Week 7

Week 7 a Productive Week as Usual

The article "Emerging Technologies: Autonomous Language Learning" was beneficial. It tackled learner autonomy and connected it with cultural diversity; developments in technology, online resources, network services, and educational software, together provide new opportunities for self-directed learning. In the last few years, developments in mobile technology and the explosion in social media use have accelerated the level of interest.

Learner autonomy concentrates on helping the student "develop the skills and mindset that can lead to successful self-guided language study" whether "psychologically" via "motivation for independent study" or "politically". Many technological tools includes using “logbooks”, personal blogs, sharable diaries, resource linking, electronic portfolio, Google Docs, and learning diaries. Learner autonomy can be enhanced be self-reflection to know one's strengths and weaknesses. Helpful tools that can play a role in this are The European Language Portfolio, LinguaFolio, and The IMS ePortfolio, Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ), the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) and Learning style questionnaires and Language Management System (LMS) like Moodle and edmodo.

Teachers can play role in helping students find and evaluate appropriate online resources as students should be autonomous not alone teachers should guide students to the processes of planning, reflection and self-assessment and using multiple kinds of online writing. Teachers should also guide students to choose the material they study, give them an idea about how to build on existing knowledge,  profit from errors, examine more closely the forms they use and play a definite role in creating   "Critically aware learners”

The article "How to Strive not just Survive in a One Computer Classroom" lists many managing strategies like posting a schedule, the popsicle-sticks, the color-coded groups, making students use computers in free classrooms and being stern so as to get another computer in addition to, recruiting people from outside the school, pairing students good at technology with those new to technology, using the website- ePlas.  The article includes a hyperlink to another article namely" Strategies and Application for One-Computer Classroom" which includes a number of tips and hyperlinks (among which CNN news stories for educational purposes).

The article "Tech Alternatives for the One Computer Classroom" was inspiring. It lists 10 ways a computer can be used as learning tool:

1)        Presentation Tool: to present notes or information to students       

2)        Game Show Host: using web interactive games, and simulation activities helpful websites include: http://www.schooltimegames.com

3)         Competition Tool: make competition between classes to get the whole class involved helpful website include www.purposegames.comhttp://www.purposegames.com

4)          Learning Center: establish learning centers in the classroom. Create an activity where groups of students move through various learning centers with one of the centers being a computer learning center, another for creation  and one for assessments like creating mitosis and using helpful sites as: http://www.cellsalive.com/mitosis.htm

5)   Computer as the Peak Activity (Pre-search, Research, Post-search) so that students brainstorm, research then organize the information helpful  websites include: http://idebate.org/debatabase

6)       Jigsaw Puzzle: lesson is divided into part and the computer will useful in one of these parts. Google Earth http://www.google.com/earth/index.html

7)   Students-Teacher: where the students use the computer to teach their colleagues

8)       Post Master: students work on an activity at their desk using the computer.

9)       Scavenger Hunt

10)                       Tutor: use it for struggling students for remediation or enrichment for early finishers. This is also a great for students who need some extra credit like creating a comic strip on Toon Doo. http://www.toondoo.com/Home.do?param=log&msg=1

Hayo Reinders 's "Twenty Ideas for Using Mobile Phones in the Language Classroom" really included twenty different ideas for using cell phones to engage students in language learning. It also included a number of websites.It also tackled the advantages and disadvantages of introducing mobiles in language education.

I was also very pleased to be introduced to padlet. i created an account of my own and added up to the wall created by Russell. I will introduce my students to using it to make them get introduced to a tool that can help them in education and professionally.

I also signed up my name in the peer review list. I will start working on the draft late tonight.