Hey all!
Are you surprized to find me over here after so much silence?
Today I began a special course in being a tutor on-line. For those who don't remember or just don't know me, I live in the north of Spain. This is a course offered by the State Employment Office. If anyone is interested in hearing what I have to say about it during the two months that the course lasts, leave a note here and if there are enough who want to "learn more" I'll keep you all posted.
Also, if you don't know me, read any of my (somewhat outdated) posts, almost all in the Applied Linguistics forum.
peace,
revel.
Teleformación
Moderators: Dimitris, maneki neko2, Lorikeet, Enrico Palazzo, superpeach, cecil2, Mr. Kalgukshi2
Presentations
Hey Lorikeet!
Well, everything started out just fine, we had a first class, all of us together, in which the "platform" was explained and we did a "get to know you" exercise. We all left the class highly motivated to get started on the real study activity, which is using an internet platform to learn how to be teachers using an internet platform.
Up to now, I haven't been able to use the internet platform, there are evidently some rather big fat technical problems, and this is indeed frustrating as the platform is the main (and only) tool we have in this internet course.
Also, the presentation of the material is just like in any other course, cute Flashplayer graphics, miniquizes, etc....I end up reading the text in the printed version we were given the first day. The possiblity of interaction with the tutor and other students is, at least today, impossible. We'll see how long it takes the administrators to clear out the bugs, the course began on the 17th of this month, ends the 6th of June and I haven't even been able to finish the reading and activities of the first unit.
That's all up to now.
peace,
revel.
Well, everything started out just fine, we had a first class, all of us together, in which the "platform" was explained and we did a "get to know you" exercise. We all left the class highly motivated to get started on the real study activity, which is using an internet platform to learn how to be teachers using an internet platform.
Up to now, I haven't been able to use the internet platform, there are evidently some rather big fat technical problems, and this is indeed frustrating as the platform is the main (and only) tool we have in this internet course.
Also, the presentation of the material is just like in any other course, cute Flashplayer graphics, miniquizes, etc....I end up reading the text in the printed version we were given the first day. The possiblity of interaction with the tutor and other students is, at least today, impossible. We'll see how long it takes the administrators to clear out the bugs, the course began on the 17th of this month, ends the 6th of June and I haven't even been able to finish the reading and activities of the first unit.
That's all up to now.
peace,
revel.
-
kathyfelts
- Posts: 69
- Joined: Thu Jul 29, 2004 1:45 pm
Online instruction
I am definitely interested in hearing what you have to say. I have been teaching ESL online both one-to-one and as a teacher in a virtual classroom. I think you are right that learning how to use the technology is a course in itself. My experience is that for a teacher to create a good, interactive, effective online lesson, s/he must spend time to "produce" it much the way a video or Powerpoint Presentation is produced.
How are you approaching issues such as course content and assessment?
Tell us more...
How are you approaching issues such as course content and assessment?
Tell us more...
Hi revel,
And welcome back!
I'm interested in your present experience - please keep us up to date!
One day, we'll all be teaching in front a screen - 'virtual' learning environments will be so common that physically sitting in a room with a lot of people in order to learn something will be seen as a novelty. Until the machine stops...
And welcome back!
I'm interested in your present experience - please keep us up to date!
One day, we'll all be teaching in front a screen - 'virtual' learning environments will be so common that physically sitting in a room with a lot of people in order to learn something will be seen as a novelty. Until the machine stops...
A quick note....
Hey guys and gals.
Just a quick note. The technical problems seemed to solve themselves, though not without the blame being thrown about from the organizers of the course to my boss, finally everyone left it in my hands, saying "It's your problem, solve it, and quickly, or you will be left behind." Not a good answer, in my opinion.
We've spent a week "debating" the advantages and (many many) disadvantages of teleformation, I think we could have spent less time on the subject, for example, in a class where everyone is in the same room, we might have spoken about it for about half an hour or an hour if the group were very motivated; however, on internet, we´ve been at it for over a week.
Now we are going to spend a week or so talking about the different "platforms" (which as my technician pointed out, are basically web-pages), and having read the material, I also think that a week is an awfully long time to spend on a topic that can be reduced to "comercial" "free" and "do it yourself".
This type of course is new in Spain, I did another a couple of years ago which was basically doing exercises on the computer, with no tutorial support or feedback. This one is supposed to be different because we have forums and chats and all, but I'm afraid that none of us have that much extra time to be sticking messages on forums saying things that we, all teachers, already know....have we reached saturation in our own personal development or are the designers of this course treating us like complete beginners?
And I have to get to work on the 45 page translation or they won't pay me and I really need the money! (heehee)
More when the course offers something interesting.
peace,
revel.
Just a quick note. The technical problems seemed to solve themselves, though not without the blame being thrown about from the organizers of the course to my boss, finally everyone left it in my hands, saying "It's your problem, solve it, and quickly, or you will be left behind." Not a good answer, in my opinion.
We've spent a week "debating" the advantages and (many many) disadvantages of teleformation, I think we could have spent less time on the subject, for example, in a class where everyone is in the same room, we might have spoken about it for about half an hour or an hour if the group were very motivated; however, on internet, we´ve been at it for over a week.
Now we are going to spend a week or so talking about the different "platforms" (which as my technician pointed out, are basically web-pages), and having read the material, I also think that a week is an awfully long time to spend on a topic that can be reduced to "comercial" "free" and "do it yourself".
This type of course is new in Spain, I did another a couple of years ago which was basically doing exercises on the computer, with no tutorial support or feedback. This one is supposed to be different because we have forums and chats and all, but I'm afraid that none of us have that much extra time to be sticking messages on forums saying things that we, all teachers, already know....have we reached saturation in our own personal development or are the designers of this course treating us like complete beginners?
And I have to get to work on the 45 page translation or they won't pay me and I really need the money! (heehee)
More when the course offers something interesting.
peace,
revel.