Sunday, September 26, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Week 10: A new beginning
Don't be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetime, is certain for those who are friends. ~Richard Bach
Many of you have written in your final posts on their blogs and in our Nicenet discussions that although we have come to the end of this course this doesn't necessarily mean that we have to break all the links between us. Remember that we live in an amazing age! Today's Information Technologies enable us to be in touch with everyone everywhere. I strongly believe in the saying that if there is a will there is a way.
These past ten weeks have been amazing both for my personal and professional development. I am eager to disseminate and share the knowledge I gained from this course with my students and colleagues. I sincerely hope that the participants of this course will embark on collaborative projects where we'll show our students all the values of intercultural education.
Good luck to all of you and keep up the good work!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Week 10: Stay in touch!
These past weeks have been amazing, not only because I learned so much that I can hardly wait for the new school year to begin, but also because I've been provided with an excellent opportunity to meet and learn from wonderful teachers from different parts of the world.
Now I would like to keep in touch with all of you! Yes, we can do it via Nicenet, e-mail, blog and our wiki, but in my humble opinion, Twitter is the best way to connect with like-minded teachers and to learn from the greatest minds of the ELT. Yes, there are many of those that we mentioned during the course: Larry Ferlazzo, Richard Byrne, Sean Banville, Sue-Lyon Jones, Scott Thornbury, Ken Wilson, Ana Maria Menezes, Graham Stanley and many, many more who can enrich your teaching experience.
I have been "tweeting" for more than a year now and I have developed my own PLN = Personal (or Professional) Learning Network of passionate educators from all over the world.
If you are not familiar with Twitter take a look at my presentation about it or visit this guide.
If you already are on Twitter, you can find me on @abfromz (which means Arjana Blazic from Zagreb)
Now I would like to keep in touch with all of you! Yes, we can do it via Nicenet, e-mail, blog and our wiki, but in my humble opinion, Twitter is the best way to connect with like-minded teachers and to learn from the greatest minds of the ELT. Yes, there are many of those that we mentioned during the course: Larry Ferlazzo, Richard Byrne, Sean Banville, Sue-Lyon Jones, Scott Thornbury, Ken Wilson, Ana Maria Menezes, Graham Stanley and many, many more who can enrich your teaching experience.
I have been "tweeting" for more than a year now and I have developed my own PLN = Personal (or Professional) Learning Network of passionate educators from all over the world.
If you are not familiar with Twitter take a look at my presentation about it or visit this guide.
If you already are on Twitter, you can find me on @abfromz (which means Arjana Blazic from Zagreb)
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Week 9: Learning strategies
This week I have been reading not only about multiple intelligences and learning styles, but also about learning strategies. I strongly believe that the instruction of learning styles and learning strategies can help students become better learners.
As stated in The Five C’s (or the goals of foreign language learning standards, which are Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons and Communities), by becoming aware of their learning strategies, students’ motivation increases. On the one hand they become confident and self-reliant language learners, and on the other, they become familiar with various techniques for language learning, which focus on their thinking processes. However, students should also be taught how and when to apply the strategies.
There are two types of learning strategies, according to the Five C’s: Metacognitive and Task-based Learning Strategies.
Metacognitive strategies focus on reflection. Students analyze and reflect upon their own learning. In this way they are able to see their own strengths and weaknesses. There are four metacognitive strategies:
• Organize/Plan Your Own Learning
• Manage Your Own Learning
• Monitor Your Own Learning
• Evaluate Your Own Learning
Task-Based Strategies address students’ own resources. There are four categories:
• Use What You Know (e.g. background knowledge)
• Use Your Imagination (e.g. role-play)
• Use Your Organizational Skills (e.g. summarizing)
• Use a Variety of Resources (e.g. the Internet).
In Chapter 5 of Sailing The Five C's with Learning Strategies, you can find different activities that you can use with your students. All of them focus on different learning strategies mentioned above.
As stated in The Five C’s (or the goals of foreign language learning standards, which are Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons and Communities), by becoming aware of their learning strategies, students’ motivation increases. On the one hand they become confident and self-reliant language learners, and on the other, they become familiar with various techniques for language learning, which focus on their thinking processes. However, students should also be taught how and when to apply the strategies.
There are two types of learning strategies, according to the Five C’s: Metacognitive and Task-based Learning Strategies.
Metacognitive strategies focus on reflection. Students analyze and reflect upon their own learning. In this way they are able to see their own strengths and weaknesses. There are four metacognitive strategies:
• Organize/Plan Your Own Learning
• Manage Your Own Learning
• Monitor Your Own Learning
• Evaluate Your Own Learning
Task-Based Strategies address students’ own resources. There are four categories:
• Use What You Know (e.g. background knowledge)
• Use Your Imagination (e.g. role-play)
• Use Your Organizational Skills (e.g. summarizing)
• Use a Variety of Resources (e.g. the Internet).
In Chapter 5 of Sailing The Five C's with Learning Strategies, you can find different activities that you can use with your students. All of them focus on different learning strategies mentioned above.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Week 9: Multiple Intelligences
I have been reading about different learning styles and multiple intelligences with pleasure.
I have never taught in such a way as to make my students aware of how they are learning, but after this week's readings, I think it is very important to introduce different learning styles to students.
This extract from Dr. Felder's Learning Styles has been an eye-opener to me:
When mismatches exist between learning styles of most students in a class and the teaching style of the professor, the students may become bored and inattentive in class, do poorly on tests, get discouraged about the courses, the curriculum, and themselves, and in some cases change to other curricula or drop out of school. Professors, confronted by low test grades, unresponsive or hostile classes, poor attendance and dropouts, know something is not working. They may become overly critical of their students (making things even worse) or begin to wonder if they are in the right profession.
Yes, I have questioned myself if I am in the right profession! Now I can see that a balance needs to be achieved for successful teaching and learning to take place.
However, with every new class I do a quiz on multiple intelligences which helps my students to find out which intelligences they are strongest in. They greatly appreciate it as it boosts their self-esteem and confidence. You can find several printable quizzes here, as well as the lesson plan on how to use them in class. The materials were developed by teachingenglish.org. BBC British Council.
