Blog11-Week16 Reflection & Comments on Group Presentation

Reflection
Our group used Skype as a teaching media material. This is because it acts as a type of communication device that allows people to not only message people, but also be able to talk, and even visually see the other person or people that you are communicating with. One of our dificulties was to organize the class at the same time. Some had never used Skype, so we had to explain and watch the way students did their work. Also, we needed to choose appropriate videos for advanced level learners. We thought that, as a result, these activities tap into a variety of aspects of learning, from vocabulary, to personal development, content, contextual situations, speaking, as well as pragmatics. There are some problems in our activity, but I hope everyone enjoyed our presentation.

Comments
Group1 (Reid, Min Su and Atsushi)
Google doc is simple and accessible for everyone. I have used google doc whenever I have a group presentation. If I use google doc, my friends and I don't need to meet and make a document such as powerpoint. However, I didn't notice this media also can be applied as a language teaching materials. I really like the activity that Reid's group presented. In addition to their activity, I may use google doc in a different way.

Group2(Ryota, Hyun Ju, and Andrew)
Their topic was intersting one. Through SNS, learners can know and learn other cultures. I believe that these SNS motivate learners to study thier target language. In my opinion, the activity that  Ryota's group presented is not for activity in class, but for out of class. They didn't mention specific SNS, so learners can choose some media for thier learning. The class is the place where learners and teacher share their learning process and opinion. I think the activity work for espeacially advanced level learners.

Blog10-Week15 Comment on group projects

I really like both groups' activities.

Group 1 (Allison, Jacqueline, and Dzulfikri)
Music is often used in language class room, and it is very effective for learners to learn target language. This group used "Jut Like You" as a material, but it is somewhat difficult for me to listen to lyrics and understand the meaning. However, I could hear my friends opinions and experiences related to the song, and I found  that each students has different opinions and feelings about the song eventhough we listened to the same song. Also, as a HW, we have to find and bring a photo and image that represents one of the words discussed in the activity. I thought that HW was nice to keeping use media as students' own study.

Group 2 (Tankia, Wonguk, and Kelly)
I was surprised that there was another online site we could post video, picture and other resouces insted of Facebook!! I'm sure that the site is easier to organize the class and be safe than Facebook. I really want to try it in the future. More surprisingly, they made virtual trip map to France. I think if students also can try making their own maps, it is more effective to learn language because they need to search and understand a site that is wrriten by L2 to complete the map. They can learn a lot of words and culture through the proceess of project.

Blog9-Week14 Discussion Questions about Unintended Outcomes in SL

When I played Quest Atlantis, I learned how I can communicate with other residents rather than how I can use language itself. I tried to participate in some activities such as question, but actually I didn't pay attention to target language much. I enjoyed chatting with other participants, and changing an avatar's clothes, hair, and skin color. However, I chose avatar's appearance defffernted from my appearance in First Life. I didn't have exact reasons, but I chose it just for fun!! Thinking back over my experience of QA, I couldn't enhance intercultural literacy and cultural identities for just an hour.  As the author said, I needed supportive social contex that emphasises cooperation because almost of time I spent by myself except when I have small talk to others. That's why I couldn't consider me as a part of community. Of course, if I continue QA for more long time, I may enhance intercultural literacy, or cultural identities. However, so far, I couldn't learn those abilities from SL. In fact, I don't like playing game like 3D virtual even if it aim to learn language. I think there are preferences of learners, so some can learn a lot of thing including  intercultural literacy and cultural identities from SL, but other like me can't learn anything from it.

Blog8-Week13 Discussion Question about Establishing a theorectical foundation for project-based learning in second and foreign language contexts

Question: your students are learning about restaurants (food, taste, ordering, ect.) during this 3 week unit.  Your PDL guidelines included that your students should create a fictitious restaurant in their target L2’s country.  In what ways could you encourage your students to use social medias for their presentation and/or information gathering?  Given what we have learned about social medias in class, what sites and/or medias would you recommend, and why?

