Week 10: …a wonderful course, experience and a lot learned]…

In  our first week, I started the reflective blog with the title [ a wonderful beginning…  and expected the course to do wonders and it did wonders. Coming to the final week of the course, I feel this was the course that was with the most practically applicable value for me. All the topics that were taken up for discussion on nicenet were of huge importance, relevance and practical value and everything could be taken to our class rooms right away. I think all the topics were taken up very successfully for discussion by everyone and every discussion thread had at least forty posts by the participants and some even went over sixty posts.  Of all, one topic that I liked best was Promoting Learner Autonomy, which was one of the most successful of all. I believe, technology is what can do that best, to promote self access and encourage learner autonomy.

The new tools that were introduced; search engines, concepts like web-quests, nicenet, delicious, ANVILL etc were all relevant and very useful for my purposes. I do not know any other tools that might have been covered in the course and I think we got introduced to many tools that are currently available and widely used and when new things come they will be introduced to the courses in the future. The tolls that are most useful to me are the ones like nicenet, ANVILL that will help me build an online course.

Overall, the course gave me a lot of knowledge, training and experience as to how to integrate technology into our teaching/learning and assessment activities to make them more effective. I wish to integrate all that learnt in the course in my class-room activities to make a very positive change in all that I do.

Tharanga

Week 9: …learning styles; English teaching Forum; final project…

It is in a way sad to think that we are coming to an end of the program. Though with a lot of other work we took the course there were a lot of elements of uses and interest in it. Everything done was very practical and could be readily applied to our classroom activities.  It is also sad to be away from the discussion group, but I hope we can keep in touch with one another even after the class.

It was good to learn new types of intelligence and learning styles so that we can design our lesson plans to address those new ones as well.

It was good experience taking part in the discussion with the editors of the English teaching Forum. It is always good if we get opportunities like this to benefit from the experience and knowledge of professionals and scholars outside our class as well.

When we thought about the project, though it seemed very heavy work at the beginning, it was interesting learning how to do it and practically doing it step by step. I am really happy with the final outcome.

Something that I was waiting for a long time was the evaluation of the course, to commend it and recommend it to anybody that is into teaching of any kind. It was great course and I feel that some knowledge, training and experience that I would have acquired in six months, I acquired in   almost two months. That is the
beauty of it.

Best

Tharanga

Week 08: …online tools, creating an online activity, rough draught and peer review…

I am convinced that I am now getting what I expected most in the course. Getting to know about ANVILL and other online tools, this week equipped me with a lot of new tools and ideas as to how to use them effectively to give the best we can to our students and see the maximum performance that they can make. Taking part in the discussion enriched understanding, issues and applicability of these tools and how we can exploit these tools to make our students independent learners which will in turn lead to learner autonomy.  

Until I learnt about the tools such as those in ANVILL and ones such as Hot Potatoes this week, how people made online quizzes, drag and drop activities, etc was a puzzle to me. I was thinking language teachers hired computer programmers to create them. There are a lot of tools that we can use to create authentic material to meet our purposes. These tools are user friendly and easy to handle.

Writing the rough drought of the final project was another step in the process of writing the project. It was interesting writing it. It also had a research orientation in it where, we identify a problem, suggest a solution, test it (if teaching now) and, if we want, come out with a discussion and conclusion. I am planning to carry out the project for the benefit of my students and write a research paper, based on the outcomes of the test of the project.

This is the first time, I think, I did a peer review on a project in a formal manner like this. It was also good experience doing that and learning how to do it, which we can apply in similar activities in our future.

Tharanga

Week 07: …learner autonomy, one computer classroom and lesson, another step ahead in the project…

It was very important that I learnt a new concept, “teacher autonomy” and how both teacher autonomy and learner autonomy can lead to effective learning on the part of the students. Even getting exposed to new approaches to learner autonomy such as that by David Little “…learner autonomy is 'essentially a matter of the learner's psychological relation to the process and content of learning--a capacity for detachment, critical reflection, decision-making, and independent action' (Little, 1991: 4)” made available in the discussion thread by Petra was a good experience.

