Los edublogs en la enseñanza de lenguas extranjeras: integrando lengua y cultura

Edublogs have traditionally been overlooked by scholars as they were not considered to be worthy of academic attention. Nevertheless, the pedagogic paradigm that now pervades has triggered a keen interest in the Web 2.0 and its resources. Students and teachers alike are facing great exposure to blogs, which have been conveniently transposed to the classrooms in all disciplines at all levels of education. Hereafter we will explore the use of edublogs for foreign language learning defending the stance that culture is a chief element that should not be taught separately from the target language that defines it. The target language should mediate learning, blurring all cleavage that may exist between culture and language. Edublogs –whether teacher blogs, student blogs or class blogs– stand as the perfect scenario for collaborative building of knowledge, where language is perfectly integrated in its culture. In this article we suggest the term: ‘CILTES’ Culture-Integrated Language Teaching in Edublog Scenarios as the key for effective language learning. The following research presents a new categorization of edublogs for language learning purposes enabling a closer look at the student-teacher tandem in relation to higher or lower presence of culture in blogs.Los edublogs no han gozado tradicionalmente de gran atención por parte de los estudiosos al considerarse que carecían de peso académico. Pero el paradigma educativo imperante ha despertado un gran interés por la Web 2.0 y sus recursos. Estudiantes y profesores por igual se enfrentan a una gran exposición a los blogs, que han sido llevados a las aulas de todas las disciplinas en todos los niveles educativos. En este artículo, exploraremos el uso de edublogs para el aprendizaje de lenguas extranjeras defendiendo la cultura como elemento central que no debe ser enseñada por separado del idioma que la define. La lengua meta debe mediar el aprendizaje haciendo desaparecer la división entre lengua y cultura. Los blogs de educación (blogs de estudiantes, de clase y el blog del tutor) son el escenario perfecto para la construcción colaborativa de conocimientos donde el lenguaje está perfectamente integrado en su cultura. Sugerimos el término: ‘CIELCE’ (Cultura Integrada en la Enseñanza de Lenguas en Contextos de Edublogs). En este análisis presentamos una nueva categorización de los edublogs destinados al aprendizaje de lenguas propiciando una mirada más cercana al tándem estudiante-profesor en relación con el nivel de presencia cultural en los blogs

Formação Continuada de Professores de Biologia e o Uso de Ferramentas da Web 2.0 na Prática Docente

O presente estudo apresenta o relato do uso de ferramentas da Web 2.0 feito por professores de Biologia em sua prática docente, seis meses após participarem de um programa de formação continuada a distância. As atividades práticas realizadas durante esse programa propiciaram aos professores experimentar possibilidades de uso das ferramentas da Web 2.0 para fins de ensino e aprendizagem. Os dados aqui analisados foram obtidos por meio de um questionário online respondido por 93 professores de Biologia. A maior parte deles declarou ter feito uso de pelo menos uma ferramenta da Web 2.0 em sua prática docente. As ferramentas mais utilizadas foram as redes sociais, seguidas de fórum de discussão e blogs. Esse uso foi realizado principalmente a distância, fora do horário da aula. Os professores responderam que conseguiram ensinar melhor o conteúdo e se mantiveram mais motivados a lecionar. De forma geral, eles consideraram que o uso das ferramentas da Web 2.0 teve impacto positivo sobre os alunos. Os achados desta pesquisa sugerem que o programa de formação continuada de professores com foco na integração de tecnologias às bases de conhecimento do conteúdo e pedagógicas do professor pode contribuir positivamente para a integração das ferramentas da Web 2.0 na prática docente.Palavras-chave: Formação continuada de professores, Educação a Distância, Prática docente, Web 2.0. In-service Biology Teachers Education and the Use of Web 2.0 Tools in Teaching Practice AbstractThe present study presents the report of the use of Web 2.0 tools made by biology teachers in their teaching practice, six months after participating in a distance education program. Practical activities performed during the program provided teachers with opportunities to use Web 2.0 tools for teaching and learning purposes. The data analyzed were obtained through an online questionnaire answered by 93 teachers. Most of them said they made use of at least one Web 2.0 tool in their teaching practice. The most used tools were social networks, followed by discussion forum and blogs. This use was made mainly at a distance, outside the class time. Teachers responded that they could better teach content and were more motivated to teach. In general, they felt that the use of Web 2.0 tools had a positive impact on students. The findings of this research suggest that the distance education program, focusing on the integration of technologies into the knowledge bases of the teacher content and pedagogic, can contribute positively to the teaching practice. Keywords: In-service teacher education, Distance education, Teaching practice, Web 2.

What kinds of knowledge do teachers share on blogs? A quantitative content analysis of teachers' knowledge sharing on blogs

[[abstract]]The article focuses on a content analysis of the use of blogs in knowledge sharing by educators. It states that blog use for teachers' professional development may improve teacher interaction. It states that the coding scheme of the study utilized Bloom's taxonomy with a focus on the knowledge aspect of teacher discussions. It comments that teachers did not utilize blogs solely for professional development and suggests that unofficial environments might play a role in promoting a climate conducive of knowledge sharing. It also suggests the development of an automatic interaction analysis module could be used to detect current behavioral and content patterns and limitations in knowledge sharing by teachers, including automatic data mining.

