Week # 7

This is the most significant week in this ‘Web Skills’ course. What we have learned and have experience so far in this course, this is this high time to implement those in my teaching practice. I am eagerly waiting for the successful implementation of my new online based teaching project. My learners have already started working with this project. Most of them seem to be very excited with this new teaching approach. I have already discussed the goal of this new project with my learners. In an open discussion, they were informed of the appropriateness and usefulness of this project. I shared with them the variety of learning outcomes and behavioral changes they would expect from this project. I have tried to motivate them to try out these new learning opportunities for their prospective changes. Actually one of my objectives of this project is to make them learn English autonomously. Last Thursday, I had introduced the new project with my students and had got them familiarized with two classblogs. They had been assigned with some writing tasks and had asked them to post their writings and comments as well. And last Saturday, I invited their feedback on this new teaching and learning approach with online technology. Most of them encountered difficulties as they are not very expert with the operation of this new system. Then I spent the whole class hours to give them firsthand experience of this new learning system and trained them how to operate it successfully. I asked for some learner volunteers from the whole group, and two volunteers came forward to helping the learners to learn how to operate these online tools. I really enjoy this peer sharing and teaching. As most of them failed to complete the task, I extended the time for posting their assignments in addition with the new tasks. I often feel the necessity to ask my course instructors for his suggestions and advices on some issues such as how to limit posting on blog within the members of a group only, some other online tools for managing discussion board. I have some more questions too. I have planned to write those on a notebook and request him to give me some guidelines just after this course.

I have also gone through the reading materials of this week assigned for us. I am very interested in the topic namely learner autonomy. I have read the article written by Dimitrios Thanasoulas entitled ‘What Is Learner Autonomy and How Can It Be Fostered?’ and have got some idea how to foster learners to develop autonomy learning attitude. I come to know “autonomy is a process, not a product. One does not become autonomous; one only works towards autonomy. One corollary of viewing autonomy in this way is the belief that there are some things to be achieved by the learner, as well as some ways of achieving these things, and that autonomy 'is learned at least partly through educational experiences.” I have also learned about conditions for learner autonomy, learning strategies, the role learners’ attitude and motivation, self-esteem, how to promote learner autonomy. From the articles about one computer classroom, I have got some practical tips how to maximize learning in one computer classroom. From the discussion board, I come to know about different teaching context with one computer classroom, and the ways my peers’ organize the class. The web tool named wallwisher has been appreciated. I am likely to employ it in my teaching context for publishing learner work, sharing learning resources, class photos, publishing class notices. I would like to have some constructive feedback from my instructor on my classblog so that I can make it more effective and interactive.                   

nahidferdous-bhuiyan-elt.blogspot.com

www.nahid-ferdous-elt.blogspot.com

Project Task # 6

At last, it seems to me that my dream is gradually turning into reality. I have introduced my project based teaching by using new technology in the class entitled "developing learners’ literacy Skills" in the class. I hope that it will consequently help them to become autonomous learners of English. It is just the beginning of a new chapter in my professional career and learners’ learning behavior as well. Some learners are still struggling in coping themselves with this new approach. They are improving gradually. Some of them are very excited about this new approach of teaching and have already started using it.

Week 6: Creating Student-centered Classes and Interactive PowerPoint

Week 6 has been found practically relevant and helpful in our teaching context. I have learned here how to ensure interactive and collaborative teaching in large class. Ours is a developing country and owing to financial and resource constraints, the classes are unusually large. It often poses different challenges on the teachers to establish interaction with the class and collaboration in student learning. From assigned articles for week 6, I have got some pragmatic suggestions on how to teach a large class successfully in collaborative approach. There are many ways to make our lecture interactive in the large class. It does not consume much time to make students perform the collaborative work and inclusively solve the problem assigned by the teacher. Once the teacher and the students get accustomed to working collaboratively in groups/pairs, it takes short time to complete. Richard Felder in his article ‘Beating the Numbers Game: Effective Teaching in Large Classes’ rightly said,  “You don't have to spend a great deal of time on active learning exercises in class: one or two lasting no more than five minutes in a 50-minute session can provide enough stimulation to keep the class with you for the entire period. The syllabus is safe!”

I have come to know that there are some ways to enhance student learning in large class such as variation in activities, pacing in dictation, rapport-building, setting up routines, speaking tone and intonation, collaboration, think-pair-share, think-pair-square, teaching in small group. In large class, a teacher usually delivers his/her lecture in traditional approach which has less positive impact in active learning process in a class having more than 50 students. We must introduce and apply in the class such activities which make them actively involved in learning process and keep their interest up. Richard Felder’s saying is worth remembering in this regard, “Lectures as a rule have little educational value. People learn by doing, not by watching and listening.” From the discussion board, I come to know that technology can actively engage the students of large class in learning activities and make a bridge between their in-class activities and out-of-class activities. I have also learned class blog can promote interaction between teacher and students outside the class. Shy students in a large class may have a vague idea about the topic they have been taught in the class. In this situation, class blog can be very useful for the teacher to make them clear about the taught topic and develop a close bond among them. I have also learned how to make an interactive powerpoint presentation which is practically useful in a large class.  

