1. Online communities for language teachers
Learning Technologies: Bridging the Gap between Technology and Pedagogy
Online communities for language teachers
Britsh Council, Milan, November , 2007
Maria Teresa Ciaffaroni

2. Digital natives or digital immigrants?

3. Definition
A digital native is a person who has grown up with digital technology such as computers, the Internet, mobile phones and MP3. A digital immigrant is an individual who grew up without digital technology and adopted it later. A digital native might refer to their new "camera"; a digital immigrant might refer to their new "digital camera".
Wikipedia (M Prensky 2001)

4. Are you native or immigrant?
del.icio.us

5. Natives at home….

6. ……..at school

7. Digital Native Learners Prefer
Preferences
Digital Native Learners Prefer
To receive information quickly from multiple multimedia source
Parallel processing and multitasking
To process pictures, sounds and video before text
Random access to hyperlinked multimedia information
To interact/network simultaneously with many others
To learn “just-in-time.”
Instant gratification and instant rewards
Learning that is relevant, instantly useful and fun

8. Digital Immigrant Teachers Prefer
Preferences
Digital Immigrant Teachers Prefer
Slow and controlled release of information from limited sources
Singular processing and single or limited tasking
To provide text before pictures, sounds and video
To provide information linearly, logically and sequentially
Students to work independently rather than network and interact
To teach “just-in-case” (it’s on the exam)
Deferred gratification and deferred rewards
To teach to the curriculum guide and standardized
tests

9. Immigrants teaching natives…

10. How to cope? Learning the new “language”, that is, trying to
experiment with technology
try Web 2 “tools” first hand
work co-operatively
interact
network
multitask
share (ideas, experiences, materials, expertise….)

11. How can you do that? Joining Becoming a Webhead or another online
Community at Evonline, a Professional
Development Project sponsored by TESOL
International
collaborative, online discussion sessions or hands-on virtual workshops
held every year in January and February
last for six weeks
offer seminars on ESOL relevant topics
sessions are free and open to TESOL members and non-members

12. What for? To become a well integrated digital immigrant
if not a digital native … that is to
deal with Web-based communication tools (web 2 tools)
be introduced to CMC for EFL/ESL
learn how to blend ICT and CMC in one’s daily practice
Learn how to use technologies in one’s teaching practices

13. Why?
“In a community of practice members actually work and learn cooperatively and in a multitasking manner. It seems that teachers nurtured in such constructivist environments become capable of extrapolating the techniques used in their own scaffolding to the benefit of their student learners”
V. Stevens 2005

14. The Webhead experience
Virtual Groups
Text and voice synchronous communication tools
Blogs, Wikis, Web pages
Podcasting
Virtual classrooms
Online class materials
Blended learning

15. Spin offs Blogs for students Blogs with students
Blogs for and with colleagues
Web pages
Lesson plans
Teaching materials

16. Conclusions
“Joining a community such as Becoming a Webhead is a significant advantage and enrichment at the professional and personal levels. It is a pleasant and useful way to learn about and start using different Web-based communication tools, gradually introduce them in your teaching-learning process and, last but not least, meet colleagues from all over the world and thus enhance your professional horizons in unprecedented ways.”
D. Gonzales
T. Almeida d'Eça

17. References
Gonzalez, D,.Almeida d'Eça, T. (2005) Becoming a Webhead: First Steps in Blended and Online Efl/esl Teaching, in IATEFL Poland Computer SIG,
Prensky. M (2001) Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants
Prensky. M (2006) Listen to the Natives, Stevens, V. (2005). "The future is now: How CMC tools for professional development enhance learning environments for students." 2005 TESOL CALL Interest Session Academic Session: Future Visions of CALL.
Stevens, V. (2005). "The future is now: How CMC tools for professional development enhance learning environments for students." 2005 TESOL CALL Interest Session Academic Session: Future Visions of CALL.