTFL's Guideline

http://efldept.aug.edu/FLportfolio/ACTFLPerformanceGuidelinesThe3Modes.pdf

Trying PLNs

As a language teacher, it is valuable to connect with others. After watching video provided, I feel I would try more tools to connect with others because you could open your mind with connection. You would learn more. It is pretty nice to have more people who have the same interest to work with you together.
I used google doc to share ideas and collaborate with other teachers or students before. Also, I used facebook to communicate with other friends or educators before. I do not think which platform could be the best because each one has it's own features. I would use different platform for different situations.
Based on what I have learned from this class, I did join Yammer and Hangout, and started to try these tools. I think I would definitely try Diigo now since I feel it has functions I am looking for. Also, I would install twitter soon to try if it would be working for me. I heard twitter for a while, I was so hesitated to try it because I thought it was so overwhelming with too much information. I would try different tools and decide which one would fit my teaching and learning goals.

My first experience about trying Google Hangout.

This is the first time I use Google Hangout. I watched the video, which taught me how to use it. I like Google Hangout after watching video. I think it is very easy to set up the account,and get to use it. However, I feel difficult to connect with my new colleagues, since I did not know them before. What I could communicate with them is just email. First, I made the Ring Chat, which is starting our group. I also created a group from Yammer, which is kind of easy to communicate. I thought my colleagues could see it and contact me through these two ways. Unfortunately, I did not have anyone to contact me till now.  Therefore, I sent the email to all my colleagues to hope that they could find the way to get in Google Hangout.
I am starting to use Google Hangout now, and I hope I would use it often later. I am going to know more later after I connected my new colleagues:-)