This entry is a reflection I made in ELTnet, a British council Yahoo group for ELF Venezuelan teachers, in connection to teachers’ concern about students’ attitude towards using technology to learn a foreign language, technical problems in the computer labs and ICT trainees’ attitude from public schools or universities around Venezuela.
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Well, technical failures/problems/glitches are going to happen all the time even if you are using the most state of the art computer lab...You know, wireless connection and all that…
We will have to deal with it...Teachers and students; housewives; businessmen; priests; children; neighbors, you name it.
Not having a good internet connection, enough computers, technical support when needed, a lab and all that can be quite discouraging. And that’s what we are going to find, at least, in most places in Venezuela…Yes, It can be quite disheartening sometimes...specially for someone like Nahir, for example, who knows how powerful technology can be for her students to learn and would like them to make the mo
st of it...I do understand her…Or Clevia and Carmen who would like to have more participative, responsible, committed teachers when it comes to their ICT training…I’ve been there…
But can we do something about it? Well, we will have to arm ourselves with lots of patience and find ways to engage, entice, allure people into using technology. Maybe things you have already done: using cybers (try again and again). If you can, use a laptop and a video beam sometimes and plan off-line web lessons. Or do the same with a lab full of computers but no Internet connection. Keep using the old e-mail (almost everybody has one)! We are pretty resourceful, creative teachers…even in the most adverse situations…
I think us, immigrant natives, won’t see a swarm of people (teachers and students) dying to use technology...at least Not yet…Our job is to patiently show them how important it is for their studies or professional development. Also, in this, let’s call it, first stage of the implementation of ICT in Venezuela, our job will be promoting, showing, convincing, showcasing what ICT can do in the EFL classroom.
Our job/role, I think, is turning the non-believers into believers, the apathetic into a passionate ICT users...That takes time and guts, though...
Furthermore, and this is something very few professionals talk about, our job is not only to use and sometimes wao our students with the Web 2.0, it is to help reduce the digital divide…Just by bringing samples of materials downloaded from the net can be a start for those “who have no access to technology”…And this is not something I read about…That’s what I do in the classroom. Try to bring online based materials printed (sound weird, isn’t it?) to my class sessions. What do some of my students do?…Visit the URL’s I give as a source for these readings…They find ways to do so…and they start reading online…or if they want more practice I say I’ll do that by mail…They download the exercises I send…I check the answers…and send feedback afterwards…They are not all of my students…just a few…but they are spreading the word…I know…This term I didn’t use Yahoo groups and some students approached me and asked for online activities…That for me is a start….Creating the need…Moodle, skype, Yahoo messenger, podcasting, wikis will come later…But I’ll be ready when the time comes to use them…That’s for sure…
I know we would like our students or colleagues to enjoy technology as much as we do...But even if they don’t use it or want to use it, keep on trying…You know that our students and colleagues will come up with the most amazing excuses to justify them not using it to study or at work, of course…They use cells, e-mails, cybers, DVD´s, MP3’s - most of them on a daily basis…Many have cable tv system at home…And they are not precisely upper middle class! Have you ever been to or passed El barrio El Limón or La Morán? It’s amazing to see the sea of satellite tv dishes on top of the roof houses…! They generally don’t want to use it to learn/work, but to have fun!
You are part of a different type of breed of teachers, to put it some way. You belong to a breed ready to face any technological challenge to help / train those who “still twist their mouth in disbelief…” when it comes to technology in the classroom (outside the classroom is cool!)
No success with a group of students/colleagues when using blogs or Yahoo groups , well, try
another ICT tool...or keep on using it until they realize how powerful it is to learn/teach...
Getting used to technology and its presence in the language classroom as a resource won't happen overnight...We, the first group of ICT trainers in Venezuela, should understand our role: show how powerful ICT is; show its relevance, its benefits, its impact in ELT…Let’s keep on trying…Do not give up!
*************************************************************************************
Well, technical failures/problems/glitches are going to happen all the time even if you are using the most state of the art computer lab...You know, wireless connection and all that…
We will have to deal with it...Teachers and students; housewives; businessmen; priests; children; neighbors, you name it.
