Prompt 2

Thursday. January 28th. 2010

Blogs and blogging recently has become very efficient tool to achieve the successful learning conditions stated by Egbert, J. (2005) Call Essentials: Principles and Practices in CALL Classrooms.

Blogging or blog is considered as a gate that English language learners would pass through to interact with other people in different life situations and beyond classroom walls. They will apply, synthesize and evaluate the class information in more authentic functions and interactive negotiators via modern technology. As an example, for college students level , their topic is "Setting Strategies Successful /Plans for Career Life". Their task is to see President Obama speech video, January 27th. 2010 ,on the course blog and they are free to express the ideas by various ways. ELLs may draw a map or diagram about one of the U.S prospective plans, or write an essay about what can be implemented in the future. Learners will be able to organize their thoughts and future priorities and consequently their critical thinking. After that, classmates will read other's blog posted feedback and ,then, mutually respond to each other.

I think it is great idea if the students are linked with other fluent English speakers blogs- outside the school- to improve their language and reinforce their self-confidence towards the course skills as well. Sometimes, Expanding knowledge sources is always a demand criteria by most of ELLs. Therefore, instructors tend to supply them with a variety of safe valuable links (websites-software) to complete their assignments or work.

Furthermore, students should have the opportunity to show their innovation. Blogs will offer them wide range of most helpful educational ways from diverse dimensions. Undoubtedly, the task difficulty has to match student's level within reasonable period of time e.g. intermediate ELL may prepare simple power point slide rather than creating video with supported statistics and data.
When the material/task objectives are set by both a teacher and students, the purpose of using blogs will be obvious and related to the learner interests by asking how /why?

One day, blogging will be sort of any significant documentary that records the learning process through generations.
Regarding to my blogging experience, this is my first time to blog and last week I enjoyed practicing, tackling and creating my blog step by step. I have not decided yet which topic I am going to blog about but soon I will.

HAIFA