ESL SUPERBLOG

On 23 June 2007, I took part in a virtual conference, SLanguages, on learning foreign languages in Second Life:
http://www.secondlife.com
The venue was the Glass Pyramid on Second Life's EduNation Island and there were around 50 participants from all over the world. The conference made use of audioconferencing facilities, using the Ventrilo audioconferencing software, so we could hear the speakers and talk to them. The SLanguages conference went very well, with only a few minor hiccups. I've added a couple of screenshots to the ICT4LT site:
Section 14.2, Module 1.5, headed Chat rooms, MUDs, MOOs and MUVEs
http://www.ict4lt.org/en/en_mod1-5.htm#14.2

The main thing that made the conference so engaging for me was being able to listen to and communicate with speakers from all over the world - all in our various avatar guises. It worked. We could use the standard Second Life text chat at any time and when we wanted to ask a question or make a comment we lit up a bulb on top of our heads in order to attract the chair’s attention and then we spoke when invited. Coffee breaks and a lunch break were built in, and we were able to continue chatting at the disco after the formal day’s proceedings had finished.

The advantages of Second Life compared to videoconferencing were immediately obvious to me. I have taken part in several videoconferences and, even as an adult, I have always felt a bit uncomfortable seeing myself on screen. Lip-synchronisation in all the videoconferencing systems that I have used was not very good - although it may have improved a lot by now. Head and arm movements came across as rather jerky too. In the SLanguages conference I was able to sit my avatar down and then do what I liked. He was always quiet and attentive even if I sneaked off to make a cup of coffee, and I could hear the audio very clearly, either through speakers or headphones. I could speak to the other participants by pressing a single key to activate my microphone - or I could ask questions and make comments in text chat. The speakers were able to show slides on a large screen - which you can see in the screenshots at the ICT4LT site.

Don't be misled by the negative reports about Second Life that you may have read in the press. I was very sceptical when I first had a look at Second Life. It appeared to be peopled by sad geeks who probably only have a half-decent First Life. but as a colleague of mine, Chris Jones, stated in the title of an article he wrote way back in 1986: "It's not so much the program: more what you do with it: the importance of methodology in CALL".

At first sight Second Life appears to be quite daunting. There’s a lot to learn, but I picked up the basics in a couple of hours and I’m content to ignore the bits that I don’t need. There's a lot of garbage there - shopping malls selling virtual designer gear, casinos, etc. All this can be ignored. In any case most of us only use a fraction of the facilities of the software installed on our computers - and there's nothing wrong with that.

The SLanguages conference proceedings will be archived at:
EduNation 178, 40, 22
http://www.secondlife.com/

Technorati requires that I either divulge my password (I trust them but I don't trust everyone) or put a post in my blog with this link:

Technorati Profile

This post might be deleted once the blog is claimed. Unless I decide to leave it here for instructional purposes.

Vance

Here is a link to a slide show of my pics from the conference…IALLT07 Slide show ….but wait there is more!…. Update 6/28: Photos from the closing party for IALLT 2007 courtesy of Marlene Johnshoy and her Picasa account! Update 6/25: UPDATE 6/30 : Better YET: below is a banner with with [...]

M. Levy & G. Stockwell (2006) looks in depth at seven important dimensions of CALL:

1. design
2. evaluation
3. computer-mediated communication
4. theory
5. research
6. practice
7. technology

Ah…the tensions…so much to organize, so little time… Sharon’s desktop, up close and personal

What is Peter doing in these photos, anyway?

Tagging the Path for Communication

It's been a new experience. I've spent an afternoon at a twittering distance of the attendees at EduBloggerCon07, an unconference in Atlanta today. They are wrapping up the event as I write this post.

I have been "in touch" using a set of tools based on RSS and tags which I have learnt to use in the last year.
Wikispaces attendees list
Blog Posts
Flickr
Twitter

Actually the Conference Twitter spot was not that active as I had expected. It was Steve Dembo (see the happy twitterer face in the pic -pretty telling) who live blogged the event. Also Vicky, Chris and Jeff. At least from my Twitter contacts.


And from their tweets, I got the posts people in my RSS are making about the event with notes that help you to trace some of the landmarks of the conference.
............
Note to self: FOE-Things we need to definitely learn: Teach your students to be communicatively concise. Big plus today to know how to handle 140 characters.
.............

Vicky Davis has summed up some conclusions on the event in this post (please read, my numbers refer to her notes).
Some thoughts -
1. Database, yes. Now, those curricular needs would just be according to the system of one country? Could that be more generic and then let the network be more specific?

2.The tagging standards seem to point a country-specific database. It can be a good example for others to follow or improve.

Tagging- This is where I get stuck. I completely agree standards can help to access fast. My suggestion is to study first how beginners tend to tag. One of the advantages of tagging is its unique simplicity. Whatever tag we choose should not be too elaborate. At least if we aim at making beginners speed up in all this.

Here is an example of what I mean by generic tags, broad tags, which could create specific categories simply by adding them. It is a tagging plan for a literature resources wiki.

I have decided to use a non capitalization policy for tags there. However, I find that some people prefer capitalization when tagging their own names in del.icio.us, so when it comes to names, I still wonder what is best.

As regards the use of hyphens, I will use hyphens for words that carry one on print too (e.g. Post-colonialism). To avoid ambiguity, I think I'll use perhaps an underscore to join closely related labels if necessary. The idea is that the labels are clickable and point to related pages quickly, so I'd rather use single word labels. If I join tags with hyphens, I will be singling the page out far too much to join it to others.

In a nutshell, I think tags should be mashable. Not that I know exactly how to do that with a tool. But I'm sure someone in our network will know!

