Prompt #11

After reading Richrdson’s chapter about the social web, I think twitter is very interesting tool to expand and enhance the communicative skills of my students in informal settings. They can exchange ideas, course information, and resources beside their individual expressions or feedback about a certain topic. As other sites, some concerns may increase toward improper input so that a permission only environment has been adapted by some teachers for more appropriate learning atmosphere. So, I may think about using twitter for my ESL classroom as additional tool to strengthen the social communicative experience among students.

What I may consider it useful and instrumental is the social bookmarking. It is, in somehow, valuable for both the teacher and the learner. It saves the time and efforts through providing unconditioned collaborative support to find target subject resources and annotate important sections such as the public Diigo & del.icio.us or the restricted Scutt1EDU. This boosts students to build their knowledge, autonomy and social pyramid. For me, it is avant garde that needs more attention and mastery for constructive use in the future.

Warschauer raises three dimensional issues in terms of “digital divide” which means the imbalances of the effective physical use of technology access among people. That simultaneously explains the unequal acquisition of related knowledge and skills among high socioeconomics and low socioeconomics. His workability, complexity and performativity are the essence of his study towards the challenging of affording the schools with computer technology equally. He says that there should be financial technical supply and a mechanism in preparing well equipped administrations and staff for more academic purposes.

I remember that some over -15-year experience teachers refused to join any educational computer course, to apply technology in learning process, as commanded by the ministry of education. More than 70% in that elementary school claim the un-necessity of inserting technology to their teaching process and these technologies are just accessories.
Is there any penalty for rejecting any technological use in teaching or learning process?
No wonder, more low SES victims will appear and more digital divide will occur
Is the money the magic stick that can survive the technology practice among educational institutions and homes?

I wish if the administration offices of education set “a training course of how to apply technological strategies in the classrooms” as a requirement for hiring a teacher in any school. Also, organized weekly staff meeting to discuss CALL activities & feedback and solve technical issues.
It is extremely complicated to force hundreds of people while they’re not motivated, isn’t it??
Is the phrase " I have a dream" going to be a banner for CALL educators?
The massive power of technology holds the answers about the future.