A) I spent some time on the “Beginner’s Questionnaire” this week (I scored 13 pts.) and I was hesitating on some of the questions thinking that not just one answer would be the correct one.

Breaking it down, here are my results:

• Interest in material: #3 “The small group…” is definitely the appropriate answer but I would like to give a try to the answers 2 and 1 where students  can be given choices also. I am now thinking of implementing these new ideas as to learning new material on a different angle. Possibly a mix of these three could lead to “perfection”………
• Content: I once again go towards the small group discussions, # 4. This is always one of the right answers. BUT #4 is what I always do too! Based on my own experience, students need some directions given by their instructor so they know where they are going based on the learning material from the educational website connected to the book we are using. Hopefully….
• Roles: #5 is my favorite number! That is the instructor’s role: control of the knowledge primarily. I am still open to other horizons also: meaning in this case that #3 makes students responsable in part of their knowledge. It is a team work after all.
• Assessments: This is the question, which gave me some “problem” in regards to choosing one final answer: I agree with the three answers. When I set up a test, I want to cover the facts (what we learn in class) , the application of skills (applying what we learned in class by discerning the difference between the correct and incorrect answers) and the learning process (obviously linked to all we do in class). These three answers are connected to each other. When students learn a foreign language, for instance it is not just about the grammar and the vocabulary: students also show how they think, how they envision certain concepts, ideas via essays.

B)  POT Getting Started Chart

Here are the options I chose, which reflect my teaching method:

I need some help at various times not thinking that I know everything!

Blackboard is the tool that I use daily but some students don’t use it daily, though….My main worry at times! It is an excellent tool when used properly in an effective manner to make the learning process enjoyable and fun.

Blackboard is the tool where I insert various contents: for instance, quizzes from different Internet sites, material for the onsite class and students can always go back to them at their leisure.

I insert my free (no fee) external blog via NING, a cultural interactive place for my students at Miracosta but also for students overseas (the latter is a brand new idea put together this week with a college in Europe). More details below about my blog.

My class is a typical hybrid one: using Websites I find useful for my students, Blackboard and on site teaching.  One can say that I also lecture about grammatical concepts but always directing myself towards students with group work and individual assignments as well. I like a combination of lecture (some; not for the entire class) and group work. Good basic foundation.

I very often use videos to implement new points (culture, grammar, vocabulary) besides what using the assigned book. I like diversity and I want to avoid “complete” boredom to my students….Learning is a community effort involving everyone: the instructor and the students to make it perfectly balanced and worth learning. The students’ horizon is not just contained in a classroom but it especially reaches elsewhere: the world basically!

On that same note, I took a workshop at an Apple store recently and one of the technicians was telling me about these educational websites from MIT, Harvard and others. I saw some excellent videos to apply to my class. Just to say that new ideas just don’t stop on my “porch:” they go much further!

Blog: I started this new concept of learning strictly about culture to contrast cultural facts between Europe, The US, South America, Mexico and Asia. Not all discussions cover all the different continents each time there is a new subject to discuss about simply because it is all based on the origins of my students. The American culture prevails since the majority of my students are from the States.

My week 2 is finished!