tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313313452024-03-07T03:37:06.430-05:00Web Tools for TeachingThis site is for exploring how to use free Internet tools to enhance and redesign learning tasks for second and foreign language learners.Maryannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00499263700257817331noreply@blogger.comBlogger123125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31331345.post-15866947943772709912020-06-03T16:47:00.001-04:002020-06-06T15:17:45.962-04:00Videos<b>Youtube videos </b>can be great tools for teaching. Here is one about how to start using Zoom.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlRfIUH8ENw" target="_blank">Zoom tutorial for Beginners</a><br />
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<b>TEDEd videos</b> are quite useful for English Language Learners. Here's an example:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-is-a-coronavirus-elizabeth-cox">https://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-is-a-coronavirus-elizabeth-cox</a><br />
<br />
One useful adjustment that can be made with these videos is that by clicking on the cc, you can see closed captioning. Another helpful adjustment is that by clicking the gear icon, you can slow the speed of the narration.<div class="blogger-post-footer">"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
Maya Angelou</div>Maryannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00499263700257817331noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31331345.post-12993000026241033672020-06-03T16:01:00.000-04:002020-06-03T16:01:15.312-04:00Tweeting again!Thanks to the Coursera course <u>Practical Technology in Teaching</u> I am rediscovering tools that I used to use and plan to start using again like Twitter. I used to connect with teachers around the world with Twitter and kept up with them through Tweetdeck. So good to be back!<br />
<br />
<br />
<a class="twitter-timeline" href="https://twitter.com/anciana?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">Tweets by anciana</a> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
Maya Angelou</div>Maryannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00499263700257817331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31331345.post-35709945367872937122020-05-28T08:38:00.001-04:002020-05-28T08:38:31.371-04:00ZoomTeaching is going online and one of the favorite tools is Zoom. I am going to post here things I have learned about Zoom.<div class="blogger-post-footer">"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
Maya Angelou</div>Maryannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00499263700257817331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31331345.post-86675309372267779362017-08-20T12:24:00.006-04:002019-01-15T10:48:18.109-05:00Individual White Boards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnF62d0dLo6ABrmYJt-xlw_YdQ2yXaX9huh9zduDbwgk4uOd856mNUJYuTizIdy9Psq4KhzzIHB0cJSucm3-DzI3aIzA9Pd6RTR14GdnChmOsDznnfSD8fZ1DyUnn6aP0Fq95dPg/s1600/mini+whiteboards.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnF62d0dLo6ABrmYJt-xlw_YdQ2yXaX9huh9zduDbwgk4uOd856mNUJYuTizIdy9Psq4KhzzIHB0cJSucm3-DzI3aIzA9Pd6RTR14GdnChmOsDznnfSD8fZ1DyUnn6aP0Fq95dPg/s1600/mini+whiteboards.jpeg" /></a></div>
I am researching ways to use mini whiteboards with my upcoming beginning ESL class. Here are some thoughts.<br />
<b>One board/one student:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>T says/writes present tense Ss write past tense</li>
<li>T spells word Ss write </li>
<li>Ss see scrambled sentence Ss write corrected order sentence</li>
<li>T dictates words/sentences Ss write words/sentences</li>
<li>Simulated Twitter chat. Ss see topic such as What did you do yesterday?" or <br /> "Describe members of your family." </li>
<li>T asks question with do/does Ss write "Yes s/he does. Yes, I do" etc.</li>
<li> </li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<div>
<b>One board/2-3 students:</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Ss get situation task card such as "You got home late." Together they create a skit.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
Maya Angelou</div>Maryannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00499263700257817331noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31331345.post-88769801956903961702017-07-06T07:55:00.001-04:002017-07-30T14:01:00.811-04:00Iphone Subbing for Computer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAOjyT_XZkWlubL5KXJVwLvtT2UwFguzq83Z73rSLnJSzkTEx6vnu-mucjYR8J9g6qXKx4VMZAlTHC8K3pjIauN7po-69ZWGA1eWpVDAcG7Ah7QuaMsbmr7F2UQh_x9RQ_3udbdg/s1600/hard-printed-case-iphone-6-plus-front_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAOjyT_XZkWlubL5KXJVwLvtT2UwFguzq83Z73rSLnJSzkTEx6vnu-mucjYR8J9g6qXKx4VMZAlTHC8K3pjIauN7po-69ZWGA1eWpVDAcG7Ah7QuaMsbmr7F2UQh_x9RQ_3udbdg/s320/hard-printed-case-iphone-6-plus-front_03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
In teaching ESL I have become accustomed to using many tools on the computer for teaching and learning purposes. Now, however, I am going to be teaching a f2f class where the only technology possibly available to students will be a smartphone. So I am now doing research to answer the following questions regarding smartphones:<br />
<span style="color: blue;">1. Can you blog? If so, can people record comments?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: magenta;">Yes, it looks as if you can blog and upload media to your blog. so I have started a new blog ESL Webtools on Word Press. Although I am more familiar with Blogger, I couldn't find any smart phone app.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">2. Can you tweet? If so, can you insert pix and voice? Can people comment?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: magenta;">Ok. I can access my Twitter account with a Twitter app, but now I need to create a new twitter account just for teaching purposes. Can I have two?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue;">3. What games are available? Are there versions for all brands of smartphones?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue;">4. Can I create Quizlet games for my students to use on their smartphones? All phones?</span><br />
<br />
As I find the answers to some of these questions, I will post them.<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
Maya Angelou</div>Maryannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00499263700257817331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31331345.post-79667676202039957752016-01-24T11:10:00.001-05:002016-01-24T11:11:51.117-05:00Digging OutI just spent 3 hours shoveling snow, but still have a lot more to do. The problem is that there is so much snow that there is no where to put it! You fill your shovel and then have to walk quite a way to find somewhere to heave it up on top of a growing mound of snow. When that one gets too high, everyone looks for another spot.<br />