I have never taught in such a way as to make my students aware of how they are learning, but after this week's readings, I think it is very important to introduce different learning styles to students.
This extract from Dr. Felder's Learning Styles has been an eye-opener to me:
When mismatches exist between learning styles of most students in a class and the teaching style of the professor, the students may become bored and inattentive in class, do poorly on tests, get discouraged about the courses, the curriculum, and themselves, and in some cases change to other curricula or drop out of school. Professors, confronted by low test grades, unresponsive or hostile classes, poor attendance and dropouts, know something is not working. They may become overly critical of their students (making things even worse) or begin to wonder if they are in the right profession.
Yes, I have questioned myself if I am in the right profession! Now I can see that a balance needs to be achieved for successful teaching and learning to take place.
However, with every new class I do a quiz on multiple intelligences which helps my students to find out which intelligences they are strongest in. They greatly appreciate it as it boosts their self-esteem and confidence. You can find several printable quizzes here, as well as the lesson plan on how to use them in class. The materials were developed by teachingenglish.org. BBC British Council.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Week 8: Creating online exercises
Many of my colleagues have mentioned the importance of introducing test makers to students. If we teach them how to make exercises on their own, they will become involved in the learning process. In this way, students will become aware of the importance of their engagement and their new role in the classroom. Eventually, they will take control over their learning. The teacher will be there to guide them, facilitate the learning process or simply someone to lean on when problems arise.
In a comment to my previous post I mentioned an influential post by Doug Johnson from The Blue Skunk Blog: Creating Empowered Users where he says that instead of saying "Here's how you do it", we should ask the student "What have you tried?". By being LESS helpful, the teacher actually empowers the students to think independently, to rely on themselves and to become autonomous.
So far I have introduced my students to exercise-building on the ITESLJ website, where you can see some of their bilingual quizzes. However, what my students did, was to write the words in two languages and send them in an email to the site administrator who generated the quizzes. I believe that my students would enjoy going through all the stages of the quiz making process. Over the next school year I am going to make use of this weeks’ recommended websites and I am sure my students will benefit greatly from being involved in test making, be it only for practising purposes. Besides, I might use some of their creations for “real” test, which will make them more engaged and motivated.
In a comment to my previous post I mentioned an influential post by Doug Johnson from The Blue Skunk Blog: Creating Empowered Users where he says that instead of saying "Here's how you do it", we should ask the student "What have you tried?". By being LESS helpful, the teacher actually empowers the students to think independently, to rely on themselves and to become autonomous.
So far I have introduced my students to exercise-building on the ITESLJ website, where you can see some of their bilingual quizzes. However, what my students did, was to write the words in two languages and send them in an email to the site administrator who generated the quizzes. I believe that my students would enjoy going through all the stages of the quiz making process. Over the next school year I am going to make use of this weeks’ recommended websites and I am sure my students will benefit greatly from being involved in test making, be it only for practising purposes. Besides, I might use some of their creations for “real” test, which will make them more engaged and motivated.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Week 8: Tools for enhancing learning
This week we have been given a great list of test makers that I am looking forward to trying out.
Besides HotPotatoes, I have used the following quiz generators that I can recommend:
ESL Videos – teachers open an account, embed a YouTube video and create a multiple choice quiz. After the quiz is done, you can copy the embed code of the quiz and paste it into your blog, wiki or website. Otherwise, you can leave the quiz on the ESL Video website.
Scroll down to do my latest video listening quiz: All Summer Long by Kid Rock. In this quiz students are given a list of three synoynms to choose from.
Shakira’s Waka Waka is also a quiz on synonyms, while Mungo Jerry’s Summertime and Robbie Williams’s How do you rate the morning sun is a quiz for practising confusing words – homophones.
While listening to Mika’s Rain students students can practise phrasal words.
Besides HotPotatoes, I have used the following quiz generators that I can recommend:
ESL Videos – teachers open an account, embed a YouTube video and create a multiple choice quiz. After the quiz is done, you can copy the embed code of the quiz and paste it into your blog, wiki or website. Otherwise, you can leave the quiz on the ESL Video website.
Scroll down to do my latest video listening quiz: All Summer Long by Kid Rock. In this quiz students are given a list of three synoynms to choose from.
Shakira’s Waka Waka is also a quiz on synonyms, while Mungo Jerry’s Summertime and Robbie Williams’s How do you rate the morning sun is a quiz for practising confusing words – homophones.
While listening to Mika’s Rain students students can practise phrasal words.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Week 7: The new teaching is learning
Last weekend I participated in the Reform Symposium Conference, an online conference organized by enthusiastic educators worldwide who believe that teachers are capable of bringing change into the classroom.
One of the quotes that best describes the essence of the conference was The new teaching is learning by Monika Hardy, a passionate math teacher whose students want to redefine school for improved learning, where they are responsible for their learning.
This perfectly sums up what we have been discussing this week. Students have to learn to take control over their own learning. Teachers need to direct their students to follow the path of independence and autonomy. In order to facilitate this process with competence, teachers themselves must be autonomous and comitted to lifelong learning.
One of the quotes that best describes the essence of the conference was The new teaching is learning by Monika Hardy, a passionate math teacher whose students want to redefine school for improved learning, where they are responsible for their learning.
This perfectly sums up what we have been discussing this week. Students have to learn to take control over their own learning. Teachers need to direct their students to follow the path of independence and autonomy. In order to facilitate this process with competence, teachers themselves must be autonomous and comitted to lifelong learning.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Week 7: One-computer classroom - the current state of affairs
First I have to describe the situation in my school regarding the use of the classrooms. As we share the school premises with a vocational school, we have simply-furnished classrooms where students remain stationary and the teachers move from one classroom to another. However, we don’t share all the classrooms with the other school. There are several labs that are only ours, such as the two computer labs with Internet access, and the two foreign language labs. Only one of the language labs is equipped with a computer with Internet access and a projector. There are 8 language teachers at my school so we have a sign up a list for this lab as well, just like for the computer labs.
