43Trio: observation task and reflection

Posted February 6th, 2008 by bdieu

After opening accounts and setting up the 43 Trio ( 43Things, 43Places and 43People), what are the similarities/differences can be found in the layout, functionality, characteristics?

What potential for learning do these objects and tools embedded in distributed digital spaces offer? What affordances do they evoke?

Check for instance the entry Get Organized.What kind of language is used? How can this kind of material and environment be used in our ELT practice - statically and dynamically?

On February 9th, 2008 namckeand said:

OK, Bee. You got me looking at this. And I am starting to see it. This reminds me of Twitter — but built around topics rather than people, maybe. I am sure you could focus it on people, but it seems easier than in Twitter to look at topics.

Aside from the obvious of having students choose a goal - something they want to do - and write about it, I think that this site could be used statically or dynamically much like teachers used to use advice columns. You could have students pick a goal and then read several people’s entries. They could choose one and write a note of advice to the person. Depending on the situation, they could either post it to the site or turn it in to the instructor. A teacher could also do the leg work in the beginning, choosing an "appropriate" goal based on the age and situation of the students and possibly even printing out an entry that would be suitable that they could practice on.

I know I seem to be overly protective. But my seminary college students had real restrictions on what they could and couldn’t do without running the risk of getting in trouble with the school. I would not want to do anything that would put them in a difficult position. What they do with the tools outside of class is their responsibilty, but I am responsible for what happens inside the class.