What kinds of knowledge do teachers share on blogs? A quantitative content analysis of teachers' knowledge-sharing on blogs

[[abstract]]In the era of Web 2.0, blogs are often used by educators as a tool to promote interaction within online communities. Related studies indicate the limitations of the knowledge sharing within teachers' online communities (eg, Barab, MaKinster, Moor & Cunningham, 2001; Hou, Sung & Chang, 2009). The use of blogs for teachers' professional development may promote teacher interaction and is an important issue that deserves exploration. In particular, what dimension and content of pedagogical knowledge are mainly shared on teachers' blogs, and what are the limitations to interaction among teachers engaged in knowledge sharing? Examining the questions mentioned earlier will aid in the development of interactive strategies/tools for the promotion of teachers' knowledge sharing on blogs (eg, using the observed limitations to provide advanced knowledge sharing interactive strategies or to help design automatic detecting/guiding modules for enhancing the knowledge interaction).

Stem(ming) from Where? A Philosophical Analysis of U.S. Mathematics Education Policies

Much attention has been placed on mathematics education in U.S. education policy reform discourses. Most recently, the emphasis has been on connecting mathematics with science, technology, and engineering, termed The STEM Initiative. Although a great deal of research has been conducted to understand how to meet the objectives of STEM, studies are limited in their focus and rarely question the philosophical assumptions inherent in policies. This is a mistake since mathematics is a field of knowledge deeply entrenched in historical, cultural, and philosophical perspectives. A content analysis study of mathematics education policy, this dissertation employs a philosophical perspective, influenced by the contemporary philosopher Alain Badiou, in order to explore the philosophical categories found in publically disseminated national policy documents about mathematics education in the U.S. In this dissertation study I examined the ontological assumptions, epistemological claims, and axiological objectives that can be found in current U.S. mathematics education policies. I asked what societal and political consequences can ensue from the way in which mathematics is conceptualized in educational policy discourse and what implications this discourse has on public school professionals teaching mathematics today. The findings of this dissertation study move the diverse debates in mathematics education by offering a more complex picture of the structure by which our society values mathematics and prescribes how it should be learned. Ultimately, it is the hope of the researcher that this work helps provide agency to educators working in the field, so that they may have the necessary knowledge about the intricacies of the policies that they themselves are responsible to implement, as well as the added philosophical knowledge to invigorate the mathematics classroom with the potentiality for radical changes in the way students come to understand and later use mathematics in their lives

Professional Learning on Twitter: A content analysis of professional learning conversations among self-organized groups of educators

This study explores the nature of professional learning conversations taking place in an online microblogging platform known as Twitter, through the lens of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework (Garrison, Anderson & Archer, 2000). The CoI framework offers an approach to further understand elements of cognitive presence, social presence, and teaching presence found in constructivist learning environments among educators. A content analysis was conducted on three distinct participant-driven educational Twitter chats demonstrating each chat to contain elements of cognitive presence, social presence, and teaching presence. This finding led to a deeper understanding about the use of questioning techniques and facilitation skills in order to allow for productive conversations online among educators. The findings have important implications for professionals who are responsible for the design and organization of educators\u27 professional learning programs. Implications for positive social change include increasing educators\u27 effective use of social media to improve self-directed learning opportunities

Teachers Being Creative: Technology in Drama?

The importance of creativity in the teaching of Drama in secondary schools has long been accepted (Davis 2010) and during the last 20 years, the importance of technology in the teaching of any school subject has grown. This thesis explores the journey of two Drama teachers as they attempted to develop their creative use of technology. My findings contribute to increased understanding of the challenges in developing the creative use of technology in Drama teaching. The key research question focussed on whether the participants were able to use technology creatively. The research used a naturalistic method of enquiry, based in two similar schools in the same county. An action research cycle took place over three phases during one academic year. The data collection methods used were video recordings of the Year 7 lessons focussing on the teacher with both participants blogging about their experiences. The data was analyzed using Template analysis and Critical Incident analysis. The research challenges the view that creativity has a definitive meaning, rather that creativity is a fluid set of concepts that can be applied in a variety of styles in the classroom. The main findings of the research reveal the evolution of the creative attitudes of the participants as their technology use developed. This research contributes to the theoretical knowledge of the concept of creativity in education and its practical applications in the classroom. The study reveals the creative journey of both participants, the divergence of these journeys and the potential to enhance the creative experience for teachers in our schools. It also challenges the belief that creativity in the classroom can be generated using a pre-determined set of approaches

Veinte años de la blogosfera

Guest editor for a special monograph published at journal Letral celebrating the 20th anniversary of the blogosphere

A New Model of Professional Development of Business English Teachers in Serbia: Theoretical, Methodological and Practical Aspects

