Monday, February 25, 2008

What shall I research?

I have been thinking about what I would like to do for my final project. At this point I think that I would like to do research on pronunciation and linguisitcs. I would like to have students record themselves on Audiacity at the beginning of the semester and then through the semester they would learn about pronuniciation and linguistics of Spanish. As they learn about pronunciation they will create podcasts that will allow them to showcase their progress and will help them to practice their skills. At the end of the semester they will record themselves another time and we will check to see the differences in their pronunciation compared to their original recording and that of a native speaker. As an undergraduate and as a graduate student I took various classes on pronunciation and linguistics of Spanish and I found that through learning about pronunciation and linguistics my own pronunciation improved. However, I did not have many chances to practice what I had learned orally. So my questions would be...
1) Through learning about the linguistics and pronunciation of Spanish will the actual oral presentation improve?
2)Through practice of pronunciation will their pronunciation become closer to that of a native speaker?
These are just some rough ideas but I think that this is the direction that I would like to pursue.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Trying to Keep up!

Well I have been sick on and off for the past two weeks so I am trying to keep up with the technology stuff but its hard to do. Today I would like to talk about the over use of technology in the classroom. Last week I was observed by my supervisor as I taught a Spanish 1 class about descriptive adjetives and verbs. At the beginning of class as a very very very short activity (I wouldnt really even call it an activity) I held up three different photos of people that I had cut out from some magazines and I walked around the room and asked various students in Spanish "What is she wearing?" "What do they look like" "Who is tall?" ect... The students answered me in Spanish and we moved on. This little "activity" lasted about 3 minutes and it served its purpose which was to get the students thinking and talking. After the class I met with my supervisor and he critized me strongly for holding the photos in my hand and not displaying the photos on the Smart Board. I could understand why putting the photos on the Smart Board would be good for a different and longer activity but for a simple get started activity I feel that the photos in my hands is just fine. Also, I was trying to make it more personal for the students by walking up to their desks with the photos and asking them one by one about the pictures. I feel that technology should be used as much as possible but is it so bad when it is not used all the time???

Monday, February 4, 2008

Powerpoint on American Culture

My Internet Use

I recorded the times I used the internet during the past week and I found that I do not use the internet as much as I thought I did. Also, I mainly used the internet to check my email, facebook, the weather, and to read celebrity gossip. :)
Monday:
(after class)
9:15pm-9:30pm
Checked email
deleted 54 emails from FL Teach Listserv
read 3 FL Teach emails
read 1 email from sister
responded to email from sister
9:30pm-9:52pm
read celebrity gossip on Perezhilton.com and TMZ.com

Tuesday:
3:55pm-4:07pm
Checked email
deleted 32 emails from FL Teach
read 4 FL teach emails
wrote 1 email to cousin
9pm
Checked local and Chicago's weather forcast for the weekend's trip to Chicago on weather.com
9:05pm-9:10pm
Checked Facebook
9:21pm-9:40pm
Read celebrity gossip on Perezhilton.com

Wednesday:
9am-9:06am
Checked email
deleted 26 emails from FL Teach
read 6 emails from FL Teach
9:10-9:40am
Read news on Yahoo.com and CNN.com
4:50pm-5:20pm
Read celebrity gossip on TMZ.com and Perezhilton.com

Thursday:
9am-9:10 am
Checked Chicago's forcast
9:15 am-9:21am
checked email
read 4 FL Teach emails
wrote 1 email to sister
9:30-9:40am
read news on Yahoo.com
8:07-815pm
checked facebook
8:15pm
Checked Chicago's weather forcast on weather.com
9pm
Printed e-ticket from Usairways.com

Friday:
9am
Checked email
deleted 72 emails from FL Teach
read one email from friend