Blogger, Triadic...

Meskill, C. (2005). Triadic Scaffolds: Tools For Teaching English Language Learners With Computers. Language Learning & Technology. 9 (1). (pp.46-59).

This article is all about active communication and its connection to learning. I think that technology in the classroom should be encouraged. Words like context of use, teacher verbal strategy, role of the computer, and what is the strategy accomplisher is are new terms to me. In this technological world, I feel the author is pointing his finger to me! I should really jump on board and learn, it already.
"ESL ghetto" made me so mad. "Left behind" is also how I feel. I am so angry I cannot blog.

Dodge, B. (1997). Webquests. Retrived July 22, 2008, from San Diego State University Webquest site:http://webquest.sdsu-edu/aboutwebquests.html

Some thoughts about webquests is about resources from the internet with an option t0 go on video chat. There are two options for inquiry purposes: short term and longer term options. They both last from one class to a month class periods for levels of expertise. There are six steps in the process to learn webquest: introduction, task, information sources, process, guidance, conclusion.
I am not sure what the benefits are from this. Can you help me out Sabine or Kathy? Thanks, I appreciate it.
Guru "helloooo" out.

Words as Big as the Screen: Native American Languages and the Internet by McHenry

McHenry, T. (2002). Words as Big as the Screen: Native American Languages and the
Internet. Language learning & technology, 6,(2),pp.102-115.

Research done on the language revival of Native American languages have factors other than the dying language to consider, such as politics, economic and social factors all contribute to the languages becoming extinct or on the verge of not having written documentation that they exist. According to Krauss from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks campus, he wants the Native languages in Alaska to have written documentation so that possible variations in phonological or syntactic theory could be researched in languages that might not get recorded.
The biggest point that I got out of the article was that the researcher said that she is concerned that Native languages are not recorded by Native speakers, so then the translations are biased and from a Non-Native perspective. And also if the languages are learned and shared through the internet, the font should match the speakers’ ways of writing the language.

Rethinking Myspace by Garcia

Garcia, A. (2008). Rethinking Myspace. 22,(4).

The author uses myspace as a form of communication in his classroom for assignments, finding out how students are and helping them with applications for SAT and other forms like financial aid and posting homework. He sees the myspace site as a way for him to get his students to communicate and stay in touch with him, because a lot of them have absences from school a lot. Some of the quiet students are chatting with him and he hears from students that he is concerned about when they reply to his messages or explain their absence situation.
I think the myspace site is a good tool. I chat with students in my village and I get lots of information from their comments and their pictures. It is so amazing how much technology can teach you about people’s personalities and their preferences. It is really important to teach students about the bad side of having too much information posted on the website for safety and personal issues.

The Laptops are coming! The Laptops Are Coming! by McFarlane

McFarlane, S. (2008). The laptops are coming! The laptops are coming!, Rethinking
Schools, 22, 22-26.

This article expresses concern over laptops in the classroom. I am not sure how the impact is in the bigger schools and how the rules for the technology is played, but I know in our school the way the laptops are used is strictly for information usage and sites like myspace are blocked. The technology department in central office down in Mountain Village has access to our computers and can totally shut down the first class system to keep our minds on the conference during our workshops or in-service days.
I am not sure how I feel about using laptops in the classroom, but I know they are useful. I am concerned about the interpersonal skills that the author mentioned that was missing in her English Language Learner program. Like her, I am aware of how much “quiet” time students have and that they are perfectly happy if they don’t have to speak up in class. It is like having lessons in math using Saxon as the only resource and teaching skills but not using the whole class as mini-lesson opportunities. Some teachers use that program as the only source to teach math and therefore leaving out elements like daily lessons for the whole class. Kids get really bored with that method and say that their teacher does not teach them but that they are stuck on worksheets and that is the only method of lesson delivery.
Laptops to me are a useful tool, but you have to ask yourself those hard questions about using it as a resource and not as the only mode of teaching. Language use and practice as well as students who struggle to learn how to use the computers are some elements to look at and consider.

New Technologies and Additional Language Learning by Thorne

Thorne,S.L. (2006). New Technologies and Additional Language Learning. (CALPER
Working Papers Series, No.7.) The Pennsylvania State University: Center
for Advanced Language Proficiency, Education and Research.

Technology in the classroom provides new roles for the teacher as well as the student to have tools that create language usage rather than an oral discussion where not all the participants are engaged. Words like Internet-mediated intercultural L2 education, intercultural competence, languaculture, and pragmatic rules of interaction are now a part of the second language lexicon.
Second language learning through the Internet provides opportunities for L2 learners to have hands-on support for linguistic and pragmatic developments that comes alive with conversations with a Native speaker of a new language experience. It connects people globally through wiki, podcasting, blog connections as well as facebook, myspace, vlogs, friendster.com. Digital media also contributes to the concept of communication through the computer.
The technology age is here. Kids born in the 1990’s have the tech savvy that they need at the tips of their hands. The virtual world is out there. Opportunities to learn new languages is as simple as choosing a language and then using resources like myspace or yahoo instant messenger to connect you to a personal tutor in that language. The plus on that too is that you get to choose someone you like and might have a personal crush on as your guide to a new lexicon on a language of your choice.
With more use of the Internet, opportunities for making informed decisions to use the tools in the classroom is critical. Curricular innovation, institutional policy and regional and state agenda setting are elements to consider to help make policies that includes technology in the classroom.