I'm going to be taking this summer off from Web 2.0 stuff, including this blog.
I've come to the point were my interest in Web 2.0 technologies is becoming detrimental to other aspects of my life, particularly that part about finishing my degree. Therefore, I'm going to take the summer off to focus on making the most of my indoor time and maximize my outdoor time.
Have a wonderful summer. I'll see you again some time in late August or early September.
Dan
ekkoTV
This is very cool and simple to use. It enables you to do a video chat with 2 other people. No muss no fuss. No sign ups or other hassles. Flash interface with your mic and webcam.
I don't see many options at this point. There is a link that you can share with friends (anyone you want to speak with) at the bottom of the screen. I'm not sure how long this is good for. Maybe you could add it to your blog or other page and use it as a regular meeting place.
They also have a text chat box, which is wonderful for sharing that text information that audio is terrible for. Things like URLs are easier to cut and paste that having to listen while someone spells it out for you.
Very cool application. I can't wait to see it grow up.
Dan
Review of LiveMocha in the KAMALL Newsletter 2008
The link above is for a review I did of LiveMocha. The space requirements limited what I had to say quite a bit, but I said what I needed to say.
Now that I think about it, I'm not sure why I was asked to write such a short one. It's a Web page! I'll have to talk to them about that. Not to mention, there are no links in the final version. Glad I included full URLs for each.
Enjoy.
Dan
Memory Training Shown to Turn Up Brainpower - New York Times
I'm not going to make educational decisions based on NYT articles, but this one is certainly interesting. They report on research carried out to test the hypothesis that training working memory will increase "fluid intelligence".
They trained participants using a game, concentration, which in turn seemed to result in higher fluid intelligence scores. The interesting thing, to me, is that in this modified version of the game, they were exposed to both auditory and visual stimulation. Seems a little like most video games out there, doesn't it? So, I wonder if they'd have the same results with Grand Theft Auto? :)
In the end, they got people working out puzzles and they did better on intelligence tests that essential measure puzzle-solving ability. The brain is like a machine that does better when warmed up. Seems logical to me.
The other day a friend asked me if she could borrow some of my CD-ROMs (or DVD-ROMs) for English language learning OR for some suggestions. I was a little embarrassed that not only didn't I have many (aside from a couple old ones), but I also couldn't think of any besides Rosetta Stone and TELL, which are a little more than I can afford.
My interests have included CALL-related topics for many years, but it's been a long time since I paid attention to instructional software. I've focused for so long on the use of ICT that I am clueless on the state of "traditional" disk-based software.
I have NEVER seen a software that impressed me. They have all been warmed-over grammatical syllabi with little other than multiple choice, fill in the blank drills to fill space between cute animations and lame texts (can you tell I'm skeptical?).
I'm not against drilling. I think that there is a place for it and a software might be the right place. However, these also don't seem to have much relevance to the average classroom. That is unacceptable.
Can anyone prove me wrong? What have you used that you loved? If you do make any recommendations, please describe why it is good.
Don't bother sending on things that can be modified for language learning. There are countless materials to do that with. I would like to know a good, dedicated software (CD, DVD, Downloadable, or even online) that learners can use on their own. If there is interaction with other students or teachers, that's great, but students still have to be able to use it on their own.
Dan
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Updates: I'll update here with suggestions that I receive.
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We often talk about supporting students in their learning process. This support is primarily considered scaffolding. This is important for all teachers to understand, particularly language teachers in immersion contexts.
Below is a little something that I wrote recently on scaffolding to justify including it in a workshop for content-area teachers who are learning to work with English language learners.
Sheltered instruction is often thought of as sheltering ELLs from their native speaking counterparts (Freeman & Freeman, 1988); however, this view has evolved significantly over the years in include language and content support in a variety of contexts (Grabe & Stoller, 1997). Sheltered instruction is what should take place in CBI contexts where the focus is on content rather than language. Sheltered instruction is the supporting of ELL’s content-area learning (Bunch, Abram, Lotan, & Valdés, 2001; Short, 1991). This can be done in many ways, as described above in the CBI continuum. However, the general focus is on scaffolding instruction to the extent that learners can participate and learn in content-area classes.
Sheltered instruction provides support for ELLs through the use of scaffolding (Antón, 1999; Wood, Bruner, & Ross, 1976), which aims to make input comprehensible (Krashen, 1982). This is similar to Vygotsky’s (1978) concept of the zone of proximal development (ZPD), “the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers" (p. 86). Relating this back to Krashen’s (1982) i+1 concept (comprehensible input), learners are provided with input just a little above their “actual developmental level” (Vygotsky’s terminology) in order for them to advance to their “potential developmental level.”
Scaffolding can take on many forms. Brush and Saye