Mini Project 3

"En tu opinión, ¿cuál es la mejor ciudad para vivir? "

The ultimate goal of this project will be based on perceiving how Spanish learners develop their communicative skills, as well as how they improve their cultural awareness through the practice during a semester. Moreover, technology will play an important role in this lesson activity.

This lesson plan will be geared towards Spanish learners at the intermediate level enrolled in SPN 2200 at the University of Florida. Before their registration, an oral and written Spanish language placement test is given to students, as well as a placement form is filled out and turned in to their instructor. Thus students work at their level of proficiency. SPN 2200 is the first course of the Intermediate Spanish Program and is followed by SPN 2201 and SPN 2240. These 3 courses must be taken in sequence, one after the other, since each is the prerequisite for the next.

The goal of this entire lesson plan is to offer students an opportunity to acquire new communicative skills in Spanish while developing an awareness and appreciation of Hispanic/Latino cultures. Taken its goals from the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century , also known as the 5 Cs, this lesson focuses on the five general areas: students will communicate in Spanish; students will gain knowledge and understanding of cultures of the Hispanic world; students will connect with other disciplines and acquiring new information; through comparisons, students will develop awareness of similarities and differences among language and culture systems around the world; students will use Spanish to participate in communities at home and around the world.

Likewise, these students will have the opportunity to put the 4 linguistic skills into practice. In other words, each student will be able to demonstrate comprehension of Spanish spoken at normal speed on a selected topic (listening); each student will be able to demonstrate the use of conversational skills in a specific communicative situation (speaking); each student will be able to demonstrate accurate reading comprehension of cultural material (reading); each student will be able to produce written Spanish to meet practical needs as well as creative expression (writing).

The textbook used for this class is Conexiones: Comunicación y Cultura (2005). This class activity will be administered the last day (one class meeting) assigned for chapter 4 "El individuo y la personalidad" and will consolidate the main objectives, such as: (i) talking about oneself and others: personality and routines; (ii) describing people, things, and situations; and (iii) telling what has happened.

With the main points of this chapter in mind, this lesson plan will engage students in a variety of activities, which is summarized as follows:

a) reading a paragraph and then answering some questions; (8 mins.)
b) filling in missing words from a dialogue; (7 mins.)
c) listening (and watching) a video clip and then answering some T(rue) or F(alse) statements; (10 mins.)
d) speaking in pairs and role-playing a situation. (25 mins.)

While the reading and writing tasks are intended for the review of the main content of this chapter, the listening and speaking ones attempt to display a more pragmatic side to second language acquisition. We believe that through interaction, students will practice and communicate using vocabulary and grammar learned in oral and written modules through communicative activities in paired and group work. By making the student an agent in language learning, we direct them towards communication and connecting, which are two of the components mentioned in the 5 Cs. By taking language structures and vocabulary outside of the textbook context, the activity encourages students to make the target language relevant to themselves.

Finally, in terms of SLA theory, this lesson plan is designed from a standpoint of the Sociocultural Theory (SCT). Proposed by Lev Vygotsky in the 1920s, SCT establishes a connection between the outside world and the individual’s inner mental processes in order to explain how the social interaction leads to internalization and learning. This lesson plan is guided taking into consideration that the fact of engaging and participating in socially significant tasks makes some impact in language development. As Hall (1997) claimed, SLA is a process that “originates in our socially constituted communicative practices” (303). Thus, the learner comes to understand it simply using the language. This lesson plan is designed with the belief that there is a strong connection between what learners learn and the opportunities they have to communicate. Since the "context" plays an important role for the language development, these activities focus on the situations in which learning takes place. Following Hall's line of reasoning, we believe that “what becomes important is the discursive routinization of our communicative practices and the means by which we realize them” (1997: 303).

second life

so second life didn't find its way into my real life as I completely forgot to do the blog posting. I enjoyed using the program and the interaction potential but wasn't convinced as to its academic use. I took a virtual tour of the UNC campus and got offered a marijuana joint by some dubious character on the Marbella island. Suffice to say, I think our class got high on the boundaries technology keeps pushing.

Teaching Statement

Mic check 1, 2, 1, 2

Check the link

Teaching Philosophy

intercultural communication

this post is punctuation free.

not really, but it will lack capitalization. So this week's post is about intercultural communication. I must say I greatly disliked the articles we read because I find that they showcased a general flaw in a lot of the linguistic fields I've seen - people like to make up their own definitions for things. This lack of a system unnerves me to say the least. Why can't they just get along?