As I mentioned in the discussion thread, my attitude to one computer classroom concept used to be quite negative, that we couldn’t do much with one computer and that there is a lot that we could do, if we had a computer for each student. But, my attitude underwent a total change, when I read “Strategies and applications for the one-computer classroom” and took part in the discussion thread based on “One computer option”. Creating the sample activity for a one-computer classroom made this new understanding more felt and concrete.

Finding a “bird of the same feather” for the final project was not an easy task. But, it was really good that we are all ready to get to the one before the final step in the project.

Best

Tharanga

Week 6: …engaging students, the best practices and interactive PowerPoint, a step ahead in the project…

From the readings and discussion of Teaching Large Classes, and Using Technology in Teaching Large Classes, this week I learnt a lot of new things such as ConcepThinks, ConcepMaps, Scripted Cooperative Learning, etc and how we can implement those concepts or tools to enhance student learning in large classes. Going beyond just learning how to incorporate those into TLA activities, we learnt how to apply new technology to those tools and make them more effective to make the outcomes even highly effective.

After learning about the best practices and interactive PowerPoint, I felt that The presentations, I used to give, were very flat and lacked interest, interaction and effectiveness. Reading, discussing and learning about the best practices and interactive PowerPoint, I gained a lot of confidence not only to create a very good interactive powerpoint, but also to teach my students how to create a very effective presentation.

Creating the short interactive PowerPoint presentation was itself a lot interesting and the experience was a lot rewarding as it made me feel more confident about creating more and more better presentations.

I started writing my real project this week, which made me think about many possibilities that were open for me to design my WebBased English language learning course. But, I am now a little nervous, whether I have embarked on a very heavy project, that I will not be able to manage within the time-framework of the course.

Looking forward to week 6.

Tharanga

Week 06: Blog 1: Implementing the change.

Hi Robert, Donna and all

This is how I started writing about my project. This change is introduced to address the problems of managing the limited number of computers and classroom space as resources and to address the issue of lack of “intrinsic” motivation to learn English, as introduced under “ issue” in the previous blogs. The online course is a “chnge”, in view of the classroom based CALL course I used to conduct in the previous years.  

I am not sure whether writing about the project has be like this with an introduction, purpose, content, etc, format. Please comment, if I am not doing it in the right way. Besides, Since I am not teaching now, I am planning to lay out the plan for the design of the course and implement and start the course in 2012.

Web-Based English Language Learning Program

A project Plan to be implemented in 2012

1. Introduction/Background:

1.1 Introduction

This is a project plan on designing a web-based English language learning program to be implemented in 2012.

1.2 Student Population

Second year undergraduate students of the Faculty of Arts.  They are around 20 years of age. 

1.2.1 Language proficiency

‘Iintermediate’ level overall with slightly varying degrees individually. In their first year they have already undergone an English language learning course conducted by the ELTU of the university

1.2.2 Computer Literacy

They have also undergone the Basics in Computer Literary course conducted by the Computer Center of the University. Thus, they are already familiar with the basic tools used in relation to web technology.

1.2.3  Use of English

The medium of instruction in most of their content course units is English. Though they do most of their studies in the English medium, majority of them are not confident enough to use English language outside as well as inside the class rooms and they still need to develop their English language proficiency in all the areas of four skills.

1.3 ClassRoom Setting

Computer Aided Language Learning Centre of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka. The learning centre has 25 computers with internet and multimedia facilities. Outside the multimedia laboratory some students will have access to the internet at home and all can use the computers in the main computer laboratory of the university for use and internet access.

Purpose and Objectives: The objective of the project and the program is to create an online English language learning program to cater to the large number of students (around 400) who can not be physically accommodated in the Computer Aided Language Learning Centre with 25 computers, thus creating a virtual setting for all to take part in learning English. At the same time, the course and TLA ( teaching, learning and assessment) activities have to be made interesting to keep up the level of motivation for the students to continue to learn English.

