my blog

Week 10: "Good Bye" Web-skill Course and "Welcome" Web-skill integration

2015-03-10T21:45:00.002-07:00

LoTI tools

As we come to the ‘terminal’ of the online Web-Skill Course in this week, it is tempting to look back in order to see what we have been through, where we have been and to congratulate ourselves as a field for all our accomplishments. During this course, we have been brought through a vast range of technology knowledge and tools to help teachers in and out of the classroom.

Going through the path of reminiscing and reflecting on the past, I can say that Blogging, interactive PowerPoint, Audio Podcast with AudioBoom, Delicious, Padlet Wall, Nicenet, Google Sites have been so influential for me to use predominantly outside the studying hours. These tools are not only captivating but also ideal for my students who need more practice outside the class.

Almost all of the topics during the course are enticing and working quite well for me, above all the learner styles, ABCD Objectives and How to assess our Level of Technology Integration.

With that in mind, I highly recommended this sort of online course for my friends and colleagues to take with the tips that once you take it, you have to be committed and do not do things in half way.

Since I had gone through all the Week 9 assignments by Friday, I started to brush through the Optional Reading Resources of Week 10. It was about how teachers assess their LoTI (Level of Technology Integration) which have several models, one of which I found simple is the SAMR framework but then it turns out that officially we just have to read the other two models (three tiers of State Washington and TIM of Florida).

Eventually, as this is the last and final week of the course, I would like to thank my instructors (Robert Elliot and Russell Moon) for all their effort, patience and their guidance without which I would not have stepped this far and my highest appreciation goes to RELO, US Embassy Jakarta, Indonesia as my sponsor for this course program, especially to Ms Jennifer Uhler, Ibu Ayunda Siagian , as well as to "Politeknik Negeri Medan" for the support. Last but not least, to all my course mates, I want to say that I really enjoyed our "togetherness". THANK YOU for all the "fun". I am going to miss this camaraderie and looking forward to keeping in touch with y'all.

Week 9 : Technology for Multiple Intelligence and Final Project Report

2015-03-06T01:21:00.001-08:00

The 9^th week discussion covers the most prominent knowledge for teachers to succeed in teaching as it breaks down the different learner styles which teacher should realize and conduct the lesson accordingly.
As usual, our instructors provide the resources of the topic which I go through and I also search some additional videos and articles to get more comprehensive insight, such as: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPkMeIYiISA (multiple intelligence and technology) and

http://www.onestopenglish.com/support/methodology/teaching-approaches/making-the-most-of-multiple-intelligences/155773.article . From the latter website article, I learn that teachers really need to figure out the student learning styles particularly when encounter problem with the students. I am interested in the way David Lazear recognize learner styles. He gave an experimental task, as follows:

“A man and a woman are going for a walk. They want to walk arm in arm, but their steps are of different lengths. In fact, the woman’s step is two thirds of the man’s step. They start at the same time, and their first step is onto their left foot (so they are both standing on their right foot when they make the first step). Obviously, since the woman’s step is shorter and they want to walk together, she will have to take more steps than her partner in the same amount of time. How many steps will they each have to take before their left feet hit the ground at the same time again?”

The way the learners work out the task reflects the learning style. For examples, the one who tries to work the problem out through maths, often in the form of a more or less complex equation, is a logical learner while others who start drawing a graph on a piece of paper, with the man’s steps first then divide these steps into the smaller steps of the woman and try to figure out the answer are visual learners. The ones trying to solve the task in a rhythmical way, i.e. by trying to ‘tap out’ the couple’s footsteps are surely Musical learners. What is your way then?

