fce blog towards online learning Exploring the use of weblogs as classroom support Claudia Ceraso 2007

Blogs and language learning This is an enlarged version of the original presentation made at the British Arts Centre 14 September 2006 Updated January 2007 Claudia Ceraso Teacher of English

This is an enlarged version of the original presentation made at the British Arts Centre

14 September 2006

Updated January 2007

Claudia Ceraso

Teacher of English

In this presentation Educational use of weblogs A pilot experience: The FCE Blog Origin -Backstage Outcomes - Reflections The ideas presented here are strictly personal and need not always reflect those of AACI – Asociación Argentina de Cultura Inglesa

Educational use of weblogs

A pilot experience:

The FCE Blog

Origin -Backstage

Outcomes - Reflections

The ideas presented here are strictly personal and need not always reflect those of AACI – Asociación Argentina de Cultura Inglesa

Before the blog was born My Internet use Finding information fast Bookmarking Sharing with colleagues and students via email My Internet needs Availability anywhere Organisation for my favourites Just one link to remember

My Internet use

Finding information fast

Bookmarking

Sharing with colleagues and students via email

My Internet needs

Availability anywhere

Organisation for my favourites

Just one link to remember

What is a blog? A weblog is a diary-style site, in which the author links to other web pages he or she finds interesting using entries posted in reverse chronological order Focus Author’s subjective view on a topic An invitation to make comments Characteristics Simple to get started Word document-like edition Free Forever

A weblog is a diary-style site, in which the author links to other web pages he or she finds interesting using entries posted in reverse chronological order

Focus

Author’s subjective view on a topic

An invitation to make comments

Characteristics

Simple to get started

Word document-like edition

Free

Forever

A blog is born Internet – The way it is used today A personal printing press A personal broadcasting channel A collaborative tool Content creation power has been handed over to the user and there is no going back

Internet – The way it is used today

A personal printing press

A personal broadcasting channel

A collaborative tool

Content creation power has been handed over to the user and there is no going back

EduBlogs Blogging in education is still in an experimental phase Metablogs The teacher’s journal The teaching blog The course blog

Blogging in education is still in an experimental phase

Metablogs

The teacher’s journal

The teaching blog

The course blog

Blogging as classroom support Some Advantages Reference : valuable information always accessible Empowering tool : students’ writings can be published Afterclass companion : the blog creates a sense of belonging to the community of readers Collaboration : students suggest alternative learning paths Informal learning : students make constant decisions about what to read

Some Advantages

Reference : valuable information always accessible

Empowering tool : students’ writings can be published

Afterclass companion : the blog creates a sense of belonging to the community of readers

Collaboration : students suggest alternative learning paths

Informal learning : students make constant decisions about what to read

Disadvantages: the blogger’s time eaters Building an interesting and responsive website requires assigning time for… Planning Continuity Maintenance Comment moderation Email

Building an interesting and responsive website requires assigning time for…

Planning

Continuity

Maintenance

Comment moderation

Email

Blog and classroom: the teacher’s decisions Will students read the blog in class? Can we include the blog among compulsory tasks? Assigning homework through the blog, will it work? Let me introduce you to Georgie, a five-year-old digital native…

Will students read the blog in class?

Can we include the blog among compulsory tasks?

Assigning homework through the blog, will it work?

Let me introduce you to Georgie, a five-year-old digital native…

Can a blog be homework?

Innovations: Learning Online Blogging is about making something new -not simply replicating classroom procedures The web is a medium that can blend learning and playing A user-centred environment: students control their reading choices and participation Excitement and discovery reinforce motivation for online learning

Blogging is about making something new -not simply replicating classroom procedures

The web is a medium that can blend learning and playing

A user-centred environment: students control their reading choices and participation

Excitement and discovery reinforce motivation for online learning

Characteristics of a blog project in the foreign language classroom fce blog http://fceblog.blogspot.com Originally addressed to my First Certificate Exam preparation course at AACI – Asociación Argentina de Cultura Inglesa. A group of 15 students aged 16 and 45+

fce blog http://fceblog.blogspot.com

Originally addressed to my First Certificate Exam preparation course at AACI – Asociación Argentina de Cultura Inglesa.

A group of 15 students aged 16 and 45+

Blog content management Variations on a theme: What is your blog identity? Writing Style Link Policy Contents Purpose

Variations on a theme:

What is your blog identity?

A) Purpose Each student has access to further practice in areas he needs to consolidate, even though they are not included in the main content points of the current lessons Opportunities to use the language in a real communicative context with students learning in other countries Via links, students read suggestions and comments from other teachers preparing them for FCE The class chooses the best compositions to publish students’ work

Each student has access to further practice in areas he needs to consolidate, even though they are not included in the main content points of the current lessons

Opportunities to use the language in a real communicative context with students learning in other countries

Via links, students read suggestions and comments from other teachers preparing them for FCE

The class chooses the best compositions to publish students’ work

B) Contents The blog functions as a guide to access further practice in English at an advanced level. All links are annotated with suggested objectives for reading and reflection about informal, autonomous learning

The blog functions as a guide to access further practice in English at an advanced level.

