Gladys Baya, an EFL, teacher trainer and computer fancier from Buenos Aires, Argentina, decided to create Learning with Computers Yahoo! Group by the end of February 2006, to cater for those language teachers in need of basic training in the use of Internet-based tools. Having been a member of Webheads in Action since 2005, she realised many participants in annual EVO Sessions felt overwhelmed by the unintelligible techie jargon of initiated participants and chose to remain in the background. There she saw fertile soil to plant the seed of cooperative technology training and discussion.
As soon as I got to know of Gladys's initiative, I jumped into the action. I've known her for a few years but have started regular communication with her since our "virtual" meetings in this year's Becoming a Webhead sessions, where she was a co-moderator for one of the weeks and I, a first timer.
Not many English teachers in our area think it is worthwhile to spend free time exploring new technologies. But we do. And a small bunch of others out there do too. Facing the impossibility of f2f teamwork, we have found CMC (computer mediated communication) a useful bridge to get to other like-minded people all over the world and break free from isolation. Thanks to this, our individual efforts can find echo in big communities who are ready to help, encourage, comfort, guide.
Gladys has confided me the task of setting up this blog to record our development as a community of teachers/learners. Each and every one of us has something to learn from the group as well as many useful contributions to offer. Even when we ask a question we are providing others with the chance to reflect on some issue. Isn't that important?
Let's use this blog to keep a record of our memorable moments as members of this community, of our "Eureka!" moments and frustrations. I bet there will be many.
I expect you to make this blog yours, that is, ours.
Claudia