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Included in this post is a short audio recording I made with Audioboom. <br />
<br />
<iframe allowtransparency="allowtransparency" frameborder="0" height="300" scrolling="no" src="//embeds.audioboom.com/boos/4097033-snowy-maryland/embed/v4?eid=AQAAAI3HpFYJhD4A" style="background-color: transparent; display: block; max-width: 700px;" title="audioBoom player" width="100%"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer">"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
Maya Angelou</div>Maryannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00499263700257817331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31331345.post-76704963020043577052016-01-22T16:55:00.001-05:002016-01-22T16:55:43.204-05:00AudioPal Widget<a href="http://www.audiopal.com/grab_your_widget.html?mId=67606228.2#.VqKlVbtFe5o.blogger">AudioPal Widget</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
Maya Angelou</div>Maryannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00499263700257817331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31331345.post-55117498998715223122016-01-22T16:32:00.001-05:002016-01-22T16:35:37.539-05:00AudioPal Widget<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmxMuyIgWFgW9SW5IOh829x6zg0LA-xvqx9v0-Nr_Agefq485F812U9ZYTZpgD-TlcyRLBCcDK4Wyb4HeY14gNYPknAp3EWzsdgtzkLQo928ttlvAn4TblQmSZKw5X9Qsd_GoLdg/s1600/microphone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmxMuyIgWFgW9SW5IOh829x6zg0LA-xvqx9v0-Nr_Agefq485F812U9ZYTZpgD-TlcyRLBCcDK4Wyb4HeY14gNYPknAp3EWzsdgtzkLQo928ttlvAn4TblQmSZKw5X9Qsd_GoLdg/s1600/microphone.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
I am trying out a audio recording tool called AudioPal. This recording I made on my iPhone. I would like to try out other ways of recording as well soon.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.audiopal.com/grab_your_widget.html?mId=67606144.2#.VqKf5wk5erQ.blogger">AudioPal Widget</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
Maya Angelou</div>Maryannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00499263700257817331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31331345.post-42879915688164047082015-12-14T18:32:00.003-05:002015-12-14T18:35:51.654-05:00Playing with Powtoon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgENSmol5kn0WIJ_Jfo0UE2yaKtAWJWHHgEnZz2FcbJ12lQjLHkEPiSmjUY0NOEYPyrSCrthOiRta_x8y96ozCUY_bs4hkpI0qzqKqPCl_dkswVhDCkP4-yHO49cCnlSg4VJIgE1Q/s1600/powtoon-logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgENSmol5kn0WIJ_Jfo0UE2yaKtAWJWHHgEnZz2FcbJ12lQjLHkEPiSmjUY0NOEYPyrSCrthOiRta_x8y96ozCUY_bs4hkpI0qzqKqPCl_dkswVhDCkP4-yHO49cCnlSg4VJIgE1Q/s200/powtoon-logo.png" /></a></div>
The <a href="https://www.powtoon.com/dashboard/" target="_blank">Powtoon</a> site has a lot of potential for creating motivational presentations.<br />
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<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="311" src="http://www.powtoon.com/embed/e54tOn2nFeR/" width="480"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer">"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
Maya Angelou</div>Maryannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00499263700257817331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31331345.post-60872644768445316112015-10-30T12:35:00.000-04:002015-11-16T14:03:17.745-05:00Digital Media for Teaching and Learning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0VdYXQH5UaTfM5nkcfgciPdvc63IOlzdus4BOTnMDaBu_IlXlZ1hyphenhyphen72aF0eRnlluiU25pSwbmkCCQlzpOw-ygM2CBt1jxLpOaZodooRt8Y79ixP4x1lPDKp-em-z4lhz_70_Fw/s1600/Surprised+Koala.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0VdYXQH5UaTfM5nkcfgciPdvc63IOlzdus4BOTnMDaBu_IlXlZ1hyphenhyphen72aF0eRnlluiU25pSwbmkCCQlzpOw-ygM2CBt1jxLpOaZodooRt8Y79ixP4x1lPDKp-em-z4lhz_70_Fw/s200/Surprised+Koala.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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I am currently taking <a digitalmediaeducation.org="" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A/%3E%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cbr%20/%3ELooking%20forward%20to%20a%20new%20MOOC%20from%20the%20University%20of%20Massachusetts%20called%20Designing%20%3Ca%20href=" http:="" introduction="" target="_blank">Digital Media for Teaching and Learning.</a> Since I teach a similar semester-long online course, I am interested in how they structure the course and which projects they have designed. I also hope to meet other second language teachers to add to my personal learning network.</div>
<br />
What I find especially intriguing is that this MOOC (as I understand it) has been designed by graduate students of Dr. Torrey Trust. Talk about project-based learning! What a fantastic idea - to have your own students learn about web design by creating something that can be of real benefit to others around the world. <div class="blogger-post-footer">"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
Maya Angelou</div>Maryannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00499263700257817331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31331345.post-65010792260676303922015-03-21T12:38:00.001-04:002015-03-21T12:38:16.747-04:00Tips for Participating in MOOCS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7DFer-EG-yytS6dKOBDvRENJDax_49ggOflYiBYb3Y0uX92M6dJvw_ddPQoWN2MfIfUDwWfjTyvNBWe_IfVjSBydNGEhY4czWCQ9p0t3k8RQ1VLO3tyqelzcesbmDVwLV74iJw/s1600/evolution-man-computer.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7DFer-EG-yytS6dKOBDvRENJDax_49ggOflYiBYb3Y0uX92M6dJvw_ddPQoWN2MfIfUDwWfjTyvNBWe_IfVjSBydNGEhY4czWCQ9p0t3k8RQ1VLO3tyqelzcesbmDVwLV74iJw/s1600/evolution-man-computer.gif" height="114" width="320" /></a></div>
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I have taken quite a few MOOCs since they were originally
started by George Siemens and Steven Downes in 2008. With them I took Connectivism
and Connective Knowledge (2008) and Personal Learning Environments, Networks
and Knowledge (2010)</div>
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Now MOOCS are mostly
run by organizations such as Coursera, Edx and Udacity. Through Coursera I took Video Games and
Learning (2013), Understanding Video Games (2014) and am presently taking
Emerging Trends & Technology in the Virtual
k-12 Classroom (2015). Through Edx I
took Design and Development of Educational Technology (2014). </div>
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On the basis of these experiences I have come up with some
tips for participating that I plan to employ in all future MOOCS and which may
be useful to others as well.</div>
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1. Read through the
syllabus carefully to see what parts are going to be of interest to you. You don't have to do all the
assignments. Be picky and devote time to
those activities that will be a good use of your limited time.</div>
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2. Write a detailed introduction in the discussion forums so that
others with similar interests can find you.