Doktorska disertacija „Nov model stručnog usavršavanja profesora poslovnog engleskog jezika u Srbiji: teorijski, metodološki i praktični aspekti” bavi se stručnim usavršavanjem profesora poslovnog engleskog jezika u Srbiji. Cilj je upoznavanje profesora, ali i ostalih učesnika u obrazovanju sa savremenim teorijskim istraživanjima i kretanjima u nastavnoj praksi iz oblasti poslovnog engleskog jezika i stručnom usavršavanju profesora, te uzimajući u obzir aktuelno stanje u Srbiji u tom pogledu, autorka takođe nastoji da ponudi nov model stručnog usavršavanja profesora poslovnog engleskog jezika, koji će se zasnivati na savremenim shvatanjima procesa usavršavanja, ali će odgovarati i potrebama i radnim prilikama profesora. Nakon uvodnog poglavlja, koje sadrži opis ciljeva, metoda i tehnika istraživanja, pregled relevantne literature i prikaz organizacije izlaganja, naredna četiri poglavlja predstavljaju teorijski okvir disertacije. U drugom poglavlju opisani su pojmovi u vezi sa jezikom struke i poslovnim engleskim jezikom, dat je uvid u razvoj ovih oblasti i njihove karakteristike, te su povučene sličnosti i razlike između poslovnog i opšteg engleskog jezika. U trećem poglavlju predstavljen je profil profesora u kontekstu nastave poslovnog engleskog jezika. Na osnovu postojeće literature detaljno su opisane uloge i kompetencije profesora u pogledu poznavanja stručne discipline, analize potreba, kreiranja kursa, odabira i produkcije materijala i evaluacije. Četvrto poglavlje bavi se profilom profesora poslovnog engleskog jezika u okviru savremenog poimanja nastave uopšte. Tu je opisan razvoj pojma nastavničkog znanja i prikazan je model nastavničkih kompetencija koji je nastao u okviru obrazovnog sistema u Srbiji. Takođe, dat je osvrt na karakteristike ličnosti uspešnog i kompetentnog profesora. Predmet petog poglavlja jesu pojam i karakteristike stručnog usavršavanja profesora, sa posebnim naglaskom na usavršavanje profesora poslovnog engleskog jezika. U ovom poglavlju takođe je predstavljeno aktuelno stanje u Srbiji u pogledu učenja poslovnog engleskog jezika i stručnog usavršavanja. Šesto poglavlje sadrži opis organizacije i rezultate empirijskog istraživanja sprovedenog tokom 2014. i 2015. godine sa profesorima poslovnog engleskog jezika i polaznicima kurseva poslovnog engleskog jezika u Srbiji. Putem anketnih upitnika i intervjua, profesori su pružili uvid u svoja shvatanja, stavove, potrebe i očekivanja u vezi sa stručnim usavršavanjem, a polaznici u vezi sa potrebama i očekivanjima u kontekstu nastave, uloga i kompetencija profesora. Dobijeni rezultati su detaljno analizirani i protumačeni u svetlu savremene teorije i prakse. U sedmom poglavlju predstavljeni su opšti zaključci proistekli iz istraživanja i dat je predlog modela stručnog usavršavanja profesora poslovnog engleskog jezika u Srbiji.The doctoral thesis “A New Model of Professional Development of Business English Teachers in Serbia: Theoretical, Methodological and Practical Aspects” deals with the professional development of Business English Teachers in Serbia. It aims at introducing teachers and other interested parties from the field of education with current research and trends in teaching practice regarding Business English and professional development of teachers. Taking into account the current state of these two fields in Serbia, the author also proposes a new model of professional development of Business English teachers, which draws on contemporary views of the process of professional development and also meets the needs and fits the working environment of the teachers. Following the introductory chapter, which offers the description of the aims, methods and techniques employed in this research, the overview of relevant literature as well as the thesis structure, the next four chapters represent a theoretical framework within which the research has been undertaken. The second chapter introduces the main concepts related to the language for specific purposes and Business English, shows the development of these two fields, draws similarities and explores differences between Business English and General English. The third chapter provides a description of the teacher profile within the Business English context. Based on findings in the literature, the author describes Business English teacher roles and competences in terms of knowledge of the specialist subject, needs analysis, course design, material selection and production, and evaluation. The fourth chapter addresses the teacher profile within the contemporary understanding of the teaching practice in general. It shows the development of the concept of teaching knowledge and presents a framework of teacher competences that has been created within the educational system in Serbia. At the end of the chapter, the author briefly touches upon the subject of personality features of successful and competent teachers. The fifth chapter outlines the main concepts and features of the field of teachers’ professional development and particularly focuses on the professional development of Business English teachers. It then proceeds with a description of the current situation in Serbia regarding learning and teaching Business English, as well as that of professional development of Business English teachers. The sixth chapter offers a thorough description of the organization and results of the empirical research conducted with Business English teachers and students in Serbia during 2014 and 2015. By employing a survey and an interview as research instruments, the teachers gave an insight into their attitudes, views, needs and expectations regarding professional development, and the students revealed their needs and expectations regarding Business English classes, teacher roles and competences. The findings have been analysed in detail and interpreted within the framework of contemporary teaching theory and practice. The seventh chapter presents the general conclusions that have been drawn from the empirical research and contains the author’s proposal of the model of professional development of Business English teachers in Serbia