On that note, is that the goal of teaching culture? So that everyone could just get along? We talked about some interesting things in class today. Do students try to completely assimilate into the L2 and reject the L1? I tend to say that they do that with the C2/C1 relationship really. You can always see the Spanish major who tries extremely hard to dance merengue, eat empanadas, and 'dress latina'. I, like others, believe that it is impossible to completely disassociate the C1 from the self, as its imprint is distinct and permanent.

I am not a big fan of addressing culture because I don't really have one. My culture changes from day to day, and sometimes the culture of my parents seems more alien than it should. I do like talking about stereotypes because it makes us realize how misguided our perceptions of the other culture our. When we examine a stereotype of our own group and see how simplistic/bias it can be, we can reevaluate how we view the Other.

Video

So we've been experimenting with video cameras and editing in class and the potential uses in FL teaching. We used moviemaker, which I found to be pretty easy to use, though I've been told iMovie is better.

We made a montage of pre done snippets and inserted a whole bunch of effects - very intuitive and easy really.

With Francisco I have discussed potential ideas for using this technology. We settled on a premise to work from, that whatever we produced would have to be as accurate as possible and represent a relevant, real-world situation for our students. It is useless to create idealized situations with artificial language.


Currently we are thinking of a study abroad context, i.e. the conversation a newly arrived student would have with a native speaker advisor in the abroad situation. We could arrange for a comprehension activity, but we haven't ironed out the details yet.

I am very excited to do this project and can't wait to start editing/shooting!

Social tool - Pandora

This tool first came to my attention a couple of years ago. It is basically a web bookmark of a person's music tastes.

http://pandora.com/

The project draws from the Music Genome Project. You sign up, enter some favourite songs or artists and the system creates a playlist of potential songs to listen to. I have only looked at it briefly but frequently consult my friends' playlists.

How could this be used in the classroom? The instructor can create a list of songs in the target language, which students can then access and modify to their own tastes. One of the problems in teaching language is the lack of authentic L2 material for students, when not learning abroad. Pandora allows us to close this gap, making available to students a plethora of music and culture that they otherwise would not have been exposed to.

Mini Proyecto Yo - A Tribute

Vinodh Venkatesh

The proposed project will be administered in a SPW 6902 course titled “Don Quijote”. It will run concurrently with a similar project, also described here, in the undergraduate section of this course intended for majors in the language. The course at the graduate level consists of a generalized readings of both tomes of the book, followed by a semester-end research paper as well as one in-class presentation on a selected chapter. Students are encouraged to read with a particular theory or framework in mind, preferably in a field that they are themselves interested in. In addition to the already mentioned forms of assessment, graduate students are asked to teach a chapter of the book to the undergraduate section. This second class undertakes during the semester a much lighter reading of the novel, focusing succinctly on specific chapters, with an emphasis on the “material Quijote”. The aim of this pedagogical assignment is twofold: to provide experience of the teaching of literature to graduate students; and to increase the communication between undergraduates and graduates.

The following project expands on the second purpose of this assignment. While most graduate students in the graduate section are native or near-native speakers of Spanish, the majority of undergraduate students are still working on their L2 skills. They are equipped to speak to the language but sometimes lack the grammatical structures and vocabulary to effectively tackle literature – hence the lighter reading load for their course.

The project will employ asynchronous and synchronous CMC as a forum of communication between the two sections. It is geared to allow students to cultivate their language and cultural skills in realtime and on their own – the theories to be developed here are the constructionist theory, interactionist theory, sociocultural theory, as well as the technology-acceptance model. While the theoretical basis of this project seems to be an amalgam of ideas, the variety can be explained by the different forms of CMC used by learners in the project.

THEORY

The Quijote Project (QP) has as its base Collentine's constructionist theory (which allows for other theoretical pillars to be erected). Students become agents of learning, as opposed to passive learners. They assume the bulk of the responsibility and learning explicit in SLA, with the instructor serving as a mere guide till the final assessment of the project. This framework then allows for the above-mentioned theories to be put in place.

In synchronous communication (SCMC), the students will be interacting with members of the opposite section via a text chat. Due to the nature of realtime communication, learners will be forced to negotiate meaning in their text chats. As there should be a mixture of native (or near-native) and intermediate/advanced students, it is hoped that Gass' ideas of the benefits of interactionist theory may be evidenced: negotiation of meaning, obtaining enhanced input, and direction attention to linguistic forms. This last facet is important, as studies amongst same-level learners have shown that that students tend to only form lexical negotiations as opposed to grammar form modifications.