Unfortunately, the lab remains locked during breaks, so I read the article Self-access – A Framework for Diversity by Michael Rodden with envy. There is absolutely no possibility for me and my fellow language teachers to create a student corner at school, where our students would have access to materials connected with language learning, such as dictionaries, newspapers, brochures, postcards and other memorabilia that we bring from our trips to target language countries (besides English, German, Italian and French are taught at my school).
Also, as the financial situation won’t allow us to buy software for language teaching and learning in the near future (schools have always been underfunded), we have to rely on the free resources available on the Internet. For this reason I set up a website together with two of my enthusiastic colleagues. I’m in charge of the English pages where I post links to all the free interactive materials that have instant feedback. Occasionally, I write my own materials. As it was the first of its kind in Croatia, the website became so popular that it is now used by students from all over the country who are preparing for their school-leaving exams. Since its launch in December 2009, it has been visited by more than 183,000 students (with more than 10 million hits). You can visit the Moja matura page here.
I sometimes use the links from the website in the one-computer classroom, but I have to admit that it is much more useful when students do the exercises individually or in pairs at their own pace, especially as they can check their answers immediately.
Unfortunately, the lab remains locked during breaks, so I read the article Self-access – A Framework for Diversity by Michael Rodden with envy. There is absolutely no possibility for me and my fellow language teachers to create a student corner at school, where our students would have access to materials connected with language learning, such as dictionaries, newspapers, brochures, postcards and other memorabilia that we bring from our trips to target language countries (besides English, German, Italian and French are taught at my school).
Also, as the financial situation won’t allow us to buy software for language teaching and learning in the near future (schools have always been underfunded), we have to rely on the free resources available on the Internet. For this reason I set up a website together with two of my enthusiastic colleagues. I’m in charge of the English pages where I post links to all the free interactive materials that have instant feedback. Occasionally, I write my own materials. As it was the first of its kind in Croatia, the website became so popular that it is now used by students from all over the country who are preparing for their school-leaving exams. Since its launch in December 2009, it has been visited by more than 183,000 students (with more than 10 million hits). You can visit the Moja matura page here.
I sometimes use the links from the website in the one-computer classroom, but I have to admit that it is much more useful when students do the exercises individually or in pairs at their own pace, especially as they can check their answers immediately.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Week 6: My Interactive PowerPoint presentation
I have finally managed to create an interactive PowerPoint. Although it took me more time than I originally planned for it, I did it with pleasure.
This presentation represents the beginning of my project. It is not finished yet, as there are many other questions and elements that can be added (such as Think-Pair-Share or Quick-Write for example). Before my students embark on their inquiry-based learning journey, I would like to show them what the end result should look like. Of course, I don't want to impose shapes, forms, features or elements of the PowerPoint presentation upon them, so this presentation is only an example, not a rule that must be followed. My students will present their findings on English speaking countries, so I decided to create my presentation on a country that won't be included in the webquest.
The title of the presentation is Cultural Profiles: Croatia and it can be seen here.
This presentation represents the beginning of my project. It is not finished yet, as there are many other questions and elements that can be added (such as Think-Pair-Share or Quick-Write for example). Before my students embark on their inquiry-based learning journey, I would like to show them what the end result should look like. Of course, I don't want to impose shapes, forms, features or elements of the PowerPoint presentation upon them, so this presentation is only an example, not a rule that must be followed. My students will present their findings on English speaking countries, so I decided to create my presentation on a country that won't be included in the webquest.
The title of the presentation is Cultural Profiles: Croatia and it can be seen here.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Week 6: Project Task 4: Report shaping up
As I'm not teaching this summer, I can't begin to implement the planned project in my class. But what I can do is to write about it so that when I get back to school, it'll be ready for implementation.
My draft report is due to my partner (I still don't know who that will be, or whose project I will evaluate) by August 11, and it is slowly shaping up. At the beginning of this course I had only a vague idea about what it was going to be, but the readings from Week 5 were truly eye-opening and helped me decide on the topic and the tool.
Webquests present an opportunity for implementing something new not only for me, but also for my students. My plan is to create a long-term webquest that actually consists of several webquests, on the topic of English speaking countries. Groups of students will be given a list of countries to choose from. For each country I am going to prepare a webquest with detailed tasks to avoid confusion. Students will also be given assessment rubrics so that they know what is expected of them. The final product will be in the form of an interactive Power Point presentation given by groups of students. Before the beginning of the project, I think it'll be helpful to show my students how to create interactive presentations. Thus, the project will begin and end with presentations, and as it progresses, the teacher-centered classroom will gradually turn into a student-oriented environment.
My draft report is due to my partner (I still don't know who that will be, or whose project I will evaluate) by August 11, and it is slowly shaping up. At the beginning of this course I had only a vague idea about what it was going to be, but the readings from Week 5 were truly eye-opening and helped me decide on the topic and the tool.
Webquests present an opportunity for implementing something new not only for me, but also for my students. My plan is to create a long-term webquest that actually consists of several webquests, on the topic of English speaking countries. Groups of students will be given a list of countries to choose from. For each country I am going to prepare a webquest with detailed tasks to avoid confusion. Students will also be given assessment rubrics so that they know what is expected of them. The final product will be in the form of an interactive Power Point presentation given by groups of students. Before the beginning of the project, I think it'll be helpful to show my students how to create interactive presentations. Thus, the project will begin and end with presentations, and as it progresses, the teacher-centered classroom will gradually turn into a student-oriented environment.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Week 6: Giving up control
As this course is progressing, I’m learning more and more about how teaching with technology can make students engaged. I thought that I was integrating technology in my classroom in many of my lessons, when I was actually doing nothing but showing off with colorful slides, lively animations and shiny web-based tools.
I think I am now ready to create a learner-centered environment. I have just read a wonderful post on the What Ed Said blog. In her post, Edna expresses her own past and present ideas about teaching, learning and assessment. The differences between then and now are reflected in my teaching as well.
