EDUC 548, Fall 2020 Blog

  One of my first impressions about this CATESOL conference is how much nicer the platform is and it seems a lot more organized then the one I attended virtually last May. However, there were definitely a few things that stuck out to me from that day because the presenters worked hard to make the content especially applicable to the new online format. Another thing I really enjoyed about this new format was that there were also some “teaching tips” that had been recorded in advance so they were a little more asynchronous and perhaps allowed teachers who were busy (like me) a few more chances to engage with the material. I scrolled through a few of the teaching tips and found a few that I enjoyed. Here are a few things that I learned from the teaching tips:  We can help students understand the reason that it’s important to translate ideas rather than a direct translation of words by comparing proverbs from different cultures (note picture above). For example, the speaker OkHee ...

✅10/13/2020 💗 Week 6 CATESOL Conference Reflection  Since the COVID-19 quarantine started, it feels that we spend all day on Zoom, but it is amazing to keep connecting with everyone. Regarding the CATESOL conference, although this is not my first time to participate, it is a new concept for me to discuss in a virtual setting. When we attended the CATESOL meeting last year, I still remember clearly that each of us circled the courses of interest on the schedule before the discussion started. After class, everyone gathered and shared the main critical takeaways. This year, we might not share feelings directly after each meeting due to the virtual meeting format, but we can still discuss our notes and thoughts by blogging. Besides, the virtual conference might lack opportunities for group discussion and interaction. Still, participants could post their thoughts or questions in the comment area at any time, which built the bridge between the speaker and the audience. Honestly, the new...

Hello Friends! I had the opportunity to go to six CATESOL Conference sessions this year and really enjoyed the topics and the digital format. I did a couple of live sessions and then also listened to a couple of prerecorded sessions. I look forward to listening and taking notes on several more once they are all posted online. Last semester we were encouraged to consider new ways to take notes so I took out my big basket of colored pencils and plain paper and got creative.🎨 It helped me to focus and pass the time as I was Zooming. There were a plethora of interesting topics so I liked being able to toggle back and forth between sessions or hitting pause or rewind when a session was precorded so I could check for my own understanding. Last year several of us were at Alliant International University for the local conference, and although you cannot replicate the time spent together, it was nice to be at home this year absorbing the information. Those conference days can be long s...

"Blogging is a hyped up discussion board with a few more steps".  At least that is what it seemed to me when I was first introduced to this idea. How could I use this as a teaching tool and would it be counter productive to use a platform that would take up time in class to just get students set up? Even as graduate students in an English speaking class, I noticed it was a challenge to initially get everyone on board with access to this platform.  Why I met this tech tool with such resistance as opposed to other tools like Voicethread or Flipgrid that has a potentially challenging on boarding process for students escaped me. However, after taking a few days to reflect on the experiences and potential creative uses of blogging I am starting to understand why it would be a beneficial tool to use.  It is actually kind of interesting. As I am writing this blog, I don't feel the monotonous emotions of writing a discussion board post. I am thinking much more reflectively, as th...

 I hope it will work with time. Technology is not always fun. On Sunday, I was able to see myself in the list. The blogging look interesting to me, and I thought to start my own blog, but I did not have a time. Now, it is time to try it. I hope it is going to be a enjoyable journey. I believe it is a useful toll to practice writing and grammar, and opportunity of being heard. We have to put something silly about online education and work.

✅10/04/2020 💗 Week 5 Reflection How time flies! In a blink of an eye, we have finished the journey of week 5. When I sat down and tried to sort out what we experienced together, I surprised realized that we had explored and discussed so many exciting teaching tools!💜  ↑Last  Night's Sunset! Besides, what impressed me most in week 5 was the "Padlet morning sharing activity". By answering a few simple questions, students can take a deep breath, share exciting moments, and get their visual focus and attention. I really like "Padlet" as a teaching tool. It is a good platform for collecting and sharing ideas. Users can add pictures, links, videos, and files to their post-it and move and arrange it. In addition to the "check-in sharing" before class, I think teachers can apply Padlet to different teaching environments. For example, "Knowledge Retrieval Activity", the teacher can help students about the memory of the previous day's lesson by a...

  Reflections on Week 5 As always I'd like to try out some of the functions of the tech tool we're using, so I'm starting with a picture of my backyard. I may have mentioned before that I've gotten in the habit of sitting on the patio and studying or drinking my coffee most mornings. Though lately there've been a lot of mosquitoes so it's been harder.  I can't believe it's week 5 already, I don't think that truly hit me until I started writing this blog post. Of course, I saw it this week when accessing Blackboard for homework, but I guess I wasn't really paying attention. I also just submitted my petition for graduation in the Spring so that was also crazy. It really brought it home to me that we just have 1 semester to go. We can do this!  The past few weeks have been really busy and I'm guessing the next few weeks will too because my sister's wedding is next Sunday! I am so happy that this week we'll be focusing on the CATESOL conf...