You can often make very valuable connections with people in these forums.</div>
<br />
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3. Read and
contribute to discussions. You learn by putting
your thoughts in written form. You can also learn and grow from the responses
that others write to your posts. In
addition, your own learning or teaching experiences may be really be valuable
to others, so be sure to post some replies to what others post.</div>
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On of the best aspects of MOOCS if not taken for credit or certificates of achievement is that you get to choose your own level of participation. So how much you learn is up to you!</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
Maya Angelou</div>Maryannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00499263700257817331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31331345.post-58021499993237520762014-02-16T09:47:00.002-05:002014-02-16T09:48:39.102-05:00Screencasting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmkl0jVgf6JY3wGMf1WsmaDKdr-FYvuoZKQMyrpjEsu4qWTdTzpZhNeUJByZGu5bEzTbCgaCh_bYujwXUbnvPlUQ3I4HvcXlL9D6iDNDfcKpebqglOJUmNqDkq8qMokXqMhgsXA/s1600/scr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmkl0jVgf6JY3wGMf1WsmaDKdr-FYvuoZKQMyrpjEsu4qWTdTzpZhNeUJByZGu5bEzTbCgaCh_bYujwXUbnvPlUQ3I4HvcXlL9D6iDNDfcKpebqglOJUmNqDkq8qMokXqMhgsXA/s1600/scr.jpg" /></a></div>
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I recently felt the need to create a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screencast" target="_blank">screencast</a> to help one of my students understand the steps to follow in creating a blogroll in <a href="https://www.blogger.com/" target="_blank">Blogger</a>. Previously I had always found already created <a href="https://www.youtube.com/" target="_blank">Youtube</a> videos sufficient and didn't see any reason to "reinvent the wheel."</div>
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However, I thought that this time I would try creating my own screencast through a free took called <a href="http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/screen_recorder" target="_blank">Screencastomatic</a> since I wanted to personalize the screencast using examples the student was familiar with.</div>
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I was surprised to find the recorder exceptionally easy to use and will consider using it more in the future. I think that instead of or in addition to writing out a long list of steps to follow in my future syllabi, I may start creating more screencasts. </div>
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I think that seeing a screencast may be a useful enhancement for the learners in my course. I'm definitely going to look at the upcoming mods in my course to see if some screencasts might be helpful.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
Maya Angelou</div>Maryannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00499263700257817331noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31331345.post-79747186409409212642014-01-03T10:35:00.001-05:002014-01-03T10:36:21.498-05:00Electronic Village Online<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1oheAVjzKoQnBk1jRAbY8reORbQ3vEVtRciUTEmpSnPn8lHhr-IWzkXpBhzlF04aaAXZ_iHX0Jx5g1HLk5824OmXQSz0iEWHMOgNFD1Q581J_iOPEaLPZLp01bDHNTwcFSymDTw/s1600/EVO_2014.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1oheAVjzKoQnBk1jRAbY8reORbQ3vEVtRciUTEmpSnPn8lHhr-IWzkXpBhzlF04aaAXZ_iHX0Jx5g1HLk5824OmXQSz0iEWHMOgNFD1Q581J_iOPEaLPZLp01bDHNTwcFSymDTw/s1600/EVO_2014.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Time to sign up for some of the best, free professional development courses for second and foreign language teachers. The Electronic Village Online (EVO) is offered each year by groups of experienced teachers who volunteer to share their expertise. This year's selection of 5-week courses for <a href="http://evosessions.pbworks.com/w/page/71048680/Call_for_Participation2014" target="_blank">EVO 2014</a> includes mini-courses on T<a href="http://evosessions.pbworks.com/w/page/71049362/2014_Mobile_Applications" target="_blank">he Use of Mobile applications in Language Classes</a>, <a href="http://evosessions.pbworks.com/w/page/71049347/2014_Podcasting" target="_blank">Podcasting for the ESL-EFL Classroom</a>, <a href="http://evosessions.pbworks.com/w/page/71049327/CLIL%3A_Using_Technology" target="_blank">Using Technology for Content and Language Learning Integrated Learning</a>, and many more.<br />
<br />
Although aimed primarily at teachers of English, many of the courses work equally well for world language teachers. Check out all the offerings. Registration begins on January 6. <div class="blogger-post-footer">"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
Maya Angelou</div>Maryannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00499263700257817331noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31331345.post-25536974282008436152013-11-17T15:27:00.002-05:002013-11-17T15:27:50.796-05:00How to Embed a Storybird TaleIn order to embed a story you have created in <a href="http://storybird.com/" target="_blank">Storybird </a>you can follow these steps:<br />
<br />
1. View the title page of your story.<br />
2. Click on the three-pronged icon on the bottom right of the screen which displays the word <b><i>share </i></b>when you mouse over it.<br />
3. <b>Copy </b>the embed code. It's quite long!<br />
4. Go to the Blogger blog post where you want to embed the story.<br />
5. Click the HTML tab.<br />
6. Choose a place in your post where you want to embed the story and <b>paste</b>.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="272" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://storybird.com/books/jungle-jamming/embed/" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="436"></iframe>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
Maya Angelou</div>Maryannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00499263700257817331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31331345.post-18512441947674799522013-08-20T08:45:00.001-04:002013-08-24T09:04:37.465-04:00Growing, Changing Syllabus<img class="alwaysThinglink" src="//cdn.thinglink.me/api/image/426355049950609410/1024/10/scaletowidth#tl-426355049950609410;626328886" width="300" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//cdn.thinglink.me/jse/embed.js"></script>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is an exciting time to be a teacher! The internet now allows teachers to innovate,
collaborate on, and share ideas for using technology to meet learning
objectives. I have been teaching courses
about the use of the Internet in second/foreign language teaching through the State University
of NY at Buffalo since 2004. My course
became an online course called Educational Uses of the Internet in 2006. The present online course is called Technologies
in Second Language.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Who
were my students?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Since the course deals with ever changing tools for
learning, I find myself updating the syllabus before each new semester. Before the upcoming fall 2013 semester, I
thought it would be a good reflective activity to see how the course has
changed over time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
resources did we use?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the beginning students from many different
disciplines took my course because of a dearth of courses on using technology
in their own fields. I encouraged
students to tailor each mod to their own interests and I felt that all the
participants in the course learned a lot from having multiple viewpoints. At
