I started using more technology on the last semester. We started doing journal blogging in my advanced Spanish class. I have also been searching more on the web for materials that may be interesting to my students so we can view them in class.

I would like to give my students more assignment that can be created with technology. For instance, in previous years we have done videos for cooking projects. It was usually hard to do because some students had no video cameras. I think now it could be very easy since most phones have videos and cameras.

Another thing I would like technology with would be having my own web site for the class. I was surprised to find several teachers who have their own websites where they post songs, homework, projects and videos for their students. I would love to do something like that so my students can work also independently and revisit what has been learned in class.

Last semester I also learned about google docs. I would like to introduce that to my students so they can collaborate and do projects together without having the trouble of having to get together.

As a whole I find technology extremely fascinating. I think last semester class was very helpful because it made me less afraid. I hope to get even more confident so I can use it even more. Just yesterday, in class we watched a video on You Tube about some grammar point my students were not getting. I could not believe how attentively they watch that video. Not only that but also now my students can go to that web site and watch it again if needed. Students can definitely benefit for using technology.

I am very excited about this class. Last semester it got me motivated to use more technology in the class. I have been using blogging in the classroom but I have still many questions about it. I am very excited to learn more. It amazes me all the things that are available with the use of technology.

Last Fall Class

I have enjoyed this class very much. I would like to keep learning. I enjoyed working at my own pace with other people. Today I liked having time to talk to other people and learn from them. I think talking to other people helped very much. It could have been useful to do it in every session.

I am going to try to use technology more often. I would definitely like to take the next class in the spring and keep improving.

Take my survey

Please take the getting to know you survey.
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dENFOE5iaXltSGRuQ0ZBTE5vNm90X1E6MA

Translating project

Well, we are at the computer lab right now. I am very impressed with the label of engagement. I have not printed any copies of the assignment so everything has been paperless. I am curious to see their reflections. They are a lot more engaged than they are in class.

Homework for the week of Nov. 4

I am not sure if what I want to try with my class is exactly falling in the category of what we have learned. I would like to use with my students different on line computer-assisted translation. I have noticed that some of my students use translations on line. I have been telling them that it does not work but my words do not seem to sink in. The activity I would like to do is to evaluate the computer-assisted translation.

Step 1: Research:
Locate and use two computerized language-translation tools.
List sources found: (one can be google)
1.
2.
Step 2: Try It Out (part 1)
Translate the following pairs of sentences on each of the two Internet translation services, from English to Spanish and then back to English:

• The bats fly into the room.
• The bats fly into the dugout when the batters hit too hard.
• I like ice cream with nuts on top.
• Some people think I'm nuts.
• I can drink a can of soda
• Can you dance the can-can?
• When I was a kid, I found a silver dollar.
• On what date did Bill gates found Microsoft?
• I I get any more chocolates, I'll get sick of them.

Print the second English translation or post it on google docs. (I am not sure if I will be able to do that.)

Which one did better and why?

Step 3:

Thy It Out (Part II)

Write a one-paragraph autobiography in English in Word (name, age, family or friends, likes future plans).

1. Print it out.
2. Choose the best translator from step 2. Paste in your English paragraph; translate into Spanish.
3. Translate the Spanish into any language other than English. Tanslate the product of that back into English.
4. Print out the final translation.
5. In a brief paragraph below the translation, compare the original version with the final English.

Step 4: Reflection.

Check all that are true:

___ My teacher will be able to tell easily if I've used an online translator.

___ Online translators do a good job.

___I might use an online translator for verb forms.

___I'm going to double-check anything I do on an online translator.

___This would really save me time while writing a paper.

___This was a useful activity for me.

Unfortunate I the first date for me to book the computer lab in my school is November 13 so I will not be able to see how it goes. I was also wondering if anybody has any suggestions, should I get the work done on google docs and share or should I use papers?

Making Sense of Online Text

After reading this article I feel a little more insecure. Before I started this class I knew my knowledge of technology and web was limited. Now I realize that I need to be a little more computer literate. I noticed that for reading online I should know how search engines work, how information is organized and also to be able to stay on task. I identified with Samantha.

I was never taught online reading. In fact, after I earned my credential about 15 years ago I took a class on computers but things have changed a lot since then. Internet access was not accessible. Most of what I know about Internet use I have learned playing with it. Reading the article made me realize that there are things that I don't. I would like to have taken a class that gave me more confidence on the skills I should be using so I could teach them to my students.

According to the article do not teach online reading even though our students need to become proficient in using information and communication technologies. As a teacher, I should be able to prepare my students for reading digital text. The first thing I should do is teach my students how to choose a link from a long. list of search result. Another skill I should teach my students is how to navigate within a web site. When my students are done with this two steps they should learn to evaluate the source of the web site because anybody can publish in the web. The last skill I should teach my students is to synthesize without copying. If we do not teach these skills we are placing our students in disadvantage because our culture is moving away from printed materials.

I hope that my generation of teachers and the following generations are better prepared to train our students. It is hard to teach a skill that I do not have.