Marian Faulkner

Conversation Tools - Software Part 2

Conversation tools are an excellent way for foreign language students to practice reading, writing, speaking and interpreting writings and speech in the target language.  In his article, Computers as Mindtools for Engaging Learners in Critical Thinking, David Jonassen suggests conversation tools as a way for teachers to engage learners in constructing knowledge.  He mentions three types of conversation tools interpersonal exchanges, information collections, and problem-solving projects.  Within these types are email, global classrooms, electronic field trips, information searches, simulations and many others (Jonassen, 1998).  I believe using these activities with my students will provide them with more exposure to native speakers, cultures and technology.  I
searched the Internet to find resources for conversation tools with foreign language students.  One site I found was the Global SchoolNet Foundation.  It was founded in the 1980s by teachers to promote global classrooms and students.  It is a free resource with a wealth of resources, support materials and project-based
learning scenarios (http://www.globalschoolnet.org/index.html).  It includes online expeditions, geogames, projects, awards, and strategies to support online learning.  I also found a website entitled Resources and Lesson Plans for World Languages, which includes internet activities in Spanish, cultural activities, and an electronic field trip, Hispanic World Unit (http://www.cloudnet.com/~edrbsass/edwor.htm#spanish).  The author of the Hispanic World Unit shares lesson plans for trips to many Spanish-speaking countries via the Internet and suggests using Shareware or free software to facilitate these field trips.  This is helpful in my teaching situation.  These activities will give my students the opportunity to explore these worlds and then construct their own meaning.  Jonassen says with Mindtools, "learners are actively engaged  in interpreting the external world and reflecting on their own interpretations (1998)." 

Jonassen does bring up a concern that I share, "Online communication presumes that students can communicate, that is, that they can meaningfully participate in conversations (1998)."  I will need to ensure that my students are prepared to communicate online appropriately in English and Spanish.  Jonassen suggests supporting students in their attempts to communicate.  He shares information about the Collaboratory Notebook which is a hypermedia system for science students.  This site scaffolds conversations for participants.  I feel I can offer the same type of scaffolding for my students by comparing my students' needs in online communication with the types of scaffolding offered by sites such as Collaboratory Notebook.  The Global SchoolNet Foundation requires participants adhere to Acceptable Use Guidelines for Good Global Citizens, which details what is inappropriate in online conversations (http://www.globalschoolnet.org/gsh/pbl/citizens.html).

I am interested in exploring these conversation tools in my classroom.  I believe I can use aspects from Jonassen's suggestions and the aforementioned websites to engage my students in the Spanish language.  With my Spanish 2 classes, I would like to do international emailing and parts of the electronic field trip Hispanic
World Unit.  The emails would give students a chance to experience real-life communication in Spanish with someone their own age and the field trip would expose them more fully to the cultures we study and give them the chance to explore areas of their interests.  In levels three and four, because of our smaller class size, I could use more of the geogames and online explorations.  I would also like for these students to email and do some electronic field trips.  More advanced students could develop their own electronic field trips, after doing some of the online ones.  They could evaluate what they liked and disliked and then tailor their "eTrip" to their liking.  I could then use these trips with my Spanish 2 students. 

I like the ideas put forth by Jonassen in which conversation tools are used to engage students in the social aspect of learning and constructing meaning.  Learning a foreign language is generally more successful when it is shared with others and relative to our lives.  I believe the use of these tools will help to make it both for my students.   

Posted at 12:22PM Jun 16, 2006 by mrfaulkn in General  |  Comments[0]