This document summarizes a presentation about using Google Wave to expand pre-service teachers' critical thinking. It provides an overview of Wave's history and features. It then discusses an example of how Wave was used in a pre-service teacher training program to facilitate collaboration and feedback. Finally, it outlines some theoretical justifications for using collaborative technologies like Wave in language education based on social constructivism. Both the strengths of facilitating discussion and feedback and the weaknesses of technical issues are acknowledged.

1. Expanding Pre-ServiceTeacher Critical Thinking Through Google Wave TESOL New Orleans 2011 17 March 2011 David Bartsch Ozgur Pala Anita Bright, Ph.D.

2. Wave: a brief history

5. http://www.slaw.ca/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/pearls_before_swine.gif

6. May, 2009 Wave was announced to the public…

7. http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2009/05/how-the-new-google-wave-will-change-emailing-blogging-your-life/18476/

8. Excitement!

9. Excitement! http://static.toondoo.com/public/m/e/e/meerasapra/toons/cool-cartoon-1025998.png

10. After the invite…

11. After the invite… http://cultureandcommunication.org/f09/tdm/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/cool-cartoon-10024551.png

12. The reaction http://www.infoworld.com/d/applications/google-wave-its-innovative-it-truly-useful-322

13. No!!! Is it useful? http://www.infoworld.com/d/applications/google-wave-its-innovative-it-truly-useful-322

14. http://www.weblogcartoons.com/cartoons/google.gif

15. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-20012698-56.html?tag=mncol;6n

16. http://www.decalsonly.com/catalog/images/zombie-hand.jpg

17. http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/211614/google_wave_gets_a_second_life_from_apache.html

18. http://www.itworld.com/internet/119149/will-google-wave-features-be-built-gmail?source=itw_rss

19. More recently “We wanted to let you know that we will keep wave.google.com running past December 31, 2010 until a suitable replacement to host all your waves is available.” …No news since then http://www.google.com/support/wave/bin/answer.py?answer=1083134

20. So what does it all mean? We hope to give you a better idea What Wave is How it’s been used in one context How you might consider using it

22. Wave: an overview

23. Pre-service training on the Wave: an example

24. CALL justification

26. Why make Wave at all? http://cultureandcommunication.org/f09/tdm/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/cool-cartoon-8040771.png

27. Why make Wave at all? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDu2A3WzQpo

28. Features… and uses in the classroom

29. Featuresto show: Real-time editing Spell-check Translation Mind-map Google Maps Search/insert link Playback Yes/no/maybe…?

30. Pre-service training on the Wave: an example Over to Anita to show a live example of her Wave

32. Wave doesn't get along perfectly with IE or Firefox.

33. (Chrome and Safari are fine.)

34. Problems with the university computer system

35. So: check with your system administrator before making any grand plans

38. Why CALL? Critical thinking skills Use of computer technology in classrooms is generally reported to improve: more student-centered learning and engagement, more active processing resulting in higher-order thinking, more confidence in directing students’ own learning. (Noemi: Retrieved October, 2009.)

42. 2. Forming knowledge by mediating artifacts Language is the most important artifact human beings have developed. Meaning and knowledge are created and conveyed through the medium of language. (Saljo 2005) In this sense, isn’t language learning playing with the language and forming knowledge in new ways?

43. 3. Building knowledge through argumentation and meaning making Learning is an argumentative process that happens among participants who want to make meaning of what others say and what they themselves want to say. It is intentional and it involves transferring what is learned to new situations. (Saljo 2005) Google Wave meets the 3 criteria essential from the Social Constructivist view, it can be considered as a superior educational tool.

45. Strengths and Weaknesses

46. Strengths of Wave Excellent tool for collaboration Cooperative teams achieve higher levels of thought and retain information longer than students who do their work individually (Johnson and Johnson, 1986)

47. Strengths of Wave Promotes close reading, revision, and tracking of preliminary work Discourages product oriented writing while facilitating writing as a process • Eases students into writing/speaking for a wider audience and encourages multiple perspectives and solutions

48. Strengths of Wave Playback mode allows the participants to see a wave develop. Participants can see who contributed how much, and what Playback also allows each participant to be able to go back and reflect upon their own production. Participants can focus more on the actual task rather than the structure and the storage of the content.

50. Weaknesses of Wave Lack of certainty: future of the product Lack of ability to limit permission to use certain editing rights Instant translationgadget could hinder meaningful communication

51. Weaknesses of Wave This drawback could also result in extremely “noisy” waves that may inhibit participants to focus on important messages. It is impossible to finish a wave.

54. See if you like it.

55. See if your students like it.

56. See if your students learn while using it!

58. How do I get a copy of the slideshow? Go to www.slideshare.net/bartsch

59. To contact us... David Bartsch david.bartsch@qu.edu.qa Ozgur Pala ozgur.pala@qu.edu.qa Anita Bright anitaLbright@gmail.com

61. Hane, Johanna. “Google Wave: A Revolutionary CSCL-tool or an overestimated hype?”. Retrieved on February 15 from http://api.ning.com/files/B5shNxqW8YXUvWZrR7VvQ9GVEFxzU-V5WRZtzoP16y3NrNzNamNaNXXdL5MZo9d3BUR-9a9vwSs5kiwFJ2H8rhnxWb*uKc4q/GoogleWavearevolutionaryCSCLtooloranoverestimatedhype.pdf.

62. Koschman, Timmothy, ed. “CSCL: Theory and practice of an emerging paradigm”. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum, 1996.

64. Schwartz, Linda; Clark, Sharon; Cossarin, Mary & Rudolph, Jim. (2004) “Educational Wikis: Features and selection criteria”. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 5:1, April, 2004.

65. Suthers, Daniel. “Technology Affordances for Intersubjective Meaning-Making”. Frontiers in Artificial Inelligence and Applications; Vol. 151, 2005.

66. Wegerif (2005:6) “Towards a Dialogic understanding of the relationship between CsCl and teaching thinking skills”. (2005) Retrieved from http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1149386 on March 1, 2010.