The asynchronous communicative (ACMC) component of the QP will involve undergraduate students reflecting and developing ideas and input in their own time. They will glean from weekly readings and in-class discussions, personal perspectives and interpretations of the novel. As their focus is on the materialist aspects of the novel, they will have to research the cultural and historical setting of the novel to familiarize themselves with the context. This idea of learning the language and about the language outside of the normal podium, involves sociocultural theory (SCT). Students are encouraged to acquire the L2 in the zone of proximal development. Also, their exposure to the graduate students should provide them with new linguistic and cultural nuances of the target language.

The final theory in the framework for the proposed project is the technology-acceptance model (TAM). The system submits that users are more apt and willing to use technology that they are already familiar with. As this theory belongs to the information systems field, it has pedagogical implications in the administering of CMC to both student groups. Learners are more likely to use technology efficiently when they already know the technology – therefore there is no learning curve or waste of time as students first familiarize themselves with the interface. This theory is important in the implementation of the QP as for the project to work amongst students already undertaking a larger course load, the methodology must be as streamlined as possible.

Lastly, as mentioned above, students in both sections will be required to use ACMC and SCMC. The justification for this lies within the established theoretical framework. To create a fertile environment for SLA, the project will not restrict itself to one modus of communication or one single facet of language learning. ACMC is hoped to enhance grammatical form and attention to detail in written production, whereas SCMC (explained by interactionist theory) can be linked to gains in oral proficiency. Both CMCs will work concurrently with TAM.

It is hoped that students will develop not only their vocabulary but also grammatical forms in their interactions with the graduate students. This will ideally occur through negotiation and/or observation of native speaker output.

METHODOLOGY

The QP is a semester-long project between an undergraduate and graduate class. The former is normally composed of about 25 students whereas enrollment in the latter is normally capped at 9-12 students (both at the Masters and Doctorate level). As enrollment is higher in the undergraduate section, it is hoped that the instructor can create groups, assigning 2 or more undergraduates to a graduate student 'mentor'. All communication will be conducted in the target language.

Undergraduate students (US) will be divided into groups and paired off with graduate students (GS). The main topic to be dealt with will be the chapter selected by the GS at the beginning of the semester. This chapter will become the GS' area of expertise and will also contribute to their in-class presentation of an assigned chapter. This will constitute the main concentration of their interaction. The secondary concentration shall be the weekly readings assigned by the instructor (as designated by the syllabus. US read chapter selections from a specific part of the text whereas GS undertake all chapters).

SCMC will be used on a weekly basis with each group setting up a virtual meeting classroom (at an individually pre-agreed time). Students will use AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) as their communicative tool. AIM is the most widely used messenger service in the United States and is relatively simple to use (TAM). Students are encouraged to use extant chat usernames/profiles to further integrate QP into their daily experience with technology. GS are responsible for initiating, moderating and documenting SCMC sessions. Each week, there will be a discussion of the readings. Students will discuss questions prepared by GS. Questions should focus on language in the novel, cultural elements, and general comprehension of the text. GS are encouraged to help US in not only negotiating lexical meaning but also grammatical form (example: suggesting appropriate verbal tenses for discussing “en aquel entonces”).

ACMC will comprise the majority of the main concentration of QP. GS will be responsible for a Wiki page on their chapter. The instructor initially will setup a QP Wiki with individual pages for assigned chapters. GS will manage, design, and provide content for each assigned page. The US in each group (same as those in the SCMC) will also provide content, research and discussion on the chapter in question. GS will add weekly discussion questions to the Wiki forum of their respective chapters, which US are expected to provide researched and intelligent comments, answers and questions to. A Wiki will be used for ACMC for two reasons. First, they are intuitive, with an editing interface the resembles popular productivity software suites. Second, Wikis are gaining popularity and this project will equip students with new skills (GS should have an exposure to Wikis after completing the Teaching Methodologies class either prior to or concurrently with the Quijote class).

Evaluations will consist of a weekly review of the Wiki page as well as forum on the part of the instructor. He/She will also evaluate the text chats. Evaluation of SCMC and ACMC will only be limited to content as the course is not a language or SLA course. GS will be assessed on their preparation of questions and moderation of SCMC whereas US will be graded on their input. Similar criteria shall be employed for ACMC.