that time the text was Egbert and Hanson-Smith's (1999) <u>CALL Environments:
Research, Practice and Critical Issues</u>
and articles which students could find on reserve in the campus library
. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However, in 2006 I began to use Will Richardson's
text <u>Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and other
Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms</u>. His
book was unique in that he discussed the tools in K-12 school contexts, giving
many examples of what teachers had been done and could do with Internet tools in
the future. I used Richardson's text in
its many revised editions until this semester (fall 2013) and supplemented it
with online articles dealing with second language learning and technology. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Unfortunately like all texts dealing with technology,
Richardson's text became somewhat out-dated, so I have begun to use only online
articles and videos. There is no longer
a dearth of information or courses on educational uses of the Internet, there
is an explosion! So I am now narrowing the focus of the course to second/foreign language learning.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>What has gradually become more important?</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Over time I have put more emphasis on the visual
aspect of learning. Throughout the
course, the students use Voice Thread and, eventually, they create their own
Voice Thread lessons. They also craft
digital stories using tools for creating photo-stories and comic strip
generators. They also have to include
images in their blog posts and curate
website through Scoop.it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Who
did students collaborate with?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Another change that I can see is in my course is
that over the years there has been a shift in the types of collaboration.. In the first few years my students interacted
primarily with the other participants in the course. For example, they created detailed webquests
and gave each other feedback. They were
also encouraged to join appropriate listservs.
However, the emphasis in the ensuing years has been on requiring the students to
widen their own PLNs (personal learning network) by joining Nings, following educational bloggers and
attending Twitterchats. In that way,
they will be connected educators in the future and will be able to stay
up-to-date.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What's
the latest new thing?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One of the newest mods in my course is "Games
in Second/foreign LanguageLlearning.
Although gaming has been a growing force in education for the last few
years, little work was available on its application for language learners. However,
that is beginning to change and there is now enough information to include a mod on gaming.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Reflections</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">These are the two biggest gradual changes that have occurred in my course:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">An emphasis on having the students create an effective personal learning network.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">An emphasis on having students learn about digital tools not only to use them personally but also to teach their own students to use them creatively.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
Maya Angelou</div>Maryannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00499263700257817331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31331345.post-4650238559318227862013-02-13T18:25:00.003-05:002013-02-16T09:34:21.656-05:00Gaming to Change the World<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwrx7ddhhZvNsmgZTm9NXB7rlqXszoF2sDuAqs-o3T1TiF-FVgaSdNaaJ5TW9xH-gl8JUYgd5SsBt619FqfJumMiqt1iUsQgLYrD6FJaRYZ_6MxymMwTQYgn2Jt4Sc-gjehBdwfA/s1600/Games+Mother+and+Girl.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwrx7ddhhZvNsmgZTm9NXB7rlqXszoF2sDuAqs-o3T1TiF-FVgaSdNaaJ5TW9xH-gl8JUYgd5SsBt619FqfJumMiqt1iUsQgLYrD6FJaRYZ_6MxymMwTQYgn2Jt4Sc-gjehBdwfA/s200/Games+Mother+and+Girl.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have long been interested in the use of games as learning
tools. So I recently read two books on
video games, <a href="http://www.us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9781594202858,00.html">Reality
is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World</a> by
Jane McGonigal and <a href="http://store.tcpress.com/0807751987.shtml">Video
Games and Learning</a> by Kurt Squire. I'll
focus on the first book in this post and save the other for another time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jane McGonigal is the
director of Game Research and Development at the <a href="http://www.iftf.org/home/">Institute for the Future</a> and makes an
excellent case for using games to solve world problems. Although her book does not focus on
education, I learned a lot about the
mechanics of what makes games (especially online games) so appealing and
tried to make my own comparison to traditional educational activities.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
McGonigal starts off explaining that all games both on and off line from the simplest to the
most complex possess 4 features: a goal, rules, a feedback system, and voluntary
participation. (p. 21). Then she spends a good deal of the book
describing how research has shown that games create positive emotion<i>.
Games make us happy because they are hard work that we choose for
ourselves, and it turns out that almost nothing makes us happier than good,
hard work</i> (p. 28). <span style="color: purple;"> Unfortunately, while many classes are hard work, they are usually required not voluntary.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In McGonigal's book I learned that there are three things that make online or
video games so compelling:</div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">Feedback</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Flow </li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><i>Fiero</i></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Feedback</b></div>
<b style="text-align: center;">
</b>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLU5HXMx1soHxMzxuzW56r2bNSAC3OSH_NtMn2FOJvUZowpKhBH8vTneTqiT1kVKIOKT3diD6zs6Lj3_H3CwDaPIwyVHX9XleZlAHz_0mo_SSQmk5GzMvwRmTHDLw8beyP4NAKlQ/s1600/Game+Duh.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLU5HXMx1soHxMzxuzW56r2bNSAC3OSH_NtMn2FOJvUZowpKhBH8vTneTqiT1kVKIOKT3diD6zs6Lj3_H3CwDaPIwyVHX9XleZlAHz_0mo_SSQmk5GzMvwRmTHDLw8beyP4NAKlQ/s200/Game+Duh.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
The 3 types of feedback these games provide are visual (perhaps by something
appearing or disappearing, ) quantitative (a score) and qualitative (a steady
increase in the challenge level). This
feedback allows you to always know how you're doing. <span style="color: purple;">In contrast in a class in</span><span style="color: purple;"> the
feedback is often sparse and delivered well after something is turned in.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Flow</b><br />
<b><br /></b></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img height="156" src="http://images.wisegeek.com/playing-video-games.jpg" width="200" /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
</div>
McGonigal tells us
that <i>In a good computer or video game
you're always playing on the very edge of your skill level, always on the brink
of falling off. When you do fall off,
you feel the urge to climb back on.
