Calligraphy: الخط العربي

Calligraphy

الخط العربي

http://www.alraghban.com/

Videos: Fear Factor Xtreme أرض الخوف

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BufmxBxH6oM

Arabic as a Foreign Language in the USA: Statistics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBtmypqaxDw&feature=youtu.be

Egypt مصر

TBA Activity: Imaginary Country You would Like to Live in

My birthday in Waldsee - German Village - MN - Concordia Language Villages ذكريات لا تنسى

 من الذكريات التي لا أنساها طيلة حياتي

عيد ميلادي باللغة الألمانية 

:)

في القرية الألمانية 

Waldsee

Concordia Language Villages

Minnesota

My Visit to Stanford University and Silicon Valley

زيارتي لجامعة ستانفورد وسيليكون فالي

كاليفورنيا ٢٠١٣-٢٠١٤

FACEBOOK

صفحتي على الفيسبوك

https://www.facebook.com/mohamedansary72

TWITTER

صفحتي على تويتر

https://twitter.com/mohamedansary72

PbWorks

http://arizonaarabicflagship.pbworks.com/w/page/65678828/FrontPage

http://mansary.pbworks.com/w/page/65310392/FrontPage
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http://videolike.org/video/mohamed-ansary

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Describe your experiences in working remotely in groups for this course. What worked, what didn’t, what challenges did you face, what solutions did you come up with? When you consider developing group activities in Distance Learning (DL) environments, what issues/concerns do you anticipate with respect to assessment of group work?

My experience in working remotely in group 2 for this course is a little bit difficult when it comes to hangout due to the time differences. However, we overcome this problem by writing to each other on google chat or our closed group on yammer. So, yammer, google chat, google docs work perferctly but the hangout is the only thing that did not work perferctly at all times. The cooperation for the voicethread was great. We overcame the problems all the time by being in touch with each other by e-mails to catch what we missed. Accordingly, this is the main concern I anticipate with respect with respect to assessment of the group work because this may affect the work of the group. For example, I found out that group 8 are three teachers. However, I only heard two of them on the voicethread activity and the third teacher’s recording had a very low quality. It is the responsibility of the other teachers to draw her attention to that problem.

Working in groups you recently posted an activity to Voicethread. Now, choose an activity posted by a different group that addresses a communication mode that you would like to give more attention to with your students. In your blog, identify which group’s activity you chose. Briefly describe the activity with any changes you would make to fit your goals and classroom environment. Include any assessment challenges this activity presents in a distance classroom, and how you would adapt for that so that you know how well all students are doing regardless of their location.

I choose group 8 because I would like to get more attention to the Interpersonal mode. Group 8’s activity is supposed to be for the intermediate level. Their mode is interpersonal. The teachers mention that they focus on methods of technology such as Google docs, Facebook and hangout. The goal is to teach students about different types of food and to be able to compare between food of morning, midday and midnight. Culture and comparison is their standards.

If I were to focus on the theme of food and how to develop it according to the interpersonal mode, I will ask students to focus on YouTube and Facebook as they can create a closed group to write their comments on that page. YouTube will provide them with the material they need to see. The teacher mentioned that students at that level will get to learn about the benefits of food. However, I feel that this is over their level. Also, she did not tell us how they will get that benefit.

I see that the focus must be on authentic types of food, authentic material, watching an authentic food program and then discussing together on Google doc or Facebook page how they can do the same on their own or with their families. We can also get feedback from the parents themselves.

I found out that I already use the three modes of communication even without knowing the terms themselves. Sometimes, we apply things in the classroom according to our experience without knowing that this is what the latest pedagogy reached and worked on developing for years. I always encourage my students to divide themselves into small groups to discuss and share thoughts together ( this is the interpersonal mode) and this happens after my introduction about what they are going to do and after shedding light on it with some details ( this is the interpretive mode) and at the end they begin discussing with me and with all the class their results ( the presentational mode).  In the past, I used to focus more on the interpretive mode but recently I have found out that the interpersonal is not of less importance. That’s why I mainly focus on it. I think I need to need to change this policy because I have to apply the three modes equally. I should give the most time for my students to discuss, share, and then present.  I have no idea how the distance learning environment will impact my practice because I have never gone through that experience before.

Connecting with other educators is very helpful professionally. It helps teachers share ideas and thoughts. It is also important to be in touch with people of the same field and of the same interests. This helps for the development of the educational process. Iam already using facebook with my students. They are asked to create a closed facebook group where they and I only can have access to it. We share ideas, photos and many thoughts in Arabic. I also ask my students to submit two posts weekly on voicethread and thare the links on the facebook page. They also comment on each other’s’ posts. I already join some of the PLNs on the facebook and I find them very helpful. I join ACTFL group and a group for k12 and most importantly for me ( NMELRC ).

First Thoughts about the Workshop and hang out with colleagues:

The hangout is a new experience in my life. I have never used it before. However, after talking with Lan who is the moderator of our group, I was really impressed and began to know the more about the importance of using technology for teaching.
                                                                                                                         

The actual challenge till now is that we cannot meet together at the same time. I even left a message to my group on Yammer to ask them when we can hang out. I have not got an answer till now.

I have not talked a lot with Lan but I found out that she is very helpful and she is ready to help me with answering any question. She is really cooperative.