Today's work was fun, exhilarating, and genuinely rewarding. I am grateful to Karen for coming up with the brilliant idea of a collaborative project about our upcoming Study Abroad programs and I look forward to tomorrow's work.
On Day One, I was not entirely comfortable with the notion of writing in a public space. Although two years ago, I had created a blog for a Culture and Civilization course I was teaching at the time, I had not returned to blogging since then. When we were given the assignment to create a blog, I realized the immediate value of the exercise. As a language educator, I am always looking for different opportunities and resources for my students to hear the target language in action. But so often textbooks only provide scripted video or listening/comprehension components. I started recording podcasts and MP3 files at the same time as I was experimenting with wikis and chats in the L2 and noticed that my students enjoyed listening to them and used them to practice. I also interview Native speakers. I have used eCollege to post these resources but needed a place to house them outside of the boundaries of eCollege. Creating my blog (Lavandes) has given me the space I needed.
What I have learned so far has already prompted me to rethink the plans I had for my fall semester courses. I am drafting new assignments and collaborative projects and looking forward to the new year.
Thank you so much Joddy, Carrie, and Brad for all your work this week.