That's because there is virtually nothing as engaging as this state of
working at the very limits of your ability - or what both game designers and
psychologists call "flow."
When you are in a state of flow, you want to stay there ...</i>(p. 24). <span style="color: purple;"> Although some classes are very energizing,
others tend to make students keep looking at the clock hoping that the period
will end.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>Fiero</i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gio_foto___/4115740672/" title="Untitled by ( gio_foto ) / John Sanderson, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="98" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2516/4115740672_db67153cd9_m.jpg" width="240" /></a>
<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Fiero is what we feel
after we triumph over adversity</i> (p. 33).
It's the feeling that makes us want to throw our hands in the air or do
a "happy dance" because we have truly accomplished something. <span style="color: purple;"> How often does that happen in a class?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
McGonigal both explains the appeal of video games and poses
a provocative question. <i>What if we decided to use everything we know
about game design to fix what's wrong with reality? What if we started to live our real lives
like gamers, lead our real businesses and communities like game designers, and
think about solving real-world problems like computer and video game theorists
(p. 7)?</i> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I still have a lot to learn about video games and education. So I plan to continue reading and to
play several video games like Civ IV in the summer so that I can experience the feedback, flow and
<i>fiero </i>that McGonigal describes. In the
meantime, however, I heartily agree with her goal of using games to change the world.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
Maya Angelou</div>Maryannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00499263700257817331noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31331345.post-3453906883097056482013-02-06T11:58:00.000-05:002013-02-06T11:58:10.213-05:00Tools of Engagement Project<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="160" src="https://d25wzyo6b5ic8t.cloudfront.net/rev/c3ed0359/media/custom/www/banner_cloud.jpg" width="320" /></div>
<br />
I have been participating in professional development for faculty at the State University of NY at Buffalo through a site called <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/sunytoep/" target="_blank">Tools of Engagement</a>. Although previous mods proved interesting, this morning I viewed the mod on <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/sunytoep/collaborative-spaces">collaborative spaces</a> and was disappointed. Although I was glad to see that my favorite site, <a href="http://voicethread.com/" target="_blank">Voice Thread</a>, (VT) was featured, I was dissatisfied with the examples that were provided.<br />
Unfortunately some of the links for examples of VT did not work, but for those that did, the examples showed very little interaction between creator and audience. The threads showed the creators using VT as a substitute for Power Point. In my opinion the presenters were ignoring one of the main features of the program -comments.<br />
In my own online course I use a class Voice Thread for students to post their reflections on certain activities they have done or tools they have explored. Here is an <a href="http://voicethread.com/?#u32613.b1258889.i13102418" target="_blank">example</a> from a previous course. The students in that course (who were all present or future teachers) were also required to create their own Voice Thread to use with their own students. <a href="https://voicethread.com/?#q.b2945305.i15551172" target="_blank">Learning L2 Culture: More Than Words</a> is an example created by one of the students in which he used VT to elicit comments about French culture.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Personally I feel that I have just begun to utilize all the features of VT and hope to soon incorporate more.<div class="blogger-post-footer">"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
Maya Angelou</div>Maryannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00499263700257817331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31331345.post-76571873113604687302012-11-14T16:32:00.003-05:002012-11-14T16:40:04.299-05:00Animoto for Foreign Language PracticeHere's an example of using Animoto for French. This video clip was created by Keri Sedita.
<a href="http://goanimate.com/videos/0FD9BmQXjC0o?utm_source=embed" target="_blank">Que fais-tu ce weekend?</a> by <a href="http://goanimate.com/user/0GvReOFNvVjc" target="_blank">sundancer418</a> on <a href='http://goanimate.com?utm_source=embed' target="_blank">GoAnimate</a><br/><iframe scrolling="no" allowTransparency="true" frameborder="0" width="400" height="258" src="http://goanimate.com/player/embed/0FD9BmQXjC0o"></iframe><br/><a href="http://goanimate.com?utm_source=embed&utm_medium=link&utm_term=Animated+Presentations&utm_campaign=embedse" target="_blank">Animated Presentations</a> - Powered by GoAnimate.<div class="blogger-post-footer">"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
Maya Angelou</div>Maryannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00499263700257817331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31331345.post-61697966379740011932012-10-30T16:57:00.002-04:002012-10-30T16:58:58.435-04:00DIIGO<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">I have been
using the social bookmarking tool, DIIGO, for several years. I rely a
lot on this site and am constantly adding to <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/anciana">my account</a>. Here is my personal <i>modus operandi</i> with DIIGO:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">1. As I skim through the items in my Google
Reader or my Twitter account, I open the ones that interest me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">2. If I
think an item I've read may be of use to me in the future, I click on the DIIGO
button in my toolbar and choose bookmark. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqHBIvuSwUZAeHvNBBq2GVGPXw2vM6NFNg-MUHPE3SEo00gmPCdyIuql6XlJ5rOF2naiJp_EtiG1FrmEwuV2oW69EQ0Ug0LABGBBIai6wKt_tLoL22pW31Rj34Shbxb74YAPF9g/s1600/Diigo.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqHBIvuSwUZAeHvNBBq2GVGPXw2vM6NFNg-MUHPE3SEo00gmPCdyIuql6XlJ5rOF2naiJp_EtiG1FrmEwuV2oW69EQ0Ug0LABGBBIai6wKt_tLoL22pW31Rj34Shbxb74YAPF9g/s400/Diigo.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">I do the same after following a link to
another article or YouTube video.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">3. Then
if the title of an item is self-explanatory such as <a href="http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/10/12-crucial-questional-to-ask-before.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+educatorstechnology%2FpDkK+%28Educational+Technology+and+Mobile+Learning%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher">12
Crucial Questions to Ask before Using iPad with your Students</a>, I just add
it to my account. If the title isn't sufficient, I add a note in the space available when I click Bookmark.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">4. Then I perform the most important step which
is to give the entry multiple tags (labels).
