Week 10: Closing a Chapter, Waiting for Next

As Maria and Julio reflected themselves, we came close to the end. But it would means that we can leap off the current status for the next stride.

Last 9 weeks, I learned a lot. What was the most useful? I would say, PBL with the technology. I learned that PBL can be conducted online beyond the place and time differences. It also showed that students including me can be more technically active and cooperative when learning. Using ANVILL is a whole new experience too. Delicious.com is the sites that I like the most through whole programs. Actually, not a single task or discussion even learning a post here is valuable and precious as a teacher. They served as the scaffolding on which we could pass through the stage. Within well-organized program, well-trained instructor Janine, and well-thought participants, I now assure that TEAM which is the same name of my project. Together Each Achieves More. I hope that many of Korean teachers will share the experience with web-skills program sponsored by U.S. Embassy.

THANK you, Janine! THANK you, ALL!

May all be happy!

Week9 : Technology and Learning Styles

We went through almost 9 different destinations before we arrived at the final destination.I already had mixed feeling.
This week I had full time read about whole different learning styles ranging from MI to MBTI test to  Kolb's Learning Cycle Model, and Felder-Silverman Learning Style Dimensions . I like the occasional article from ther professors of different field. It gave me a fresh  and new aspect on how to observe students' learning styles. Grasha-Riechamann learning styles shows more practical approach on understanding diverse students who have different educational and cultural backgound. Once again, this week reinforced me to go toward understanding students and made me think of suitable learning stratgegies to each student.
 The final report project from the first draft to the final, I put my all the results from the week 1 to 8. It gave me a meaningful insight. If I designed the project in a organized way before students jumping into the project, they will learn more of contents as well as the way they set up their learning. Giving feedback back and forth with my partner Mari was memorable experience with an intearnational teacher. Thank you, Mari!

I now learned that teacher shoud be the multitasking inspector gadgets. Equipped with the various ways of teaching styles, a whole variety of technical tools and creative thinking in mind, a teacher provided as preferrable learning environment as possible to their students.


Always faithfully,
Michelle Hyesun LEE

Week8 : Teacher Resources Online

Teachers in the past had come by GOOD, quite broad and general concept though, teaching resouces. Sometimes they created their own materials and home in on them during the whole teaching years. But things have changed a lot. Teachers now are readily approach the online-based resources even on the street using smartphone application. This week, I walked toward the online exercise creators. I already met some of them and kept them company but there's still jaw-dropping fancy sites. ANVILL is one of them. I am really gratefull to Jeff Majoto to bring this issues here. Ladened with the brilliant ideas, I collect myself to encourage students to practice oral skills which lack of students' daily lives. I am sure that this will regain "Can-Do-Spirit" to my students and let them hold more accountable on their learning.
 Thanks to my partner Maria Carmen, I am much more keen on myself and my final report. Reading Maria's draft, though not finished, showed me a good way of complete form of final report. Her endeavor and enthusiasm toward the final report is so sincere and ardent, I looked back on my project report again.
Day by day, Week by week, I am grateful to everything that I could work for web-skills program and the amazing colleagues  form every corner in the world that work with. When I was invited the alumni of webinar program, I already share the merit of this program with the Korean teachers and highly recommend this program to them. I hope that next session, other Korean teachers might have a sheer luck!

Thank you, Maria and all other teachers!

Week7 : Learner Autuonomy and One-computer classroom

This week, when I worked on the issues like Learner autonomy, I was immersed into the topic more than ever because this was the long-term topic for me. Just after 15 days of graduation, I was offered a teaching job. It was an international school. Half of the students lived abroad using English or other languages more than a year. English is another first language to them. The students who were born in Korea also have a greater expectation on learning English by themselves. At the time, I was only thinking that how I could enhance my professional skills such as the application of new teaching theory or project-based learning. But when I have a job in other area which is quite isolated and full of unprivileged students, the learning aims and teaching strategies were at stake. Then came the motivation issues. From the first day to end, I had to think how can I catch students’ attention during class? How can I make a joke related to English? How can I teach vocabulary adding fun factor? I think elevating students’ motivation and learning needs are the hardest part for any kinds of teachers. How can we, as teachers, ignite students' lower esteem and lack of motivation into a vivid and lively burning fuel to learn by themselves?

This is I found from my students.

First, give the topic related to their real life rather than that from textbook. It was what Richard Smith called, "Relevance".

Second, let them have many of storytelling. It would be the fairytales which usually ends up with the nice people with the good luck, funny story which make them laugh with English, or anecdotes from the biographies of famous figures, newspaper, articles. This make the motivation and self-efficacy stronger and wider.

