[NIFL-TECHNOLOGY:3618] Re: Distance Learning: Shortest distance t o a new skill:

From: Bakin, Barry (barry.bakin@lausd.net)
Date: Tue Jun 07 2005 - 16:34:01 EDT


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From: "Bakin, Barry" <barry.bakin@lausd.net>
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-technology@literacy.nifl.gov>
Subject: [NIFL-TECHNOLOGY:3618] Re: Distance Learning: Shortest distance t o a new skill: 
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Teachers who are not becoming acquainted with the latest trends in
teaching run the risk of being "left behind" of course.  At the least,
they might not be taking advantage of every possible way to "reach" or
interact with their students.  Class/student retention remains a
hot-button issue for most of us in adult education.  This semester in
particular I seem to have many students who, when contacted after being
absent, report they've "been working".  I'm hoping to provide a way for
them to keep in touch with me, the other members of the class, and the
work we've been doing while they've been absent thru a blog and/or a
class homepage.  While I don't have a mechanism to claim attendance for
any work they might do via the blog or the website as of yet, I'm hoping
that my absent students will maintain contact and when they can return
have more motivation to do so as soon as they can.  Also, I hope that
they won't feel as lost as they might otherwise be, or feel intimidated
by the amount of work they missed by not being in class for an extended
period (many students feel that if they'be been absent for some time,
they should just wait until the new semester).  The new blog is at
http://pacoimaesl.blogspot.com/ (remember it's brand new at this point
so not much interaction has occurred yet!) I'm also simultaneously
experimenting with a class homepage at scholastic.com for the same
reason.  Students might feel more comfortable with one than the other.
That homepage is at http://www.scholastic.com/ Look for the link at the
lower right portion of the scholastic homepage titled "Class Homepage
Login" Click on that link and a new page will appear with a Login box.
Enter the Class User Name: eslclass Enter the Class Password: practice
Finally, check one of the options (student, parent, or other) and click
on "continue".

Oh, and by the way, I also fully intend that my students who actually
attend the class visit one or both of the Internet options (the homepage
or the blog) and participate in those activities as well.

Barry Bakin
Pacoima Skills Center
Division of Adult and Career Education
Los Angeles Unified School District

-----Original Message-----
From: nifl-technology@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-technology@nifl.gov] On
Behalf Of David Rosen
Sent: Tuesday, June 07, 2005 8:18 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [NIFL-TECHNOLOGY:3616] Re: Distance Learning: Shortest distance
t o a new skill: 

NIFL-Technology colleagues,

This article will now be found at:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/06/05/ 
shortest_distance_to_a_new_skill/

>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: David Rosen
> To: Multiple recipients of list
> Sent: 6/6/05 5:44 PM
> Subject: [NIFL-TECHNOLOGY:3615] Distance Learning: Shortest  
> distance to a
> new skill:
>
> NIFL-Technology colleagues,
>
> This article from the Sunday, June 5th, Boston Globe, about students
> in the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center,  begins:
>
> "While some of his classmates struggled to open their e-mail, Dong
> Chen whizzed through sample English-language lessons during an
> orientation session at a Chinatown computer lab. He eschewed the
> lab's flat-screen monitors and fast Internet connections for his own
> mini-laptop, which he had bought in China."
>
> 1. What is your reaction to the article?
> 2. What questions, if any does it raise for you?
> 3. What does it suggest about the future of adult English language
> learning?
> 4. What should practitioners be doing to prepare for this future?
>
> David J. Rosen
> djrosen@comcast.net
>
>



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