Week 2 Reflection

A sentence from this week's reading that stuck out to me was "Instructors should determine the use of the software or hardware for language learning and not vice versa." (pp. 31). It struck me because I think thus far I have been doing the opposite - trying to match the language practice to the few applications that I know about. Thinking this way, though, causes an evaluation of language forms against the applications and shifts the class objectives from tasks like learning the present perfect to tasks like learning how to use Moodle. It seems very easy for computers to become the center of learning, instead of language. The sentence reminded me that although technology can add a lot to a class, it should not be the driving force behind lesson planning. I have to admit, part of me is reluctant to incorporate technology into class because it seems that young people today are already so dependent on it and spend more time communicating via computers than face to face. A classroom is one of the few places where young people go and are expected to speak and listen and not press buttons. But perhaps it's time I let that idea go for the sake of keeping up with the times and not seeming old fashioned.

It was also helpful to read and learn in class about evaluating software. It put things into perspective. I have very little idea of the technology that's available and it seems overwhelming to try and choose an application, so it was nice to learn some guidelines. Lastly, despite reading through the copyright information and understanding that legal precautions need to be taken when copying information written by another entity, I think most teachers are too busy to spend extra time ensuring their legality. It was informative to read about the different laws, but when teachers are covering 30 hours a week and are desperate for material, the last thing on their minds is probably the Fair Use Guidelines.