Third, let them involve. The earlier days of my teaching career, I would stick to the pages that I planned to cover in a period. There's little flexibility. But now I could see bigger picture. I could go faster or slower the pace depending on students' readiness. One day, if they are fully ready, I could give more information than usual and talked about the topic in a deeper version. If class doesn't respond well enough than usual, I slow down the pace of the lesson and let them talk or write about the topic with ample time. This is the way I found and applied to my class so far. I hope that I will find the suitable way to have my students feel the joy of learning. I  also want my students to hold accountable on thier learning.

Week 6: Implementing the Technology-related Change in Class

                              Click a PREZI on Tae-Geuk-GI (Korean National Flag)

                                                                   


Two weeks ago,  I threw several questions to my studensts. The first quetions is "Are you familar with the Powerpoint?" All 15 students anwered positive. And second question goes like this : " How familiar are you in creating new PPT slides by yourself on a scale of 1 to 5?" The answered showed me they are not quite sure about making new PPT for the presentation. But I challenged myself further. "Have you ever heard of Prezi? None of the students are mindful when I was saying PREZI. They looked all blank and aloof. So I showed them one of my Prezis, which exactly illustrated students the final product they would create at the end of Project Week. They were very into the new form of presentation and some of them alreadt decided to go with PREZI instead of PPT. I love this positive and intriguing attitude toward new technology. It will help a lot in both sense : Language and Technology. And they will be more confident when the days are come for a REAL presentation in university or job-related presentation. I want my students to take a big stride toward new gadgets or presentation form and learning how to work together as a TEAM. In a group work, as all language teachers noticed, there are some students who are weaker at language but strong at technology. I wish that I could help both types of students in one class.

Week 5: How will be PBL beneficial to the students

     
When students are young, we are more likely to belive their potential and give them as much praise as possible. But with the time our(paernts' and teachers') expectation would be way too high. They lose the beliefs on studensts autonomy and the power of the self-learning stragegy. How can we regain our confidence on the belief on students and their studies? I think the experince waing time is quite important. Students of course should learn, not at our pace but at their own pace. We, as parents of teachers give them a right amount of resources they use and wait for them to bloom like the spring bring the flowers to blossom. I believe project-based learning could be the one solution. From first to end, studenst activate themselves to research, connect the separate items in order and bring mundane data in life with the innovative delivery styles. This is how students approach the real-life problems. They at first figure out what the core and critical problem is amongst the possibles problematic situation. Second, they have to research all the way throught to find out the possible solution. Then they analyze the soultions on the list according to their ciritical thinking or practical benefits. After that, they implement the process they chose and find out strong and weak points of using the selected soltuion. They accumulated these expereinces with the different topics, they might increase practical sense of problem-solving techniques not experimenting all the possible paths putting ahead of them. It will be the goal of PBL and this merit will never acquire throught traditional way of teaching.

Week 5: Tech-savvy Teacher

I have walked almost half way through the course. The more weeks go by, the more confidece I have as a tech-savvy teacher in every way. I was afraid of applying new technology into my class and had a fear throwing "what if" questions. What if I could not follow all the instruction that is only conducted online? What if I failed in completing this project? But this program has been part of my life and taught me great pleasure of teaching, learning and sharing. I believe that familarity breeds likings. It can also apply to my students. They at frist might have a huge fear of using English for the project-based learning. But if I break down the whole process into small steps, they would follow several steps without knowing that they are on the big project and slowly and smoothly move on to the goal they set. I hope that I would be a good role model who use English and technology in the practical use and we were all born to be digital natives.

Week 4: Immersing to the Technology in Class

 In Korea these days is the age of super high technology. All the smart phones and tablet PC are near at our hand. Most of teenagers who are at the age of my students are born digital. They even ask the mobile companies to create new functions. For example, iphone has developed the application to turn the phone to musical instrument like ocarina, guitar or piano. People who have the same musical interests can create iphone orchestra and play the music at any time with the anyone. I thinks it's more like a shift of paradigm. It was shoking, even  at awe when I learned that we can print out 3D object just clicking the flat design on the screen. WOW!!
Then how about the classroom? Well, we still have a blakboard and a bunch of chalk like in 18th century. How can I bring the technological challenges to class or how can I help the students to apply the technology in  a useful and wise manner?
I hope that this week's my plannning on the tech-ingrained class model will spare me to have more challenges on blended learning. I know that blended learning takes intesified workload in terms of teaching. But if well-organized with the great effort in the begining, it will be worthy to take extra time and efforts. The perfectly designed lesson will be beneficial for the students to see their own progress on the project, to enjoy learning by doing, to build up confidence, resilience and interpersonal skills through group activities. As part of teachers, they might see the less involvement at work best. By conducting student-led class, teacher will make sure of their role as a facilitator of learning.
My plan is just a frist draft. I will polish the rest of the weeks and build up with the sturdy architecture of blended learning.

