I've enjoyed reading what others have used in their classroom, and decided to update you all and let you know what I've used.
It is such a coincidence that module 2 is on this topic, given that in January I just defended my thesis at Exeter University in the UK, and although the degree is in TESOL, I studied how my native Arabic speaking students reacted to using an interactive math software program in their math class.
I had all kinds of ideas about the success I would experience and given the fact that I was able to create it myself, I knew exactly what they would like, so I made it colorful, meaningful, fun, interesting (those are my adjectives btw) relevant, and I even included music. How could they not be impressed?
Almost overwhelmingly, they did not like it I found, much to my disappointment. I believe Dr. Neil Hunt talked about this briefly on a post he made on Moodle. It's their surprising conservatism regarding trying something new that ultimately surprised me. They did not appreciate moving out of their comfort zone at all, and wanted to be told what to learn and how to learn it and when I would test them on it, and wanted no part of exploring on their own or independent study. It was just too much of a conceptual leap for them. Perhaps in baby steps?
So that's my experience to date.
Thanks for your interest.
Nancy
It is such a coincidence that module 2 is on this topic, given that in January I just defended my thesis at Exeter University in the UK, and although the degree is in TESOL, I studied how my native Arabic speaking students reacted to using an interactive math software program in their math class.
I had all kinds of ideas about the success I would experience and given the fact that I was able to create it myself, I knew exactly what they would like, so I made it colorful, meaningful, fun, interesting (those are my adjectives btw) relevant, and I even included music. How could they not be impressed?
Almost overwhelmingly, they did not like it I found, much to my disappointment. I believe Dr. Neil Hunt talked about this briefly on a post he made on Moodle. It's their surprising conservatism regarding trying something new that ultimately surprised me. They did not appreciate moving out of their comfort zone at all, and wanted to be told what to learn and how to learn it and when I would test them on it, and wanted no part of exploring on their own or independent study. It was just too much of a conceptual leap for them. Perhaps in baby steps?
So that's my experience to date.
Thanks for your interest.
Nancy
