Reading Prompt #4

Prompt #4
Comment on one or two issues raised by Levy and Stockwell CALL educators must think about when it comes to the design of CALL products.
The issues raised in the chapter are numerous and the two that I consider very important for educators are: the very nature of the design process and the availability of technology. Quoting the authors, design is multidimensional, as the developers have to consider all the factors involved in the design process. The factors taken into account can be; the available technology, the starting point of the design, the environment, curriculum, institution, the users’ characteristics, the discipline field and so on. The existence of so many factors makes design extremely complex. Design has to be flexible and creative which involves finding new goals. In other words, a new design can be perfect for a while but it has to change to address new factors or modifications needed.
The second issue that educators have to address while designing CALL products is the availability of technology. If the users do not have access to appropriate technology then it does not make any difference how effective is the design development.
Comment on what types of RSS feeds you might be interested in using with students or following yourself.
The chapter on RSS was very interesting and opened so many possibilities to follow. There are so many interests and themes available that one can be overwhelmed with information even if RSS is applied. I would like to get my students to be involved in world affairs. At their young age, RSS can expose them to so many cultures and issues that affect us. Isolation can be a thing of the past and they can learn from others at the other side of the globe and have a better appreciation of what each person has to offer. Maybe I’m reaching, but could anyone imaging the effect of being able to appreciate life and all its issues from their point of view.