All links are annotated with suggested objectives for reading and reflection about informal, autonomous learning

C) User’s Policy The blog has a theme as well as a defined audience Participation and comments have rules which everybody knows (published in a Manifesto) Students’ privacy (identity, email and image) is protected Attribution and links to all sources

The blog has a theme as well as a defined audience

Participation and comments have rules which everybody knows (published in a Manifesto)

Students’ privacy (identity, email and image) is protected

Attribution and links to all sources

D) Writing Style The teacher’s language : neutral to informal. Direct questions to the reader Entry design : dialogues, emails, letters, articles Widgets : integrated to the blog objective. (e.g. online clock to time yourself in exam practice)

The teacher’s language : neutral to informal. Direct questions to the reader

Entry design : dialogues, emails, letters, articles

Widgets : integrated to the blog objective. (e.g. online clock to time yourself in exam practice)

The students’ response: some stats Visits Jun- Dec 2006: 5400 Origin : Europe, USA, South America Most revisited pages : Grammar and Phonetics Most commented on pages : Guest map

Visits Jun- Dec 2006: 5400

Origin : Europe, USA, South America

Most revisited pages : Grammar and Phonetics

Most commented on pages : Guest map

First steps The blog was presented as a complement to the class and an invitation to practice. It is not compulsory to visit or comment. Since March 2006 untill July, the site –still invisible to Google- was visited almost exclusively by my students During the two-week winter break, students visited the blog every day The FCE Blog Stats Source: Statcounter.com

The blog was presented as a complement to the class and an invitation to practice. It is not compulsory to visit or comment.

Since March 2006 untill July, the site –still invisible to Google- was visited almost exclusively by my students

During the two-week winter break, students visited the blog every day

Outcomes (1): Motivation cycle Students ask in class what a blog is and how to get started Top commenters receive more attention in class by their classmates Students value the teacher for editing a tailor-made blog for their students Discussing the blog Commitment Classroom Interaction

Students ask in class what a blog is and how to get started

Top commenters receive more attention in class by their classmates

Students value the teacher for editing a tailor-made blog for their students

Outcomes (2): Informal learning Change of habits: students started reading foreign newspapers and consulting online dictionaries Critical attitude towards information sources: students commented about the best sites found and how they used them Students “teach” in class what they learn on the web

Change of habits: students started reading foreign newspapers and consulting online dictionaries

Critical attitude towards information sources: students commented about the best sites found and how they used them

Students “teach” in class what they learn on the web

Challenges (1): The teacher as the expert learner Integrating technology implies a change in the teaching and learning model Students can teach how they use technology. The teacher must find value and meanning in those tools The new teacher learns constantly and accepts that students can know more Everyone is an expert in something

Integrating technology implies a change in the teaching and learning model

Students can teach how they use technology. The teacher must find value and meanning in those tools

The new teacher learns constantly and accepts that students can know more

Everyone is an expert in something

Challenges (2): Inside the Blogosphere - Web literacy New student roles Self-directed Content creator Autonomous New teacher roles Informal learning guide Moderator Model of online conduct

New student roles

Self-directed

Content creator

Autonomous

New teacher roles

Informal learning guide

Moderator

Model of online conduct

Challenges (3): The future of the blog fce blog A virtual learning environment The blog outlives the course Possibility to establish a global collaborative network with teachers and students FCE exam results impact: Will the grades improve?

fce blog

A virtual learning environment

The blog outlives the course

Possibility to establish a global collaborative network with teachers and students

FCE exam results impact: Will the grades improve?

Conclusions: Is blogging worth it? Blurs the distinction between spontaneous discovery and formal teaching Students and teachers exploring web literacy skills together Autonomous learning fosters life-long learning Discovery Formal Learning Informal Learning Learning with Technology

Blurs the distinction between spontaneous discovery and formal teaching

Students and teachers exploring web literacy skills together

Autonomous learning fosters life-long learning

Epilogue: End of the course, but not the blog… After exploring technology integration, will the students… … make steps towards online learning ? … understand that learning is a process and not a product ? … visit the class blog again once the course is over?

After exploring technology integration, will the students…

… make steps towards online learning ?

… understand that learning is a process and not a product ?

… visit the class blog again once the course is over?

An encouraging comment in the blog -Hello! I’m Marta from Poland :) This summer I wrote FCE and passed it with 'B' result. Do you think it is a good mark?? -Good mark indeed, Marta. Congratulations! Hope the fceblog helps you enjoy learning English. - Thank you, Claudia. I will enter this site in order to get to know more knowledge about English language. (See source in GUEST MAP, first comment)

-Hello! I’m Marta from Poland :) This summer I wrote FCE and passed it with 'B' result. Do you think it is a good mark??

-Good mark indeed, Marta. Congratulations! Hope the fceblog helps you enjoy learning English.

- Thank you, Claudia. I will enter this site in order to get to know more knowledge about English language.

(See source in GUEST MAP, first comment)

Reflections: Blogs allow us to have classrooms without frontiers but… To have a blog is to assume the responsibility of asking these questions frequently: Why are we doing this? Who for? How long? The blog is simply a tool. It is the teacher’s task to make sense out of the use we make of it.

To have a blog is to assume the responsibility of asking these questions frequently:

Why are we doing this?

Who for?

How long?

The blog is simply a tool.

It is the teacher’s task to make sense out of the use we make of it.

Thank you

fce blog http://fceblog.blogspot.com [email_address] References Original presentation http://fceblog.blogspot.com/2006/09/are-you-teacher.html Notes and sources http://eltnotes.blogspot.com/2006/08/blogging-for-teachers.html http://claudiaceraso.pbwiki.com/The+FCE+Blog Illustration from George Sfarnas at http://beingfive.blogspot.com

fce blog

http://fceblog.blogspot.com

[email_address]

References

Original presentation

http://fceblog.blogspot.com/2006/09/are-you-teacher.html

Notes and sources

http://eltnotes.blogspot.com/2006/08/blogging-for-teachers.html

http://claudiaceraso.pbwiki.com/The+FCE+Blog

Illustration from George Sfarnas at

http://beingfive.blogspot.com