My previous experience of using technology in the classroom includes using smartboard technology in my lesson plans at NIU and student teaching and having students do internet scavenger hunts on a topic we would be discussing in the future.
My main question about CALL would be when is something considered CALL and when is it not? For example, if I use any sort of computer technology to teach students, am I utilizing CALL?
As our first reading for this class suggested CALL in general is concerned with the use of computers in SL teaching and learning. Teachers certainly can use the computer as a part of their pedagogy. I think that CALL refers to using only computers in the classroom as opposed to any kind of technology in general.
ReplyDeleteMy guess is that CALL is a little more student- involved than simply using any form of computer technology in the classroom. I have also used smartboards when teaching, but I don't know how well that would enhance ESL learners.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good question to ask. Does CALL include such simple tasks as using a word processor to draft a text? Or does it need to be somehow more "advanced"?
ReplyDeleteI have to say that years ago, teaching a composition class in a computer lab DID qualify as CALL or CAI in general (Computer Assisted Instruction). Now, though, I really think CALL involves more that just using some kind of technology in the classroom. I think it means using computers to add something unique to the language learning process, something that you can not easily duplicate elsewhere. For example, sending students a pdf file of a reading assignment by email is not CALL, but sending them to an online source of reading material is.
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