For example, for <a href="http://education-2020.wikispaces.com/connectivism" target="_blank">Education 2020</a>, I used <i>connectivism </i>, <i>gamification</i>, <i>project-based learning</i>, and <i>Inquirybased learning.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">5. Once in a while if I have found something
that relates to health or family that I don't want to share with the public, I click the small box labeled <i>Private</i>,
so that only I can see it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">When I am
planning a new mod for my course or updating an existing one, I rely heavily on
my DIIGO account to find information that I have put there. For example, I recently created a mod on
gamification. I had been collecting
articles about gaming for quite some time,
so I looked at all the DIIGO entries that I had tagged <i>game</i>, <i>games</i>,
<i>gamification</i>, and <i>gaming </i>to find pertinent material. This review also allowed me to delete or edit
material that I deemed less useful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">Another way I use DIIGO is to include a link to a specific tag in my DIIGO account in my syllabus. For example, instead of telling the students
to search all of cyberspace for pertinent articles on microblogging for
education, I simply ask them to choose some articles from <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/anciana/twitter">my DIIGO account with Twitter
tags</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">I honestly couldn't function with DIIGO!</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
Maya Angelou</div>Maryannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00499263700257817331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31331345.post-57910806366576811002012-10-30T15:11:00.003-04:002012-10-30T15:16:39.083-04:00Google Reader<span style="line-height: 115%;">Google
Reader is my lifeline to other professionals.
In my reader I have feeds to other educators in the fields of
educational technology and second language learning. Each morning I skim through the titles of
blog post feeds to see which ones merit reading. Although some people have feeds from
newspapers, I prefer to use Google Reader just for blog posts.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">Some
bloggers post a tremendous amount. (I don't
know when they sleep!) However, since
Reader allows me to view just the titles on my iGoogle homepage, I can quickly
delete material that doesn't interest me. Or if I choose to view items on my Google Reader homepage, I can quickly scroll through my folders in the left sidebar. Since the blogs with recent posts appear in
bold. I can click on them to see the entire posts on the right. <span style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicsEdrwBBQ7ejaGwi6wga4z1JXnnGznHr5oMv8w5vF-xVECkRF9d53nAawB7VJXopob7SQewZyymbpU3K-yK524WuhbWJeX6jXpJ6FLVJDZ4ngs-8jhq8VVvFMLqfLV5zOkDJ5_A/s1600/Google+Reader+Langwitches.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicsEdrwBBQ7ejaGwi6wga4z1JXnnGznHr5oMv8w5vF-xVECkRF9d53nAawB7VJXopob7SQewZyymbpU3K-yK524WuhbWJeX6jXpJ6FLVJDZ4ngs-8jhq8VVvFMLqfLV5zOkDJ5_A/s400/Google+Reader+Langwitches.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">Keeping my Google
Reader manageable requires some "gardening skills." Once in a while, I remember to "weed" my
garden of feeds by going to the Reader page and clicking Trends. </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">That way I can see which subscriptions are less useful by clicking on Inactive or Most Obscure under Subscription Trends and deleting those feeds.</span><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilOkLPtFPk54agNrlKGo0scgBNiixpW9cTjnhS2hoCEDFJI35J6EvVwi73Vr2pCGDfuY8XtXfBj8K4OMfHPD0A7PTgjCxvdIfryP-BukrWU3rJ_EvHCB7-xTswG3Da7k5SQOjE3A/s1600/Google+Reader+Trends.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilOkLPtFPk54agNrlKGo0scgBNiixpW9cTjnhS2hoCEDFJI35J6EvVwi73Vr2pCGDfuY8XtXfBj8K4OMfHPD0A7PTgjCxvdIfryP-BukrWU3rJ_EvHCB7-xTswG3Da7k5SQOjE3A/s400/Google+Reader+Trends.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> Wow! I think I need
to do that now!</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
Maya Angelou</div>Maryannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00499263700257817331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31331345.post-44143874126127844582012-10-29T18:13:00.001-04:002012-10-30T16:57:47.669-04:00Tips for Lifelong Learners<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">As part of
an online course called Tools of Engagement, I viewed a 4 minute video
called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=A_mUnBS2I9I">7
1/2 Habits of Highly Successful lifelong Learners</a>. These are the three habits
that resonated with me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><b>View problems as challenges</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Saha bday Up up up" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7151/6577830273_3f0fedd1a7_m.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>I think I can!</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">I teach an
online course about using technology in second and foreign language
classrooms.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">As we all know, our
relationship with technology is frequently a love/hate relationship.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">When things go smoothly we luxuriate in the
many ways technology makes our lives and our learning easier. </span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">On the other hand, when problems arise, we can
get very frustrated.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">Viewing problems
as challenges is a good way to look at these occasional frustrations. We have various ways of meeting tech
challenges. One is to go carefully through
the steps we used and, perhaps, write them down. Sometimes our own error then jumps out at us. Another way to meet the challenge is to Google
the problem. Usually someone in
cyberspace has encountered the same problem and posted a solution.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><b style="text-align: center;">Create your own learning toolbox</b></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cambodia4kidsorg/77298393/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="toolbox by cambodia4kidsorg, on Flickr"><img alt="toolbox" height="110" src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/37/77298393_fd6dad0a98_m.jpg" width="110" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Fill 'er up!</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">My learning
toolbox is the Internet. Networking with
other professionals through social networking sites like Ning, Yahoo groups and
Twitter keeps me up to date on the future of education. Free, online webinars are also essential
tools in my toolbox.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"> <b>Teach/mentor others</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 115%;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tulanesally/3349979270/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Tutoring Center by Tulane Public Relations, on Flickr"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img alt="Tutoring Center" height="159" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3461/3349979270_1315260035_m.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">How about this way?</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">Since
retiring from f2f teaching of English as a Second Language, I have been able to devote most of
my time to the online course mentioned in #1.