What can be unique to spot content is not the tag, but the combination of tags. Would that be better accomplished by joining with dots, underscores or the + sign del.icio.us uses?

3. Volunteer group to tag resources in del.icio.us. Choosing tags which have a seamless integration to those already in use by educators will be instrumental in obtaining a rich database. Tagging is a comfortable, easy action. It need not be "taught" or arbitrarily chosen for you. That sounds more like taxonomy than folksonomy to me.

I have collected a database of educators in del.icio.us by adding them to my network.
http://del.icio.us/network/fceblog

It has been my dream -a wild one indeed- to be able to navigate that network fast. I would like to ask a tool to retrieve information such as:
-Who is saving more items tagged ...?
-Who has been recently saving items on a specific topic?
Clicking on each of them is tough.

4. Simplicity and video tutorials. Who could doubt the power of these two put together?
I would add something else:Strands. I think that's where the efforts of volunteers should be best directed to.

Why?
The beginner blogging teachers I have generated here, after a presentation on blogs, have both - at different exploration stages- felt the need of a "blogging course". One of them wanted it at the early stage before getting RSS-ed. The other one has tried to do it to find order in her online journeys. Result: Disappointment. They were looking for tailor made things and what you need is tools to tailor make it yourself.

That is why I think the essence of whatever we create for them has to be more like the ingredients in the kitchen than the menu at the restaurant. The menu can have puzzling terms. A PLE is to be made individually and the needs of the elements to include or how many tools to use in it will vary far too much to plan.

But I digress from Vicky's original point. Just thinking out loud.

...........................................
Resources
(just sharing my little serendipitous research)
My PBwiki page on Del.icio.us
This includes video tutorials and slideshare ppt.

Practical aspects of tagging
Tagging Help for Teachers

A Bit of Reflection
A Cognitive Analysis of Tagging
A Social Analysis of Tagging
Thirteen Tips for Effective Tagging
Tags: Database Schemas
Folksonomies- Tidying up Tags?
Tag Literacy

Tag Searching Tools
Del.icio.us Tag Search
(If only we could limit this to as many users as we need).
Tag Search in Social Bookmarking Services
Flickr Related Tag Browser
Tag Browser
This is a tool to download. Need to explore yet.

The Changing Role of the Teacher-Technologist: How connected learning, meaningful collaborations and reciprocal apprenticeships are changing the FL teaching/learning experience (Barbara Sawhill, Oberlin College) Tensions Social software / collaborative technologies are now safe to use for teaching / learning / exploring without worrying about their expiration. These tools (blogs, wikis, Twitter, etc) allow many voices to [...]

I’m -supposed- to be working on a presentation we’re giving tomorrow … instead I’m checking my RSS feeds and surfing YouTube. Shhh, don’t tell Barbara! [Oh who am I kidding, she knows how big a dork I am.] But to make up for it, and in the spirit of many of the presentations we’ve seen [...]

Teaching Language and Culture with Computer Games (Felix Kronenberg, Pomona College) Why game? to motivate, to provide immersion, they result in choices/decisions and active participation, repetition without being boring (Civilization I - Felix learned the term ‘irrigation ditch’ that he never would have otherwise), have great narrations, good examples of language use to introduce new cultural aspects, [...]

(Subtitled: who will remember to put the tape in the VCR when they’re all watching Youtube?) Harold H. Hendricks, BYU There are lots of ways to get capure television and put it online. But there are a bunch of problems. For example: what about daily broadcasts? You don’t want to watch them a week late. So [...]

Breathing a Second Life into the L2 Curriculum: Google, Gaming, and Language Learning for the GNUbie (Douglas W. Canfield, UT-Knoxville) A disconnect exists between the academy and what students are doing. How do we reach millenials? By age 21, students will have spent tens of thousands of hours playing video games, sending emails, watching TV, and on [...]

Wikis, iPods, and Cervantes (Read Gilgen, UWisc) Flashback: Hawaii 5-0, dubbed in French. HOT Technology isn’t relegated to the geeks. Everyone can (and should) take advantage of them. Technology Enhanced Learning: emphasis on shift away from teacher-centric, to student-centric. Homework & Tutorials: ~ online/electronic activities that replicate paper workbook. The most effective exercises, though, allow for interaction and immediate [...]

This afternoon’s presentation is (drum roll please) The Language Lab That Never Closes: Accessing Specialized Lab Software Virtually (Harold Hendricks, BYU). The problem: students want 24-hour access to specialized language software so they can, for example, write their Chinese papers whenever they want. Is there a way to do that without hiring more employees and staying [...]

Hi folks! I finally found a wireless connection here and will be liveblogging Claire Braden Siskin’s presentation on Runtime Revolution. Joining the presentation in progress …. RR is not contained within a browser but you can run a browser within it. You don’t –have– to depend on the intartubes [woo-hoo!] but you can integrate the two. [...]

So says PopSciBlog. For the full article (and a larger version of the amazing technicolor dreampicture and an explanation of what the heck it means, click here. [via digg]

Hi folks … as promised, here’s the first installment of Tech-o Tuesday! A text transcript of the show is available here … click here (or use the player below) to listen to episode #1! Thanks for listening, and please let us know if you have something you’d like us to focus on during an upcoming [...]

I'm placing here a Frappr map looking for a home. I'm putting it here so I can tag it (label it) writingmatrix and thewebisflat. From those two tags, I'm hoping that Technorati will be able to locate it in conjunction with two of my projects:

• Writingmatrix, http://writingmatrix.wikispaces.com/ and
• Summer courses in San Sebastian, Spain http://www.vancestevens.com/writing.htm

If you are involved in either of these projects, please add yourself to the map here!

Via Twitter/carlaarena