Johanna Schicker’s Weblog

The week before Christmas we visited the Landschulheim Steinmühle which is a private school in Cappel – near Marburg. We got a guided tour through the school and had the possibility to talk to two teachers in order to answer our question, e.g.:

• Do the students have obligatory lessons on computer skills? If so, how many and what are the students supposed to do?
• To what extent do teachers involve the internet and new media tools into their lessons?

Regarding my first question I was quite positive impressed by the answer: The students at the Steinmühle have to do computer science in grade 6 and 7 and from grade 9 until 11.  In grade 8, 12 and 13 they can choose it as an optional subject. Students get familiarized with the Microsoft office package, have to do text processing as well as learning how to create a successful power point presentation and to work with Java script. Besides that, the main focus is on how to use the internet in an appropriate way and making students aware of the danger of using “SchülerVZ” and “ICQ”. In my opinion, the teacher of the Steinmühle earn a big applause for their exemplary involvement of computer science in school!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Concerning my second questions – to what extend teachers make use of new media in their lessons- I was also impressed by the answer of Mrs. Sperl who works as an English teacher. She tries to involve the work with an E-Workbook once a week in order to give especially younger students the chance to improve their language skills and work on individual problems like grammar or lack of vocabulary. Furthermore, Mrs. Sperl appreciates internet research and the use of an online dictionary which should be guided in younger classes and can be autonomously in the upper school. Additionally, the school plans a multidisciplinary project about Australia for next term. Students will have the possibility to do some internet research in order to get some information about the continent and its history and to prepare a power point presentation to present their results and so on.

Mrs. Sperl also mentioned that it depends on the class and the subject whether the use of new media is appropriate or not. But in general, it is a common alternative to traditional methods.

All in all I think that the trip was worth it. I especially liked the idea of “mobile laptop station” which enables the teacher to bring laptops with them into their lessons in order to use the PC room. Furthermore I was impressed by the statement that all the computer science teachers evaluate and revise the syllabus each term in order to discuss current problems of  new media with the students or to familiarize them with new programs etc. In my opinion, students of the Landschulheim Steinmühle can be happy to enjoy such a good computer training. Other schools – especially my old grammar school – should take this school as an example!!!!!!!

The use of media in my schooldays…

Thinking back on my schooldays, media technology and computer skills did not play such an important role. Ten years ago, when I was in class 8 we had two lessons of so called “IKG” (Informations – und Kommunikationstechnische Grundlagen) each week where we learned how to type a text, use the printer or how to save files on a floppy-disk… but that’s it. In addition, there were only apple computers in the PC room while those of us who had an own computer (which was about the half of our class at the most) were working with windows. Beside that I remember that we had to do some Wikipedia research in the Internet in class 12 when we were dealing with different world religions… but unfortunately that’s all!!! I really cannot think of any other situations where we were dealing with computers and the internet in school.
Looking back on my language classes I can think of some situations where the teacher used some visual techniques e.g. we watched several English movies in class 9 and 10 and went to the cinema to see Michael Moore’s “Bowling for Columbine” with the Leistungskurs. Furthermore, we often had to listen to taped dialogues in our French class. But nevertheless, I did not get familiarized with modern media in school. It was more or less the time after my school leaving when I taught myself how to use the PC and the internet in an appropriate way.

… and nowadays:

On the web page of the  Gesamtschule Melsungen I found the schoolprogram which comprises 162 pages – but only one page deals with new media in class. The “IKG” course does still exist but is only an optional subject for class 8. In the current school year are only two courses in the list of optional courses which deal with media, namely “creating the yearbook of the school” and “how to produce video films”!!!! Only a short introduction of general computer knowledge for class 5 seems to be obligatory for the students.

Nevertheless, the school has at least on PC room with 24 computers and made a contract with a club who puts old PC’s from companies at the schools disposal. In addition they established an intern network which allows to use the internet from several rooms.

Actually, I was a little bit surprised that there was no clear evidence if computer work and the use of the internet is “deeply” involved or anchored into the educational curriculum of my old school. Admittedly, I could not talk to one of my old teachers in order to get to know something about the current situation or better said to see in how far the media in general and internet skills in particular is used in school. But I have the impression that there is not that much progress compared to my schooldays – above all, because there are still many teachers working who where already teaching there when I was a student…

What about the future?

All in all I have to admit that I am not that sceptical and critical about new media in school anymore. I thought that nowadays new media is already involved into lessons and was afraid that it could become too much in the future. But, considering the apparent situation at my old school it is obvious that there is still a lot of work to do – and I am quite sure that my old school is not the only one!!!! Especially due to the fact that nowadays, students are more familiarized with computers than I was we have to see the possibilities of new media in FL as a chance to rethink traditional methods and to create an interesting and motivating learning environment!!!!

This week, I like to present you an excerpt from the PRAXIS Fremdsprachenunterricht magazine. It is not about a project which was already implemented but deals with the possibility of using podcasting in the EFL classroom.

General Backgroundinformation:

Nowadays, oral communication and listening comprehension has a higher importance than ten years ago and is therefore an essential part in the educational curricula. Hence, we have to find interesting and authentic possibilities to involve this skill into lessons. Peter Bühler, teacher at a secondary school in Saarlouis and author of the article, is convinced of using Podcasting as one possibility to ameliorate listening comprehension of students today.

The term Podcast is a blend, consisting of the brand name iPod (portable MP3 Player from Apple) and the verb broadcast, and is used for audio datas which are downloaded from the internet and played – back via computer or MP3 player.

Why podcasts in school?:

According to Mister Bühler, teachers have to make use of this method in order to provide authentic and modern material for their students. Radio station and TV channel, e.g., offer a wide range of Podcasts in the internet which could be downloaded and used in class. Another advantage is the simple handling and less complexity: you don’t need a complex technical knowledge in order to download and use podcast in an appropriate way.

Furthermore, Bühler sees an advantage in the authenticity of podcasts: radio stations and TV channels like bbc, e.g., mainly produce their podcasts for native speakers and are therefore useful (for an advanced course) in upper schools – if they are not overextending and too hard to understand.

Another advantage is the currency: as there is the possibility to get a free suscription, you can receive podcasts including current news and topics each week. Concering the US polls, e.g., there are many many podcast you could have used in class…. Bühler also states, that it has a motivating effect on students if we are involving a “fashionable object from their daily life”. In addition, it demonstrates that school and learning process is not old fashioned and respects the current “medial behaviour” of the youth today: As a current study shows, nearly every teenager owns and uses a MP3 player (only 1tenth of the teenagers do not own and/or use this media tool).

Ideas for school:

• Students could do an internet research and look for podcasts on a specific topic. Furthermore, the results could be collected and burned/recorded on a CD.
• Students could produce a role play or radio play which could be published as a podcast
• The school could establish a “school radio” where students produce certain articles which could be uploaded as podcasts on the school homepage
• …

“Podcasting is becoming a bit of a big deal in the internet world, doing for audio web what blogging has done for text – making the production and dissemination of audio available to all; putting the means of production in the hands of the many!”

(Leach 2006)

Finally, I really like to recommend the article to you: you can find it in the English library (WR D, 2. floor) : PRAXIS Fremdsprachenunterricht, 1-2008. It also includes an interesting article on Wiki, blog & co in the EFL classroom.