Irene+Li

June. 19th Hi there. This is Irene. I’m part of the 2010 cohort. I used to teach English and Maths in elementary and high schools in China. Then I began to help my parents manage family business ( real estate developing and investment/optical clinic service/elevator contract building) until now. I have held various positons, have experience of human resources, management, accounting, marketing, and sales, but not proficient. I also worked as a teaching assistant in 2009, at English Language Institute, George Fox. And, I coach students for Chinese language study. I have my Bachelor degree in Pedagogy and my Master of Business Administration. I live in Sherwood with my husband Rodney. We’ve been in the US 5 years. He have been working on his family business (plastic pipe manufacture) for 5 years as well. We are going to set up a branch in the states and sell plastic pipe in the near future. Currently, we are running a business for fishing products in the States. I am looking forward to learning from all of you.

June. 20th

I think I had a Wiki link for class EDFL 624. Unfortunately, I completely forget the user name and password. It was a very good experience.

June. 26th I just move my website from http://technology-enhanced-classroom.wikispaces.com/to here. I decided to link to this website from my name in the partipant page for EDFL 675 wiki site. I may use the other website for my own usage for the project or later research. Fun so far!

Jul. 2nd Recently I have been experimenting with several technologies in Chinese language teaching, which included power point show, video show and keyboard play. I had intended to use video as a technology to assist my teaching, but I found that video alone cannot meet classroom needs.

I used power point throughout the whole class. I inserted Pinyin Chart in PPT as below. Pinyin is currently the most commonly used [|romanization]  system for [|Standard Mandarin] , or more literally, means the "spelling sound" of Chinese. Pinyin is extremely important, and it is the number one tool for foreigners to learn the correct way of pronouncing the Chinese words. I strongly suggest my student putting in enough effort and time to learn it if she is serious about learning Chinese and want to be understood by Chinese people when she is speaking.

Then I used video from youtube.com to introduce Chinese culture, and some Spring Festival vocabulary. Please see the website with screenshot beneath.

[] media type="youtube" key="tuSy87Jo8s8" height="349" width="425"

At the end of class, I used a sound technology which is the Keyboard play  Please see the website with screenshot as below. I asked my student to click on these initials, listen and repeat. In addition, she is able to keep practicing the pronunciation when she back home.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[]

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">In my opinion, for language learning, the most important thing is to choose helpful visual and auditory materials. Language is a very abstract thing, without the aid of pictures, it is difficult to understand and express. The repeated practice is also very important. In a word, audio-visual materials can help students understand and remember. That is why I choose the pictures, the charts, the cards.

Jul. 3rd I. Proposal of final project:

II. synopsis of the project: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Technology is used by language teachers. Communications technology has been used to support online learning. I believe that technology have positive effects on education, especially for second language education. In contrast to more traditional environments, <span class="hit" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">technology <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">offers greater opportunities for interactivity and learner control. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">This project addresses how new technologies can be used to meet a teacher’s main learning agenda and increase students’ understanding.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Jul. 5th

I am sharing this article with you.

Effective instructional leadership

Teachers' perspectives on how principals

promote teaching and learning in schools

Joseph Blase and Jo Blase

The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">

Jul. 6th I read this article today and want to share with you. Language teaching is common. Building Collaboration between schools and parents of english language learners: transcending barriers, creating opportunities.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;">

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;">Jul. 7th

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;">These are two videos I used in my EDFL 500 class presentation.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;">Do you know what the Chinese classroom looks like? Do you know what Chinese senior high students look like? <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">There is a big gap between China and the U.S. education. I want to be able to use what I learned and improve Chinese classroom teaching.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;">[]

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;">[] media type="youtube" key="sCIzNaTMUCc" height="349" width="425" media type="youtube" key="zHvTeYQCMLk" height="349" width="425"

Jul. 12th <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">"Truth is the beginning of every good thing, both in heaven and on earth; and he who would be blessed and happy should be from the first a partaker of truth, for then he can be trusted." -The Greek philosopher Plato <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">This is my teaching plan for today: <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Teaching is a great challenge for seeking ideal curriculum. My suggestion about ideal curriculum is creating an environment where students enjoy learning together, making learning relevant to real issues and allowing students learn from doing. If I were to choose one instructional strategy to meet the requirement of ideal curriculum, I would continually make efforts to inform myself of new technology or innovations that help to facilitate learning in the classroom. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Technology's benefits best emerge when integrated into project-based curricular activities in which students are gatherers of information, problem solvers, and communicators of information. Technology can be used in the classroom and may help students to memorize vocabulary faster and learn better.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Jul. 13th -15th <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">I am here with my husband Rodney at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the ICAST show. ([]). The International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades, better known as ICAST, is [|the world’s] [|**largest sportfishing trade show**] annually hosting 7,000 members of the sportfishing industry representing 63 countries. ICAST is produced by the [|**American Sportfishing Association**] (ASA), the sportfishing industry’s trade association, which looks out for the interests of the entire sportfishing community. ICAST the premier showcase for the latest innovations in fishing gear, accessories and apparel and is the cornerstone of the sportfishing industry, helping to drive sportfishing companies’ product sales year round. ICAST 2011 will be held July 13-15, in the North Halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nev. Here is our website: []

Jul. 16th
I am working on getting ready for the Chongqing University of Post and Telecom teachers that will be arrive at George Fox next week. I might be going with them to the beach next. I am glad to have the opportunity to be a part of a panel discussing the differences between Chinese and American education on the 10th of August at 10 AM in VAC 181. Here is the article I found today: Poblems and strategies of teaching English in large classes in the People's Republic of China. [] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">I think this article would be helpful.

