Evaluation of New Teachnologies of LT

This is my frist time to use google site. I enjoy all the lessons in the course.  The blog gives me a room to think over the relationship between IT and education and I can also express my opinions there.  I feel very greatful to our teacher Dr. Christopher.  He always shows his enthusiasm, knowledge and support for the teaching.  He provides lots of IT information, links and "serious games" for us.   Surfing on internet is fun, but searching for useful links and information for teaching is not easy and very time consuming.  Each time Dr Chris teaches us to use the links and finish the in-class tasks.   Sometimes we discuss and slove the problems together.  I think it is good to raise the learning atmospher in the class. 

Besides doing the assignments, I never thought that I can apply the skills in my teaching.  I find that it is a very effective tools to draw my students' attention, motivation and interest in one component.  New technologies really paly an important role in nowaday's education system.  It gives an oppotunity for the students a way to continue to learn in second language, no matter in speaking, writing, reading and listening.  It is very amazing.  Once you have tried, you will know the advantage of it but you must willing to spend a lot of time on it.   I hope and I also belive I can have this passion and vision to use new teachnologies in my teaching in the future.

This is my first time to use google site, it is very fresh to me.  After taking this course, I can have one more planform to express my opinions.  I can also share my points of views with the others in the blog. 

About IT learning

Hi, Dr. Christopher,

Thank you for your comment.  After reading your reflection, I believe that study and play are not incompatible.  Here is an example of myself.  When I was nine, I found that I had learning differenty because I used to mix up with the left and right side of the Chinese words or English spelling.  My parents were very worry about my future and they felt very disappointed.  None of them could help, even the teachers because no one alert my problem until I became a teacher.

I found that some of the students got the same problem with me.  I tried to understand and taught them in another way.  I changed the letters into funny pictures and created stories to tell the meaning for them and it worked.  It inspired me to create some jokes, games and stories teaching in the class, especially to someone in need.  I found that this kind of method was also useful for me.  Therefore, I tried to make fun to learn for myself.  On the other hand, I wanted to know what’s my problem.  So I took some seminas and I know I belong to dyslexia but not serise.  I felt very lucky that I can study in University.  I will try my best to do and learn.  Sometimes I would like to choose tortoise to describe myself.  Although it is slow but never give up.

After taking this IT course, it really opens my eyes and mind.  It is because the new technologies let me entre the 21^st century skills and comopetencies.  You are right, it provides use with rich envitonments for simulated learning experiences and situated learning.  I think the digital games would be one of the very effective tools to enhance my students’ learning in writing and speaking.  This morning I tried to introduced my web-site to one of the colleages.  She felt very surprised and she said this idea was very freash , although she is more than fifty.  She also suggested me to put this web-site into the school surfer.  I felt very happy that at least someone can understand and receive the suggestion.  I hope this is the good beginning of IT teaching in English Subject.  

Summary on Week 12

Learner Autonomy and Tandem Learning

Summary:

In this article, Schwienhorst shows the insights on the relationship between pedagogy and technology.  He focuses on three different approaches to learner autonomy.  They are individual-cognitive, social-interactive, and experimental-participatory perspective.  He also talks about the use of asynchronous and synchronous communication tools and language learning structure, especially e-mail and object oriented multi-user domain (MOOS).  This is useful for learner autonomy in computer mediated environments.

Reflection:

I am agree with the author about the telecommunications envitonments CALL in the article.  I think it is useful and necessary in nowadays language learnning in schools.  But how do we put the priciples into practical?  It needs time to try and commit with the school headmaster, the colleagues and the parents.  Therefore, the article mentions about the learner autonomy and tandem learning is very important.  If we can provide the CALL at school, I think more or less it can motivate students' learning in or outside the classroom.  He or she may learn more independent. In fact, the schedual is very tight in school. Teachers need to follow and finish all the syllabus.  School and parents only expect the students can fulfill their expentation in acadamic.  Therefore most of the students don't know how to solve the problems or take care themselves, don't say critical thinking.  I've tried to squeese some time to introduce my web-site for my students to use before their exam.  Unluckly, it makes the classteacher unhappy.  She thinks it will make the students only paly with the computor and it may afftect their result.  So she suggests me show them after the exam or in the school picnic.  What a pity!  So the school support and colleguaes understanding is very important for promoting this CALL at school.

Summary for Week 10

Summary
In the article, Chinnery talks about the mobile technology language learning tools which can enhance the language learning environment, such as the Cell phones, Ipods, PDAs(Personal digital assistance) and the Portable digital audio players. Besides, he also introduces the benefits and challenges of them as they are easily utilized outside of the classroom. Therefore, the mobile tools take an advantage of their convenience for learning the second language in anywhere.