I learn that PowerPoint, infografic and Webquest are some tech tools which can deal with Multiple Intelligence in class. Then, I also manage to create a Webquest about “Understanding Present Participle and Past Participle as Adjectives”. The link: http://zunal.com/webquest.php?w=274848. I also learn that PowerPoint can do digital storytelling project with PowerPoint narration feature, which appeals to Verbal, Musical and Visual learners. Check it out on the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZp3jumnWUg (PowerPoint to record narration)

The steep learning curve is on the final project work. After completing the discussion post, I amend and revise my project draft to include some additional ideas and fix some wordings which are open to more than one interpretation. I really have FOMO (Fear of Missing Something) so it takes me quite some time to read it over and over before giving the report a final touch and ‘hand’ it to ‘Wiki’.

Finally, during this web skill course, I have read lots of technology articles and craved for more. Let’s hope that it won’t turn me into infobesity. I like to be tech-life balance.

Week 8: Final Project Draft and Tech-tools for exercises

2015-02-28T22:47:00.004-08:00

Unbelievable! Our Web Skill Course is inching to the final Project work submission. It is week eight, a super busy week. We are inquired to complete the Project Draft for Peer Review by the mid week and to checklist (comment on) our peer’s draft by the end of the week.

In accordance with the template provided, I managed to carry the job through in time even though I had to burn midnight oil. No intent for lament, though. My project draft is about using technology tools such as blogging and podcasting to solve students’ problem, fostering the speaking skill and enhancing students’ writing skill outside classroom by writing their reflection about what they have learned in blog and then record it in the Audioboom.

The reflection written enables students and me to see how well they have got the lesson and their ability to express it in writing then the Audioboom recording to see how well they can speak out.

This week discussion and task thread are combined into one post which is about tech tools to compose exercise, test and flash cards.

The Hot Potatoes includes six applications, creating Multiple-choice, jumbled-sentence, matching and gap-fill exercises for the World Wide Web.
I created a virtual classroom using Nicenet and an interactive exercise utilizing Hot Potatoes. http://uk3.hotpotatoes.net/ex/133000/WURVSDBX.php is the URL for the interactive exercise, which you can visit.

Flash Cards: Reducing Your Study Time

2015-02-24T06:41:00.001-08:00

Week 7: Student autonomy and Padlet

2015-02-19T21:17:00.001-08:00

Wall Vandalism is a crime! Why does it happen? Vandals exhibit their boredom, anger, defiance or alliance by expressing it on the wall to bring public attention. Isn’t it a freedom of speech, or a doer’s ‘autonomy’? I strongly doubt that. However, there is a legitimate means to do ‘graffiti’ on ‘the wall’ and to foster learner autonomy concurrently. These are the topics of the sixth week’s discussion and task. Ha! This is fun and let’s read more.

Despite its popularity since the last two decades, Learner autonomy is actually not a new thing although it has existed in different names. An early pioneer in the development of educational basis for modern language teaching claimed that “One of the chief characteristics of a good method consists in enabling learners to dispense with the assistance of a teacher when they are capable of self-government” (Marcel: 1853). Nevertheless, it was Western education that first took student autonomy into the ‘mainstream’ approach, which means the incorporation of learner autonomy as a goal in national curricula. Richard C Smith argued that this ‘strong version’ of classroom-based pedagogy for autonomy has a more durable significance with reference to some examples from the past.

In the autonomy practice students might be engaged in taking charge of classroom-based learning in as many of the following areas as possible: ‘determining the objectives; defining the contents and the progressions; selecting methods and techniques to be used; monitoring the procedure of acquisition . . . (rhythm, time, place, etc.); evaluating what has been acquired’ (Holec, 1981).

Jiao (2005, p.28) gives four substantial reasons in support of learner autonomy for English learning: 1) It enhances the learner’s motivation and leads to more effective learning. 2)It provides learners with more opportunities for English communication in a non-native environment. 3) It caters to the individual needs of learners at all levels. 4) It has a lasting influence.

So once the students can learn autonomously, they can progress more and fast.

One of the tools that can promote student autonomy is Padlet Wall, on which teacher posts a specific theme to invite students to ‘vandalize’ the ‘Wall’ with ideas, feedbacks, their notes, their reflections on learning and even attach the linked URLs of their homework, related video and articles to support their ideas. This WallWisher can also be utilized for polling activity, like ‘Who is the best teacher of the year?’ and as a story board, creating dialogue, comic or movie collaboratively online. Therefore, ‘Graffiti On Wall’ is not a bad idea after all.

This week, we are asked to choose a peer for proofreading our final project work. I am paired up with Ta, my course mate from Thailand. She is diligent, critical and friendly. I am glad to have her in the team. Actually, this is a super busy week as the Lunar New year falls on the fourth day of the week, There are a lot of things to be accomplished but I was excited because of family gathering which is highlighted by my daughter and son’s coming back.

Week 6: Techniques to engage students

2015-02-12T15:18:00.001-08:00

Tell me and I will forget. Teach me, I will understand. Involve me, I will remember.” This proverb has been my motto, especially while I am teaching. I think this is the rationale why an interactive classroom which engages students in the learning is more effective than a one-way classroom. Nevertheless, engaging and motivating students can be challenging, particularly in a class of 30 students with different levels of English.

This week’s articles focus on how to enhance learning by engaging students. Frankly, it is not a brand new thing for me. I always involve my students with activities, role plays, discussions, presentation. However, I do acquire some precious techniques to blend in. I like the interactive lecture techniques about “Think-Pair-Share” for students to share their response to the teacher question, “Concept Test” to show student conceptual understanding, and “One Minute Write” for students to state the most difficult part of the lesson. I also love the method of disseminating the lesson content before the class in the form of PowerPoint documents via email or through Dropbox. Recently there is a trend of “Flipping your class”, a new method of teaching in which students watch the lessons at home, communicating with peers and teachers via online discussion while concept engagement takes place in the classroom with the help of teachers (video clip: http://vimeo.com/70893101; http://youtu.be/iQWvc6qhTds ) Moreover, I learn how to unleash the advance power of PowerPoint, utilize Concept Test, Blank Slide and Hyperlinks to actively engage students during the slide show.

Regarding the Project Step, we are asked to implement the technology tools to solve the problem in our class. As a matter of fact, I have done it weeks before. At first, when I introduced the tech-tools to them, I could see some doubt on most of the students, due to the workload of their core subjects or difficulties to stay connected to internet. But, I told them my school-time experience about practicing speaking in front of the mirror, which would be much more unfavorable than what they need to do with the aid of technology today then I asked them to visit my blog as well as my audio podcast in Video Boom. I managed to talk them into it. They were enthusiastic and excited. Now they have their own blogs and start to write their reflections about the class. They also have their accounts with Audio Boom and began to record their voice regarding the reflection written in blog. Some of them have tried to link their audio podcasts to their blogs. They are quite happy to be able to use the tools to express themselves in English and I observe some of the shy students start to speak English. In the event, I tell myself that I have to bring this to the next level by setting a virtual classroom for my students to stay connected with peers and teacher outside the class. The website that can help is Nicenet which is free and easy to access.

Go on with your blogging and podcasting

2015-02-09T00:54:00.001-08:00

listen to ‘Go on with your blogging and podcasting’ on audioBoom

Week 5 Project Based Learning

2015-02-06T06:40:00.001-08:00

Time flies. Unconsciously, we are in the half way of our journey and getting closer and closer to the final project. As always, the week starts with reading articles to provide us with adequate knowledge about the topics of the discussion and tasks. Some of the articles I found interesting are:

1. http://www.ascd.org/cache/publications/educational_leadership/sept10/vol68/num01/Seven_Essentials_for_Project-Based_Learning.aspx (Seven Essential things for PBL)

2. http://www.ncsall.net/index.html@id=385.html (PBL instruction by Susan Gaer)

3. http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning-getting-started-resources#graph2 (edutopia about expert opinions of PBL)

4. Creating A Rubric : Tutorial

This week our discussion is about the PBL (Project Based Learning), one of which goals is to enhance the 21st century skills (collaborative, communicative, critical thinking and technology). PBL is a dynamic approach to teaching in which students explore real-world problems and challenges. With this active and engaged learning, students are inspired to get a deeper knowledge of the subjects. Sylvia Chard (University of Alberta) said “The major advantage of PBL is that it makes school more like a real life.”