At the end of the semester, students will write a short reflection paper (4-5 pages) on their experience with CALL in the QP. They will identify benefits and hinderances of the project and suggest changes in the methodology, which the instructor can carry out at their own discretion. Students will also assess their experiences with ACMC and SCMC, identifying gains (if any) they have noted in their communications in the target language. The final QP Wiki will also be posted and archived as a resource for future students. It is hoped that the instructor will select different Wiki chapters for discussion if he/she choses to carry out the project in further semesters.

FOR THE STUDENTS

Durante el semestre, mantendrán una comunicación extendida con un estudiante matriculado en la sección graduada de este curso. Éste servirá como guía en sus lecturas semanales de la novela (en concordancia con el programa de lectura publicada en el sitio web de este curso). Hay dos componentes en esta comunicación:

1. Cada semana, asistirán a una charla virtual con los estudiantes en su grupo. Aquí, tendrán la oportunidad de desarrollar sus ideas acerca del libro y hacer preguntas y comentarios a sus compañeros. El estudiante graduado también proporcionará preguntas relevantes a la lectura de la semana.

2. Durante el progreso del semestre, en sus grupos asignados, prepararán un proyecto Wiki como producto final en su análisis de un capítulo de la novela. Tendrán a un estudiante graduado como moderador y jefe. Aquí se incluirá información bibliográfica, crítica, enlaces interesantes, y recursos de tipo multimedia. También existirá un foro de discusión, donde se discutirá preguntas y problemas en el texto.

Se calificará su contribución a ambos componentes de una manera holística, en donde se tomará en cuenta no sólo el contenido de sus mensajes sino también la frecuencia de su contribución a la discusión académica.

FOR THE INSTRUCTOR

Create a Wiki page for this project at Wikispaces.com. In addition to posting clear instructions on the main page, create separate pages for each group. Remember to create navigational links on the main page, as well as on each group page.

On the main page, make sure to highlight the group assignments as well as provide email addresses to facilitate student communication; especially at the beginning of the semester when they need to setup their weekly chat schedule.

Each week: remind students to work on their Wiki page. Instruct graduate students to email all saved chat transcripts by Sunday of the week. Also have them think of the next week's discussion questions ahead of time, and to bring them to class to discuss with the graduate section of the course.

Additionally, the instructor has the option of seeking institutional approval to collect data from this project. This would be useful as this is a new field and there isn't much research on advanced/intermediate language learners.

GRADING

SCMC Chat (GS). Scale of 3. [3-complete, 2-partially complete, 1-incomplete]

Student provided good discussion questions. Created an environment conducive to learning. Invited, saved and submitted all chat transcripts on time.

SCMC Chat (US). Scale of 3. [3-complete, 2-partially complete, 1-incomplete]

Student attended all chat sessions. Prepared readings so as to be able to answer GS questions. Asked questions, provided answers, and made insightful comments on the text, reflective of having read the assignments.

ACMC Wiki (GS). Scale of 3. [3-complete, 2-partially complete, 1-incomplete]

Created content, managed information, updated questions and readings. Created an academically conducive environment in the digital forum.

ACMC Wiki (US). Scale of 3. [3-complete, 2-partially complete, 1-incomplete]

Contributed on a weekly basis to the Wiki. Provided content and relevant information to the page. Took part in academic debate in the digital forum on a weekly basis.

adendum

Does Facebook serve as an efficient and useful CMS, based on student perspectives?

Can the use of Facebook as a CMS increase student completion of other online assignments (QUIA workbook and lab manual)?

Proyecto Final

The inspiration for my final project came to me as I was rinsing out the last bubbles of this tea tree shampoo I picked up at Wards (locally made in Gainesville)...

For those who follow my blog, you'll remember that I gave up Facebook not too long ago. Well, that experiment lasted a week and now I'm back on. I recognized that I was on that site very often - multiple times a day. Looking at the web habits of others in this class, I noticed the same.

I believe that to make technology an efficient part of the classroom, it has to integrate into the lives of students. We are no longer dealing with students who view the computer as a novelty. They live connected to the internet - I evidence this in my classroom on a daily basis as two of my students download the daily powerpoints onto their Smart phones.

I have read about the history of CALL and the different steps we have taken as teachers. I think with the advent of Web 2.0 and the changing nature of the internet (from encyclopedia to conversation) requires a change in CALL research. CALL must reflect the change that has been documented in web browsing itself. We visit a few sites a day - a lot - and have them tabbed or within easy access. Having students remember a specific site that falls outside their daily, robotic browsing habits is a disturbance.

