Page 277 - Beyond Methods

Ensuring social relevance 265
.com). If you are overwhelmed by the volume of electronic lists you see on your computer screen, try a narrower resource: http://www.tsol.net/ mailing.list.help.html.
11.2.2 According to Meloni (1998, p. 19), the two most popular dis- cussion lists for ESL/EFL professionals are TESL-L and Neteach-L. The former is more suited for ESL teachers and the latter for both ESL and EFL teachers. To subscribe to TESL-L send an e-mail to: Listserv @cunyvm.cuny.edu. The text of the message should be: SUB TESL-L [your first name] [your last name]. Example: SUB TESOL-L Jane Doe.
11.2.3 To subscribe to Neteach-L send an electronic message to: listserv@thecity.sfsu.edu The text of the message should be: subscribe Neteach-L [your first name] [your last name]. Example: subscribe Neteach-L John Doe.
11.2.4 These listservs have branches that focus on several areas of interest. For the specific purpose of designing microstrategies for en- suring social relevance, choose special interest areas such as “Fluency First and Whole Language,” “Literacy and Adult Education,” or “Criti- cal Language Education” (Caution: these sites might change from time to time, or new ones may come up).
11.2.5 If possible, form an informal Internet club consisting of a group of your workplace peers so that each member of the club can focus on special interest areas and gather ideas to be shared with other members of the club.
11.2.6 Within your area of interest, select some relevant messages posted by subscribers. You may wish to create an archive of messages and conversations on specific topics either by printing a hard copy or by saving them on a disk for later use.
11.2.7 When the occasion arises, design a suitable microstrategy on a specific topic using the information from your archive. Adapt the procedure I have outlined for the two microstrategies given above.
11.2.8 Implement the newly designed microstrategy in class and mon- itor its development.
11.2.9 Involve your students by inviting them to assess the relevance as well as the effectiveness of the microstrategy you have designed and implemented. Based on their feedback, revise it for further use.
11.2.10 Finally, reflect on the desirability and doability of this proj- ect. Think also about any additional resources you may need to carry out a project like this either individually or with colleagues.