Jul. 20th I started my online reading and found an interesting journal this morning: ** Journal of Teaching and Learning. ** According to the introduction, //The Journal of Teaching and Learning// is published twice yearly by the Faculty of Education at the University of Windsor, featuring peer-reviewed scholarly and practice-based articles, critical book reviews, and research reports in a wide range of areas related to teaching and learning. These include issues related to curriculum development, language and education, teacher education, school governance, the education of special groups, gender and education, minority education, education and information technology, educational leadership, theories of education, literacy, educational research and methodologies. Special emphasis is on innovative practices in teaching and learning. I realized that I have so much to learn when I actually began to step into the field of education. Language and education and minority education are the major parts I want to explore in the future study. Jul. 23rd For Chinese people, this is the day of mourning. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">At least 40 people have died and more than 100 are hurt after two high-speed trains crashed in eastern China. Two train coaches fell off a bridge after derailing close to Wenzhou in Zhejiang province. [] This video recorded how did YiYi get rescued from wreckage. YiYi is a 2 year old girl who lost her parents in the crash. I could not stop crying. [] media type="youtube" key="K1JMS3IekYs" height="349" width="425"

Jul. 26th I accompanied our guests from<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">Chongqing university of Posts and Telecommunications and had a visit to downtown Portland and the fifth avenue today. I had a very good time with them. I hope I could be a better guide, but I am not familiar with Portland area. Most of them are college English teachers or bilingual teachers who are expert in English. I am glad to hear from them that bilingual education with international standards growing fast in China. A variety of academic subjects are taught in English, with specially trained bilingual (Chinese and English) teachers who can understand students when they ask questions in Chinese, but always answer in English. Chinese literacy classes also provided to improve students' writing and higher-order language skills.

Here is the website of <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">Chongqing university of Posts and Telecommunications: [] <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">Chongqing university of Posts and Telecommunications, founded in 1950, is one of the few universities that have been blue-printed and heavily supported by the State, it has grown into a prominent university acknowledged by its centre of excellent in information science and technology in and out of China.The university covers an area of 630 acres with a building area of 600,000 square meters. There are over 20,000 students, including more than 3,000 postgraduates. It has a faculty of more than 1,600, and has 10 Fellows as the honorary or part-time professors from China Academy of Science and China Engineering Academy, in addition to 30 overseas prominent scholars as the visiting professors. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">I had a chance to visit the campus last year with Linda Samek when I went back to China for vacation. Really impressed.

Jul. 28th I agree with Dr. Headley’s comments. My final proposal is too ambitious. I started my final project with vague image, and now I am having more specific ideas as continuous working on. I would like change my topical from “online supports for language instruction” to “technology enhanced introductory Chinese”.

Aug. 1st Here is my final project: http://llgchineseclassroom.wikispaces.com/ and PPT for my presentation:

Aug. 3rd <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">A **wiki** ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-decoration: none;">[|/][|ˈ][|w][|ɪ][|k][|i][|/] [|//WIK-ee//] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">) is a [|website] that allows the easy [|[1]]<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> creation and editing of any number of [|interlinked][|web pages] via a [|web browser] using a simplified [|markup language] or a [|WYSIWYG] text editor. [|[2]][|[3]]<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Wikis are typically powered by [|wiki software] and are often used to create collaborative websites, to power community websites, for personal [|note taking], in corporate [|intranets], and in [|knowledge management] systems. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Wikis may exist to serve a specific purpose, and in such cases, users use their editorial rights to remove material that is considered "off topic." Such is the case of the collaborative encyclopedia Wikipedia. [|[3]]<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> In contrast, open purpose wikis accept content without firm rules as to how the content should be organized. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">[|Ward Cunningham], the developer of the first wiki software, [|WikiWikiWeb], originally described it as "the simplest online database that could possibly work." [|[4]]<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> "Wiki" (pronounced <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-decoration: none;">[|[ˈwiki]] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> or <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-decoration: none;">[|[ˈviki]] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">) is a [|Hawaiian] word for "fast". [|[5]]<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> "Wiki" has been [|backronymed] by some to "What I Know Is". [|[6]]

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">As above I did, I used wiki to find the definition of a variety of things. I also found it’s wonderful that Wiki can be used for supporting classroom teaching. Here is the Powerpoint used in Patti Harju’s MACUL 2010 Presentation **__ Wikis in the Elementary andMiddle School __** <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">, if you may interest in: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[]

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">However, I remember one of my professors who told me that Wiki’s resources cannot be used as references. He said resources on wiki is often irregular, non-academic, non-rigorous and unsubstantiated.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">In fact, WIKI may have become a wide range of Internet encyclopedia. It is now even with the Chinese layout. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Reference: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[]

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Aug. 5th

It is the end of summer 2011 session of edfl 675b. I just made ​​my last post. Scot, thank you very much to provide a network platform for me and my classmates were able to communicate online. It was great to “meet” everyone online for the presentation.

For my last project, I think I will continue working on it for my future studying and teaching. First of all, I need enrich the content, which including Chinese language learning content, the summary of Sino-US culture, and parents’ feedback panel. With this wikispace, my teaching would be more systematic. I can even add to the design of the curriculum, which would make my teaching more organized. My students could use this space for rehearsal, learning, and practice and review. Language study could be very difficult without context. I hope more Chinese language teachers to join in and improve this space.