Recently, I conducted a qualitative autoethnography study that reflects upon my experiences as a lecturer in integrating technology in two EFL writing classes at the English Language Education Program of a private university in Central Java, Indonesia. In the study, I aim to answer the following research question: What does it mean to integrate technology in my EFL writing classrooms in an Indonesian higher education context?
In conclusion, the followings are the answers to that question that might also be practical recommendations for teachers who wish to integrate technology in their EFL writing classrooms.
- Struggle: Integrating technology in the EFL writing classrooms is a trial-and error process. Therefore, I should always look at my teaching practices and reflect on teaching challenges with the technology I face. Moreover, I should be willing to acknowledge my weaknesses, learn from my students, and not be afraid to make necessary changes to improve my teaching. Otherwise, I can never optimize the technology’s potentials to support my students’ writing activities.
- Unsuitable choice of technology: A technology application I am using in the classrooms, even if it looks sophisticated, cannot always support my students’ writing activities and solve all of their writing problems.
- Not a magic stick: My students should not consider technology as a tool that can instantly enhance their work and solve all grammatical problems in their writing. A well-written academic paper requires students’ serious effort to work on their paper day by day.
- Traditional ingredients: I cannot entirely replace traditional classroom practices (e.g., doing peer feedback and face-to-face teacher and student interactions in the class), although the technology can give my students new learning experiences (e.g., writing a poem in a blog or providing written feedback in an online environment rather than on a piece of paper).
- Learning from one another: As a lecturer, I should open my mind and be humble to learn from my students who might know more about various apps that can support writing activities in the EFL classrooms.
Citation: Mali, Y. C. G. (2022). Teaching reflection of using technology in two Indonesian EFL classrooms: an autoethnography. Journal on English as a Foreign Language, 12(1), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.23971/jefl.v12i1.2860
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