Design of the Program (course)

The course is to be run based on one main web page with links to the four skills of sub sections which again have links to different modules, WebPages course descriptions, TLA activities.

This area is sketchy. I beg your pardon, it is still under construction.

Main Web Page

http://moodle.org/

http://ets.tlt.psu.edu/learningdesign/objectives/writingobjectives/

http://edtech.tennessee.edu/~bobannon/classifications.html

( I am planning to create the main page with Moodle, ( I haven’t tried Moodle yet, and if anyone knows a better way to create a main (manager) web page please let me know).

( I still have to plan the guidelines content and the “build” of the main page)

These are some of URLs of the web sites I will use as reference material for me and study material for my students.

Reading

http://iteslj.org/Lessons/Liang-ExtensiveReading.html

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/

http://www.parapal-online.co.uk/index.html

http://literacynet.org/cnnsf/

Listening   

http://www.elthillside.com/up/files/article4.doc              

http://www.esl-lab.com/

http://www.real-english.com/reo/1/unit1.html

Writing

http://www.blogger.com/                     

www.parapal-online.co.uk/eap.htm  

http://literacynet.org/cnnsf/

Speech                                   

http://www.real-english.com/reo/1/unit1.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/
https://sites.google.com/site/pronunciationstuff/
http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2008/03/17/the-best-sites-to-practice-speaking-english/
http://www.englishbaby.com
www.world-english.org

Vocabulary Development

http://fog.ccsf.edu/~lfried/

http://literacynet.org/cnnsf/

Stories in English

Grammar

http://fog.ccsf.edu/~lfried/

Conversations

www.ello.org/english

Projects

http://susangaer.com/studentprojects/

http://edtech.tennessee.edu/~bobannon/classifications.html

http://www.uoregon.edu/~dhealey/techtips/june2009.html

http://www.uoregon.edu/~dhealey/techtips/sept2009.html

http://www.blogger.com/

( I still have to fine more and better sites and plan the guidelines content and the “build” of these sub pages)

Reading                     Vocabulary Development

Listening                    Stories in English

Writing                      Grammar

Speech                      Conversations

Tharanga

Week 05: …PBL, web-quest, rubric, a potential change…

Once again, it was a week with a lot of new experience and learning. Introduction to project based learning was new experience and the opportunity to extend it to a web-quest opened up new possibilities to make LTLA (language teaching learning and assessment) activities more interesting and effective. Though time constraints did not permit me to do one this week, I am going to try it and incorporate it into my intended English language course.

I used to use rubrics for LTLA activities in my classes, but  they were all ones done by other people.  This week Icreated my first rubric and doing it with Rubistar was fun and interesting. This also gives the opportunity to attach web-based rubrics to the main web page of a course or relevant sections of a web page.

Writing about a potential change, provided the opportunity to be creative and think about various ways that technology can solve problems and come out with one best solution. We still have the opportunity to try our solutions in the time to come.

All in all, it was a very productive week and writing the blog at the end of the week keeps my writing skills also improving. I remember one of my teachers telling me if I wanted to improve my writing to write about something at least for 45 minutes everyday. I know I am doing it now, some during the week and the blog at the end of the week.

Tharanga

Week 04: …first lesson plan and a need driven project…

In the second semester of a program in theoretical linguistics, with a work load above the head and where nearly everything is scientific and where you have very little space to express yourself  might force one’s life to be boring. Quite contrary to that, the web-skills course I find offers space and scope for imagination and an opportunity to express myself. I wish I could contribute more to the discussion threads. But, right now it is a fight against time and a determination to never give up.

What was most important for me this week was leaning to prepare a lesson plan. This was my first lesson plan ever and, to add to its excitement was the “technology enhanced” part. It was enjoyable.

The discussion based on the evaluation, usefulness and effectiveness of the websites for reading, writing and vocabulary development provided me with an opportunity to learn not only a lot of websites that are really useful but also ways to evaluate the uses of a website. It also helped me find a gem like website: Learning Resources, which is my favorite now.

