Week 4 Thoughts on Technology

I appreciated what Jarek Krajka had to say in this week's reading that using an internet component to enhance our teaching provides students with "recency" as opposed to the materials that they see in textbooks or even my own newspapers, magazines and "authentic" language that grows old and stale so very quick. Especially for young people, life is so short and so full of change!

Of the techniques that Krajka mentioned, web pages and a class website were not new, but his idea of "key pals" was new to me. Years ago I tried "pen pals" in an exchange of letters, never with great success. But perhaps an international email exchange would work better for the 21st century.

As a writing teacher who knows that good writing is very difficult to achieve, I am always willing to look at creative ideas. Yet I do not feel it necessary to constantly re-invent the wheel, and thus I do depend on a specialized writing skills book to work on structures etc. Krajka agrees that a "first lesson" could be entirely off-line, working to analyze good models and vocabulary that has worked in the past. I don't believe I need technology just for the sake of technology, but certainly there is room to provide students with choice and variety and give them purposes for writing that appear "authentic" to them, as the internet surely can do.

One of the nice things about researching various language skill-building websites on the internet these past weeks has been the bonus for my children - I found some fun sites for them to practice their reading/writing skills (which they need in 3 languages). They know how to find the bookmarks, so they're improving their internet literacy all the time :) What they consider as "playing" is simply language practice disguised, but if it keeps them busy while I need to cook supper - great for all of us!