patricia’s posterous

Patricia
I think we share the same feeling that we want to use technology but we don't know how. I've created blogs tsome o my groups but the sts'response hasn't been very good since they don't want to "waste" any of their leisure time on it. So what i'm trying to do here is to learn how to use it wisely in order to engae students in the task

Pat,

Hi! I believe that awareness is the first step on the road to changing behaviours. The fact that we *are* aware of our tech limitations is, in and of itself, the first step on the journey to moving from 'digital immigrants' to 'digital second-language speakers'!
One other thing that has caught my attention is what Sandra said about your blog. "Students don´t want to waste their leisure time writing blogs for their English course". Teenagers will always be teenagers, no matter what tool we are using. I still think it pays for us to learn and to know how to use technology. But that does not mean that teenagers will decide to spend tons of time doing HW, even it it is on the Web 2.0!
I feel that the biggest challenge, nowadays, is to catch people's attention long enough for them to be interested in what we say. To get someone to actually 'go to your site', or do whatever it is that you are proposing, is another story.
In other words, teenagers are our captive audience (somewhat...) when they are in class. That´s where we have to show off our knowledge of 'their world' and, perhpaps, just perhaps, they´ll be interested enough to pursue it after class.
Am I making sense?! Anyway, it *is* Monday, so if I am not, I apologize!
Best, d.

Hi, Pat.

Your post moved me because of its honesty. It also inspired me because you have decided not only to overcome whatever causes you to resist using technology more productively in your classes but also because you want to use technology as one of the ways to help your students want to learn. Very laudable indeed!

Your feelings that your curriculum is tech-poor indicates to me that you realize it should be tech-richer, and I'm impressed! Many, many educators are actually afraid of technology and are very resistant to integrating it into the content and activities and pedagogy of their class(es). You, however, see that there's a place for technology, and you also realize that if it's meaningful for students, then it should be part of your "bag of tricks." Again, I'm impressed! Parabéns!

Enjoy your ride into the 21st century . . . but don't forget that the 20th century also had (and has!) a lot to offer.

Best wishes—

Dennis

Dear Pat,

What Sandra, Daniela and Dennis said is much more than I could add myself to your wonderful reflective post. Something that Dennis said that is totally true is the fact that though we have many options of Web tools to engage our students and ourselves in the learning process, it doesn't mean that we have to neglect the wonderful rapport we establish with our students in class, and the f2f activities which adds value to the process. However, I agree with you that there are exciting alternatives.

The question is: How are we going to move from this

to this

This is what we're experiencing here and I do hope you get some clues during the session.

I'm a lucky person to have you as a mentor, friend and now learning about 21st century education together!!!

Sorry, Pat,

I thought the images I wanted to show to you would appear here, but as they didn't, here are the links:

Moving from http://flickr.com/photos/jutecht/2185273004/in/set-72157603134753513/ to this
http://flickr.com/photos/jutecht/2184494587/in/set-72157603134753513/

I always find do interesting how Pat Fleur (I call her that because she's a flower for me!) manages to put in writing what I have inside my head.
I feel the same difficulties especially regarding engaging my students. For many of them, going to the computer lab is a way to skip classes, and of course I don't want to take them there or the interactive board, unless I feel confidence that there is some sort of teaching/learning interaction going on.
As you said, tech in classes is often decorative, and it can't be like that.
We'll learn, and when we do...