The First Half

That’s crazy. For the course, I have got registered a litany of websites. This week I have another three, RubiStar, Zunal, and QuestGarden. In a sense, the cyber world is convenient, but, on the other hand, is it that convenient? At least, I am subconsciously bound by these websites, and technological gadgets. With them, I really work with ease. But without them, I become an idiot. So, is it convenient? With so many passwords, is it convenient? You might say, “just one is enough? Use a number you are familiar with.” Then online robot might hack it. Is it convenient?

      In attempting to register in QuestGarden, I was asked to write down my last name, mine is Yu. But the registered page said, “your name must consist of at least three characters.” I was forced to key in You, which makes me feel very stupid. Is it convenient? I was forced to change my family name due to a STUPID webpage. I remember an essay question in TOEFL writing is, “….do you think will it be possible that humans beings will get stupid because of technology advance?” thing of this kind. I think this proposition can’t exist at all. Robots are stupid, how could they replace humans some day? But I do think the proposition can be adjusted into, “….do you think will it be possible that humans beings will get CRAZY because of technology advance?”

After weeks of confusion, I come to understand the outline of the course. Before attending the course, I had been wondering what I would learn, I didn’t quite follow it even after 4 week learning. But now it dawns on me that the course is perhaps designed with the following concept: the course aims to help participants/teachers instruct English through website skills, so they need to know some web tools to facilitate their teaching. And due to web learning is based on learner-centered mode, participants/teachers thus have to be aware how to make up an online learning lesson plans and set rubrics for learners to follow. In the end, participants will have a final project to demonstrate what they have learned during the 10 weeks.

     And that’s why we have to learn to use some new web tools. Actually, I indeed think they are helpful. From the first week’s search engines to WebQuest this week, they are all impressive, and with the web tools, I come to reconsider and adjust my teaching style. In my country, educational reform is on the way. One of the reform engineering is to elevate teachers’ teaching. Many seminars are, therefore, being held to carry out the stupendous task. However, the problem is that those seminars are exclusively restricted to theories, and what’s worse, teachers can merely sit and listen to officers’ and experts’ lectures. The ramification is relatively negative. Now, I feel fortunate that I attend the course. April 26, I made a presentation in front of my colleagues of English department, using some skills and web tools learned from the course. I know it is successful because after that presentation, some of my colleagues came ask me of relevant information. I am pleased with the result, one I expect. Through the presentation, some useful and helpful information is imparted to my colleagues so that learners can be benefited due to teachers’ progress.

     A feasible change that I am poised to make is project behavior learning (PBL). In my teaching scenario, I scrabble for ideas to encourage students to learn. Sometimes, I am deviated away from my teaching for students’ distraction. I cannot blame students for that because once students are obliged to be sedentary for 10 hours a day in the school, they certainly tend to “eke out” in class. PBL appears to be a wake-up call to spark students’ fervor for learning English.

     The first half is interesting and impressive. What about the second half? I am looking forward.