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- Panel Discussion by
The Educational Technology Committee and the Teaching Resource
Committee
- Saint Michael’s College
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- ORIGINAL PURPOSE/TARGET AUDIENCE
- To deliver a teacher training course in Computer-Assisted Language
Learning (CALL) to SMC graduate students at partner
institutions/satellite campuses during the academic year (Hellenic
American Union in Athens, … in Krakow, Poland)
- reduce travel and accommodations cost for students
- allow participants to remain in their country and pursue a career
- allow participants to earn credits toward a master’s degree at SMC
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- NEW/ADDITIONAL TARGET AUDIENCE
- Public school teachers/staff around the state of Vermont and in
neighboring states (New York); distance too great to travel
- MATESL students who live/work abroad (Switzerland, South Pacific,
Canada, Greece, Poland)
- Alumni of SMC (undergrad or grad)
- Reason: continue professional obligations while at the same time
improving credentials either for re-certification or for job
advancement
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- to provide an online teacher training experience through online CALL
that parallels the experience that the students have in the face-to-face
course
- My premise: Whatever I and the students do/did in the face-to-face
course, should also happen in the online course. I have to find ways to make this
possible.
- to find ways to create the same kind of effective, involved,
enthusiastic learning community that existed in my face-to-face classes
- To model the course goal—effectively incorporating technology into the
classroom—by providing hands-on, task- and project-based experiences, that
follow a constructivist, inquiry-based approach
- Construction of learning and teaching principles by the group rather
than receiving information through lectures
- The teacher as facilitator, not the “sage of the stage”
- Autonomous Learners taking responsibility for their own learning
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- How were the goals accomplished?
- Design:
- Simple course architecture in eCollege--easy to navigate
- Consistent course/page design and layout
- Clear instructions/policies/guidelines/deadlines; frequent repetition (reminders)
- Tools: computer-mediated communication to establish an effective
learning community
- Assignment of moderators to lead the weekly threaded discussion forums
about readings and hands-on tasks/projects
- 5 required class chats + frequent group/individual chats
(text/voice/web cam),
- E-mail exchanges: class/group/private
- A teacher-constructed web page with the picture and brief bio of each
course participant
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- How were the goals accomplished?
- Teaching method: Using constructivist, inquiry and project-based
learning principles that encourage collaboration and interaction
- Hands-on tasks and projects (weekly, short-term, and semester-long):
- Experimentation with applications, Internet tools, and links
- Constructing teaching tools that make use of what they learned (a
class/school newsletter in Word, a PowerPoint slide show that is a
lesson plan for a WebQuest, a FrontPage-based WebQuest lesson,
web-based rubrics for assessment of student projects, )
- Sharing with the class what they learned about each task (threaded
discussion)
- Group tasks that require the use of online collaboration tools for
communication and file sharing, as well as peer reviewing
- Weekly summaries/reactions to
- Readings
- Hands-on links
- Class members’ questions and comments
- Class members’ short- and long-term projects (peer reviews)
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- A more learner-centered and higher quality experience than the
face-to-face course
- Student comments: “Tremendous learning experience: exposure to a wealth
of resources & media”
- Carefully thought-out/substantive/stimulating interaction
- Everybody participates ALL THE TIME.
- High quality of output—projects and discussions
- Continual exploration to find ways to incorporate newly learned
tools/methods/aspects
- Accomplishment of course goals
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- Unsolicited student quotes (from current threaded discussions):
- Can you believe we're already 6 weeks in? It's been great learning
from everyone thus far.
- I am as enthusiastic as you are. Our voice conference this weekend was
something I really enjoyed. It's amazing how computers can bring
together people and students from all around the world.
- How exciting to speak to someone in Greece, and not have to pay long
distance, AND to be collaborating on a project together. It was
wonderful!
- Once again, the learning in this course is just endless for me!
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- Scheduling real-time chats across
2-3 time zones
- Varying levels of comfort with
technology: steep learning curve
- Round-the-clock access to e-mail
& the Internet
- Balancing class work &
full-time jobs: keeping up with the
weekly assignments &
interaction
- Technological problems: different e-mail applications/Word
editions, e-mail/servers
down, constantly changing URLs of important
course links, changes on
the electronic listserv /bulletin board
- Personal problems
- Effects of distance: delay in
response time; no visual contact
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