I truly enjoy continuing to learn and sharing what I learn with future
teachers. In the field of educational
technology, things are always in a state of "perpetual beta" and I
realize that full-time students and teachers often don't have time to explore
educational tech as much as they would like.
For that reason, I feel that I can make a contribution to the next
generation of teachers by doing some of the groundwork myself and then pointing
them in the right direction so they can each choose whichever tech tools best
meet their individual needs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
Maya Angelou</div>Maryannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00499263700257817331noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31331345.post-26054451249856739142012-09-21T11:54:00.000-04:002012-09-21T13:52:28.716-04:00Naps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG587hoXtXh3feOnT6oqTmae3FhTGB9KkosAL-QGLeULgK0WT4SFL0NI0r7wVi-XndDL_HewQGeTcb1Fs011mAn9aNAlwPM6xYQDVivwWey3bUc7e-qJ9LhVdr4llf9L3qItSsiQ/s1600/Shasha+nap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG587hoXtXh3feOnT6oqTmae3FhTGB9KkosAL-QGLeULgK0WT4SFL0NI0r7wVi-XndDL_HewQGeTcb1Fs011mAn9aNAlwPM6xYQDVivwWey3bUc7e-qJ9LhVdr4llf9L3qItSsiQ/s200/Shasha+nap.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
As part of a project at UB called Tools of Engagement, I am exploring some features of <a href="http://flickr.com/" target="_blank">Flickr</a> and other online sites. I haven't taken the time to clear up "red eye" in some of the photos I used for today's creations, but my purpose was simply to try out features of different tools and the photos worked for that.</div>
<br />
Here's a Flickr slide show of <a href="http://www.flickr.com//photos/anciana/sets/72157631588654300/show/" target="_blank">Naps</a>. I uses a "set" of pix in Flickr to create this. I could also use the set to create the Animoto version. It would have been easier, however, if I could have used "tags" to find photos for uploading but I didn't see that option.<br />
<br />
Here is the Animoto version .<br />
<br />
<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" height="240" id="vp1CJHm8" width="432"><param name="movie" value="http://static.animoto.com/swf/w.swf?w=swf/vp1&e=1348249865&f=CJHm8jw7dl5H3ZF12vDF0w&d=34&m=b&r=360p&volume=100&start_res=360p&i=m&options="></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed id="vp1CJHm8" src="http://static.animoto.com/swf/w.swf?w=swf/vp1&e=1348249865&f=CJHm8jw7dl5H3ZF12vDF0w&d=34&m=b&r=360p&volume=100&start_res=360p&i=m&options=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="432" height="240"></embed></object><br />
<a href="http://animoto.com/">Make a video</a> of your own at Animoto.<br />
<br />
<br />
And here is the Flixtime version with some of the same photos.<br />
<br />
<object data="http://flixtime.com/static/flowplayer/flowplayer.commercial-3.2.15.swf?rnd=1" height="216" id="_00095370" name="_00095370" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://flixtime.com/static/flowplayer/flowplayer.commercial-3.2.15.swf?rnd=1" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="flashvars" value='config={"key":"#$080c7f2f13d4b450b25","playlist":[{"url":"http://flix-us.s3.amazonaws.com/video/00/71/89/17/3d939825e2f61eadf6e14e6322e21bQKXMi0JIpmtcWkxSLlzD/__sys__/player/naps.jpg?rnd=d008e"},{"url":"http://flix-us.s3.amazonaws.com/video/00/71/89/17/3d939825e2f61eadf6e14e6322e21bQKXMi0JIpmtcWkxSLlzD/__sys__/preview/naps.mp4","autoBuffering":false,"bufferLength":2,"autoPlay":false,"scaling":"fit","details":{"date":"","creator":""},"provider":"pseudo"}],"plugins":{"controls":{"url":"http://flixtime.com/static/flowplayer/flowplayer.controls-flixtime.swf?rnd=1","autoHide":"never","hideDelay":1000,"stop":true},"pseudo":{"url":"http://flixtime.com/static/flowplayer/flowplayer.pseudostreaming.swf?rnd=1","queryString":"%3Fstart%3D%24%7Bstart%7D%26rnd%3D0.5849686756264418"}},"clip":{}}' /></object>
<br />
<br />
Although the Flixtime version photos seemed fuzzier, there are also some features in that program that might be worth exploring like voice over. However, I had to download the Flickr photos to my hard drive in order to upload them to Flixtime.<br />
<br />
I wanted to use the site <a href="http://studio.stupeflix.com/" target="_blank">Stupeflix</a> which I had used before but there doesn't seem to be a free version any longer. Too bad. I liked the site.<div class="blogger-post-footer">"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
Maya Angelou</div>Maryannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00499263700257817331noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31331345.post-91666207146862636412012-09-16T16:53:00.003-04:002012-09-16T16:59:11.712-04:00Perpetual Beta<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/smemon/4518528819/" title="change by Sean MacEntee, on Flickr"><img alt="change" height="83" src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4005/4518528819_d93d0630c4_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 115%;">As I begin
teaching my online course called Technologies in Second Language Classrooms
this semester, I want to take a moment to look back at how the course has
changed over the years.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">There</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">have been changes in both the content and the
activities I ask the participants to do. However, I find that three guiding
principles seem to be the basis for how I created the course and the changes
that I have made.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">The three general
features which I felt were important then and still feel are</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">critical now are</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span><i style="line-height: 115%;">learning
by doing</i><span style="line-height: 115%;">, </span><i style="line-height: 115%;">staying connected, thinking
globally</i><span style="line-height: 115%;">.</span>
<br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">The original
2004 course was called Computer Technology in L2 Learning. In that first f2f course
which I taught in a computer lab, the readings were a combination of a 1999
text on computer-assisted language learning, and many online articles about
webquests and intercultural communication.
The students were required to create a website using MS Front Page,
create a webquest lesson plan and teach a computer skill to the class from a
list that included MS Publisher, tracking changes with MS Word, Yahoo groups,
Tapped In, Inspiration, and Schmooze University. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">Let's jump
ahead to 2008 to Using the Internet in the L2 Classroom. The course is now online and we are using
Will Richardson's text <i><a href="http://www.corwin.com/books/Book234187">Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other
Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms</a> </i>but we are using the first (2006)
edition. Thankfully, students no longer
need to learn how to create a website from scratch but they create their own
blogs, Googledocs documents and podcasts.