Case in point: QUIA. Students often don't remember the website or are unfamiliar with the interface as it's alien to their routine.

My suggestion: let's use something that has become ubiquitous online - Facebook

Note: I am going with this site as opposed to its competition for various reasons. First, it is more popular than others; second, it has security settings limiting who can access material; and finally, it has an easy-to-use interface.

The last factor is especially important. My last boss (at the insurance software company I worked for) asked me once if I knew why Google had come to dominate the search engine business. I replied that it was due to their logarithm and its advanced search capabilities. He took a swig of cola and a bite from his Big Mac, leaving ketchup on his face and onion in the air, and gave me a smug reply: Google, no matter how good its search engine is, is the site of choice due to its simplicity of use and aesthetic cleanliness. We cannot discount the look and feel of a site.

So I decided to use Facebook in two ways: first as a course management system (CMS, see TIFLE book for the Dook article) {that's Duke University - but I prefer their actual name}; and second, as a means of ACMC.

I have currently created the Facebook group for my students and have started posting links, grades, assignments, etc.

I've also started a few threads for out-of-class discussion.

We'll see how this goes...



PS:

I am adopting an information science theory here. As discussed in class, FL doesn't do well sharing with other disciplines. I hope to change this by including IS theory here, specifically the TAM system (technology acceptance model) which builds upon previous research. The gist of this schematic is that the perceived ease of use, and the extant use of a technology system correlates directly with the actual usage of said system.

More on this in future posts.....Please comment if this interests you or if you think TAM and other IS theory may help in your own research.

PPS:

The main guy doing research in TAM shares my first initial and last name. We are not the same person.

Widgets?

This weeks post is on the use of widgets in a blog. What are widgets? Well there are a handful on this very blog. First, the poll right above this text (go ahead and vote, you know you want to) is an example. The Google Ads on top (which are going to make me rich!) are another example. The Youtube bar and the News bar on the left too are widgets. Widgets are nifty little devices that add some sparkle to a page. They are embedded in the code and do not require a separate browser window, though they read their source code from a third party website. What does that mean? The text you are reading right now is sourced from the Blogspot servers. The Youtube bar on the other hand is a frame for information sourced from a third party website, which in this case is Youtube.com. Therefore, while you think you're simply visiting TifleLikeRifle, you're also actively accessing youtube and google ads as well. The poll on the blog however is sourced straight from Blogspot, but is still a widget as it adds a certain interactivity/utility to the site.

Widgets are more popularly seen in operating systems. Mac OS has widgets built in, such as clock, weather, iCal, Youtube, Gmail, etc.

Other sites like Yahoo allow you to download a widgets engine that gives Windows users the option of running widgets on the desktop. I believe Vista has this built-in but I haven't really played around with that system since adopting OSX.

Widgets are handy and fun. My favourite has to be the 'sticky note' widget for OSX. I can jot down reminders and to-do lists and place them in a visible corner of my desktop. Very handy. They definitely liven up a blog as well.

Problem: do widgets slow down blogs and websites? Yes, to an extent, as the extra step of sourcing code from third party sites and then displaying it on the primary site takes more processing. Should you stop using all widgets? I don't think so. This is not to say that you should drown your page with innane gadgets and tools, but to keep things informative and useful to the user. If you start noticing a widget paralyzing your page, then maybe you should evaluate its actual use on the site.

The widgets here are going to stay for the moment, though I think I might get rid of the News bar.


Google Ads is definitely staying put.

To Hell with Powerpoint

The topic of my post regards the monopoly Microsoft now holds on productivity software. Why is word processing now synonymous with Word? Spreadsheets with Excel? And presentations with Powerpoint?

We need to wean ourselves off the EVIL that is Microsoft.

For PC users, switch to OpenOffice. Search for it in Google. It is free and easy to use. Also, you never have to pay for upgrades or worry about compatibility issues. It also tends to run quicker on the OS you use.

For MAC users, download NeoOffice. Same thing as OpenOffice, but runs natively on MAC OSX.

Good luck.

PS: OpenOffice suites never 'spy' on you like Microsoft does. Word, and everything else in Office 'checks with home' every time you open the program, sending Microsoft information about your computer.

Punto de Poder (Podaaaahr if you're Argentine)

I'm pleased with the powerpoint i put together in class today. I played around with graphics and animations. I've never been a big fan of the latter because I believe it to be overkill at times. It worked appropriately in this presentation though. I chose to upload it on google docs and embed it instead of simply posting a link. I LOVE embedded content! It makes information seamless.

