Return-Path: <nifl-technology@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id j3RJ3rG18151; Wed, 27 Apr 2005 15:03:53 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 15:03:53 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <fc.004c56fb021477773b9aca0004fad4e0.21478f9@scoe.net> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-technology@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-technology@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-technology@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Marian Thacher" <mthacher@otan.us> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-technology@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-TECHNOLOGY:3565] Class Web site as a Tool for Persistence X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 X-Mailer: Novell GroupWise Internet Agent 6.5.1 Status: O Content-Length: 3442 Lines: 69 I just received this interesting message on the topic of using a class website as a tool to help our students persist in their education even when they can't make it to class for a while. This is in response to a discussion we were having a while back. I'm interested to hear if other teachers have had the experience of their web site helping them keep in contact with students who have to leave the program for a time. I also posted this on the Adult Literacy Wiki, at http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/DistanceAndPersistence. Please check out the wiki if you haven't already, and feel free to add your 2 cents. Marian Thacher, OTAN Sacramento, CA -------------------------------------------------- I teach vocational ESL and started using an internet classroom about a year and a half ago for exactly this reason. Students qualify for our classes because they are low income and have children under the age of 18, so absenses can be an issue. They take temporary jobs or miss classes when they or their children get ill. A year and a half ago I didn't see much evidence of the internect classroom being helpful but I am now as computers are getting a little cheaper and students have them at home. Last year, two students that were ill for an extended period of time were able to finish the class because they logged into the internet classroom and I emailed them assignments. My current students are using the websites to practice grammar and listening on their own. Several come to school early and go to the study lab before class. They really enjoy the websites that we use and they are making more progress than if they didnt' have that extra time. One student is pregnant and told me she's following the class at home and will return for the next session. Another reason why I have the internet classroom is because sometimes I get sick or have to be away. Last year the students went on a "teacher-less" field trip to the Queens Museum. The next day they had computer lab and reported on their trip through a conferencing question I posed in the internet classroom. I was up in Vermont and able to moniter the conferencing at the same time and respond to their posts. I was pleased to see that the students were able to go on a field trip by themselves and no one was absent that day! For me, it is a little bit of extra work in setting up the classroom. I use www.nicenet.org which I find easy to administrate. The students need to sign in themselves and if they forget their password or sign in name they have to do it again. Blackboard may be easier in that respect. Once, the classrooms are set up and the links posted they function pretty well on their own. For the new classes, I set up a class using links from earlier courses and keep the classroom active for a year after the students finish. If the purpose is to keep the students connected to their course, it seems that the teacher can moderate the classroom by posting conferencing topics and answering emails. I don't know if it is necessary to have another person to oversee this part of the class. For me, it is woven into course itself. I really think it has helped in my level of student retention. Melinda Thomsen Vocational English Instructor Center for Immigrant Education and Training Room C233 LaGuardia Community College 31-10 Thomson Avenue Long Island City, NY 11101 718-482-5029 718-609-2001 fax mthomsen@lagcc.cuny.edu
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