Writing about an ‘issue in the class that technology can help solve’ taught me to think about ways to plan need-driven class projects. This is quite contrary to what I used to do with regard to lesson planning and projects. All in all it was a week full of excitements and a lot of new learning.

Tharanga

Week 03: …Learning New Things…

Though it was one of the busiest weeks, I managed to complete the tasks and discussion threads. I am planning to do my project on a web-based English language learning course and was on a hunt for good web pages for developing aural and oral skills. This week’s task on discussion thread provided me with not only a large number of websites to be used but also the knowledge about how useful they are. I am already planning to include many of those websites to my web-based English language learning course.

Then the task on creating the Delicious page opened up a new world of possibilities to keep and keep track of the useful web sites by providing the opportunity to handle them on one page and share useful websites with our peers. This also can be incorporated into my courses where I get my students to create their own Delicious pages and use the very useful websites to improve their English.

And, writing the blog itself is highly effective where I get an opportunity to contemplate on what I learned, how useful it is and how I can apply the newly learnt things to my TLA activities. Though, I was just writing the blogs in the past two weeks, it was in this week that I fully realized how important the activity of writing the blog is.

Tharanga  

Week 2: …a great Going and Going…

Week 2: …a great Going and Going…

It has been a very productive week with a lot of new input and feedback. In the first phase, it really created a lot of new knowledge about the new search engines. Most of the search engines such as Intute, INFORMINE, Google Scholar etc proved to be very useful and I did not even know that they existed. Until then, I did not know even about the Google Scholar. What is important about these search engines is the way they direct us to important and reliable sites and articles for the specific information we look for.

  

Then, it was really exciting experience writing about learning objectives. I used to write learning outcomes or learning objectives for the courses I taught at university in the past, but I was never able to synthesize the meanings of students, background and conditions for TLA (teaching, learning, assessment) activities to get it onto one “objective statement”. This is actually what I learnt with writing clear objectives under ABCD method.

Posting the first sort of “getting into the real water” like paragraph for the final project was rewarding from a few perspectives. First, for me it established a very good background to sit and think about what I am really going to do for my project and in my real class. Second, It helped establish a good framework to think about working for an online English language teaching course. It was really good that we started to work on it this early so that we can think about and plan what we can incorporate   into our TLA activities from the input we get from this class (importantly) while the class is going on.

Another interesting thing is that though I was already familiar with the Blooms Taxonomy and used the components of its different domains for writing learning outcomes for my courses, this is first time, I heard and read about Taxonomy for Digital /Technology Domain. It was really interesting to learn the different domains in a hierarchical order such as literacy, collaboration, decision making, technology for learning, technology for teaching, and tech-ology (the study of technology). I think, I have reached the level  “technology for teaching” and if I get to the next level of tech-ology I will be better able to make effective use of technology for my TLA activities.

Tharanga

Week 1 : [A wonderful opportunity, a beginning and Going…

I felt very excited when I got the message about the opportunity to follow the Building Teaching Skills online course. I am someone who is always on the look out for the best methods to be used in language teaching, learning and assessment activities in classrooms. For a long time I have been looking for a course of this nature and I feel very privileged to have been able to join the course. With the new knowledge, methods and experience gained through the course, I wish to learn and do great things to facilitate language learning in my class rooms at my university in Sri Lanka.

I taught ESL to undergraduates in a computer and multimedia facilitated language laboratory at my university, but I hardly ever tried using wikis and blogs to assist my teaching, because I did not know how to use them effectively. What I have experienced in this week has convinced me of the huge potential it has for learning and sharing knowledge.

It is wonderful that being at home, without exerting ourselves much, we can teach, learn and take part in discussions. It is really interesting to see, we, from different parts of the world from different backgrounds, without having to travel thousands of kilometres loaded with luggage, are on one platform sharing in our knowledge and experience. Technology has made it possible and let us live with it and go ahead with it and we can really make use of the opportunities made possible by it in the days to come, only if we do it today.