Among other things, I too used to think that the teacher and the students should perform completely different roles. Today, my students glow with pride when they teach me how to use a web tool or a gadget; I’m committed to lifelong learning and I do it with great joy.
Furthermore, I strongly agree with Edna that the classroom doesn’t need to be quiet. Noise is acceptable if the students are involved in the discussion. Chaos isn’t. If I manage to create an engaging learner-centred environment, chaotic situations can easily be avoided. I know that I still have to learn a lot about learner engagement. But, I am convinced that my answer to Deborah’s question from her Power Point presentation is definitely in the affirmative: Yes, I’m willing to give up control.
I think I am now ready to create a learner-centered environment. I have just read a wonderful post on the What Ed Said blog. In her post, Edna expresses her own past and present ideas about teaching, learning and assessment. The differences between then and now are reflected in my teaching as well.
Among other things, I too used to think that the teacher and the students should perform completely different roles. Today, my students glow with pride when they teach me how to use a web tool or a gadget; I’m committed to lifelong learning and I do it with great joy.
Furthermore, I strongly agree with Edna that the classroom doesn’t need to be quiet. Noise is acceptable if the students are involved in the discussion. Chaos isn’t. If I manage to create an engaging learner-centred environment, chaotic situations can easily be avoided. I know that I still have to learn a lot about learner engagement. But, I am convinced that my answer to Deborah’s question from her Power Point presentation is definitely in the affirmative: Yes, I’m willing to give up control.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Week 5: Focus on inquiry and collaboration
Up to now I have carried out several different technology related projects, but it was only this week that I found out about webquests. This week was a real eye opener for me.
This week I created my first webquest ever. Developing a webquest itself isn't difficult at all, as all we need to do is follow the precise guide on Zunal, but when we want to write a webquest from scratch, it is a good idea that we already know what we want to do, how we plan to carry it out, what is expected of students, what the final product will be and how students will be evaluated. We must dedicate quite an amount of time and a lot of effort if we want to develop a well-written webquest. However, it is definitely worth it, as the possibilities are immense and I'm sure the students will find it motivating and rewarding.
I have made a decision: From now on, the projects in my class will be focussed upon inquiry-based tasks!
I also strongly support my colleagues' suggestion to connect our students. They will significantly benefit from the collaboration with students from different parts of the world, not only in language learning, but also in learning about other countries, their people and their traditions, which will lead to mutual understanding and respect. Last Septmeber I launched a project with my students, called Greetings from the world. They were supposed to create multimedia posters known as Glogsters, about different parts of their own country. We are really proud because we have been joined by 300 students and their teachers from 10 countries who shared their posters with us. My students were provided with the opportunity to learn with and from their peers and this has been a one-of-a-kind experience not only for them, but for me too.
This week I created my first webquest ever. Developing a webquest itself isn't difficult at all, as all we need to do is follow the precise guide on Zunal, but when we want to write a webquest from scratch, it is a good idea that we already know what we want to do, how we plan to carry it out, what is expected of students, what the final product will be and how students will be evaluated. We must dedicate quite an amount of time and a lot of effort if we want to develop a well-written webquest. However, it is definitely worth it, as the possibilities are immense and I'm sure the students will find it motivating and rewarding.
I have made a decision: From now on, the projects in my class will be focussed upon inquiry-based tasks!
I also strongly support my colleagues' suggestion to connect our students. They will significantly benefit from the collaboration with students from different parts of the world, not only in language learning, but also in learning about other countries, their people and their traditions, which will lead to mutual understanding and respect. Last Septmeber I launched a project with my students, called Greetings from the world. They were supposed to create multimedia posters known as Glogsters, about different parts of their own country. We are really proud because we have been joined by 300 students and their teachers from 10 countries who shared their posters with us. My students were provided with the opportunity to learn with and from their peers and this has been a one-of-a-kind experience not only for them, but for me too.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Week 5: I found what I was looking for
One of the issues I’m likely to encounter in my class is students’ lack of motivation. After reading Susan Gaer’s article “Less Teaching and More Learning” (1998) I believe I have found a solution to my problem. The solution is called Project-Based Learning(PBL. Gaer’s article is a real revelation to me.
She gives examples of how she managed to achieve what we are all striving for: a learner-centered environment where the teacher is only a facilitator and where the students perform their tasks with excitement. To learn with excitement? Is it really possible? I strongly believe it is, provided that the teacher thoroughly prepares the project. Although Gaer argues that advanced students will create projects by themselves, I don’t think that this is possible in my school, because the students have been taught in a traditional way in almost all the subjects they have studied so far. However, after a certain period of time and a number of projects carried out, I think they will be able to devise their own projects according to their needs and wishes.
It is important that the project is well-prepared in advance. In order to do this the teacher must understand his/her students and know their learning styles. Students are different, their needs differ as well, and so do their learning styles. I think it might be a good idea to carry out several projects in one class. According to the Sun Associates’s article A Project-Based Learning Activity About Project-Based Learning (2003) there are four types of learning styles:
1) Spatial/Visual learner
2) Language-oriented learner
3) Kinetic learner
4) Logical learner.
In the article, the learning styles are thoroughly explained and examples are given for the teachers to choose what is the most appropriate for his/her class.
She gives examples of how she managed to achieve what we are all striving for: a learner-centered environment where the teacher is only a facilitator and where the students perform their tasks with excitement. To learn with excitement? Is it really possible? I strongly believe it is, provided that the teacher thoroughly prepares the project. Although Gaer argues that advanced students will create projects by themselves, I don’t think that this is possible in my school, because the students have been taught in a traditional way in almost all the subjects they have studied so far. However, after a certain period of time and a number of projects carried out, I think they will be able to devise their own projects according to their needs and wishes.
It is important that the project is well-prepared in advance. In order to do this the teacher must understand his/her students and know their learning styles. Students are different, their needs differ as well, and so do their learning styles. I think it might be a good idea to carry out several projects in one class. According to the Sun Associates’s article A Project-Based Learning Activity About Project-Based Learning (2003) there are four types of learning styles:
1) Spatial/Visual learner
2) Language-oriented learner
3) Kinetic learner
4) Logical learner.
