Kirsten Winkler - Latest Comments

Re: Teachers are Dinosaurs

jasonoutthere — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 05:06:03 -0000

Hey, bridge2, why not write an ad? I love the obsession with software. Best software, still, is pen and paper for self-study (and a dictionary). No, I'm not a dinosaur, think about it :-)

Re: Teachers are Dinosaurs

bridge2english — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:41:07 -0000

Dear Kirsten,

Your courage has no limits!
When I heard and read your slide on ETCon 03 presentation: “Teachers as we know them today will gradually disappear. Teachers have no influence on this change.” – I was scared that teachers and linguists will denounce you as a traitor of your own profession.

Instead I heard a complete silence and no reaction whatsoever – as if this concept was not brought to life.

Now you elaborate on the essence of your discovery and declare that it will become the theme for your further research in 2010.
Congratulation!

This idea is in the air (some people call it – the information field).
The following excerpt was published on my hubpage 3 months ago: http://hubpages.com/hub/ESL-educators-unite.

This description of blended learning gives in details the new functions of ESL/EFL teachers in the future. But I didn’t dare to make a parallel with dinosaurs.

“To become the central portal for all ESL/EFL needs, it is necessary to drastically decrease the price of services by increasing the number of students in the online public classes, using blended learning and implementing self-training software.

Blending self-study with private and public lessons online will have a great synergistic impact on the whole process of learning. The ratio between self-study and online lessons varies from 10% to 90% and depends on students’ motivation, financial state and preferences.

The self-study software allows printing of all the text and transferring mp3 audio files to any mp3 device or cell phone. The option of working offline is also a possibility for those who want to spend additional time and effort to facilitate progress in acquiring ESL/EFL. Online teachers may add new lessons to the existing software according to the students’ needs and objectives.

Thus all accumulated teaching materials could be recycled by teachers and added to the Language Bridge software. This software also contains an extensive dictionary in the native language and a testing module. The latter is unique in that it tests the skill of speaking fluently and automatically and not the knowledge of grammar and rules of English.

The new learning environment would be phenomenally adaptable allowing online or offline use along with self-training, face-to-face, group study or combinations of the above. It could be supplemented with a concise version of the program on any PDA, Smartphone or MP3 player. So by adding reading, writing, illustrations, listening and acting, one is incorporating all the senses that will improve
the quality and depth of the learning experience.

The current versions of the Language Bridge software are localized in 3 major languages: Chinese, Spanish and Russian. Members of the Association are welcome to undertake localization into their own native language.”

Re: Teachers are Dinosaurs

KirstenWinkler — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 08:42:55 -0000

Oh, don't worry. I am with you but it is easier to explain the shift on the signs everybody can see today. They are big enough for most ;). Cannot shock everybody in my first post.

As I said, in 2010 I will write up a lot more about it. It is a slow climate change with some bigger eruptions in between. I think in twentyten we will see a lot happening on the tech market that will also have big effects on education. Especially mobile apps and the launch of the Apple tablet will drive a lot of innovation.

Re: Teachers are Dinosaurs

Vikrama Dhiman — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:40:05 -0000

Try and travel in Mumbai to realize how important going online is :(

I have been even asking my doctor to take consultation online :)

Re: Teachers are Dinosaurs

chinamike — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:30:31 -0000

Hmm,

I am surprised that you left off what I consider to be the biggest, albeit slowly developing trend..the truly momentous educational change agent of the near future..the digitization of learning resources (and learning paths) which will ultimately let us personalize every student's learning experience (in concert with machine based intelligence). This will let every student who wishes to do so, follow the path of mastery as quickly or slowly as he or she wishes.

VOip changes the equation of place, the social web modestly changes the equation of who, but the digital, intelligent web, with its potential to personalize education will shift the power completely to the student. Ultimately this will let the student demand that every educational provider mold the learning experience to fit the student's needs, abilities, time frame and interest.

These other things are epiphenomenon in comparison to what will happen once machine intelligence can gradually take on the role of instructor/teacher. Until then, the teacher-dinosaur will merely shift its grazing ground. These "changes" you mentioned above are merely the tremors signaling the big change which will rearrange education like your super explosion rearranged the earth.

If I have any problem with your thinking it is that you are not thinking in big enough terms. Teachers will be able to adapt to and co-opt the tools you cited above. Not all teachers, but most. They will find it very difficult however to adapt to a world where machine based intelligence reduces the need for anything that now resembles a "sage on the stage".

To be successful in the future teachers will need to learn how to become guides on the side as our tools become more powerful, precise and attentive to our needs.

Re: ETCon 03 – Review

bjoernlasse — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:16:42 -0000

Finally had some time to check out the presentations. Great Job Kirsten :)!

Re: Teachers are Dinosaurs

KirstenWinkler — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:59:47 -0000

Great minds think alike, Koichi :) I have some very interesting videos from the last ETCon, need to edit them still. One of them will change your world ;)

Re: Teachers are Dinosaurs

koichi — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:50:37 -0000

oh nose! I have a half-written article very similar to this one, though you're a lot nicer than me, I think (good choice).

Remind me to link to this post when I put mine up, otherwise it'll look like I'm copying.

That's what we futuristic teachers get for implanting hard drives and cloud sharing in our brains. Damn you creative commons!

Re: ETCon 03 – The Future of Teachers in a Global and Digital World

KirstenWinkler — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:52:28 -0000

Thanks for the link J :)

Re: ETCon 03 – Review

chinamike — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:01:54 -0000

I listened twice and I was most impressed with Duane's presentation. I know that the dawn of Internet education is now (when). He helped answer the question of how (like a shaggy dog) better than the other participants.

