Good bye!

Good bye my dear, dear course participants!  I will miss all of you very much.  You are very special, brave, and competent people--I feel blessed to have worked with you.

Hugs to everyone.

Donna

End of the Runway

We're at the end of the runway and ready to take off!  The course is entering its final week and all the hard work is finished.  This is both a sad time and a thrilling time.  It's sad because our learning community is going off into different directions and will not be coming together after Friday, Dec. 2.  It's thrilling because everyone will have more time to put into practice some of the technology tools they have learned. 

I think of this as a time for everyone to take off and fly!  I know that I have learned so much during these 9 weeks--I always do.  I hope everyone else has learned many things they can put into practice and share with their colleagues and friends.

So as I say good bye, my friends, I wish you well in your future journeys with technology.  Know that I will always hold a place in my heart for you.

Donna

Week 8 is over and Week 9 Begins

We are nearing the end of this course--unbelievable!!   It seems like we just started, and now we're almost finished.  What a whirlwind this has been.  I am so impressed with how much everyone has learned and accomplished, and I hope all of you feel the same about your own work this term. Just a few short weeks ago, everyone was worried, frantic, and confused as you waded through all the beginning week tasks, looked at the website, and tried to figure out what was expected of them.

Look at how much you've done and learned!!!!!

Donna

Week 7 - Light

Week 7 is light in a few different ways.  First, the work load is lighter as everyone is implementing their projects and writing their reports.  The intention is to lighten the reading and posting load this week to make things easier.  I'm thinking that is is a welcome relief!

Second, this week sheds light on the topic of learner autonomy.  This topic is important for language learners because learners taking responsibility for their own learning and digging into it themselves is essential.  One does not learn only within the walls of the classroom.  In our first language, we have input everyday--all day--from a variety of sources.  This is not true in a second or third language unless one is living abroad in the country of the language  EFL has the definite limitation of exposure to the language outside the classroom.  Thus, learners must be helped and encouraged to become autonomous learners.

Third, this week is light in the sense that we are nearing the end of the course, and everyone can see the light at the end of the tunnel (an American expression). 

I hope that everyone had a great week and the week 8 is equally great.

Donna

Week 7 Begins

Week 7 of our course has begun, and it should be an interesting week.  We look at two topics this week: learner autonomy and the one-computer classroom.  Learner autonomy is a very interesting topic for me as I think it can be something that is quite challenging for many students.   If students come to the US to study, they can find our notions of learner autonomy to be quite different from what they're accustomed to at home.  Here, teachers expect students to take full responsibility for their learning and for their success in their studies.  Teachers expect students to know about time management, have study skills, and acclimate to our classroom culture the minute classes begin each term.

Concerning the one computer classroom, most of us are dealing with a one-computer classroom on a daily basis.  While some teachers have access to learning centers and computer labs, these are a luxury and have to be scheduled and are not available consistently.  Given my teaching environment in one school, a one-computer classroom would be a luxury!  I have to teach in a classroom that has no technology at all, so I had to buy my own projector and laptop--which I bring to class.  What  a pain in the neck!

Anyway, week 7 will be over before we know it.  The good news is that I'm home from my travels and life should return to normal soon (once the dust settles and I get less busy).  This month is the US's major holiday--Thanksgiving.  It's one of my favorite holidays because I get to be with my family and eat good food!  It doesn't get any better than that!

Donna

And Now It's Week 6 . . .

Well, we've passed the halfway mark for the course and are beginning week 6.  I spent part of week in Turkey visiting a school there. What an amazing experience that was.  It's so incredible to personally visit a language school and learn it from the inside out and the outside in.

I'm now beginning Week 6 in San Diego, California.  This visit is not work related, but family related.  I'm sitting in Starbucks, attending to the online course.  Thank goodness for Starbucks and free wifi!

I'm also enjoying some sunshine--which we do not have at home.

Tomorrow I'm back to work in Oregon.  Traveling is good, but being home is better!

Donna

Week 5!

My goodness!  It's hard to believe that by the end of this week, we'll be half-way through the course.  The time is flying by.

I have returned from Turkey.  I had the opportunity to visit a school there and work with some amazing teachers.

I must say that I am very lucky to have the opportunity to work with teachers from a broad spectrum of countries.  I learn so much about how language is taught and how instructors work with both their advantages and disadvantages (we all have both!).  It is just amazing.  I do feel that we are all in this education business together, sharing and helping one another. 

Teachers around the world have an incredibly strong focus on helping their students and making the lives of their students better.  It seems to be a common thread I hear over and over again.  If teachers ran the world, what a better place it would be!

I hope everyone is having a good week.  I would like each one of you to take a minute and appreciate the excellent job you are doing in your classrooms.  Your students are fortunate to have you in their lives.

Donna