PBL activities are arranged to fit students with different learning styles to exhibit their acquired knowledge. The projects you want to start should be appropriate to a range of grade levels and subject areas and should have the value for the students, school or community. A successful PBL in EFL class usually focuses on real-world subject matters, involves student collaborations, accommodates a clear focus on form and other aspects of language, and is process and product oriented. That’s why, it takes a thorough plan which includes the time frame, fund, the roles as well as stages of process and assessment. For the project assessment, Rubric is set with the dimensions (tasks) to be evaluated and the specific criteria to evaluate the tasks. Rubrics help teachers to assess the performances of students, and show students how teachers grade their work. I have created a Rubric for a Reading Comprehension class using “Rubistar”. (http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php?&screen=ShowRubric&rubric_id=2508588&)

For the project step this week, I have to propose some technology related tools to resolve the major issues in my EFL class, which is “Students cannot express themselves well.” Google Docs helps students practice writing and teachers respond to the work outside the classroom. Audio Boom aids students to practice speaking through Podcasting, while Blogging lets students write their reflections about what they learn monthly and share it within peers and teacher. These activities outside classroom with the help of technology will motivate students and improve their speaking/listening and writing skills. Hopefully, students will get used to and get confident in expressing themselves in English.

Week#4 : Writing/Reading Skills, A Students’ Need-Driven Approach, Tech-Enhanced Lesson Plan

2015-01-30T01:37:00.000-08:00

In one of the articles that I read, Isabella Villa Boas elaborated how to use social media (Blogs and Ning Network) to promote process writing. She quoted Bloch: "Blogs are an ideal resource for teaching writing because they are easy to create and maintain, supportive for group work, feedback and collaboration and enable students to write outside the class." (http://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/49_2_4_boas_0.pdf)

In my opinion, having a class blog is a great idea to encourage the students to give more comments or opinion without hesitation as they are not exposed to any audience.

So I started to introduce my students about blogging and other tech-tools and I plan to have the students conduct pre-writing, drafting, peer review and revising using the blogs in writing task. I have also explored how to use www.vocabulary.com to increase the vocabulary acquisition and www.storybird.com for enhancing the reading and writing skills. I plan to implement these tools in my class gradually.

The Project task step this week is to identify our students’ problem and their need in order for us to develop suitable tech-tools to overcome the problem. I always know the problem of my class and all this time I just applied the conventional ways to solve it. Now I realize that technology can do me a big favor.

Eventually, the significance comes from composing a technology-enhanced lesson plan. I am sure that making lesson plan is ubiquitous for teachers but this one is rather different. First I had to think of a lesson to teach then which technology tools can contribute for a better result, next have to fit it to the format provided. We are suggested to write the lesson plan using Google.docs which is quite similar to Microsoft Word 2003.

As the week passes, more and more tech-tools and knowledge are accumulated in my portfolio.

Soothing tension with a laugh

2015-01-22T21:01:00.002-08:00

In The Restaurant.

+ Waiter! There's a fly in my soup!
- Don't worry, sir. The spider on your bread will kill it.

+ Waiter! What's this fly doing in my soup?
- I think it's swimming, sir.

+ Waiter! What's this fly doing on my ice cream?
- I think it's learning to ski, sir.

+ Waiter! Your thumb is in my soup!
- Don't worry, sir. it's not very hot.

+ Waiter! I'll have coffee without milk, please.
- We haven't got any milk, sir. Would you like coffee without cream?

+ Waiter! This coffee tastes like soap!
- Ah, that must be tea, sir. The coffee tastes like glue.

+ Waiter! How long will my pizza be?
- It won't be long, sir. I'll be round.

