The use of technology in EFL/ESL teaching

Being an EFL/ESL teacher for almost eight years, I have always wanted to know all the new methods and techniques used around the world. Because my main focus is my students, I always want to provide them the support they need and find the best way to transfer the information to them and make them problem solvers and not just passive consumers. Honestly, the technology course is what I have always wanted; it supports me with great ideas of how the technology can be used in EFL/ESL classes and how it can make the learning enjoyable and effective not just in the classroom but also out of it. By using the technology students can be active learners. There are many technologies that I liked such as Twitter, blogging, Moodle, Weebly, podcasts, Wikis, the second life and many others. For now as an English teacher in a language institute I am using some of these technologies, but if I teach in an English dominant school I am sure I will use many others according to the level of the students I teach. I am amazed by the idea of using mobile devices in teaching and I find it interesting especially with the twenty first century students who are interested in using them in their daily life, so why don’t we connect teaching with their interests. I should say that when I first read about some of the technologies I didn’t like the idea of using them in my class, but honestly after our class discussions I changed my ideas and started to think more critically about them.   

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is delivery of computing services over the Internet. Cloud services allow you to use hardware and software. It costs less, its more secure and a more reliable software. Examples of cloud computing is online file storage, social networking sites, and webmail. Cloud services should be combined to meet the needs of twenty first century educators and learners. The cloud computing model allows access to information and computer resources from anywhere and anytime on any device. The only thing that we need is the network connection. Google Glass is one of the most effective and helpful tools that help learners and educators. I can’t imagine my life without Google apps that make my life really easy while searching especially for literature reviews and books. The wealth of information we get by just fingertips is tremendous. Learning is not just happening in class but it’s ongoing while learners are out of their classroom. Google Glass extends learning beyond the physical classroom. Another good option that Google Glass offers is that we can engage everyone in any school community even the families are more involved than any other school that doesn’t use Google Glass.

What about Google Apps for education it has many helpful tools for everyone: Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Groups, Talk, and Sites. Each has its own characteristics and can be used for different purposes. Google apps is always up and running. Your data is safe, secure and in your control. You own and control your data by detailed privacy policy. You can get apps today and go sign up.

www.google.com/a/edu

I recommend you more webs like www.chrom.google.com/webstore

www.google.com/enterprise/marketplace

Chrome books are great to use in classrooms. They are web based computers that are easy to use. Students open the web and sign in and search for the information they need, it’s not time consuming at all it saves valuable learning time inside the class. You don’t need to worry because everything is saved on the web. Students have web application for them to access. Chrome can be shared and they are saved. Another great tool for teachers this time is you tube for schools and teachers that allows you bring any educational video to class. www.youtube.com/teachers www.google.com/edu

 Finally, cloud computing offers benefits for both organizations and individuals.

 

 

 

 

 

The Analytics in Learning and Teaching

How can we better understand the learning process? How do we know what is actually happening in the learning process? How can educators make improvements in their teaching?

All these questions and more I always think about and I am sure thousands of teachers do. What can we do as educators of new generations of learners? We live in a new technologies century, with computing devices and open education. I am really happy with the new shift of education in general and the higher education in particular, from just lecturing and reading materials or books which have limited effects on the learning, into analytics learning. Learning analytics is more specific than academic analytics. The former’s focus is exclusively on the learning process whereas learning analytics centers on the learning process. Analytics have many positive trails. It provides learners with insight into their own learning. It also provides up-date information and can innovate and transform colleges and universities systems.

The story of the woman in India who died while trying to get the chance of applying her son into the college, really affected me. I really envy those who can make a difference in others lives, and as teachers we can make that difference, may be because of that I really like teaching. I wish I can be the change agent wherever I teach. But of course the technology is there to help the teachers or the educators, and we can’t just ignore it. On line education is one of the greatest things that technology offers, Daphne Koller gave the example of computer checking and giving feedback to thousands of learners which is something a human being cannot do. I am amazed with the idea of the computer asking a question while an online learner attending a lecture, and how he/ she cannot go on the lecture until he gives the correct answer to the question. On line education can offer opportunities to millions of people who don’t have the chance to be in a college or university for their higher education. NLGC focus on the educational possibilities that analytics can offer (http://nextgenlearning.org/).

               

  

 

 

Learning Management System versus Personal Learning Environment

PLE is a unique interface into digital environment. It integrates personal and professional interests of the owners, including formal and informal learning. Users of PLE can select the content they need and it is a social and informative environment that connects the users through the Net. The responsibility of learning in PLE is on the user, as users of PLE we can manage our own data and access resources of our interests. PLE has many advantages and one of the most important features of it, is that it enables learners be in a lifelong learning  process. PLE could be anywhere, learners don't need a school or educational institution to get the information from. Users can simply get the information they are interested in through searching on line.Examples of PLE are iBook, youtube, google, etc.

