Week 2: Question 1

[edwige...@gmail.com]

According to Blake, many FL teachers have “deep seated doubts” about
the quality of online foreign language instruction. Do you share
these reservations? Can you relate to some instructors fear of being
“displaced” or having to change some of their pedagogical practices?

[Maggie McCullar]

Yes. I have always had reservations about the quality of online
instruction. In fact, that is one of the reasons I signed on to take
this course. I want to investigate online learning and try it out for
myself--prove myself wrong, if you will. Also, I don't want to be left
behind, and I feel that online learning is only going to proliferate.
I don't necessarily fear being displaced, but I come from a family of
teachers and sincerely feel that it was what I am meant to do in life.
And when I say teacher, I mean, being in the classroom, being THERE
for students, guiding them, helping them. But, what I love also is the
boost that I feel in that classroom. I'm moved. I'm inspired by my
students. I'm rewarded. I'm recharged. So, I suppose if there is
anything that I fear it's that the dynamic in the classroom will be
wiped away by a virtual one. I'm all for change, but fundamentally I
don't want to lose what I most love about my profession.

[Yoshie]

I have some doubts about the quality of online foreign language
instruction, but I also am trying to change my view by taking this
course. I think that not only the FL teachers but also many students
(even the net generation) have the same doubts. I don't fear being
displaced either. I think online courses will simply provide options
for students. There will always be advantages and disadvantages in
both styles of instruction (traditional vs online), so I don't think
this change is something we should be afraid of.

[Skyler]

My entire teacher education was based upon the idea that classrooms
should be student-centered. Student-centered, of course requires a
huge investment on the part of the teacher to make sure that student
initiated efforts are supported in every way. I think that moving
into DL means a move away from a traditional style of classroom
management. It also means a move away from traditional instructor
control and oversight. For me, my biggest fear is that of blindness.
The inability to see my student, to see how they are working,
interacting, etc. is very threatening because I base instruction
around these student cues. This makes my resistance to DL be the very
opposite of promoting a student-centered classroom. Not to say that
student demand should dictate change across the board, but in order to
support this notion of the student-centered classroom, shouldn't we be
flexible enough to design instruction around the demand for DL?

[edwige...@gmail.com]

Just rated your post, since were talking about the rating system the
other day. This by the way could be away to give feedback to our
students on their contributions. An idea to explore...

I can relate to what you meant by enjoying "being there". I love
teaching, I love being in the classroom. I am enjoying this forum a
lot but by now, I can't wait for all of us to meet face to face and
discuss these issues in a more spontaneous way. I found some of the
online courses I took very impersonal. I didn't feel like my fellow
students and teacher could really get a sense of who I was as a
person. The most vexing example is when I realized that half way
through an online course, my classmates and teacher believed I was a
guy! I also felt very awkward about setting them straight: what do you
say? By the way, I am woman??? So I made sure that I uploaded a
picture to my profile...It does seem that something can get lost in
the process of teaching/learning online. So,, what can we do, if
anything, to remedy this?

[edwige...@gmail.com]

So, I am not quite sure how this post rating system works...two stars
at the top...five at the bottom...let's try to figure it out.

On Jan 22, 6:26 pm, Maggie McCullar <maggiespan...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Petra]

I have to say that I also had some reservations toward online learning
and that that was the reason for me to sign up for this class. I love
being in the classroom and usually come out recharged. Maggie and I
seem to be on the same page with a lot of these issues. What I want
to add is that I also feel more strongly connected to my students this
way. One of the things that I prepare many students for is there
study-abroad stay. I do especially feel a need to provoke them in
regard to the physical closeness which they have to expect from other
Germans and I practice this with them. How this would work in a
virtual environment, I don't know. That I will be "displaced" I don't
know, but if I were to exclusively teach via an online medium, I might
feel that way.

On Jan 22, 5:41 pm, edwige.si...@gmail.com wrote: