What things have you covered in today’s sessions?
Blogs
On day 5 (which is my day 2) we started off by checking each other's blogs and with a wrap-up off how we can use blogs in language classes.
What things have you covered in today’s sessions?
Blogs
On day 5 (which is my day 2) we started off by checking each other's blogs and with a wrap-up off how we can use blogs in language classes.
Blogs can be used as teacher's blog for reflective practice or as resource platform where lesson plans, ideas, activities can be shared by other teachers. In addition, they can also be used as student's blog in which learning process can be monitored via e-portfolios. In other words, it keeps students thinking about their learning process.
Watch Russell Stannard's short video below on 5 Reasons to Learn to Blog:
Another idea that can also be implemented might be keeping a class blog by making all students in one class make contribution, however, as Russell Stannard has told us, class blogs can become a complete mess where each student do things differently. I also agree with that. More structured platforms like Edmodo and Moodle can be used if we want our students to contribute in discussions and other kinds of activities.
The next thing we covered was how to use Blogger, a blogging platform by Google, more effectively by making changes on posts, formatting, labels, gadgets, design etc. A key issue that should be kept in mind while making changes on your posts is consistency about the use of fonts, headings, colors, and sizes of pictures we add. Being consistent and being able to make changes on these will allow you to make your blog look better and more professional. Click on the following link on how to make changes on your blog by Russell Stannard.
Free Websites
Another highlight of today's session was breakingnewsenglish.com which is a free website that offers more than 2000 English lessons with various interesting activities. The best part of this website with giant content is that you can choose every single activity in different levels from 1 to 7. The activities cover current topics on World News, Business News, Entertainment, Technology, Science. Almost all of the activities can be done online or some can be printed for classroom use.
Another useful free website is listenaminute.com created and run by the same person who created breakingnewsenglish.com. Listenaminute.com also has rich online content made up of 400+ listening tracks and lots of exercises at different levels for each track. The content of the tracks, exercises and the website itself is very similar to breakingnewsenglish.com and very easy to use.
Screen Capture Technology
In the afternoon, we were introduced to Screen Capture Technology and its place in Blended Learning. After having seen some examples by our trainer Russell Stannard, we discussed how we can use and integrate this technology in our classes.
What technologies have you been exposed to?
The technologies we addressed today are Blogs, Free Websites and Screen Capture Technology
How might you use the technologies/techniques in your own teaching and learning?
As mentioned above, blogs can be used for a variety of purposes including reflective practice for teachers, learning journals for students, teachers' monitoring students progress and students' monitoring their own progress. It also gives an individual a sense of personal space where s/he can share his interests, struggles, ups and downs in his or her learning and teaching.
I can use these free websites, breakingnewsenglish.com and listenaminute.com to add variety to the activities I give to my students in class or out of class. Students are sometimes fed up with dealing with the activities in coursebook, so these websites can be used to add a little bit of spice into our activities, which I think will also be very useful for students.
What value would these techniques/technologies add to your teaching and learning?
I believe that the things I have learnt so far will add up to my teaching skills in terms of preparing effective activities, giving more effective feedback, and exploiting free content that is already there on the Internet.
What challenges do you foresee?
The biggest challenge might be the digital literacy skills of our students. Some of our students don't like to discover something on their own and want to be spoon fed, so using blogs, for example, where they might need to discover things by themselves, might be a challenge. They will probably try to find excuses such as the internet connection problems at their dormitory, not having a decent PC etc.
Also, I believe that I should also plan my lessons in line with the technologies we have learnt so as not to overwhelm them and get them into the lesson. I think it might require a certain amount of time to learn to use the technology effectively and prepare effective lessons accordingly.
What technologies have you been exposed to?
How might you use the technologies/techniques in your own teaching and learning?
I can use these free websites, breakingnewsenglish.com and listenaminute.com to add variety to the activities I give to my students in class or out of class. Students are sometimes fed up with dealing with the activities in coursebook, so these websites can be used to add a little bit of spice into our activities, which I think will also be very useful for students.
What value would these techniques/technologies add to your teaching and learning?
I believe that the things I have learnt so far will add up to my teaching skills in terms of preparing effective activities, giving more effective feedback, and exploiting free content that is already there on the Internet.
What challenges do you foresee?
The biggest challenge might be the digital literacy skills of our students. Some of our students don't like to discover something on their own and want to be spoon fed, so using blogs, for example, where they might need to discover things by themselves, might be a challenge. They will probably try to find excuses such as the internet connection problems at their dormitory, not having a decent PC etc.
Also, I believe that I should also plan my lessons in line with the technologies we have learnt so as not to overwhelm them and get them into the lesson. I think it might require a certain amount of time to learn to use the technology effectively and prepare effective lessons accordingly.
