Thing #23 Thoughts on ELL

I think this program was a very good idea because it forced me to become aware of the vast arena of tools and websites out there on the Internet that I previously had no knowledge of. The fact that I had a lot of trouble working in them is another matter. After this ELL program, I now have an idea of what's available, even if I don't feel very capable of using much of it. One other good thing is just learning so many new terms associated with the Internet, ones I had never heard of, such as podcast, Flickr, del.icio.us, RSS feeds, mashups, social networking tags. It was all new to me.

In a way, the best thing might have been being able to work at our own speed or whenever we were able, but that could also have been the worst thing, because I felt that I was drowning in the Internet sea, and really wanted instructions. More on that under Suggestions.

What I might continue using: I still want to set myself up in Facebook, and will probably use that to find friends I have lost contact with. I want to make use of e-books and e-audiobooks, as soon as I figure out how. Googledocs can prove to be very useful for putting things on it to share. And I'd like to use a wiki with one of my friends for writing something together.

Obstacles: my main obstacle was not always understanding what to do and how to do it.

Suggestions: I would have greatly benefitted from a series of, say, 20 minute classes instructing how to work in each of these "things." I know I could ask Heather or other staff members for help, but I kind of wanted someone right there showing me what to do. We who are not very computer literate need more than just self help. No matter how clear the video tours explained things, it didn't always stick. It may not be realistic here in the library, but classroom instruction would be much more beneficial for me.

Prizes: I must admit, it's always nice to work for something, even though learning is supposed to be its own reward! It was definitely a nice incentive. I think it helps motivate people who would otherwise not attempt it, especially people like me who are hesitant to venture into the computer world. That, I confess, was probably the biggest motivation. Not being graded is another factor. Being encouraged by Heather was a third motivation. Thank you, Heather, for doing this for us!