TESOL 2001
February 27-March 3
St. Louis, MO., USA
Michael Krauss
ISALC, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, Oregon

How to Create
Web-based Culture Capsules

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See the Culture Capsules Master Page.

Presentation Outline

Program

• ESL 382: Computer Applications-Class Web Page
• Course Description
• Internet Guidelines and Student Permission

Project Results

• Sample Culture Capsules
  • Intermediate Level: Al-Ain, UAE and Yaku-island, Japan by Mubarak Al-Hajeri and Kazumi Matsuzawa
  • Advanced Level: Cultural Differences and Similarities of Women's Clothes in the UAE and Japan by Saeed Al-Mehairbi and Hirokazu Tsuzuki

Preparation

• For Teachers:
  • Read Web Projects for the ESL/EFL Class: Famous Japanese Personages (Tom Robb) - 12 steps to a successful project + invaluable procedural advice.
  • Explore Project-Based Learning with Multimedia (Challenge 2000 Multimedia Project)
• For Students:
  • Look at samples from Culture Capsules Master Page.
  • Check previous project topic list.

Pieces

• Tasks
  • Assignment 1: Reading about our Culture Capsules project
  • Assignment 2: Browsing Culture Capsules and learning browser basics
  • Assignment 3: Brainstorming a topic: Completing the Proposal Form
  • Assignment 4: Taking digital photos (group and partners)
  • Assignment 5: Finding and saving information for your Culture Capsule
  • Assignment 6: Word processing of essays
  • Assignment 7: Peer and teacher review; revision of draft(s)
  • Assignment 8: Creating Web pages with DreamWeaver
  • Assignment 9: Creating your Culture Capsule Web page
  • Assignment 10: Peer and teacher review of Culture Capsule Web page
  • Assignment 11: Turn in final draft of Culture Capsule; teacher posts to Web
  • Assignment 12: Class presentation and evaluation
  • Assignment 13: Creating a home page of your own (optional)

Positives

• Effective content learning activity:
  • Internet browsing, Web and database searching, word processing, digital photography, graphics manipulation, Web page creation
    
    
• Effective language learning activity:
  • Meaningful context for communication
  • Partner work demands responsibility, teamwork, negotiation, compromise
  • Effective reading/writing practice: read and synthesize resources, compare & contrast is challenging
    
• Effective affective activity:
  • Skills acquired are relevant; project is enjoyable
  • Results are concrete and public; students are proud

Pitfalls

• Partner power conflicts
• The irresponsible student
• The devil is in the details: organization of files is crucial
• Technical problems: damaged or lost disks, corrupted files, etc.

Paraphernalia

• Digital Camera - from $200 (or traditional camera and a scanner)
• Graphics Program - e.g. Graphic Converter (shareware $35); PhotoShop (expensive! - not required)
• Word Processing Program (any basic model)
• Web Editors
  • Netscape Composer is free. Claris Home Page (no longer available) and MS FrontPage have free trials. Dreamweaver has a free demo.
  • Tutorials for the editors: Netscape Composer 4.5, Claris Home Page v.3.0 (very good), Dreamweaver, and MS FrontPage 2000.
• Web Browser (free)
  

Practical Hands-On

• Google - recommended search engine
• Saving bookmarks
• Saving graphics
• Free and non-copyright image sites
• Using templates

Perusing Additional Resources

• Student Projects
  • Hatchet: A Student Survival Guide
  • Campus Visits
• Teacher Resources
  • ESL Independent Study Lab
  • Exploring and Exploiting the Internet
  • Internet/Computer Writing Resources for a Content-Based Curriculum
  • Integrating the Internet into the Classroom (online course for teachers)