Answer:
     I'll show students a video at first. The video should include a restaurant scene, and characters will have conversation. For example, a customer will order, and ask a waiter which is the chef's recommendation. The waiter ask the order, and tell the check. I think that it is good way to image the situation, and know what the each  character say. After that, I'm going to let students use the Internet to get more information about L2's country restaurants. They may refer to the specific restaurant such as Zippy's, and look for the menu and business hours. Students can get information not only for their fictitious  restaurant but also for their skills such as reading, comprehension, and also computer literacy. If we have more time, I would have students take a movie, and show them what they have just played. They will listen to their own conversation or each pronunciation by watching the video. Thus, they can reconsider their phrase or pronunciation which are used in the play.
     When I took Spanish class, I played a role as I suggested. However, I didn't use media much in Spanish class, so I wanted to take more media. Since we have to do all thing during 3 weeks, it might be difficult, but we are worth our time in the class.
   

Blog7-Week9 Experience of video podcast

Since it was the first time for me to make own movie, I had a lot of difficulties with editting. One of my troubles was that I didn't have Mac. So I had to go to computer Lab, or borrow Mac from my friends to use iMovie. However, once I started editing the movie, I devoted myself and enjoyed editing. I adopted a sound effect and music to give obsevers a mood. Also, I put the poems on the screen to allow obsevers to check what I said. Next trouble was that I had to wait an hour to upload my movie on youtube. I hope a programmer develops the youtube upload system. Although I spent a lot of time to edit and upload the video, I'm satisfied with my work even if my movie beyonds 5 min.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WYPH9lSIpE  ← This is my video podcast link:) Check it out!!

My target observer is anyone who are interested in Japanese and Jpanese culture. In my movie, they can learn how to write Haiku (Japanese poem), and listen to one of famous poems. Since I spoke English insted of Japanese, it was easy for beginner to understand the contents. When I show my friend (Japanese friend) this movie, she enjoyed and liked it. She commented that using a finger was good idea because observers never get tired of listening, and watching. She also added that I could include teenagers as my target because I didn't use difficult words. I was glad to hear her comment, and wanted to hear more comments from other observers. I'm looking forward to seeing the comments on youtube. I'm sure that their
comment encourages me to make a better video podcast in the future.

Blog6-Week8 QA experience

Although there are some advantages of QA, personally I don't like QA much because after (or while) I played QA I got eye strain. I didn't know why, but compared to liveMocha or twitter activities, I felt easily eyes' fatigue. As a result, I couldn't concentrate on learning for even an hour because of my eye tiredness. I think that it is not just for me but others. Especially, it may be harm for young learners to play QA (kind of game) for a long time because their eye are easily influenced by enviroment.

Also, some learners just play for a plesure not for language learning, so teacher has to go the round and pay attention to student's activity.  In my opinion, learners should use QA as their outside activity because no matter how learners use well, they can't improve their language skills if they don't know basic knowledge. That's why grammar teaching or other teaching should be focused on  in class.

Since I'm not gamer (who loves playing game), I'm not interested in QA much. However, for gamer QA is very interesting, and it even motivetes them. If teacher understands individual preferences, she can give learners a lot of options to study language. Some prefers QA, but the others don't prefer it. This situation always exsisted in class.

Blog5-Week7 Brainstorming for video podcaste

Hi all,

Have you decided what you are going to do for video podcaste?
I have some idea, but I haven't decided yet. I want to adopt something related to language learning, but what I want to do have already done by other. For example, youtube, ABC news video, and BBC offer language learning video. I sometime use those learning tools. When I think about project of video podcast as a producer, my idea tends to be same as videos which already produced by other. I want to make somewhat unique, but I don't come up with that.

One thing that I decide is that I'll introduce some Japanese culture, or Okinawan culture in Japanese garden. Have you been to there? Japanese garden is located in near Kennedy theatre, and it is so cool. If you haven't been to, you should go:)  I believe that the place will give learners more interesting to learn Japanese.