Not having a good internet connection, enough computers, technical support when needed, a lab and all that can be quite discouraging. And that’s what we are going to find, at least, in most places in Venezuela…Yes, It can be quite disheartening sometimes...specially for someone like Nahir, for example, who knows how powerful technology can be for her students to learn and would like them to make the mo
st of it...I do understand her…Or Clevia and Carmen who would like to have more participative, responsible, committed teachers when it comes to their ICT training…I’ve been there…But can we do something about it? Well, we will have to arm ourselves with lots of patience and find ways to engage, entice, allure people into using technology. Maybe things you have already done: using cybers (try again and again). If you can, use a laptop and a video beam sometimes and plan off-line web lessons. Or do the same with a lab full of computers but no Internet connection. Keep using the old e-mail (almost everybody has one)! We are pretty resourceful, creative teachers…even in the most adverse situations…
I think us, immigrant natives, won’t see a swarm of people (teachers and students) dying to use technology...at least Not yet…Our job is to patiently show them how important it is for their studies or professional development. Also, in this, let’s call it, first stage of the implementation of ICT in Venezuela, our job will be promoting, showing, convincing, showcasing what ICT can do in the EFL classroom.
Our job/role, I think, is turning the non-believers into believers, the apathetic into a passionate ICT users...That takes time and guts, though...
Furthermore, and this is something very few professionals talk about, our job is not only to use and sometimes wao our students with the Web 2.0, it is to help reduce the digital divide…Just by bringing samples of materials downloaded from the net can be a start for those “who have no access to technology”…And this is not something I read about…That’s what I do in the classroom. Try to bring online based materials printed (sound weird, isn’t it?) to my class sessions. What do some of my students do?…Visit the URL’s I give as a source for these readings…They find ways to do so…and they start reading online…or if they want more practice I say I’ll do that by mail…They download the exercises I send…I check the answers…and send feedback afterwards…They are not all of my students…just a few…but they are spreading the word…I know…This term I didn’t use Yahoo groups and some students approached me and asked for online activities…That for me is a start….Creating the need…Moodle, skype, Yahoo messenger, podcasting, wikis will come later…But I’ll be ready when the time comes to use them…That’s for sure…
I know we would like our students or colleagues to enjoy technology as much as we do...But even if they don’t use it or want to use it, keep on trying…You know that our students and colleagues will come up with the most amazing excuses to justify them not using it to study or at work, of course…They use cells, e-mails, cybers, DVD´s, MP3’s - most of them on a daily basis…Many have cable tv system at home…And they are not precisely upper middle class! Have you ever been to or passed El barrio El Limón or La Morán? It’s amazing to see the sea of satellite tv dishes on top of the roof houses…! They generally don’t want to use it to learn/work, but to have fun!
You are part of a different type of breed of teachers, to put it some way. You belong to a breed ready to face any technological challenge to help / train those who “still twist their mouth in disbelief…” when it comes to technology in the classroom (outside the classroom is cool!)
No success with a group of students/colleagues when using blogs or Yahoo groups , well, try
another ICT tool...or keep on using it until they realize how powerful it is to learn/teach... Getting used to technology and its presence in the language classroom as a resource won't happen overnight...We, the first group of ICT trainers in Venezuela, should understand our role: show how powerful ICT is; show its relevance, its benefits, its impact in ELT…Let’s keep on trying…Do not give up!
1 comment:
Mike, you're so enthusiastic on what you do! Very few people wouldn't feel like following your recommendations regarding ICT use in language teaching.
Reading about your experience with Yahoo groups I remembered a student who asked me to set up a YG for the class he's taking with me now (He has already been in a previous course) because it's easier to gather many documents and links, I felt to great and said to myself " Well, all this effort has finally produced some results." I think students are now expecting to know which ICT tool we are going to use when starting a course. The first day of class they ask "Are we going to do something online?"
Although there is some resistance and fear on their side, I think we are improving,
Two thumbs up!!!!
Nahir
.
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