In the article, the learning styles are thoroughly explained and examples are given for the teachers to choose what is the most appropriate for his/her class.
Internet connection
This past week I noticed that our Nicenet classroom was a bit quieter than over the first three weeks. While my colleagues’ absence was justified by teaching, grading, testing or other important events such as a wedding, I struggled with the lack of Internet signal. I spent this week on the Island of Murter on the Adriatic Sea, and before the trip I bought a mobile Internet USB stick. Unfortunately, the strength of the signal was too low and more often than not all I could get was the unwanted “cannot open the page” message.
On Sunday afternoon I went to another island, up north, called Krk (BTW, did you know that in the Croatian part of the Adriatic there are around 1200 islands, but only 66 are inhabited?), where I am going to spend the next 10 days with my family. Luckily, the Internet access doesn’t seem to be an issue here so I’ll be able to fully participate in the discussions of the following weeks.
On Sunday afternoon I went to another island, up north, called Krk (BTW, did you know that in the Croatian part of the Adriatic there are around 1200 islands, but only 66 are inhabited?), where I am going to spend the next 10 days with my family. Luckily, the Internet access doesn’t seem to be an issue here so I’ll be able to fully participate in the discussions of the following weeks.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Week 4: Reading/Writing/Vocabulary Skill-Building
Krajka’s article Using the Internet in ESL Writing Instruction (2000) gives detailed descriptions on how to teach writing in secondary schools, with emphasis on different writing genres. This article is also an excellent resource of links to web-based materials necessary for teaching writing.
However, there are certain points that I disagree with. Krajka argues that “the teacher's wide computer expertise and his active role both before and during the on-line lesson are the most crucial keys to the success of such a lesson”. While the teacher’s deep involvement in all aspects of a CALL lesson is undeniable, I strongly disagree with Krajka’s argument that teachers should be computer experts if they want to integrate technology in their classroom, because such a notion is likely to influence the majority of un-tech-savvy teachers to refrain from using Interent based resources in their calssrooms. I believe that they must be encouraged to make use of the available on-line materials. Besides becoming aware of a number of advantages of on-line instruction, such as contemporary content, possibility of collaborative activites, no cost (mostly) or the authenticity of web based content, not tech-savvy teachers should be informed about possible technology mulfunctions, which are quite common so that it definitely can’t be their fault if something goes wrong; neither should they feel embarrassed if they encounter a problem that is outside their domain to repair. These are the reasons why they should prepare a “contigency” lesson plan so that they are ready for any uncalled for situation.
Krajka also argues that CALL should be employed in a class with at least four and preferably six hours of English per week. Would this mean that technology can’t be integrated in “general track” secondary schools in Croatia, with only three 45-minute lessons of English a week? I strongly oppose this view. In my opinion, the number of weekly EFL lessons is not an obstacle and it can’t be an excuse for not using computers in the classroom. I would suggest teachers rather skip certain units from the coursebook in exchange for web-based materials, because of the abovementioned advantages for technology-enhanced teaching.
I used to be a teacher who strictly followed the coursebook, only rarely venturing on topics not covered by the textbook. Probably because as a Non-Native English Speaker, the coursebook always seemed to offer a “safe haven”. However, research has shown that computer technologies can enhance vocabulary building and reading proficiency (Constantinescu, 2007). To this I would also add our last weeks’ readings and discussions, in which we emphasized the importance of technology in the acuqisition of speaking and listening skills, along with pronunciation teaching.
Another important point is that coursebook nowadays are accompanied not only by
CDRom-s, but also by the IWB materials and webpages for each of the units. This and the available web-based resources allow the teachers to tailor the required coursebook to the needs of the 21st century learners.
However, there are certain points that I disagree with. Krajka argues that “the teacher's wide computer expertise and his active role both before and during the on-line lesson are the most crucial keys to the success of such a lesson”. While the teacher’s deep involvement in all aspects of a CALL lesson is undeniable, I strongly disagree with Krajka’s argument that teachers should be computer experts if they want to integrate technology in their classroom, because such a notion is likely to influence the majority of un-tech-savvy teachers to refrain from using Interent based resources in their calssrooms. I believe that they must be encouraged to make use of the available on-line materials. Besides becoming aware of a number of advantages of on-line instruction, such as contemporary content, possibility of collaborative activites, no cost (mostly) or the authenticity of web based content, not tech-savvy teachers should be informed about possible technology mulfunctions, which are quite common so that it definitely can’t be their fault if something goes wrong; neither should they feel embarrassed if they encounter a problem that is outside their domain to repair. These are the reasons why they should prepare a “contigency” lesson plan so that they are ready for any uncalled for situation.
Krajka also argues that CALL should be employed in a class with at least four and preferably six hours of English per week. Would this mean that technology can’t be integrated in “general track” secondary schools in Croatia, with only three 45-minute lessons of English a week? I strongly oppose this view. In my opinion, the number of weekly EFL lessons is not an obstacle and it can’t be an excuse for not using computers in the classroom. I would suggest teachers rather skip certain units from the coursebook in exchange for web-based materials, because of the abovementioned advantages for technology-enhanced teaching.
I used to be a teacher who strictly followed the coursebook, only rarely venturing on topics not covered by the textbook. Probably because as a Non-Native English Speaker, the coursebook always seemed to offer a “safe haven”. However, research has shown that computer technologies can enhance vocabulary building and reading proficiency (Constantinescu, 2007). To this I would also add our last weeks’ readings and discussions, in which we emphasized the importance of technology in the acuqisition of speaking and listening skills, along with pronunciation teaching.
Another important point is that coursebook nowadays are accompanied not only by
CDRom-s, but also by the IWB materials and webpages for each of the units. This and the available web-based resources allow the teachers to tailor the required coursebook to the needs of the 21st century learners.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Week 4: Is motivation an issue?
I'm going to integrate technology in my class of 27 16-year-old students, who I'll be teaching for second year in a row.
