Making the connection: integrating information technology into secondary English teacher education

Margaret Patricia Palmer

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

    Abstract

    Margaret Palmer describes her experiences in 1997 in the development of an English unit for a course in the Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary) at the Northern Territory University (NTU). She relates how she put forward a proposal named 'Learning English electronically' as a teacher-student workshop activity for a national conference for three professional groups which included English teachers. She describes the process of setting up a new unit which would culminate as a joint student and teacher workshop to be presented at the conference. Difficulties she and her students face in the development of the online program are described and the strategies by which they were resolved. The design for the online program evolved as the course unit progressed and eventually was called 'Making the connection'. It was in the form of a web based program designed for use by Year 10 English students and based on Asian news links. Many of her students are experiencing reading and writing electronically for the first time and it is also their first experience in using the Internet as a resource and in critiquing web sites. The unit incorporates a wide range of online and programming skills and involves a deal of collaborative learning experiences. Students' appreciation of cultural diversity is broadened and many are challenged to rethink personal and national values and assumptions. Many course objectives, including those involving critical thinking and reflection on 'critical language awareness' issues, are met as they become intrinsic to participating in the unit. She gives the 'at the time of writing' address of the Year 10 web site 'Making the connections' which she and her students developed in the unit 'Learning English electronically'.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationDiversity and Innovation in Adult and Vocational Education
    EditorsM F Christie
    Place of PublicationDarwin
    PublisherNTU Press
    Pages101-106
    ISBN (Print)1876248122
    Publication statusPublished - 1998

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