Do all your classes get the same attention?

I have found while doing my MA course that it is very difficult to give the same amount of effort and focus to all the different modules of the course. Currently, I am engaged in four different modules and two of them are proving to be more interesting and motivating for me than the other two, therefore I spend most of my time focusing on them.

Anyway, whilst musing on this situation, stuck inside working away on a rainy Sunday in Manchester, wishing I was watching England take on India in the cricket World Cup, it struck me that there was a comparison to be made with a teaching timetable. I don't know about anyone else, but I have always found it challenging to dedicate as much time to all my classes. Some classes get more time because I like them more, others because it's necessary to be well prepared for problems.

At the other end of the scale there are those who get less attention. Last year, for example, I had a weird, mixed, changeable group of pre-intermediate students - tweens and teens. I admit to spending less time preparing or planning anything for this group, partly due to the fact that whatever I prepared could easily be rendered useless when only two turned up, half of them came late, the three who attended the previous class were replaced by the others in the next class and also the fact that they demonstrated very little interest, apart from the younger student who was mocked for doing so. All in all, this class was 'one of those groups', that you find (I'm sure it's not just me) yourself going through the motions with. I can't say I'm proud of this and I look back on how my attitude could have hindered the development of a stronger community spirit, yet it was an amalgamation of all sorts of negative influences that created a 'perfect storm' leading to a less than positive experience for all concerned. I don't want to get into the intricacies of the situation any more here - actually, it could make for another blog post.

What I'm trying to get at is that I have always found it impossible to give as much time to every class. Some classes get more attention because they're great, others because they're so difficult it takes up more time preparing for them. Sometimes a class gets a rapidly knocked together plan just because they're last on the list. Exam classes often receive more attention, perhaps justifiably, because they have a stronger objective. 

In terms of a development opportunity, I'm wondering how other teachers deal with this. I can recall being given advice in the past that planning can be done on a cyclical basis, with the class receiving more planning time one week gets less the next and things like that. Perhaps its just time-management and as an area of weakness for me I end up in this situation whereas others don't! Maybe a better medium-term plan would help, but I am not a fan of planning too far ahead, I like to be responsive rather than having a strongly mapped out future plan. Is there a balance to be struck between the two? 

Do you manage to balance the time you dedicate to each class? If so, what's your method?

'Blended' learning and the social media revolution

So, this socio-constructivist, all fingers to the keyboard, online, blended-learning thing is the way forward, isn't? Everybody should get online and interact. It's the business! 

I have been considering recently what I will investigate for my MA dissertation and I have decided to research interaction in the discussion forum of a VLE (virtual learning environment) that forms a part of all our courses. The reason however for my interest is not that I think it's a great new thing that everybody should get into. My interest is the people who do not find it useful and have no intention of becoming involved in such a form of interaction. I think this to be far more informative than investigating the people who are so enthusiastic about it all.

In a workshop recently where we discussed the first inklings of our dissertation research ideas, I presented my intention to investigate the on site students of our group and their non-interaction with the discussion forums on Blackboard. To put this in context, this a multinational group of experienced teachers, some of whom are taking the Educational Technology and TESOL course, rather than just TESOL. They know about the principles of socio-constructivism, the suggested benefits of interaction in learning and some are considering the potential of blended learning in their own school environments, whether with moodle, wikis, blogs or whatever. 

In the workshop I mentioned above, I chatted to a colleague whose beliefs I will condense into the following vignette.

"I haven't got time to spend on the Blackboard discussion environment. It's a waste of time. There are so many other things to do on this course and with all due respect to everybody else here, I just don't want to spend time in discussion with them, when they don't really know any more than I do. I prefer to spend time reading the views of experts in books or journals and listen to or talk with the tutors, who are experts in their field. I'll learn from them because they know more than me.

How can people spend so much time on the internet, it's so sad, go out and do something less boring instead. Why don't people just get a life? The last thing I want to do is spend my time sitting in front of a computer writing to people. These happy-clappy discussion workshops are bad enough. Ok, I admit I'm perhaps not very sociable, but I have my family and friends and I socialise with them, that'll do me thanks - no offence. Also, on the discussion forum, I don't want to spend time writing my opinions when they might be crap. I mean, then everyone will think, 'What an idiot!', he doesn't know anything.

Frankly, I have no desire to take part in these discussion forums, it's just not for me."

In a nutshell, and interrupted by the group discussion, this is what I understood of his perspective. The words are not exactly the same, though some expressions are. The ideas were not necessarily expressed in this order and he was egged on a bit by another participant with similar views. However, I think this gives a good reflection of this person's opinions. 

Is this opinion wrong? Can a person with these opinions be an effective teacher? What do you think? 

Considering there will be many teachers and students the world over who share some or all of these opinions I think care needs to be taken with proposing any form of online interaction, either for teacher development or with students. There is never an answer for everything when dealing with people, so it is dangerous to suggest that the internet has as many 'answers' as some people suggest. Some people don't like reading, some people don't watch TV and some people don't want to use the internet or social media. In fact, some people just aren't actually very sociable. Everybody's opinion is valid. 

This is a revolutionary time in education, where the internet is being used in many attempts to increase flexibility in course design and modes of interaction in higher education, state education and even private language schools. Is this reliance on the internet as flexible as it seems or will it force those who are not interested into using it more because they have to? Will it discriminate against those who can't afford the technology or a broadband connection? Are the opinions expressed in the vignette above valid, or should this guy just get with the times?

Where have I been?!

Hello everyone and happy new (Gregorian calendar) year. Happy Chinese new year too!

It's been a while since I've posted anything here so I just thought I'd let people know that I am alive and well, but have been trying to take some time out from internet use. I spent a lot of time over Christmas and the new year working hard on assignments for my MA course, which was quite stressful and very draining. I have some strong procrastination genes somewhere in my DNA and everything was a bit last minute! So after that, I really needed to take a break from thinking about anything to do with work or studying.

Now the second semester of the MA has just begun and I've got a distinct 'back to school' feeling which is never good. Perhaps it's just because my mum didn't buy me a shiny new pencil case. 

Another reason for avoiding the computer is that fact that I've been suffering from some strange and sometimes painful sensations (and creaking and clicking) in my wrists, elbows and shoulders, a reminder that this technology malarkey is not entirely good for your health. Spending long periods in front of a computer screen can damage joints, your back  and your eyes, not too mention the headaches. I think it's important that this health and safety stuff, regardless of how boring it is, should be taught to the learners we work with, particularly younger learners. We often discuss how important it is to guide learners in internet safety, but we should remember that physical and mental health and safety is important as well.

Anyway, there you go. I'll be trying to put up some new posts when inspiration strikes.

Cheers.