I already introduced technolgy enhanced learning in their class on two occasions last year: They described themselves briefly in a post on a social networking site, Ning, which I opened for this purpose. Students were extremely motivated to do this task, as their work was published on-line and read by their peers. However, as the Ning network was private and no students from other schools or countries joined us, they soon lost interest in pursuing it any longer. Having had other things to teach, I didn’t encourage them with the introduction of possible new topics, so that the network communication slowly died out.
The other computer assisted lesson was on Earth Day, when I pledged to go paperless, along with more than a thousand teachers worldwide. I introduced the topic of Earth Day to my students with an online quiz, followed by a video listening quiz on more environmental topics. After that I showed them a video on how to make Zimmertwins animated movies. Zimmertwins is a free tool for creating cartoons. Again, this activity sparked students’ interest which resulted in a number of lively animated movies. The activity, however, never gave rise to a series of cartoons created with no teacher incentive.
I don't believe that motivation will be an issue in my class next year, as we all know that students eagerly do what they like. The problem is how to keep them motivated.
I already introduced technolgy enhanced learning in their class on two occasions last year: They described themselves briefly in a post on a social networking site, Ning, which I opened for this purpose. Students were extremely motivated to do this task, as their work was published on-line and read by their peers. However, as the Ning network was private and no students from other schools or countries joined us, they soon lost interest in pursuing it any longer. Having had other things to teach, I didn’t encourage them with the introduction of possible new topics, so that the network communication slowly died out.
The other computer assisted lesson was on Earth Day, when I pledged to go paperless, along with more than a thousand teachers worldwide. I introduced the topic of Earth Day to my students with an online quiz, followed by a video listening quiz on more environmental topics. After that I showed them a video on how to make Zimmertwins animated movies. Zimmertwins is a free tool for creating cartoons. Again, this activity sparked students’ interest which resulted in a number of lively animated movies. The activity, however, never gave rise to a series of cartoons created with no teacher incentive.
I don't believe that motivation will be an issue in my class next year, as we all know that students eagerly do what they like. The problem is how to keep them motivated.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Week 3: Developing aural/oral skills
As my colleagues have already mentioned, the further we go the tougher it gets. However, although this week's task occupied most of my time, I had a feeling that I fulfilled my requirements with more vigour and zeal than before.
Besides Delicious, we were given a number of readings on teaching listening, speaking and pronunciation along with several websites to explore. The most interesting moment for me was to compare how approaches to teaching pronunciation have changed over the years. In Teaching Listening Comprehension P. Ur (1984) argues that teachers should sensitize students to the existence of notions such as rhythm, stress and intonation, but not go further than that. In her opinion, teaching these patterns is completely unpredictable as they are idiosyncratic and thus too varied to have true value in teaching pronunciation.
On the other hand, M.G. Busà in her New Perspectives In Teaching Pronunciation, claims that a more balanced approach to teaching pronunciation has been adopted over the recent years, with a stronger emphasis on prosody. Busà argues that this significant shift occured because of technology and the development of a variety of speech recognition systems.
Teachers nowadays have access to an array of web-based resources that they can use with their students to practise pronunciation. There is no need, however, to completely eliminate a foreign accent, but the fact that a particular accent can be acquired is unquestionable, as seen in this video, where actress Amy Walker repeats one and the same sentence in 21 different accents.
You might also be intersted in The Speech Accent Archive, a project run by the faculty of the George Mason University.
Besides Delicious, we were given a number of readings on teaching listening, speaking and pronunciation along with several websites to explore. The most interesting moment for me was to compare how approaches to teaching pronunciation have changed over the years. In Teaching Listening Comprehension P. Ur (1984) argues that teachers should sensitize students to the existence of notions such as rhythm, stress and intonation, but not go further than that. In her opinion, teaching these patterns is completely unpredictable as they are idiosyncratic and thus too varied to have true value in teaching pronunciation.
On the other hand, M.G. Busà in her New Perspectives In Teaching Pronunciation, claims that a more balanced approach to teaching pronunciation has been adopted over the recent years, with a stronger emphasis on prosody. Busà argues that this significant shift occured because of technology and the development of a variety of speech recognition systems.
Teachers nowadays have access to an array of web-based resources that they can use with their students to practise pronunciation. There is no need, however, to completely eliminate a foreign accent, but the fact that a particular accent can be acquired is unquestionable, as seen in this video, where actress Amy Walker repeats one and the same sentence in 21 different accents.
You might also be intersted in The Speech Accent Archive, a project run by the faculty of the George Mason University.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Week 3: Deliciously Organized
I jumped at the opportunity to create my own Delicious page. Delicious is a social bookmarking site: bookmarking because you can keep all your favourite sites online, so that they're accessible anywhere anytime; and social because you can connect with like-minded people who want to share their favourite links. Is there anything better than sharing and connecting?
Anyway, creating a page was fairly simple, especially with my Yahoo account. I easily installed the Bookmarklet on my editor bar so that I can access the page with just a click.
Adding pages wasn't difficult at all. However, I believe that the Notes part of the bookmark should contain relevant information, so that our network members immediately know what the site is about.
Still, there is one tiny disadvantage. There are no folders on Delicious, you can group your links according to tags only. I think with folders my Delicous page would be easier to browse, but perhaps it's only the force of habit.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
In between weeks
The second week's tasks are completed. I submitted a number of comments to my colleagues' Nicenet posts as well as to their blogs, but right now I'm asking myself if I could have commented more than that. Because it's the diligence and the hard work of my dear colleagues from all over the world that makes me question my work so far.
Up to now I have attended several webinars, but never have my coursemates been so persevering in carrying out their weekly tasks, so willing to provide helpful advice, so responsive to participants' needs as in this course. It is with great pleasure that I'm taking part in this course.
As we're now at the end of the demanding second week, I'd like to show you a video about the importance of librarians, which we discussed in several Nicenet posts. It's a video created by students and faculty of the Washington University. I hope you don't mind that the librarians are singing to Lady Gaga's song Pokerface. Please consider it to be just a little treat for the end of the week.
