Hello Everyone. My name is Silvia and I live in Argentina. This is my 8th MET course. I used to be a graphic designer but switched careers when I started to work as a tutor. Mandarin Chinese is what I teach. I have been teaching for 10 years already. These days I mainly work with teenagers and adults.
With the quarantine going one, schools have switched to online courses. I am still trying to get used to it. I believe it is an opportunity for instructors and students to see what might education become in the near future. I think I am getting used to staying at home, but I also miss my time interacting with my students in the classroom. It has its pros and cons. I no longer need to go through rush-hour but social distancing is hard, especially for children.
During my free time, I play with my Nintendo switch and bake for fun.
Hi Silvia,
I agree that many elements of what we’re seeing now could and should be integrated into more “normal” education, but one thing that’s also become abundantly clear is the value and importance of direct social contact, something we need to take a more careful look at if we have to continue this method of learning longer-term. Text based communication (like this!) can only get you so far. I think we do naturally take for granted some of the intrinsic benefits of in person learning, especially the casual and spontaneous interaction and the unplanned learning.
Looking forward to learning with you,
Matt
Hello Matt,
Agreed! I think that the challenge is how to “digitalize” this social contact. Sometimes, I prefer to have a text-based communication. Maybe because I would like some quiet time or I am too lazy to talk. Even when communicating like we are doing some time, it gives me more time to think and articulate my thoughts.
Hey Sylvia,
I’m loving the number of graphic designers in this group! Absolutely agree on the pros and cons of our current crisis, but also hope that education in the future will look a little different to this. At the moment, most are holding things together with duct tape, whereas planning and design could go a long way to making ed tech more user friendly and effective for all involved 🙂
Looking forward to working alongside you in this course.
Woops! Sorry for the name spelling error, Silvia
Hey Jamie,
Loved how you put it “holding it with duct tape” so funny. I have not worked as a graphic designer for a very looooong time.
Hi Silvia,
I’m gad to see that I’m not the only international student this term. It’s funny that you teach Mandarin as I live in China. I can’t really speak it even though I have been here for a decade now.
Hey Pascaline,
Part of my family is from Shanghai. We were thinking of going to China this year but with the covid we canceled plans. Can you understand when they speak to you? How are things there?
Hi Sylvia,
Sometimes somehow I get it probably because I picked up a few phrases and words along the years. Also communicating is mostly based on context so I guess what they are trying to tell me. It works more often than you think. I’m not sure about the situation in Shanghai but here in Guangzhou, life is more or less back to normal. The health emergency alert has been lowered and now shopping malls, restaurants and hotels can fully resume operations. However we still need to wear a mask in public places and maintain social distancing. Kids started school last week and soon universities will gradually allow students back on campus.
Hi Silvia!
Your baked goods look amazing and delicious!! I got myself a Nintendo Switch at the start of Spring break mid-March because I didn’t think we would be going back to school anytime soon. A week or so after I got mine, they were sold out in Canada! What have you been playing? My students keep asking me to get Animal Crossing, but I haven’t yet as I didn’t think I would focus on work if I got it 😀
I know what you mean about getting used to remote teaching. I miss my kids very much also and it is definitely not the same when teaching remotely.
Looking forward to getting to know you more! 🙂
Hello Binal,
Nice to meet you.
My students also tell me to play animal crossing. No… because I will get hooked. It is about building your own place and working or waiting for a certain time during the day to get little objects that you need to build. I am more of a Mario person. Everything that is Mario related I play. These days that I need to stay at home, I play just dance. How about you?
Yes, exactly! I bought the Super Mario Bros Deluxe when I got the Switch, so that’s what I had been playing also. I downloaded random mystery investigation games that were on sale for like $2, and then I saw the entire Lego Harry Potter collection on sale, so I got that one. I’ve finished year 2 on it, but haven’t played in weeks now that it has gotten busy again and I don’t want more screen time 🙁