I was very eager to get started in the course and sink my teeth into all aspects of it, particularly utilising the various technologies made available for us. I like to think of myself as tech savvy. I took I.T. as my curriculum specialisation during my Bachelor's Degree of Education. I spend a lot of time on my computer and far too much time on my smartphone. Even still, I find myself behind the curve regarding technology. I make use of Microsoft PowerPoint and Word, but rarely go beyond my comfort zone and explore new software. Oftentimes, it is a financial issue, such as not wanting to spend a fortune on Adobe Photoshop. Other times, it is simply just me being lazy and I hope to address this over the course of my Masters Degree, but it does put it into perspective just how easy it is to lag behind in the tech race, and how daunting it must seem to those who are still only coming to terms with using a 'Personal' computer.
Digital Integration
If one word was to sum up my introduction to Digital Technologies in Language Teaching, it would be 'overwhelming'. Right off the bat, we were hit with a myriad of websites to join, technology to try out and passwords to remember. They say for security purposes it is best not to use the same password on different accounts, but with the sheer multitude of accounts linked to me, I would find it impossible to remember a separate password for all.
This really made me think about the challenges faced with using Digital Technology for learning, even before you have even started utilising them. Technology's influence on our security and privacy is growing everyday. Even this Blogger account I set up was linked through Google+ and accessed via my Facebook account.
Though technology can offer a wealth of resources for the language learner, there may be some anxiety or trepidation for users, at least at first. I personally have encountered numerous scammers on language exchange apps and have met plenty of female users who told me they deleted their accounts due to being overly harassed by sleazy guys online. Time Magazine in a survey last year found that
'Roughly one quarter of women aged 18 to 24 said they have been stalked or sexually harassed online'
One point that really hit home from reading chapter 1 of A Brave New Digital Classroom was that social anxiety is a major hindrance to language acquisition and that we as teachers must ensure that all students are not just familiar with the technology being used, but also feel comfortable while using it.
First Thoughts and Expectations
Even though there was an initial wave of being overwhelmed by technological websites and jargon, any fears I had about the course were quickly washed away upon my first meeting with Cecilia and the rest of the DTLT contingent. I am glad it is a 'practice what you preach' style programme and not a hypocritical course full of lectures and reading journals without utilising any of the great advantages of Digital Technology that it preaches. I enjoyed the popplet and hope there are many more instances where the programmes we are talking about are integrated into our learning.
The online tutorial using Adobe Connect also eased my worries and comes back to the anxiety factor mentioned previously. It really did seem more like a group of friends chatting, though being the first interaction, a little awkwardly at times. It really does seem a great way to facilitate people over large distances while also engaging everyone in the content.
Bibliography:
- Blake, R. (2008) Brave new digital classroom: technology and foreign language learning. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press, [electronic resource].
- KEDMEY, D., 25% of Women say they've been sexually harassed online [online]. New York: Time Magazine, 2014 [viewed 13 November 2015]. Available from : http://time.com/3531310/gender-online-harassment/
Bibliography updated
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