Up to now I have attended several webinars, but never have my coursemates been so persevering in carrying out their weekly tasks, so willing to provide helpful advice, so responsive to participants' needs as in this course. It is with great pleasure that I'm taking part in this course.
As we're now at the end of the demanding second week, I'd like to show you a video about the importance of librarians, which we discussed in several Nicenet posts. It's a video created by students and faculty of the Washington University. I hope you don't mind that the librarians are singing to Lady Gaga's song Pokerface. Please consider it to be just a little treat for the end of the week.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Week 2: Looking back ... and ahead
We were assigned four different tasks this week. I made a decision to start off with the least demanding task, which in my opinion was web searching.
I thought I knew everything about it, so how difficult could it be? "Everything" ranged from knowing how to use the google searchbox to understanding the difference in the results I get if my query is safely placed between quotation marks.
The first look at the NoodleToons site, showed how wrong I was. A window to a broad scope of various search engines opened up in front of me. Eager to try something new, my first choice was the Virtual LRC. Unfortunately, the hits this search engine came up with were not satisfactory and I didn't recommend it to my colleagues.
I also learned some tricks of the trade, such as the Boolean operators, the + and - characters and wildcards, which Camelia explained so clearly in her Nicenet posts. To this I would add the domain limit searching which I found in a video tutorial on the Washington University Libraries website. It means that if we use a colon with a three-letter domain (:edu) we can narrow down our search to some extent. We can also use the address of the website to limit the results even further.
My next task was a description of my class, which I did both in a Nicenet post and in a blog post, where I also wrote about the ICT in Croatian schools.
The most challenging task was to write objectives in the ABCD style. I did all the readings, both recommended and required, which helped me immensely in setting my lesson plan objectives. The work done by my colleagues was of great help to me as well, especially Azhar's excellent summary of the learning objectives.
The fourth task was to edit pages of our wiki. I'm familiar with Wikispaces, but had never used Google wikis before. What I found out was that they have similar functions so that I easily added two links and placed a blue pin on the apartment building where I live.
And finally, the last task (number 5, in fact) was writing a reflection on Week 2. All in all, it was a demanding week but I can say that I learned a lot and I'm already looking forward to Week 3.
I thought I knew everything about it, so how difficult could it be? "Everything" ranged from knowing how to use the google searchbox to understanding the difference in the results I get if my query is safely placed between quotation marks.
The first look at the NoodleToons site, showed how wrong I was. A window to a broad scope of various search engines opened up in front of me. Eager to try something new, my first choice was the Virtual LRC. Unfortunately, the hits this search engine came up with were not satisfactory and I didn't recommend it to my colleagues.
I also learned some tricks of the trade, such as the Boolean operators, the + and - characters and wildcards, which Camelia explained so clearly in her Nicenet posts. To this I would add the domain limit searching which I found in a video tutorial on the Washington University Libraries website. It means that if we use a colon with a three-letter domain (:edu) we can narrow down our search to some extent. We can also use the address of the website to limit the results even further.
My next task was a description of my class, which I did both in a Nicenet post and in a blog post, where I also wrote about the ICT in Croatian schools.
The most challenging task was to write objectives in the ABCD style. I did all the readings, both recommended and required, which helped me immensely in setting my lesson plan objectives. The work done by my colleagues was of great help to me as well, especially Azhar's excellent summary of the learning objectives.
The fourth task was to edit pages of our wiki. I'm familiar with Wikispaces, but had never used Google wikis before. What I found out was that they have similar functions so that I easily added two links and placed a blue pin on the apartment building where I live.
And finally, the last task (number 5, in fact) was writing a reflection on Week 2. All in all, it was a demanding week but I can say that I learned a lot and I'm already looking forward to Week 3.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Week 2: Placing my class in broader context
All elementary and secondary schools in Croatia have free broadband Internet access via ADSL and are equipped with at least one computer lab. In 2005, the Ministry of Education introduced computer literacy training as an integral part of teacher education programs in the form of ECDL courses. Approximately 5,000 elementary and secondary school teachers obtain the European Computer Driving License every year.
The Ministry also launched the project of providing free e-mail addresses for all the students and teachers in elementary and secondary schools as well as the creation of schools’ websites. All the teachers and students have been given a digital identity, which enables them to use various services, such as online courses that teachers can use in class, E-courses for teachers, E-learning academy, E-library, online quizzes and the distant learning portal (LMS) among others.
In reality, of course, things work in a different way. The majority of my students own a computer with Internet access and are well-versed in at least one form of the new web-based technologies, but sadly, computers come only as a distraction from learning. Only rarely do they use computers for learning.
As for teachers, although most of them are computer literate, they don’t go beyond the basics. Nevertheless, they still want to enhance their teaching with technology, which brings me to the point of the number of studetns who share a computer.
26 computers for 500 students doesn't sound promising at all. Add to this a growing number of "tech-savvy" teachers and what you get is a mad scramble for the two labs. Hence it is that we have a sign up list for the labs, run by the IT teacher on the first come first serve basis. I don’t have to tell you how frequently she is buttonholed by ‘tech savvy’ teachers who want to book a lab before anyone else does. Because the teachers who sign up will never give up their "right", no matter how urgently other teachers need the lab.
This is a photo of one of the labs:
The Ministry also launched the project of providing free e-mail addresses for all the students and teachers in elementary and secondary schools as well as the creation of schools’ websites. All the teachers and students have been given a digital identity, which enables them to use various services, such as online courses that teachers can use in class, E-courses for teachers, E-learning academy, E-library, online quizzes and the distant learning portal (LMS) among others.
In reality, of course, things work in a different way. The majority of my students own a computer with Internet access and are well-versed in at least one form of the new web-based technologies, but sadly, computers come only as a distraction from learning. Only rarely do they use computers for learning.
As for teachers, although most of them are computer literate, they don’t go beyond the basics. Nevertheless, they still want to enhance their teaching with technology, which brings me to the point of the number of studetns who share a computer.