(quoted from one stop English, http://www.onestopenglish.com/skills/writing/miscellaneous-worksheets/at-the-cinema/151791.article)

Week #3 : Aural/Oral skills websites, Delicious & Project's 'big picture'

2015-01-21T21:18:00.002-08:00

The third week kicked off with some of the aural/oral skill-enhancement articles to read and some websites to explore. The articles I went through are "The Employment of CALL in Teaching Second Language Speaking Skills", "Teaching Pronunciation to Adult English Language Learners", and "Some Techniques of Teaching Pronunciation". As to the Websites, the extraordinary ones are :
1. www.audioboom.com : provides amenities to record our voice and put it on line, to share the audio clip with friends, to send (receive) audio mails even to listen to daily and up to date news. visit my URL: https://audioboom.com/linarusli to share a voice.
2. www.onestopenglish.com : offers a wide range of English Learning and testing including all skills, also enable us to access thousands of learning resources, news lessons with topical articles, authentic audio materials. It also offers a solution to our teaching dilemma and even the chance of having our best teaching idea published with the lesson shared competition. However, this is not a 100% free site which I address as a 'Freemium' site (some are free and others are Premium). We have to be a member staff with USD 68 annual subscription fee to obtain an unlimited access. I plan to incorporate the materials from 'one stop English' especially the business lesson for my correspondence class and as well guide them to sign up for the audio boom's account so that they have some recordings to practice speaking and share them with peers and teachers for listening skills.

The next task is to create a DELICIOUS account to book-mark on line the Website Links. The sign-up is free and does not take a long time. You know, I used to bookmark my favorite or relevant web links in my laptop browser but had problems of retrieving them using other computers. Besides that, when I need to share the web links, I have to email them. That is quite a job. With Delicious, now I can access all the bookmarked links anywhere, anytime with any computer. What an efficient 'secretary' it is. Access my Delicious URL, https://delicious.com/linarusli, we can share the wonderful web links!

Last but not least, after scrutinizing one of the previous final project report written by Mrs Zlatka Dyankova, I got a bird's eye view of the format. It is useful, as my own final report is said to be somewhat similar to it. Here, Mrs Zkatka Dyankova, a female teacher in Bulgaria, had her students collect information on sports and games by searching on the net and learn the English through sports using the website http://www.zunal.com/webquest.php?w=52104 she created. her expectation was to change the monotonous passive class into an active one by integrating technology tools.

Week #2: Web Searching,' ABCD' writing

2015-01-13T21:20:00.002-08:00

Week one has passed and now we are in the mid of week two. I have learnt so many things, web searching, technology tips and ABCD style of writing. I am so interested in the technology tools incorporated to conduct this course, especially ICA (International Classroom Assistance) which I think will be very useful to apply in the class I teach. Using ICA, I can create an on line classroom with the students. Lecture notes can be posted before the actual class, as well as assignments. Students who are slow in picking up the lessons can review it anytime they want. It's wonderful.
However, I still haven't had a comprehensive view how to set up the class with ICA so far. I plan to ask my instructors, Russel and Robert later on. Right now I am so occupied with the assignments out of which I have completed two, and am still working on the other three. wow! five assignments a week. In spite of the tight schedules for assignments, this on-line course is quite wonderful. The course mates are friendly, active and knowledgeable. The materials of the course are resourceful and up to date. Not to mention the instructors are supportive, inspiring and very qualified. However, I strongly believe that all participants really take pains in keeping up with the schedules, practicing the try and error method which is very time consuming and sometimes exhausting.

Week #1: creating A Blog

2015-01-07T01:33:00.000-08:00

What I harvest from establishing my blog: The term 'Blog' may be somewhat intimidating for a conventional person. Well, it used to be for me, but with greater understanding, it feels somewhat like a personal diary. Before the start of this class, I absolutely had no idea nor experience in creating a blog. Now, I do realize that blog is a fundamental and critical means to express my feelings or things I want others to know. In addition, I discover that the blog entries are open to comments and inputs by viewers. What I think about creating a blog: Challenging yet exciting with the blog setting tips succintly given.