Dr. J's Blog of ELT Praxis

I am in the data analysis phase of my dissertation, and one of the best benefits of doing this research is learning about the impact of social media on English language teachers abroad.  To clarify, my research is about the adjustment process of sojourning English language teachers, and I intend to complete my research and to publish my findings in peer-reviewed journals.  However, I wanted to share my enthusiasm of the learning process through social media.  This is part of my attempt to bridge the gap between researchers and practitioners. Through my research and my job as instructional designer at Kirkwood Community College, I have discovered many practitioners learning more about teaching and learning through social media than through peer-reviewed research journals.  This is completely anecdotal evidence as I am witnessing teachers sharing what they learn through their practice more than teachers sharing what they learn through reading research articles. ...

These past six months have been quite chaotic in terms of social media.  This blog went on a long hiatus as I was preparing to start my new professional blog geared towards my new job at Kirkwood Community College.  That blog was then overtaken by the blog I started for my job.  So I am here to announce my new blog organization now that the dust has settled.  I will try to start posting on this blog again for two main reasons: 1) I want to write to ESL & foreign language teachers more directly than in the Kirkwood (related) blogs, and 2) Both my job at Kirkwood and my dissertation research project have helped learn the relationship between social media and professional development.  I haven't done much in terms of exploring ideas and concepts of teaching English for glocalized communication beyond my dissertation since March, and I plan to direct part of my learning back this way as my dissertation data analysis eases up.  I have gained a stronger i...