Reflection
I think the mobile phones contain lots of different funtions nowadays.  Through the mobile phones, people can receive and send messages, play games and taking photos and etc.  Although the mobile technologies are very popular, mobile-assisted learning into second language classrooms is not comment nowadays.   The main reason is they are too expensive and not many people can affort to buy.  Secondy, not many people would like to learn the second language in this way.  It may be a trend to use ipods, PDAs and cell phones in the future.  But as a teacher, the school work load has been very heavy, once to use this mobile technology in teaching, I think we need to be confident to use them.  Otherwise, it just waste time and money.  Lastly, the important thing we need to consider is it should be support by the school and the parents.

About digital storytelling

Reading

Bull. G.., & Kajder, S. (2004). Digital storytelling in the language arts classroom.

Learning and Leading with Technology, 32(4), 46-49.

Reflection 

Story telling and Share reading are one of the important parts for children when they were young in kindergarten.  It is because children may start to learn their first vocabulary or sentence structure in the stories.  Therefore, reading and writing are closely linked together.  Teachers and parents would like to let the children understand a lesson or express their feeling by telling stories.  Therefore story telling is a useful tool to educate and communicate with children as they cannot grow without stories.

Now the author introduce the digital storytelling is an updated technological teaching aids for teachers. Through this tool, students can improve their writing skills and at the same time it can also stimulate their imagination to create other new stories. Digital storytelling seems not difficult to use by the writers because they can use the tools like, Window Movie Maker and digital cameras in the beginning stage.  It is different from the traditional writing. The writers may have fun and bring their talent into full play and even their language and computer skills.  After knowing the technological story writing in last lesson, I will try to introduce this method to my students.

About my class website

Welcome to  my class website. Here you can find some different items, like Activities, Games and other useful links are provided. Students can choose the materials what they need to learn by following teacher's instruction.  Beside, parents and teachers can also use this website to share.  Enjoy youself.

Summary and Reflection on week 8

P. Ravi, (2005). COMMENTARY: YOU'RE NOT STUDYING, YOU'RE JUST... , Language Learning and Technology, 9(1),80-96

Summary

The article is about how technology can enhance the studies.  Ravi mentioned this entertainment-media could help someone who was weak in language learning.  It is because this software has the bi-lingual function.  It can change the language in different languages.  Even the deaf or blind people can use this software to learn because the virtual world formed through their interactions with other line players on the Internet. And it is a kind of value game for learning.  Students who has learning difficulties or find the homework difficult to understanding, he/she can try this software.  Their problems may be solved.

Reflection

New technologies are popular nowadays.  Parents are very general to buy education aids for their children.  However, I would like to try Ravi ‘s software mentioned in the article.  It is quite interest to me as we can learn more freely and easily on Internet with this kind of materials.  But we must try more to find the suitable one. After making some games for my students to use in the English lesson, I find that use IT learning really very interesting and amazing.  It really can motivate students’ motivation of learning.  Now I am more understanding playing can be a kind of learing. I will try more.

Summary and reflection on the Reading (Week 5)

Reading:
Lam, W. S. E. (2000). L2 literacy and the design of the self: A case study of a teenager writing on the internet. TESOL Quarterly, 34(3), 457-482

The study examined how a Chinese immigrant teenager, Almon, in writing on the internet on identity formation and literacy development of the ESL learning.  Even thought Almon had been in USA for five years, he was frustrated by the insufficient of English skills. However, he liked browsing information on the Web.  Later on, he constructed his home-page and started to chat with people in different places on internet.  He also used English to send e-mail.  Then, Lam collected data on Almon’s activities, on-line reflection text, school life and computer experience.  She found that Almon gradually developed the confident in writing English.  Technologies provide varied opportunities for ESL learners to engage in literacy experiences on the Internet, hence motivate Almon’s interest from browsing internet to constructed his identity in English to communicate with on-line friend and build up a relationship with peer.

Reflection:

Almon’s case lets me know more and understand more about the real use of technologies if we can make use of them.  I find that it is amazing to change one’s attitude of learning on internet.  Before I took this course, I recognized I know only a little about technologies.  I always blame on my students and friends don’t use the computer too much and we cannot communicate in this part.  But after reading more, specially, the case studies by the scholars, I gradually open my eyes and try to ask more about new technologies.  I will also try to ask my students use bloggings to learn English.  I believe that even the students may not contact teacher everyday, the internet may provide them varied opportunities to learn different language and information to upgrade themselves.  They may find more fun outside the classroom.   