Week 3 : A BIG PICTURE of my Final Project

  This week, I am very pleased and happy. Thanks to the gifts from alumni of Building Teaching Skills through the Interactive Web, I could imagine the big picture of how my final project will look like. When I first take this course, I was afraid of failure. As you know, changes always come as a shock no matter how hard we prepare ourselves. When I read several articles from the graduates of this program, I could learn how sincere and thourough they have on their language teaching. I could picuture how they conducted 10-week program with the genuine effort. I used to complain my educational settings : techonological support in the school falters, students resist, or students performance suffers, etc. But I realized that the other teachers before me had the same obstacles and challenges in their settings. Reading more than 12 articles, I could rejuvanate myself with the fresh ideas and I tried to find the things that I could make best of what I have. Here is my general ideas on what I will conduct with my students for coming 7 weeks.

 1) Involve all students in learning
   -Students might find the joy of learning by actively engaging themselves in learning.

 2) Lesson teacher's role
   - Teacher is just a guide or facillitator of students' self-learning strategies.
   -  What Leo Buscaglia, a late educator said in his book " Living, Loving and Learning",
      "Teacher is a bridge. After students pass the river, he/she will  be gracefully collapsed."
      I believe in his saying and keep my professional integity in check and help out students
       as invisible forces.

 3) Improve learners' belief in capacity
    - Students can learn better if they feel they could. Is it a famously uttered  "Pygmalion
       Effect"? I will put in pracice those ideas in my classroom.
    - To do this, students will prepare a project based on the Korean culture. They are   
       already fully familiar with Korean cultures. So if I conduct the English classes with
       these contents, students are easy to succeed in making a substantial outcome in 
       language learning.

4) Offer opportunites to gain experience with language
    - With the various steps involved, students can be serious with the reserach, but also
      can be fun with English.
    - As a teacher, try to find as verstile as possible in preparing themselves in a different
      learning atmosphere.

5) Foster positive attitudes
    - Making mistakes in writing and speaking is too natural to even English native
      speakers. I foster the atmosphere of "It's OK to make a mistake", a very welcoming
      and open field for them.
   
6) Encourage good study habits & Share them with the classmates
   - Keep students' good habits ongoing and flowing
   - Creating an sense of community and having students recognize cooperative learning
      by sharing those good idea with the class

I hope that I could embody the rough ideas into the plausible and resilient lesson plans and course designs.

Week 2: Toward the Search Engines

I was thrilled once again when I found the webpages called http://www.noodletools.com thinking my collegues. It is more like my dream site. Whenever I took the training courses, I happened to know very  wonderful webistes which benefit my teaching skills in every way. But after that, I tried to look around for some time, but my good old websites fade away. Now, I feel confident that I could try to consult data from many of different search engines. But finding a right search engine took more time than searching for the specific information. I also did with this research process. So, I think I got another task after this. How can  I effectively manage the websites that I found interesting and keep them updated to myself and Korean and international teachers? One thing that I found is to create a website for both my colleagues in Korea and my Korean students. I also apply to how to give constructive comments and right feedback on the web. Web searching is not a thing, it's a somthing. But I surely believe that it's my food for thought and will be food for thought my korean Collegues as well.

Week 1: My journey has just begun

  Wow~! Now I made it! I believe that it's the perfect season to start off a fresh and new journey. In spring, all the refreshing smell of flowers are all around South Korea, especially cherry blossoms.
Whenever I set out my itinerary, I am exhilarated to imagine what will be ahead of me. It might be  breathtaking scenery or comfortable accommodation. But the end of journey, my memory dwells longer on warm-hearted local people or the troubled situation which looks ugly at the moment but turns out to be a super fantastic chance to go around the unexpected path. I believe that the same rule applies to this program.  
  Taking online courses and creating  blogs for educational purposes are not new to me. Luckily, I was able to take the Webinar Series with the notable and prominent professors and experienced teachers from every continent of the world. The progress of taking online course while discussing the designated topics with a whole variety of perspectives is greatly meaningful to me. Furthermore, I could learn how to use the blog "NING" for sharing all the ideas after real-time online learning. I love the idea of sharing ongoing discussions on the blog and also learned how valuable to get a constructive feedbacks of international teachers from the similar, if not same, situation. It was great helpful comments which can be easily adapted to my EFL situation. Thanks again to all the teachers from "Shaping the Way We Teach English."
  My opportunity never stopped there. I once again gain a great chance to learn how to teach online learning as a language teacher. At the time, thanks to the help of the department of Regional Affairs of American Embassy, I happened to have a wonderful lecture about "Online Learning" from Dr. Leslie Opp-Beckman in person and to know the blog "Delicious". This grabbed my attention and changed my mind-set. Sometimes, I had been frustrated that I was in EFL situation not ESL. My students are relatively limited to language learning and chance to practice a target language. I now have strong belief that I could bring a slight, though not huge changes in my classroom through this course. And I strongly believe in TEAM, Together Achieves More. I hope that every teacher who participates this program can make the difference in their classroom after 10 weeks.  I will be one of the stepping stone for experimenting myself to conduct the better online course in the spring of 2012 .