Reflctions from readings (June 11 2009)

Chapter 5. Designs for problem solving

Our life consists of continuous choices, and the choices bring about problems. So, whether teaching students problem-solving process affects not only students’ school record but also students’ entire life after graduation. One of the examples in chapter 5 raises awareness for designing problem solving. Participating teachers in the example hoped to find job opportunities for their students. They look like Korean teachers who only cherish results I mentioned in chapter 4. But, the participating teachers should have realized that their students would not survive if the students do not have ability to deal with various technology softwares to solve problems. So, teachers also must learn how to use the technology tools and design their lesson plans for problem solving using the tools.

Last semester, some TESOL students and I had to prepare important presentations about international students’ challenges in the States for Ethnography Form and Penn TESOL East. We found that we should use several technology softwares such as Power Point, Photoshop, and some video editing program to give audience best presentation. But, nobody was available for video editing program although we really needed to edit the video clips including interviews with international students. Fortunately, Aness Cho (Hyon-Sook) who took the course, Technology for Educators, last year, taught us how to use Window Movie Maker that is the most accessible and easiest to use for video editing in Teaching Circle, which is a series of discussion sessions for TESOL students who want to learn how their classmates connect theories introduced in their courses to practical teaching situation. That was a valuable experience to help me realize that using electronic technologies plays a pivotal role in developing knowledge of disciplines and solving problems.