Summary and Reflection on the Reading (Week 3)

Reading

The article in week 3, the authors introduce the history of the development of blog.  They mention on how to use blogging for Second Language teaching and learning in the classroom.  Most of the information on the Internet can be used for critical learning and literacy skills.  For teaching, the authors suggest setting up learning goals, teaching guidelines and planning tips.  The case studies show how teachers and students used the Internet-base in project-learning at different levels.  They include primary schools, secondary schools and even the Universities.  Therefore, the Internet is one of the important tools influent our teaching and learning and related in our daily life.

Reflection

Using blogging for Second Language teaching and learning in the classroom is not common in Hong Kong’s primary schools. Comparatively, finding information or doing exercises through the Internet is more popular for this purpose.  According to the article, the authors mention some teaching guidelines for teachers.  They are the immersion, integration, project-based learning, student-centered learning and learning with a purpose.  For me, I just use two to three of them in my teaching.  Usually, I would like to use project-learning in non-language lesson, like general studies in my class.  It is because G.S. subject is the starting point for the primary level students to learn with fun through the Internet.  They can use the internet to find the information which matches the topic.  And finally, they can also use the power point to present what their group has been concussed.  I had tied to use this methodology in language teaching before.  However, somehow it is not the same.  It is because language is divided into four domains, like listening, speaking, reading and writing.  Each of them has different approach.  Perhaps it may be suitable for using in the reading and writing domain.   On the other hand, if I were the students, I would like the teacher use student centered approach, because students can involve the group discussion activities.  Most of the time, children are innovation.  We may get some ideas from them, even the passive students would like to participate inside.  Therefore, I like this approach in my classroom.  For me, it is good in teaching and learning.

Interesting learning websites

After the discussion of the topic“technologies/website in the classroom” in week 2, the primary school teacher group makes me think about the use of technologies in our teaching. But how do we motivate our students in learning? It should be encouraging and interesting. The other thing is we should guild them the proper attitude and the right way to use of technologies. Therefore, I try to find some activities from the internet which related to this topic.
The first one is http://ihouse.hkedcity.net/~cm1006/hotpo/.  It contains different kinds of games for all primary level. For instance, matching game and crossword for lower forms, free writing for higher form etc., students may like to play and try it.

The second one is the phonics form BBC link http://cwp.hkcampus.net/phonics.html.  It is all about phonic. For example, CVC words, consonant clusters, long vowel sounds, high frequency words etc. It is very helpful for the students who are learning phonics.


The next one is the online children’s storybooks http://www.magickeys.com/books/index.html.  It illustrates children’s stories for kids of all ages. The important thing is, it is free, and the phonics links, riddles and colourbook can also been found here.

The last one is Bananas in pajamas http://www.abc.net.au/children/bananas/default.htm. The characters are very funny and colourful here. You can choose one of them to be your wallpaper as well. There are different games inside, such as memory games, mix”n”match, sing-a-long, etc. It is very suitable for the students “play to learn”.

So, if I put such links in my class blog as a part of teaching tools, I think it would be wealth wide to my students in motivate their learning.

New Technologies in Language Teaching

The reading of week two was talking about the history of weblogs as a tools for language teaching from the beginnging up to nowadays.  Weblogs are popula use in different domains of the world, such as learning, teaching, communication, finding information and also globle matters.

In the reading, it also talking about the students learning from the blogs. It not only provides a easy way for them to communicate with their friends, it can also provides an oppotunite for the students to have language learning and at the same time increases thier interest.

I think using blogs for learning foreign language (English) is one of the way for learning and communication. But for the primary students it may not easy for them except they were guided by the parents or teachers etc., it is because blogs also privdes a platform for sharing different ideas and informations. We need to follow up. 

However, some of the teacher would like to use the blogs for ask the students to comment and show their work. I think it is a good way to enhance student's learning and interest.  I may also to build up their confidence in foreign language.

Myself and my experience of technology in language teaching

Hello, I am Teresa.  I am a primary school teacher. I seldom use IT in my daily life because I am not famailiar with it.  But I do make use of technologies in my teaching, such as using Power Point, e-book, and online ETV, etc. because I think they are the easy ways for me to use in school.  Sometimes I may use Youtube in my class to show videos to my students too.

I hope I can learn more new technologies in this course to update myself.  If I can apply more technologies in my teaching, I think I will have more fun with my students during the lessons.  At the same time, it may stimulate their motivation of self learning after school.