I use powerpoint pretty often in class. I used to have incredibly detailed and complete presentations, which effectively became a transcript of the textbook - bad idea. I realized my mistake when students resorted to the powerpoints I posted on my website as opposed to coming to class.

Since then, I've streamlined my presentations to only include examples and very brief points on the topic of the day. I like to keep powerpoint as an option in the classroom but not as my sole method of imparting information.

I find powerpoint useful to illustrate points or to present examples to the class. It shouldn't replace the instructor or the textbook. It is best used as an auxiliary device in the classroom. The computer here must work as slave and not master. Students become apathetic when all they have to look forward to is a series of slides (God knows I've done that in the accounting and economics classes I took).

I think the sociocultural perspective on CALL is interesting in this discussion. We cannot evaluate simply what powerpoint can bring to the class, but what the instructor can do with powerpoint.

On another note, I tried embedding a youtube video onto my presentation, with the 'live' method that requires you to set up an ActiveX object on the slide. This method hasn't worked. I might try the other method in the future, which requires you to download a player that essentially rips the file from youtube and saves it under a .flv extension. From there, you use a simple encoder to save the file as an mpeg or any of the other extensions powerpoint recognizes. It annoys me a bit that Microsoft has such control over what we can and cannot do - they intentionally force us to use formats compliant with their systems and standards in our work (re: the use of wma and wmv files).

I like using powerpoint in the classroom.

I do wish however that a third party program with comparable if not better capabilities were available to the general public (Open Office is a possibility, but I've had some problems showing Open Office presentations on Powerpoint PCs, even if the file is saved as a .ppt format).

Love, Hugs, Kisses, and a nice firm Handshake.

TIFLE Powerpoint

This is a presentation I made today in TIFLE. I based it on a talk I give my class every semester. You can watch the embedded presentation here or go to this link.

Internet Usage

How much do I really use the internet? When first asked this question, I snickered and wondered how I would ever quantify such an area of my life. I use the internet daily - to read the news, check email, chat, skype, play games, download music and movies, check editorials, and network socially.

I email daily, with students and teachers. I chat about three times a week with friends (I supposed synchronicity is important here), using both AIM and MSN (and now with Skype). A new chat feature I have now discovered is Gmail Talk (uniting my email and chat ability). I use this almost exclusively to chat with my brother in Malaysia and a couple of friends who don't have AIM/MSN.

I have also reverted to using Skype now to call my parents, after enduring days of a horrible connection from the phone card I bought over the internet (I'm impatient. Also, I'd rather buy something like that online instead of at Publix).

In my email, I have just started using Gmail as my MSN account is spam-clogged. This works well as I'm relying entirely on Google Pages to organize my study notes for the comprehensive exams. Coming to think of it, I've been spending more and more times on that, uploading and downloading files to share with my study group. I'm on Google Pages at least once a day.

As per frequency, I've been accused of being OCD about checking my email. Sometimes I click on my inbox every 10 seconds - just to see if someone wrote. I wonder if I'm addicted to email, or if my mother didn't love me enough, leading me to seek validation from electronic messages. Who knows, right?

I also use Google daily to search for anything and everything - directions, past friends, words I don't know the definition of, restaurant reviews, phone numbers, etc.

I would also like to mention my involvement with social networking sites such as Facebook. I recently read a study discussing the possibility of addiction to the site, and shrugged it off as a researcher looking for tenure. Then I started looking at my own use of the site and realized that I have a problem. I check Facebook religiously, almost every time I use the internet. It's to check to see if I have new messages or to browse my friends' pages to see what's new in their lives.

Taking this into account, I have as of this moment deactivated my Facebook account. I survived before it, and damn it I'll survive after it.

So that's an experiment in progress.

I apologize for posting this a little late as I was away from the internet most of the weekend (surprisingly). I will report back next week and let you guys know if I'm still Facebook-free, or if I've fallen off the wagon.

Peace, Love, Hugs.

Video I showed in my class

Something I showed my 1131 class. They didn't know who the king of Spain was....or Chavez for that matter.

Possible without the internet? Impossible.

Teach Spanish?

Testing

This is the first posting for my tifle blog. The title is in reference to the pronunciation of 'tifle': ti-fel.

Why isn't it 'tie-fel' like rifle?

This idea is not my own.