A Final Glance

Yeah!

I've finished all of the 11 tasks and posted all of the 11 required responses to my keypal's articles. (Read them at http://sil-space.blogspot.com/)

Also, I've revised some of my posts, especially Task 8, Task 10, and Task 11.

Thank you for reading my blog!

Now, journals and other assignments are waiting for me. . . .

Rights to Write: Task Eleven

Dec 29-Jan 05 (Task 11 in Week 14: the final task in the last week of the project)

[Description]

• How do you like the weekly writing prompts? Are they interesting or boring? Inspirational or weird? Are they related to your life? Can you suggest anything better and give some examples?
• Do you like the two-way online discussion with your keypal? Or do you think we should have more people (like 3~4 students) form a group blog to exchange ideas? Why or why not?
• Have you encountered any difficulties during the semester when using blogs to discuss with your keypal, e.g., computer problems or anything?
• How do you like the project website? Are they friendly enough? Have we left out any important content? How do you like the layout/design?
• What have you gained from this blog activity?
• If you had an opportunity to start over, would you have done anything differently? If so, how?

Last but not least, the project will be over on 1/5. Before then, you are encouraged to post more messages for the previous weeks. Thank you for the hard work. Dr. Shih and I are very proud of you.

[My Own Comments] Revised!

1. How do you like the weekly writing prompts? Are they interesting or boring? Inspirational or weird? Are they related to your life? Can you suggest anything better and give some examples?

I like them. They are really interesting and inspirational. The topics are closely related to our life.

However, Task 2 and Task 6 were not stated clearly. In Task 2, the relation between the questions and the article about depression should have been further explained. In Task 6, the first two questions might have been misunderstood if students didn’t watch the video clip. The significance of the video clip should have been mentioned.

Also, Task 5 and Task 9 seem to require some knowledge that we aren’t familiar with, such as the model of collaborative learning and the type of learners we are. In Task 5, are we supposed to study the source web page before we answer the questions or just answer them according to our observations? It should have been explained. In Task 9, the last question suggests that there must be a theory or some classification about the types of learners, but I don’t what they are. Such information should have been provided along with the questions.

2. Do you like the two-way online discussion with your keypal? Or do you think we should have more people (like 3~4 students) form a group blog to exchange ideas? Why or why not?

Two-way discussion is fine enough. If more members form a group blog, it will be much more difficult to control the scheduled progress. I don’t think that group discussions are suitable to students from different schools, for one class don’t know the other class in real life.

In addition, there is a major flaw in the two-way online discussion. I thought FJU students and CCU students were asked to think independently, to write their tasks on their own blogs, and then to respond to each other's articles as sharing. However, the design in this semester required us to take CCU's blogs as the main platforms. It would have restricted FJU students' thinking, for they must have been influenced by the other side before they came up with their own ideas. It would also have limited FJU students' content and format, for the blog Editor of comments is simple, whereas the Editor of articles would be equipped more functions.

3. Have you encountered any difficulties during the semester when using blogs to discuss with your keypal, e.g., computer problems or anything?

No, I’ve never encountered any difficulties. I also exchanged instant messaging account with my keypal (Windows Live Messenger), so we could contact each other quite all right. It is my late posts that caused a problem to her.

4. How do you like the project website? Are they friendly enough? Have we left out any important content? How do you like the layout/design?

Yes, it is user friendly enough, but I wonder why the URLs of FJU students’ blogs are not included in dyadic information. The layout/design is pleasantly simple and easy to read.

5. What have you gained from this blog activity?

A keypal, an opportunity to think more and write more, and a Christmas card! I’m grateful to have joined this activity and I’m sorry that most of my posts were late.

6. If you had an opportunity to start over, would you have done anything differently? If so, how?

Some of the posts were first hand-written in drafts when I did a part-time job; all of the articles were typed and posted at home. I should have arranged a session every week at school exclusive for writing the newly-announced task. If so, all of my posts would have been punctually posted. Writing assignments at home is sometimes inefficient because of laziness, avoidance, and fatigue from part-time jobs or other factors. I shouldn’t have procrastinated my posts.

[My Keypal's Comments and My Response]

Click "Week Fourteen" to read them.

Rights to Write: Task Ten

Dec 22-29 (Task 10 in Week 13)

[Description]

Reflection

Our blog project is coming down to the last two weeks.

• Please offer your suggestions as how we can grade your performance better?
• Based on the criteria you suggested in Q1, please give a score to yourself and explain how you’ve earned it.
• Based on the criteria you suggested in Q1, please give a score to your partner and explain how s/he has earned it.

[My Own Comments] Revised!

