The idea of learner autonomy is my dream. I want my students to be independent with their learning and I really want to serve as a guidance only. They are reluctant of searching for what they need. They are accustomed of getting everything from their teacher. Well this will change.
I'll be more patient with my students. I'll talk to them as persons not like learners.
What I've learned that it is easier to teach students to be autonomous of their own learning than to teach professionals in any area.
Since we do not have a computer lab. I will leave homework on nicenet. My students will be able to answer it at home or in any café. I'll use the computer as a cooperative learning tool. I'll ask them to write a five line folkstory each, and to paste it on nicenet. Or maybe they can write them in class and I'll paste them on nicenet. What do you think? Which is better? Then they can read each others´stories and choose one and change it if they wand and add more information to it. This can work as using the computer to do individual work, too. I do not want to add more tasks because they really are hard to cheer up.
As Azhar points in her reflexion: Rao say that with creativity we can make a change even if we just have one computer in the classroom. We just need to learn and teach basic computer skill to give it a try. I'm doing this believe me.
I have another group in Didactics and I share it with Edgar Perez. We are using nicenet there. In the conferencing we gave them the topic named "Contextualizing Language Instruction". We also gave them some reading links:
http://www.cal.org/resources/diggest/005contextual.htm
http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/francais/frcore/sec/in
http://educatinnorthwest.org/webfm_send/460
There are instructions there, but since it's something new for the students some of them are complainning saying that they do not know what to do. They do not have learning autonomy. They want the teacher to do everything for them. It is hard work. The nicenet key is )297789D85. If you can check it I'll be very happy. There are instructions but students don't seem to understant them.
Roxana
Hello, Roxana.
ReplyDeleteI'm very glad you've learned about learner autonomy. I remember I got very excited when I started to plan ways of fostering it in my classes. It's true, I agree with you that students are accostumed to baing passive in class, just waiting for the teacher to give them answers or explaining thangs they simply refuse to understand on their own. But we must fight their "bad" attitudes gradually and remember it all part of a big process.
Regards,
Johwyson.
Dear Roxana,
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time I have visited your blog (I'm trying to reach all the members at least once throughout the whole course), and found that you have chosen the same template as me, only the colors are different! That means that we have something in common.
I agree with you that it is very difficult to encourage learners to work independently, especially when they are used to depending on their teachers all the time. But our task as teachers is to find ways of motivating them.
You say, that you put the homework on the Nicenet for them to do on their own, but they complain that they don't know what to do. Probably you should demonstrate them what to do. And since you don't have a computer in class, why not go together to an Internet Cafe and do the task once with them. Afterwords, they will be more willing to do it on their own.
All the best
Bella
Dear Roxana,
ReplyDeleteIt's great that you're trying Nicenet. As Bella says, it's sometimes very helpful to show them the first time, even if it means going to an Internet cafe (or inviting people to join you there, if they need help).
One thing - it's best not to put your Nicenet key on your blog. This is a public space, so you can end up with uninvited guests in your class. It's better to share the information through Nicenet just with our group.
Yours,
Deborah