26 computers for 500 students doesn't sound promising at all. Add to this a growing number of "tech-savvy" teachers and what you get is a mad scramble for the two labs. Hence it is that we have a sign up list for the labs, run by the IT teacher on the first come first serve basis. I don’t have to tell you how frequently she is buttonholed by ‘tech savvy’ teachers who want to book a lab before anyone else does. Because the teachers who sign up will never give up their "right", no matter how urgently other teachers need the lab.
This is a photo of one of the labs:
Monday, June 28, 2010
Where in the world are you?
The beginning of Week 2 brought a new task, which, I'm happy to say, I managed to complete, although it didn't look promising at the beginning.
We were supposed to put a pin on the world map that Deborah has created for us, so that we not only see where in the world we live, but take a bird's view of our homes.
I thought I was on familiar ground with Google sites and wikis, but I struggled with the map for quite some time, mostly because I couldn't find the EDIT button. Sometimes a simple thing can be the biggest obstacle. Anyway, I managed to find it and I zoomed the map to where I live, found my apartment building and drag-and-dropped the blue arrow. In a pop up window I wrote a short description of the location of my home.
This is what the world map looks like now, but I hope my fellow bloggers soon add their blue pins.
Being a visual type of person, I find Deborah's idea of creating a world map really valuable, as in this way my virtual fellow bloggers are becoming real. Add to this their photos and what we get is an online course with a touch of face to face communication.
We were supposed to put a pin on the world map that Deborah has created for us, so that we not only see where in the world we live, but take a bird's view of our homes.
I thought I was on familiar ground with Google sites and wikis, but I struggled with the map for quite some time, mostly because I couldn't find the EDIT button. Sometimes a simple thing can be the biggest obstacle. Anyway, I managed to find it and I zoomed the map to where I live, found my apartment building and drag-and-dropped the blue arrow. In a pop up window I wrote a short description of the location of my home.
This is what the world map looks like now, but I hope my fellow bloggers soon add their blue pins.
Being a visual type of person, I find Deborah's idea of creating a world map really valuable, as in this way my virtual fellow bloggers are becoming real. Add to this their photos and what we get is an online course with a touch of face to face communication.
Catching up
Friday was a holiday here in Croatia, so I grabbed the chance to go to the Adriatic with my family. It was a computer-free weekend as I don't have access to the Internet in this small village.
I was absent for only THREE days, and I'm now in awe of my assidious course mates who posted 82 messages and a plethora of blog posts, comments and useful links.
I definitely have some catching up to do! And I'm looking forward to it immensely.
I was absent for only THREE days, and I'm now in awe of my assidious course mates who posted 82 messages and a plethora of blog posts, comments and useful links.
I definitely have some catching up to do! And I'm looking forward to it immensely.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Week 1: Blogging with students: My experience
Today I did my reading on Blogging for ELT . The article strenghtened my belief in the importance of blogging with students as a new learning tool.
I also read two excellent posts by fellow bloggers Azhar and Cami, where they give examples of how to engage students in blogging projects.
Now I would like to share my personal experience with you. I have been blogging with my students for a year now. However, we started off with Ning, which is rather a social network, not a blogging platform, although blogging and commenting are possible. The reason I chose Ning was that it presented the opportunity to create a virtual classroom and a safe environment. Now I must say that my students were 16 years old at that time and all of them had been well-experienced in social networking websites in general and Facebook in particular.
However, most of them were first-time bloggers and this is where our Ning network proved of great value in helping them overcome their fears of having their thoughts read by a wide audience of known and unknown readers. After some time we opened up the door to a class of sophomores from Colorado and both blogging and commenting flourished.
Later on I created a Learner Blog on Edublogs. Each of my students was given their own blog and I was proud when I saw how positively they responded to the new environment. However, at the end of school year they told me they were in favour of the Ning site, as it gave them a strong sense of belonging and togetherness.
I also read two excellent posts by fellow bloggers Azhar and Cami, where they give examples of how to engage students in blogging projects.
Now I would like to share my personal experience with you. I have been blogging with my students for a year now. However, we started off with Ning, which is rather a social network, not a blogging platform, although blogging and commenting are possible. The reason I chose Ning was that it presented the opportunity to create a virtual classroom and a safe environment. Now I must say that my students were 16 years old at that time and all of them had been well-experienced in social networking websites in general and Facebook in particular.
However, most of them were first-time bloggers and this is where our Ning network proved of great value in helping them overcome their fears of having their thoughts read by a wide audience of known and unknown readers. After some time we opened up the door to a class of sophomores from Colorado and both blogging and commenting flourished.
Later on I created a Learner Blog on Edublogs. Each of my students was given their own blog and I was proud when I saw how positively they responded to the new environment. However, at the end of school year they told me they were in favour of the Ning site, as it gave them a strong sense of belonging and togetherness.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Week 1: The beginning of a new learning journey
I have just embarked upon a new learning adventure and I'm very pleased to be one of the 30 life-long learners from all over the world who decided to spend their summer holidays on learning how to enhance their teaching practices with new technologies.
The course "Building teaching Skills Through The Interactive Web" is taking place on Nicenet, a virtual classroom. Having introduced ourselves to other course members, we have now taken on a new task of creating our new blogs, where we will reflect upon what we learn from each other and how we can use our newly-acquired knowledge in the classroom.
I have been blogging for quite a while and creating a new blog specifically for this course was not a difficult task for me. By following the step by step guide, a new blog can easily be created.
This blog is my window to the world and I'm looking forward to sharing ideas and thoughts with you.
The course "Building teaching Skills Through The Interactive Web" is taking place on Nicenet, a virtual classroom. Having introduced ourselves to other course members, we have now taken on a new task of creating our new blogs, where we will reflect upon what we learn from each other and how we can use our newly-acquired knowledge in the classroom.
I have been blogging for quite a while and creating a new blog specifically for this course was not a difficult task for me. By following the step by step guide, a new blog can easily be created.
This blog is my window to the world and I'm looking forward to sharing ideas and thoughts with you.
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