When I filled out Kim's survey, I ended up selecting almost the entire list under the question, "What are you least familiar with?" This made me start to think about how foreign even some of the simplest of web tools are to me, and I could feel my confidence dropping.
I'm not used to being hopelessly bad at things. That is, of course, not to say that I'm good at everything (far from it!)...but I find that, as an adult, it is relatively easy to focus your energy on your strengths rather than weaknesses. I was good at analyzing texts and critical writing, so I majored in English Literature; I avoided anything related to math. After graduation, I took a job teaching English in Japan with more of an interest in travel than working, but after a few months I realized that I was good at (and liked!) teaching. Learning Japanese was painful at first, but every bit of progress I made was clearly and encouragingly apparent, as communication became easier and I grew more confident, capable and independent. I think that's how this class will be for me--sort of like learning a foreign language. You feel completely helpless at first, but once you accept that inevitability and just begin attempting...THAT'S when you find success.
This past year, I watched first graders click away at computer screens with the ease and efficiency appropriate of digital natives. I, on the other hand, didn't even learn how to type properly until 10th grade, when I took my first (and, until now, only) computer class. Even after that, the extent of my computer knowledge was Word 98 and AIM. I've certainly become more proficient since then, but as Kim said in our Skype conversation, things are changing constantly! Fossilization is a real risk for me here, just as it would have been when I was learning Japanese if I hadn't constantly challenged myself with new information, input and learning materials. I'm still lacking confidence a bit, but I'm open and enthusiastic about building up my knowledge base and skills so that I will feel better equipped and more Web 2.0 capable at the end of this class. Then, of course, the next step will be to start integrating these skills into the classroom...
Teaching language is a lot of fun. The possibilities for incorporating real life materials into the curriculum are endless. I used to teach ESOL to adult immigrants from Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin American, all in the same class. It was a blast.
ReplyDeleteMy sister lives in Japan now. She and her husband, who is Japanese, have been living there for about three years. When she first moved there, she taught English to Japanese students.
"I think that's how this class will be for me--sort of like learning a foreign language. You feel completely helpless at first, but once you accept that inevitability and just begin attempting...THAT'S when you find success." I love this quote! You are absolutely correct. It is like learning a new language. It is daunting at first, but over time, things start to fit together like a puzzle. I still do not know everything I would like to and I do not even teach with Web2.0 as much as I would like to. It is a constant progression, and I am happy to have you learning with me!
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