Faculty Spotlight
December 2001 - January 2002
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From VCR to Web: A Technology JourneyEuridice Silva-FilhoAssociate ProfessorModern Foreign Language and Literature Department |
Euridice Silva-Filho, Associate Professor in the Modern Foreign Language and Literature department, remembers the beginning of his journey in exploring the ways technology could empower both himself and his students. He has traveled from using the VCR in the service of teaching his students to incorporating the Internet , teaching in a wireless classroom, and mentoring his colleagues.
Images of Culture
In the beginning, Euridice wanted to engage his students with the cultures
of Brazil and Portugal but found a dearth of material that could expand on
the textbook. So he taped television commercials and soap operas from these
countries. Using a dual VCR system, he would cut and paste to create video
clips that would provide a catalyst for conversations in class.
His first use of computers as a tool for his teaching will be familiar to many: the word processor. Using this versatile tool, he discovered that he could easily improve exams and assignments. The ease of revision encouraged reviews and updates. Immediately, he used this tool to engage students in intermediate and advanced composition and grammar courses. He would take them to the lab in the Language Resource Center (LRC), give them text with errors, and ask them to correct the errors.
Enhancing Communication with Email
From the simple word processor, he leaped into the realm of email and the Internet. He began to communicate with students outside the classroom in a way that actually saved paper and kept him in constant touch with students. When a culturally engaging activity was approaching, he could efficiently remind his students about it. Next, of course, he began to require students to communicate with him via email in the target language, Portuguese.Communication across cultures and countries was the next step. At a 1997 conference he met a colleague from Brazil who taught English as a second language there. They collaborated to put students in touch with each other. Euridice's students wrote to their Brazilian peers in Portuguese and the Brazilian students practiced their English skills on the American students.
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