The whole discussion of tool use and which tool is better is empty without a discussion of the teacher's changing instruction role as all these tools are getting mashed together.

Overall, he did a great job of telling a story. We need a few more story tellers and a bit less less "my new tool is better than yours" bravado in my opinion.

Re: ETCon 03 – The Future of Teachers in a Global and Digital World

jasonoutthere — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:46:12 -0000

Just watched 2/3rds of the recording, great stuff, not entirely unpredictable, teachers as guides...lovely to hear it being openly acknowledged and spoken about without any 'shyness' :-) It's called progress. Check out this academic paper provocatively called 'Teachers: Who needs them' that I found on Twitter thanks to Jason Renshaw (@englishraven)...from 2002 and now more relevant than ever http://twitter.com/englishraven/statuses/619348...

Re: WiZiQ Sessions are now WiZiQ Classes

florida keys vacation rentals — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:51:30 -0000

very interesting because it shows that a new evaluation of online teaching is coming up.while there are better chances of success.

Re: The Edublog Awards 2009 – My Nominees

Claus D Jensen — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:48:06 -0000

Hi Kirsten, I'm glad I found your blog! It's nice!

Re: WiZiQ or How one Company could change Education in India

KirstenWinkler — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:33:49 -0000

Then let's do it :).

Re: WiZiQ or How one Company could change Education in India

chinamike — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:18:57 -0000

Ha-ha, I guess we have different notions of what is revolutionary. But if you could change a place that as seen as a high-school/college hangout (in most 1st and 2nd tier big cities in China) to a place where people would take class, yes, that borders on revolutionary.

Re: WiZiQ or How one Company could change Education in India

KirstenWinkler — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:32:47 -0000

Thanks Phil. One of the WiZiQ offices is located in Chandigarh with about 1 million inhabitants and according to Wikipedia at least one of the richest cities in India. As I said, I would simply go out and talk to the owners.
If you do a Google search with Chandigarh Internet Café you already get a nice map where you can see the density of Cafés in the city center.

Re: WiZiQ or How one Company could change Education in India

Phil Hill — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:24:06 -0000

Some interesting ideas. Making the India idea financial viable is dependent on having many learners online attending the seminar. The challenge would be getting a critical mass of Internet Cafe to adopt the program. We've been talking about these emerging markets at Openstudy with our new study social study network, so i get what you're saying.

Phil -
Openstudy.com - why study alone when you can study social?

phil

Re: WiZiQ or How one Company could change Education in India

KirstenWinkler — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:11:40 -0000

Would be great if you could. There must be hours where are not so many people in the place. Could help those guys to earn extra income.
On the other hand you could build up a whole new market on this. Internet Cafés only dedicated to education. Would be a killer :)

Is this revolutionary enough, Mike? ;)

Re: eduFire or How to Change Education, NOW

KirstenWinkler — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:08:49 -0000

I still keep jumping up and down because Jon is finally someone who is not just talking about making a change, he does something. And even if it is not unique or new or perfect: it is already 100 times better than the options students have right now.
Small steps into the right direction will eventually get you there one day. Standing at the same point and discussing how things need to be will bring you no where.
I'll ask Koichi about Catalyst. He is an Adobe fan :)

Re: eduFire or How to Change Education, NOW

chinamike — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:33:15 -0000

I wouldn't jump up and down too much because what they are doing is simply preparing you to take tests. They are NOT offering college credit. In fact, this credit ain't worth a damn UNTIL you are given a college degree which still costs a pretty penny in the US.

These kinds of things have been around for YEARS with tens of thousands of students having already taken advantage of the system. I think this system has been around for 30 years or more.

I don't mean to rain on your parade but distance education and supplementary certification tests existed long before the Internet was popular. Congratulations John, but unfortunately, revolutionary this isn't. It is a wonderfully, innovative way to extend your business model and get some distance on the language teaching market.

May I suggest another course by the way? Please find a way to offer classes in Adobe Catalyst. The Beta software is still free and the potential audience is huge and as yet there are no instructional books out on the market.

Re: WiZiQ or How one Company could change Education in India

chinamike — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:11:14 -0000

In China some problems I can see with this concept is that people identify Internet Cafes with games and not education. They are really not education friendly. Most are loud, poorly ventilated facilities that attract the kind of person you wouldn't want your child mixing with. In other words, they are almost the opposite of school. Still I might just seek one of these guys out and ask them what they think of this idea.

Re: Review EduFire 1:M One to Many Classes

mary — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:04:25 -0000

excellent article
:D
I'm an English teacher on edufire

Re: eduFire or How Four Words can Change your Business

chinamike — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:49:30 -0000

This is like one of your best posts to date. Incredibly insightful. Well done!

Re: Which Language should one learn?

KirstenWinkler — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:57:41 -0000

Oui, oui. Les Quebecois :)

Living in China must be really exciting. I envy you already. Are you planing to work there? Or just enjoying your stay.

Re: Which Language should one learn?

sandrine83 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:49:40 -0000

Oh, and I thought you were from the US because you said :

"With Spanish you will basically cover the rest of South and Middle America. If you add your English skills you can travel from Alaska to Fireland and speak with everyone you meet in between."

I had the feeling you were an American who wanted to explore the entire continent. Sorry, my mistake. :-)
Plus there is a small mistake since in Quebec 8 million people speak French. They would be quite mad you said that. hehe!