I cannot help but think that the technology itself is creating a divide. what I mean by that is that humans as general rule are creatures of habit and we get used to doing things certain way and are therefore slow if not reluctant to change. Technology on the other hand is the exact opposite. Systems, programs, technologies become obsolete almost over night. Having spent 20 years in a large government bureaucracy I can tell you that policy decisions certainly don't happen over night. So with that in mind, I think it is possible that technology simply outstrips reluctant humans and bureaucracies that are slow to adapt to new technologies and pedagogical theory that support its' use in the classroom will almost always lag behind the more fast paced technological changes. I wonder how many computer systems in the educational system have difficulties supporting the new technologies coming out because the hardware computing power doesn't keep pace with the software. I have to believe that that problem could be particularly accute in school systems with limited money for information technology solutions. Makes me wonder if Stephen Krashen might not be right about sustained silent reading with real live books that don't get outstripped by technology.
The audio-tips page looks interesting to me. It seems to allow actual conversation that allows students to engage with native speakers and expose them to variation in the English language. Again, provide real and authentic language use that the students may actually use outside the classroom. To site an example from an adult ESL class I taught students constantly remarked that how things are spoken and how they are written are two different things. For example, "I am going to the store." That is what the students were learning but this is what is spoken most of the time "I'm gonnago tatha store." To me, these audio programs will help ELLs adapt to these crucial differences between what we write and what we say. It also seems to have great potential for building vocabulary which is near and dear to my heart. I think I need to try it out to really get a feel for what it has to offer.
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3 comments:
Hi Max,
The Japanese love to say "gambate," never give up, and I guess that applies to me in trying to post a comment to your blog. This is the third time, and probably opening up the identity options as discussed last night, will permit me to leave a comment in more than thin air.
I really like the way to remind us that technology is the opposite of human behavior, and only those who are willing to change can keep up. This excellent point is one that I am going to build into one of the lectures to the Engineers this week--even though they are young and seemingly flexible, it is good to point out that change, and even a little willingness to change is important. And the tech comparison is great--these folks build their own computers!
Concerning the frustration about the disconnect in spelling and speaking English, this came up often in the adult classes I conducted in Germany. I would tell them that we did not have a Martin Luther to codify our language. That was better than explaining the Great Vowel Shift, for sure. I did also talk to them about how we study spelling for 12 years or more in school, as that is foreign in a tongue which is famous for "say it and write it."
One more anecdote about pronunciation: I had fun with the Japanese execs at Hitachi Germany when they asked me, as we were discussing verbs, about the famous AMERICAN--gonna, wanna, and shoulda. I taught 'em a few more, and it was fun to imitate dialect.
Thanks for the stimulating comments,
Carol
I agree Max. I does come down to fundamentals, motivation, and inclusion. Teachers must teach the fundamental but at the same time find a way to engage students of all different types of backgrounds and learning styles.
It can be hard to keep up with technology because it is changing so rapidly and the new stuff is always expensive and you don't want to buy it right away because you know that in a few years the price will go down.
Okay, Max--I'm waiting for prompt 4--you used to be so punctual, now you are making me wait! I agree with all you are saying here--I said this on Michael's blog, but basically I just wonder of the next generation of teachers, particularly for K-12 instruction, will be the first ones to have the opportunities and the know-how to implement this kind of technology on a large-scale. I know the innovative K-12 teachers in this class (most respect to you, teachers) will incorporate some of the cool things we are learning, but like you say, large institutions are not so quick to move forward. Perhaps in the adult ESL classroom, where things are usually on a smaller scale and the schools/language centers are more fleet of foot, we can get this party started! I'm eager to try.
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