1. Please offer your suggestions as how we can grade your performance better?

I propose the following criteria for each task, including the responses to the keypals’ articles:

• Content:
  word count (How many words in the article?);
  relevant to the topic or off topic (Are the questions in the task directly answered?);
  originality (creativeness)
• Structure:
  coherence (Are the ideas logical?);
  organization of paragraphs (Are the ideas well-organized?);
• Spellings:
  If the article is proofread, there will be fewer errors in it.
• Punctuality:
  Were the articles posted on time?
• Bonus point:
  Let teachers and teaching assistants choose two best articles (not the best blogs), one for FJU, the other for CCU. The authors will have bonus points, and there will be an announcement on the project website.

2. Based on the criteria you suggested in Q1, please give a score to yourself and explain how you’ve earned it.

I give myself only a passing grade, approximately C, for each of my post wasn’t punctually posted. All I want is to pass the requirements. My remedy for lateness is to enhance the articles with sufficient content, such as the task questions, embedded videos, ordered format, to help readers read them more easily. I hope my remedial effort will be taken into consideration of my score. Thank you!

3. Based on the criteria you suggested in Q1, please give a score to your partner and explain how s/he has earned it.

My partner has been diligent and punctual in the project. Overall, she deserves A or even higher because of this merit. I especially appreciate that she has directly and plainly answered the questions of the tasks. Compared to her posts, mine are a little too long. I also learn some good word choices and expressions from her. Mine are a little too simple (poor vocabulary).

P.S. At first, I put grammar into the criteria because I thought we should improve our writing skills. However, after a second thought, I think I was a little mean. After all, this project is aimed more at reflections than at skills. I keep spellings as a criterion though. It can check how careful the author is. A responsible author will proofread what he or she has written. Fewer wrong spellings deserve higher scores.

[My Keypal's Comments and My Response]
Click "Week Thirteen" to read them.

Rights to Write: Task Nine

Dec 10-17 (Task 9 in Week 11)

[Description]

Different teachers usually arrange different classroom activities and assignments for different subject matters (courses). The instructional formats are usually through 1) reading, through 2) listening, through 3) watching, through 4) hands-on activity, through 5) discussion, or through 6) reflection. Very often I find myself get really excited and motivated when we are doing certain activity than the others.

• Based on your preference, what kind of classroom activity do you like most and which one do you like the least?
• Can you recall some very fun activity you experienced recently in class? Please describe it.
• When encountering some kind of difficult knowledge, do you have any strategies to process it?
• Based on your responses to Q1, Q2, and Q3, can you tell the type of learner you are? Why?

[My Own Comments]

1. Based on your preference, what kind of classroom activity do you like most and which one do you like the least?
I may like the reading activity the least.

If a hands-on activity includes games and role plays, I may like it most. I also like listening and watching for sure. As for discussion and reflection, whether I like them depends on circumstances.

2. Can you recall some very fun activity you experienced recently in class? Please describe it.
The games of Total Physical Response (TPR) in the TESL Methodology class were fun, but they were for children. For adults, I think the role play activities in TESL and Conversation (English Composition and Conversation III) were also very fun. We were given some situations, which turned out to be hilarious.

3. When encountering some kind of difficult knowledge, do you have any strategies to process it?
Knowledge is learned in writing form or hands-on form (skills or abilities). The strategies of the former are to make use of academic resources and to follow efficient steps of learning. The strategies of the latter may involve much practice and concentration.

4. Based on your responses to Q1, Q2, and Q3, can you tell the type of learner you are? Why?

Perhaps I am the type of learner who is more interested in my own or others’ experience.

[My Keypal's Comments and My Response]
Click "Week Eleven" to read them.

Rights to Write: Task Eight

Dec 02-09 (Task 8 in Week 10)

[Description]
Self Evaluation and Peer Review

Students, now you have been writing on your blog, writing to your partner for almost 2 months. It is time for you two to examine the work quality you two have been presenting. Please go to other students' blogs and read their posting (the more the better).

Compare among various viewpoints, writing styles, communication styles, interaction, and interesting insights between other groups and yours. Discuss with your partner through blog about your pair work quality and answer the following questions.

• From 1~10 (with 10 as the highest score), how well are you two doing? Please grade yourselves and give a suggestive score.
• How and why did you two decide the score?
• What kind of improvement are you two making in the remaining weeks of the semester?

[My Own Comments] Revised!

1.
Discussing on the Messenger, we gave us 7.

2.
Both of us made effort to write our reflections on the tasks. My keypal did a great job. She deserves a higher socre. The points taken off are because of my lateness.

3.
To imporve our interaction, after I respond to my keypal's articles, she can respond to my comments.

[My Keypal's Comments and My Response]

Click "Week Ten" to read them.