Reflections while doing CA10.1 (partial)

I found this activity very interesting and even exciting as I could relate and even envisage using/trying to use wikis in my own professional context. This could radically change how I teach (or one aspect of it). I need to reflect further on how I can best apply wikis and other technology (pod/videocasts, blogs, mobile phones, etc.) to my teaching context/my students' learning context.

There were various links I found interesting and useful (see below).

There was a paper on using games in education. I already know that perhaps 80% of my male students and 50% of my female students play computer games regularly or daily. Finding an interesting/attractive way of putting those gaming skills/skills used in gaming to use as a means of enhancing their English speaking skills would be a good way of centering learning on the students and not vice versa. But I can't find it now - maybe it was one I read for Unit 9 (blogs)??

Writing this I now realise I forgot to include in the briefing document that wikis can appeal to the students' "digital native" character. Though I feel it's not wise to presume that my Chinese students (of around 20 years of age) are the same as US or UK students. My students have lived their entire lives in the highly developed city of Shanghai and have many of the latest gadgets and seem interested in the latest fads, but I should be cautious when adapting western studies to an asian environment. Which is something I've already learnt the hard way when trying to apply a more interactive/communicative/student-centred style of teaching to my lessons.


References
Ferris, S. and Wilder, H. (2006) ‘Uses and potentials of wikis in the classroom’, Innovate, vol. 2, no. 5. [Online], Available from: http://www.innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=258 (Accessed 11 January 2009).

http://educationalwikis.wikispaces.com/Articles+and+Resources

Lamb, B. (2004) ‘Wide open space: wikis, ready or not’, Educause Review, vol. 39, no. 5
(September/October), pp. 36–48. [Online], Available from:
http://www.educause.edu/pub/er/erm04/erm0452.asp (Accessed 11 January 2009).

Prensky, M. 2001. Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon 9 (5).
http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf. (accessed 11 January 2009).

TeachersFirst (2006-2008) 'Index' http://www.teachersfirst.com/index.cfm