James Paul Gee on GK Island in Second Life: Part 1 of 15

Baby Panda Bear Sneezes - Scares Mother

Thoughts on New Technologies

• Discuss your personal thoughts about the technologies we've tried out so far (film, home pages, Second Life, and now blogs).
• How might these technologies shape your future teaching?
• How might they shape you as a person/scholar?

Nowadays, technologies are not separable from our lives. In workplaces, people sit in front of computers starring at the screen. In educational settings, technology can be used to enhance learning, for example, learners do projects using computers and the Internet to search for information. Students do not use pens or pencils to write their papers anymore. Papers with handwriting are not accepted to some instructors. Then, students are required to get used to “typing” than “writing” to convey their thoughts on the paper. It is important to be familiar with technologies used in schools. For example, using PowerPoint (PP) is widespread in classrooms. Teachers use the PP along with their lectures. And student use the PP to present their projects. I had discussion with my classmates the other day about using the PP in classrooms. I have learned that some of them are anti-PP side. One of them said he would rather spend time doing his research than create flowery PP per se. My point here is deciding whether to use PP in classrooms depends on the students’ need. If using PP helps them memorize the information, why not? Learning does not come in one channel of hearing, but vision will enhance their learning. On the other hand, it is optional when doing presentation to general audiences. If a presenter does not want to distract their audiences with other material except their speech, the PP is not a good idea for them.

It is true that technologies advance so greatly that we sometimes can not catch up. Students need some guides and instruction to learn about new technologies. I think even teachers need some instruction as well.

The movie “The Time Machine” showed in the beginning of the course was interesting and I enjoy the movie. If would be awesome if we could go back in the past and correct something. The movie was produced in 1960. The man in the movie invented a vehicle that sent him to the past to save his fiancée. It showed that people invented the technology to response their needs.
It was my first time using Microsoft Front Page to create my professional homepage as a doctoral student at IUP. Dr. Pagnucci gave us instructions about using the program. The rest, I am self-taught. Learning new program needs exploration. It took me several days to get used to the program. I did google to search for information about how to use Microsoft FrontPage and it was very helpful. I wish I had more fancy biography.

My Dissertation

Discuss your current ideas for your dissertation. What are you thinking about researching? Why? What do you think is the most exciting aspect of the dissertation topic you are most interested in?

"Literacy, in a general sense, cannot be said to cause cognitive or social development; rather literacy and social development are intertwined and co-constructed, as are technologies and society in general" (Warschauer, 2003 p.43).

I agree with Warschuer that as the Internet becomes more widespread, it is highly likely that that its use will be stratified, with some using it principally as an entertainment device and other using it as to seek and create new knowledge. Literacy acquisition, like access to ICT requires a variety of resources. Education also helps determine how people use the Internet and what benefit they achieve from it and people use the Internet for different purposes.

My dissertation’s topic, which I have not narrowed down, is Second Language Literacy Practices Through The Use of The Internet. I want to investigate how language learners of English, particularly, Asian learners, use the Internet differently in relation to second language literacy practices. The Internet provides language learners of English the opportunities to be more exposed to English on the Internet. How they uses these resources relation to their literacy practices is explored in my study. The methodology of the research will be quesitonnaire and in-depth interviews of 8 Asians students in the US who are in the college level.

Implication and relevant ideas

Nowadays, information on the Internet is widespread and easy to acquire for English teachers to use as an “authentic” material in class. However, the teachers may not analyze the use of language on the Internet. My concern is the rhetorical style of writing posted on websites on the Internet is not the same as writing on books or journals.

Mind your Language-The first lesson -1-3

Mind Your Language is a British comedy television series that was originally aired on ITV between 1977 and 1979. Produced by LWT and directed by Stuart Allen, it is set in a school for adult students in London, focusing on the English as a Foreign Language class taught by Mr. Jeremy Brown, portrayed Barry Evans, who had to deal with a motley crew of foreigners. A new version of the show with some of the original cast aired in 1986.

I came across the series last week and I cannot stop laughing. I watch Mind Your Language when taking a break from my studies. I have learned English from Mr. Brown and his students. I agree with the students in the series that English is not transparent and confusing particularly prepositions, idioms, and phrasal verbs, for instance, bottom up, take a chair, lay up (on the bed). As a second or foreign language learner, I always make mistakes in my speeches. Additionally, my accent reveals where I come from.  It's hard to get rid of Thai accent in my English and I now surrender and accept it. Any grammatical mistakes including syntactic and lexical, semantic errors in this blog, thousands apologies : ) 

What does literacy mean in my own experiences

The term literacy is not limited to the ability to read and write and the definitions of literacy are expanded by numbers of scholars. Additionally, literacy is not necessary restricted to print text. The literacy can be in the forms of media, signs, and digital text, for example, media literacy, computer literacy, and digital literacy. Based on my own experiences, literacy mostly occurs in formal education and, thus, need formal instructions. According to my literacy practices when I have higher education, literacy is not only the ability to read text, but to analyze and criticize. I do not learn only to read text for understanding but also b able to deconstruct and examine the content of the text. The ability to analyze and criticize I have received from literacy practices at school.

I partly agree that literacy is a gatekeeper to have a good occupation. The more education we have, the more likely that we will have a well-paid job. This is not the case in my country, Thailand. Having a PhD in teaching does not guarantee that a person will have higher salary than an owner of a grocery store earns. This issue needs to be discussed in more details.

In the 21st century, we are in the age of information and anyone who can access to more information is more advantage. Information is not only in the form of hard copy or print text, but also in digital through the Internet access. However, we all realize that information appears in websites is not always reliable. We must filter and evaluate the flood of information. Without computer literacy such as knowing basic skills of computer such as turn on/off, using keyboard, and access the Internet, a person might have be left behind as opposed to people who are computer literate.

As an literacy teacher, what should our goals be? What are we trying to do when we teach literacy?

As a literacy teacher, my goal is to have my students be exposed to multi literacies, for example, computer literacy and media literacy. My interests include technology literacy which I will apply the knowledge to my English classroom in Thailand. I want students to be comfortable with technology. More importantly, the students should understand the meaning of literacy in their own terms and how literacy is important to them.

Being a doctoral student at IUP

In summer 2005, I moved from Missouri where I earned my Masters in TESOL from Central Missouri State University, which the name is changed to University of Central Missouri located in Warrensburgh.  Moving from Midwest to East coast was exciting to me, as I had never visited Pennsylvania.  My first impression of the state was the green of trees and lots of valleys. The geography is different from Midwest, which is flat, and I like Pennsylvania more.

My first course for doctoral program in summer was quite thrilling as being a student in a doctoral program was not easy for me.  I remembered that I took class with summer students who were most native speaking of English, except my Thai friend and me.  Most of them had long teaching experiences in university level, even in American University that make me quite nervous.  The course of Language and Social context instructed by Dr. Bell was my first research course. I had lots of readings and assignments. I learned doing research within a month including interviewing participants and a 20 page paper.  I also wrote a book review of Shirley Brice Heath  "Way With Words".  Everything came altogether within one month and I felt exhausted.

Now, I have finished 36 credits of my course work. Thanks god! However, I have a dissertation in my hands to finish.  I feel less tense than the first I started my program including the Qualifying Paper process. 

I feel thankful for all my knowledgeable professors here at IUP who kindly guide and instruct me.  I have learned to be more critical on my papers and more professional in the field.

Currently, I have devoted my time to my dissertation and hope to accomplish my mission soon.