Kazuko TLC FA07

Hi Kazuko,

Wow!  What a lovely website!!  Your presentation is top notch and I really like how you have approached the project as a letter to your future students - this looks SO different than what you and I discussed the day or so before we met in class.  The navigation is clear and the design is clean and very reader friendly - wonderful!!

Hurray!

I like the tone you take in your project here Kazuko - it seems like you were having fun here as you imagined this conversation with your future students.  I can see you becoming an advocate for reform in Japan - I hope so!! ;-)

Just a note on web navigation - because I scrolled down the page, I wasn't sure where to go - it could be helpful to create an additional weblink to the next page down at the bottom here so I know where you want me to go next.

I like how you have incorporated a music video here, Kazuko - very effective, especially as a model of how you might do this in your own classes.

The song you chose is a standard American song.  On the surface, you are right about its meaning.  Below the surface I wonder if you and your students would learn even more about American culture by getting American reactions to the song - especially within the context of American politics today.

This paragraph next to this image kind of made me laugh given the juxtaposition of what you are saying and what this image appears to be of - a Gay Pride March.  :-)  I guess the communicative approach could be seen as radical!

This is an effective way of getting your point across.  I like how you integrate the quotes in this conversational style.

Ok, you have a great sense of humor, Kazuko.  I'm remembering your reference in our Moodle discussions about your use of web resources that may not always seem "appropriate," but you having a good attitude about that given that your students were adults.  A sense of humor will take you far.

I'm really now noticing how you have effectively layered on the blue highlighting in your project as well - it's a nice visual layer that draw my attention to points you seem to want to emphasize.

I agree that multimedia resources can provide a breadth of input for learners.  I like that you include some discussion of affect here too.  That's key for sure and as we've discussed one of your areas of interest.

I really like this section, Kazuko.  It is so important that you clarified what CALL can and cannot do.  You'r eright that it can't make students active.  The tasks and the class need to be designed in way that students are using the tools for communication and building social relationships, for example.  It would seem that by moving away from or adapting the conventional materials for more multimedia materials would be the right first step in engaging your students.

Kazuko,

Overall this is a really well done project.  Your voice really comes through and you do a fine job of walking your reader through your thinking while also offering support from your references.  You've presented your project very creatively and establish a nice foundation for phase 2 in which you'll get to plan out how you might actually carry out a multimedia exploration of culture.  I look forward to that.

On an aside, I did not correct any of yur English as I was focusing more on content.  Taht said, you may want to work with a writing tutor in the writing center on some editing.  Your English is fine, but there are a number of errors which could be revised - these did not get in the way of my understanding at all, but rather highlight the fact that you may not be a native speaker of English.

Grade:  18/20  A-