EDCI5825 WEEK 3 Blog

#1 Technology is always expanding and growing. With this constant growth, it is vital to remember that there are many new and exciting ways for students to share their work with the community around them and with communities far away. Students have the opportunity to share their work by using fax machines, Skype, wiki's and blogs. By using technology we are enabling learners to connect to relevant situations and use their knowledge in a meaningful way. In my opinion, using Skype is the best way to manage this opportunity. Skype allows learners to connect with family members during the school day. November believes, "In the long run, partnering with the home may be one of the most powerful uses of the Internet, especially in traditionally underserved communities"(November, 2010, p. 36). A parent that is able take part in videoconferencing with their child throughout the school day will have the opportunity to become more involved in their learning process. That parent will also have the chance to stress the significance of learning to their child. Skype also provides learners with the opportunity to work together collaboratively with other students in different areas of the world. This is especially meaningful to me because as a future world language teacher I will be looking for ways to create authentic materials for my students. By using Skype, students will be able to make cultural connections with native Spanish speakers. November stated, "This is one of the advantages of real time videoconferencing. Teachers can create more authentic applications of practicing a skill, such as communicating in a second language, and create opportunities for students to make more mistakes and to learn and remember" (November, 2010, p. 40).

#2 Once again, Skype can provide students will a deeper meaning in relation to complex issues such as globalization and cultural sensitivity. November explained a situation in which high school students learning spanish from Illinois and students learning english from Puerto Rico were given the opportunity to video conference. Once the video conference had began the young boy was astonished and was suddenly fumbling over his own words even though he had no problems with his language skills. This was solely an example of his cultural unawareness. The young boy had apparently formulated an image in his mind of what Puerto Rican people should look like and blonde hair and blue eyes did not fit in. November stated, "The student did not have to review the video to know that he breached the etiquette of cultural sensitivity" (November, 2010, p.40). This was a very unique learning experience for such a young person and allowed him to realize that he should not make judgements about what physical characteristics people from other countries should possess. Not only was it a learning experience for this young boy but in the end the class also benefited from his lack of cultural awareness. After this experience, everyone had the opportunity to take away something new.

#3 As I discussed in questions number one, a way for emerging new collaborative relationships is using Skype to connect with students around the globe. November mentioned that "Teaching is a solitary job" (November, 2010, p50). I believe this to be true in many ways. It is fair to say that a teacher in mainly in their own classroom all day long using their own ideas and lessons. I am a firm believer that teachers can benefit by sharing ideas and lessons with other teachers. Throughout my own experiences, I learned the most from "stealing" small ideas from different teachers throughout the building and adding them on to my own. November stated, "Collaboration and sharing knowledge are the highly prized skills. This expectation of collaboration will eventually reach the teaching profession. Teachers will be valued for their ability to share their knowledge and solve problems about teaching and learning that an individual teacher could not solve alone" (November, 2010, p 50). There are many websites out there that enable teachers to share ideas and thoughts. Some school systems are also handing out personal laptops which allow teachers to collaborate both at school and at home. Lastly, many teachers are trying to build the bridge between home and school. Educators are working hard at forming relationships with parents and guardians through video. This way teachers can share and admire the student's work.