They reflect on George Siemens' connectivist theory of learning and get
connected through Nings, Delicious, and Twitter. The Googledocs assignment is a group project
with each student reviewing two tools (one synchronous and one asynchronous)
from a suggested list of Internet tools.
To think globally, the students choose from a list of sites which allow
for global collaboration and review one of them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">What changes
have 4 more years brought? Richardson's
text, now in its 3rd edition, is still the basic reading material. Students learn utilize blogs and VoiceThread
for sharing their ideas and creations.
They practice story-telling by using tools such as Bookr, Bubblr and
comic strip generators. They explore
gamification by exploring language games.
They complete a group project using Googledocs presentations in which they
compare several Internet tools of their own choosing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">They stay
connected with Nings or Yahoo groups, DIIGO and Twitter. They explore ePals in depth to reflect on how
to connect their own classrooms with the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">I think the
guiding principles of learning by doing, staying connected and thinking
globally remain relevant in 2012. What
changes over time is the tools used to accomplish these ends. For that reason, the course will remain in
"perpetual beta."<span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
Maya Angelou</div>Maryannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00499263700257817331noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31331345.post-52848019251001754142012-09-03T11:20:00.000-04:002012-09-03T21:27:28.854-04:00How Do You Spell Frustration? Wiki!<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/basykes/490907537/" title="Frustration! by basykes, on Flickr"><img alt="Frustration!" height="180" src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/201/490907537_6724705f74_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<br />
In 2006 I created a wiki called SUNYAB in Wikispaces. I planned to use it to store my syllabus for use and for further revision. I was also hoping to include a mod in my online course in which the students would create wikis for their own use.<br />
<br />
However, I became frustrated with trying to figure out how things worked. Thinking that perhaps the problem was the software, I then tried PBWorks, only to suffer the same frustration. <br />
<br />
Now since I am following an online workshop called <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/sunytools/" target="_blank">Tools of Engagement</a>, I thought I would try again. However, I've run into the same problems. Such simple things as centering text or switching to an HTML view are some of the functions that have me baffled. In an article on wikis that I found through the Tools of Engagement, <a href="http://thwt.org/index.php/discussion-collaboration/wikis" target="_blank">Teaching History with Technology</a>, the author compares wikis with Google Sites.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><i>An increasingly popular alternative to a wiki is <a _mce_href="http://sites.google.com" href="http://sites.google.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #0044cc; outline: none; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Google Sites</a>. Formerly known as Google Pages, Google Sites is a free website creation tool that has incorporated features commonly associated with wikis. For instance, Google Sites includes a "revision history" of edits and provides the ability to insert comments. A significant Google Sites advantage is that multiple people can edit a web page at exactly the same time. Multiple people can edit a wiki page, but not at the exact same time. Google Sites is also intuitive and arguably less "clunky" than a wiki. That said, Google Sites is not a true wiki editor and lacks some of wiki features and flexibility.</i></span></div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small; line-height: normal;"> I have not yet tried Google Sites, but if it is as easy to use as Googledocs, I would probably prefer it to Wikispaces. I realize that it takes a certain amount of time to learn any new online tool, but I've now invested several hours without any real success. So, for now, it's no wikis for me!</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; padding: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; padding: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
Maya Angelou</div>Maryannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00499263700257817331noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31331345.post-38576666734143508992012-07-29T11:17:00.001-04:002012-07-29T11:17:17.152-04:00Another Step Toward Gamification<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.deltapublishing.co.uk/content/images/covers/digital-play.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.deltapublishing.co.uk/content/images/covers/digital-play.jpg" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We are now
beginning week 4 of </span><a href="http://gamesmooc.shivtr.com/"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">GamesMOOC</span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> and I've had an epiphany regarding
gamification and language learning. For
years I hesitated to include a games mod in my online course because I felt
that I didn't have any experience on MMORPGs.
However, as I tried out some of the single player games suggested in the
</span><a href="http://gamesmooc.shivtr.com/"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">GamesMOOC</span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, I realized that for language teachers, the game itself doesn't have to
be the where the language learning occurs. The language learning can be before,
during or after any game. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Actually I
had read Kyle Mawer and Graham Stanley's book, <a href="http://www.deltapublishing.co.uk/titles/methodology/digital-play">Digital
Play</a>, and have Mawer's <a href="http://www.digitalplay.info/blog/">blog</a>
of the same name in my RSS feeds. They
suggest ways to use many genres of games such as "hidden objects", "dressing
up", and "escape the room" for language learning, but I think that I was hung up on the multi-player
idea and was blind to other ideas. Lee
Sheldon's book <a href="http://www.cengage.com/aushed/instructor.do?disciplinenumber=1047&product_isbn=9781435458444&courseid=CDD05&codeid=Z525&sortBy=copyrightYear&sortByShow=all">The
Multiplayer Classroom</a> also discouraged me because the examples of
coursework as games was directed at teachers who were real gamers and that's
not me!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I think that
I was under the impression that it was the vocabulary used in the games that
would be important for L2 learners, but I have realized that the vocabulary can
be pre-taught in the same way as pre-teaching vocabulary before any assignment. What can add to the language learning
experience are the pre- and post-game activities which may be oral or written learning
tasks about strategies used in the game, obstacles encountered, or whether
someone liked the game or not and what could be done to make it more
interesting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the past
week of the <a href="http://gamesmooc.shivtr.com/">GamesMOOC</a>, however,
guild officers have focused on the elements of a game that make it engaging,
the basic game mechanics. I'm going to
try to apply the <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1quzeSmkkHdi5sYC4VPR0h--82vBGbi20cUVBgN0POBI/edit?pli=1">rubric</a>
they provided to a number of the games in
the <a href="http://www.deltapublishing.co.uk/titles/methodology/digital-play">Digital
Play</a> book and see how they measure up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."
Maya Angelou</div>Maryannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00499263700257817331noreply@blogger.com0