Project Task # 5

My final project has been entitled ‘Developing and Practicing Student Literacy Skills.’ I have been planning to make a technological change in my class to implement this project. I would like to develop this project to extend my students’ English practicing hours outside the class duration. By making technological change and utilizing online tools, the goal of this project is to develop my learners’ literacy skills on their own, and make them lifelong and autonomous learners of English. One of my objectives of this project is also to make them confident in corresponding with others in written English. For my final project, I would like to make use two types of online tools new to my class such as blog and selected websites designed for developing language skills together with grammar and vocabulary. I have already talked to my class about this new project, and their duties and their approximate learning behavior with these new technological tools. Many of them seem to be quite excited while few of them feel nervous. I have noticed some of them seem to be less confident in operating online tools. I have reassured them that there is nothing critical to be worried of, and am trying to help them in every possible way from my part. I have already provided them the rubrics which will be used to evaluate their assignments. It will help them become self-judgmental of their assignments. I have developed the ground rules in dealing with this web tools and have planned to provide them sample of writing assignments. I am really excited and can not stop myself bringing this technological change in my class and using online tools to teach them English.

I have mainly planned this project for out-of-class activities/assignments for my students. The activities will be based on and centered around class blog. According to my advice, they have already opened account in gmail so that they can post their comments on the class blog. I have almost developed two class blogs, and they are asked to use it from today. One class blog will be discussion board where they will post one of their own on the main idea/topic and then comment on any two other postings by the due dates. Word limit for the former is 200 words whereas for the latter is 100 words. Another class blog will be for reflective posting. Here they will post what new language, vocabulary, grammar and interesting information they have learned from the class and from the referred websites. I expect that my learners will enjoy this way of learning English through interactive web skills.

Reflection on Week- 5: Project-based Learning, WebQuests, and Rubrics

In this week, I have learned about a very effective teaching approach in English language teaching called Project Based Learning approach. It is also called Inquiry Based Project in language teaching. It is somewhat innovative to me. I have come to know that this approach often sets an authentic purpose for my learners to practice the target language and teach them learn the real life language. It also develops a sense of community and builds rapport among the learners of the class. Most importantly, it helps learners to acquire it in holistic approach. I am thinking to develop some projects for my students. But I have felt that I have to explore PBL more and want to find out more practical example of using PBL in class.

In this week, I have described a technology-related change or potential solution that I will implement to help with one or more of the issues I have in my class. I would like to develop a class reflection and literacy skills practice assignment projects through blog. I have proposed how introducing web tool called blog help me develop my students literacy skills.

I have also come to know about alternative assessment of your work especially the project work. This kind of assessment is really constructive and students can evaluate themselves and very teaching-learning friendly. In this assessment, we can foretell students what skills will be evaluated for a particular activity in a class so that they can focus on those while completing the activity. They, in alternative assessment, assessed through a rubric. I have also learnt how to create rubric for various language learning activity. I have developed a webquest lesson, although it is not so much perfect as I often try to pursue. But I have learnt the way to prepare it. In future, I hope to do something better.

I am looking for some online sites which can link my class with an alien class of a foreign country so they my students can exchange and share their idea with other global students through email writing. I also want to get acquainted with some useful websites which regularly publish global students’ writing and will have been able to publish my learners writing. It will be a type of recognition and rewarding for their writing.

  

Week 4: Teaching Reading, writing, vocabulary with internet, Technology enhanced Lesson plan, and Class issue for final project

Gradually this Web skills course makes me more engaging throughout the week with lots of reading assignments, discovering web pages relevant to my teaching context, participation in discussion board. But I have discovered that internet can be meaningfully used to develop our lessons, improve students’ language skill and present the lessons to interesting and relevantly diversified ways. The internet gives students variety and choice, since they have the enormous number of sites to choose from… the Web materials are completely authentic, unabridged, and not prepared with a learner in mind, which can be sometimes difficult in terms of language, but extremely rewarding when students realize that what they read or write is real and belongs to the outside world, not the world of the classroom and textbook (Jarek Krajka).” In this particular week 4, I have learned especially how to teach students writing and writing skills with the integration of technology more specifically ‘the use of the internet as a teaching aid, or as a teaching medium (Jarek Krajka).’ From the article “Using the Internet in ESL Writing Instruction” by Jarek Krajka, I have learned how we can make a proper use of internet to teach our students different genres of writing. Various web pages on internet can provide students authentic materials to motivate them to write meaningfully. Besides we with the help of internet can create appropriate context in teaching and writing in class. A lesson integrated with internet provides students with choice, variety, authenticity, and recency in the classroom. I have learned writing instruction should not be completely based on online. It should be combination of offline and online. The online writing activities will be followed by offline activities. Offline activities should be designed to teach students the layout of the specific writing genres, vocabulary, new language structure, while the online activities will provide them the appropriate context and learning it meaningfully. We can simply utilize three internet things: website, e-mail, and web publishing to make it certain. From the article, ‘Three extensive Reading Activities for ESL/EFL Students Using E-books’ by Mei-Ya Liang, I have learnt how we can make our students find interest in reading by disseminating the charge of selecting books to learners, how they can choose books adherence to their level and likeness, and how we can make them think critically with the books while developing other skills.

In this week, I also practice how to write technology enhanced lesson plans and look at the sample of this type of lesson plans. Here I also think of the problem and issue my class face in learning English, and this reflection will help me to develop my final project.