Technology Teaching

After I complete my two summer sessions at IUP and return to Miami Dade College to teach, I would like to incorporate blogging into teaching ENC 1102, a composition course with a reading component. After we discuss the readings, students, instead of writing a response paper, can perhaps post a blog entry.

I would also like to attend workshops that will introduce me to using technology in the classroom.

I know the College has been offering several workshops for professional development credit, and I have been avoiding them for a long time.

Analytical Research Paper Topic

For my research topic I would like to explore students' perceptions of teacher or peer feedback and how their attitude toward this topic has an impact on their writing. I am not sure if I can also look to see if there is any correlation between the type of teacher feedback and students' performance.

Reflections on "Is Google Making Us Stupid?"

This was an article I could not put down. I did not even get up to make coffee for myself, a first for me.

I should contact Nicholas Carr and thank him for reading my mind, for speaking on behalf of me, for agreeing with me, and for writing so beautifully. Truly amazing!

I should perhaps send a duplicate of this article to my colleagues at Miami Dade College...

As I was reading this article, I couldn't help but think of how technology dominates my life and, how, sadly, I have become dependent on computers over the last ten years. As an undergraduate student, I remember spending more time in the library, "physically" searching for a journal article for hours and hours. Yes, it was more time-consuming and, yes, it was exhausting. But that was the whole point: it required effort. As a result, I appreciated it more...

Today, however, due to the ubiquity of technology, we are, in a way, forced to use it. Our lives are taken over by technology in such a way that there would be chaos if we happened to drive by a small town without an internet cafe.

Similarly, if I tell anybody that I do not do online chatting that much, they look at me as if I am from a distant planet.

Ideas for Dissertation

I have a few ideas for my dissertation, none of which are set in stone, of course...I am not quite sure how to formulate a good research hypothesis, but the statistics book for 800 is helping me in that direction.

Ok, well, here are some ideas or research questions:

1) To what extent does learning grammar improve ESL students' writing skills? Is there a correlation between the two?

2) To what extent do college students' (not neccesarily those of ESL speakers) perceptions of, and attitudes toward, peer feedback impact their writing performance?

3) To what extent do college students value peer assessment?

4) How does teacher feedback influence bilingual students' perceptions of their writing?

5) Hypothesis: The overall quality of papers by ENC 1102--English Composition 2--students at Miami Dade College who receive tutoring at the Writing Center will be higher than those who do not.

6) To what extent does socioeconomic status affect students' writing performance?

7) To what extent does an ESL learner's native language impact his/her writing?

8) ESL students who learn new words in context, i.e., through reading, will write better essays than those who don't (or those who memorize new words)

Personal Thoughts on Technologies

As someone who is not technologically savvy, I have to admit that I am amazed by how much I have accomplished so far. I have my home page, I have my own blog, and I even have the luxury to be Designer Larnia in Second Life.

Among all these cool technologies I have learned, probably the blog is my favorite perhaps because I can actually write a blog entry on my own, without any assistance.

My home page is not quite finished and does not represent what I initially envisioned it to be. So I am still working on adding more information on it, but the hyperlinks are killing me... I am slow but patient. Hopefully, I can turn it into a much more engaging, or inviting, home page.

I created a web page about two years ago when I attended a workshop at Miami Dade College where I teach English Composition. However, it is quite different from IUP home page, so I would like to somehow combine the two, a work in progress.

As a teacher I would like my Miami Dade students to be able to access course assignments online, especially when they miss a class or lose the syllabus. So, I guess, my goal in the future is to post my assignments and course syllabi online.

Definition of Literacy

Literacy, although it has been broadly defined as an ability to read and write, has a social connotation. It is a communicative tool that enables individuals to function in a society and interact effectively with members of their community. It is empowering in that it equips individuals with skills that separate them from others who may not have, perhaps due to their socioeconomic backgrounds, been exposed to it.

Teachers in high schools and universities should be trained in using technology and apply those skills to their teaching of close reading and effective, clear writing. For instance, after I complete ENG 808, I intend to apply the information I have learned in this course to my teaching at the college level and hopefully incorporate PowerPoint presentations or computer-assisted programs into my courses. Of course, in order for me to implement that, I need to first learn how to overcome my own frustration with using the computer for instruction purposes. Although I have been using the computer to check my email, pay my credit card bills, and prepare course assignments, I have refrained from using it for other purposes. I am willing to learn new skills to be able to use the computer in a classroom setting, but sometimes I feel uncomfortable because there is not much prior knowledge to assist me.

Self Reflection: My Experiences and Challenges at IUP

My experience as a doctoral student in the Composition and TESOL Program at IUP has been positive so far. The professors are very supportive and the in-class discussions on our course readings are both challenging and interesting. I am glad to be here.

Although the program is very intensive, perhaps due to the amount of preparation, I look forward to the academic challenges awaiting me.