Thus far!

It is now time for reflection and thank you to Annetta, Julie and Pam for your feedback. I will now outline your collective wisdom in summary form:

• Need for extra multi-media in the form of sound and video display;
• The website needed navigation buttons as the story page was too long for people to scroll and find the answers;
• Interactivity of the site was a plus and the organisation was interesting to look at and explore with effective screen displays;
• Useful information for learners in high school, I received some bookmarks, especially the songs (though they weren't cool numbers like Pam's).
• Use of appropriate scaffolding activities;
• Use of the Hot Potatoe exercises were a little un-wieldly and needed to be better organised;

With regard to my own assessment of my work, and after receiving and giving feedback, I now feel I know where I could improve things. The pedagogy behind the Website was always at the forefront of my planning and making this appropriate for its targeted learner was important. I overlooked some things. I do not think I articulated the purpose of the site. I could have spelled out the language activities and skills I was targeting with the learner. Reading and vocabulary were the main macro skills which I was addressing. I hope the content was accurate without spelling and grammar errors. My colleagues were a little too kind on me with regard to error correction, I think. Another area which I didn't address on this site, but I did on the Webquest, was that I didn't enable the user to communicate with real people on-line. I was thinking of doing an email pen pal type scenario but somehow, that got lost in the translation with due date looming all too quickly. After doing lots of the HP exercises on other websites, I think some of mine were not smart enough. Even though I am a former teacher from the "smart state". Ha!, Ha!. I didn't manage to use video, as it would have made the site more interactive. That is my next challenge, and I wish I could study more computer assisted language learning, the appetite has only just been whetted.

I enjoyed my time with the Technology class and wish everyone success in their future endeavours. It would be wonderful if the old Blogs could keep on keeping on.

Did you know November is Poppy month? This is a sad, but delightful poem:

In Flanders’ fields the poppies grow

Between the crosses, row on row

That mark our place, and in the sky

The larks still bravely singing,

Scarcely heard amid the guns below.