While LMS is a tool designed purposely to facilitate a net enabled class to be understood by both teachers and learners. It provides a comprehensive set of tools for educators to manage learning resources, administrative functions, assessments, and grading. Users of LMS connect to each other by the school or college to share information, so it can be done in educational institutes only. And this is the drawback of the Learning Management System. The data stays there when learners leave that educational environment or the institution. Examples of LMS are moodle, dasaran.am,etc. www.educause.edu.
As an ESL/EFL teacher I think both systems are important in educating individuals. Nowadays teaching learning processes demand modern tools and systems to engage the learners and help them be creative and active learners. Twenty first century learners need technology and media inside the educational institutes and out of them. As Dr. Madyarov mentioned in our class discussion  today, many Armenian high school students prefer to drop schools and have private tutors which is something the ministry of education should worry about, because as I said before learners need both tools. PLE and LMS should be equally used by the learners to develop their skills  throughout their life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAOuDcC6DwM.

 

Online and distance learning

Many years ago, a new obligation for teachers aroused in my country, the obligation was from the ministry of education demanding teachers to have a master degree in order to continue teaching. Thousands of teachers were married, have kids and many other responsibilities, even for the unmarried ones, was hard to work and attend college at the same time.  So e-learning became very popular and convenient. I think even e-learning could be a perfect opportunity for language learning.

According to the two articles that I have read online learners can choose and participate in the programs that meet their needs, they have the flexibility of access, the possibility of developing their own skills, the opportunity of self-direction and become more independent language learners. Of course distance learning differs from face-to-face classroom learning in many areas, especially the language learning. So learners should be aware of many things in order to be successful learners.  E-learning is more isolated, so learners should have high motivation, and they don’t have the opportunity of immediate feedback and clarification. So distance learner should be independent learners because the teachers are not there moment by moment to monitor them and give assistance whenever needed. So teachers in distance learning are less available, and here rises the role of good educators of e-learning programs. The second article I have read is a research on the success of distance and online learning that cannot exist without having good educator tutors who help learners and provide guidance, feedback, assessment, support and motivation. The collaborative study involving the Open University UK and Massey University, New Zealand was on distance language tutors and Hurd, Beaven and Ortega(2001) based on their experience in foreign language teaching at the Open University in the UK, argue that distance learners should have strategic competence and reflective approach. So the emphasis of the two articles is basically on the distance learners and on the distance tutors. 
http://alison.com/subjects/27/Languages 

Both the distance learners and the tutors should have certain characteristics in order to have a successful distance course and successful learners, because there are many challenges that face the learners and the educators.

Open Educational Resources

 

 

Open Educational Resources (OER) provide free access to different kinds of educational materials to all those who wants to use these materials. This movement started in 2001and it meets the needs of all those who are interested in knowledge. The most interesting aspect of this kind of learning is that users of OER share ideas and communicate with people who all have common interests in different parts of the world.

It meets the needs of twenty first century learners and educators who can have access to the information they are interested in whenever and wherever they want. The choice of the information depends on each individual. The learners can also talk to people around the world about their problems in a social context.

As an ESL teacher and as a student of a master’s degree program I totally support the idea of using the internet and especially EOR, because it makes my life easier. I seek knowledge and I always want to be updated to all the new methods and activities of teaching English as a foreign language, so searching on line helped me a lot in the past and it helps me now while I am doing my research projects at the TEFL program. Unfortunately I don’t have much time as before to search for new activities and methods, but I am using the internet in teaching and in my education as I said before. I really like the idea of blogging and the idea of using moodle as a medium of communication between our instructors and peers. I wish I had more time to check my blogs more often and be more active on line. Another important great educational resource for me as a student is the online library, Papazian library of the American University of Armenia which makes thousands of students lives easier.

OER have many advantages plus to the ones that I have personally experienced, when I have read the article I really had great ideas of how to use OER in teaching high school students and even graduate and undergraduate students. Here is a site for free robotic telescopes  (http://faulkes-telescope.com/). I really liked this project for astronomer students, that provides them training and where students and expert astronomers can work collaboratively. I this website you can find reports of small but meaningful contributions of student astronomers. The use of OER in higher education is not only in astronomy, history and science but it is also very effective in Arts, Humanities and in many other majors. We just need qualified teachers and educators with wide horizons to be able to apply the technology in classes.

 

 

MALL

OR

Mobile- Assisted Language Learning

How can we use mobile devices in ESL/EFL classes? Or how can we as ESL/EFL teachers use them in teaching? What are the mobile devices?

Mobiles mean all the devices that one can carry and use them easily. But how can we use these devices in teaching and learning?

I think the idea of using mobile devices like ipads, iphones, ipod, mp3 player and so many others is incredible, because students can use them inside and outside the classroom very practically and I personally experienced that with a group of learners who were tweeting every day for almost two months. They didn’t tweet only for the class but they even started to chat using English in everyday contexts. They were all excited and whenever I forget to check their tweets they ask me to do so to be sure of their correct use of English. I totally agree with the ideas of the article “Twenty ideas for using mobile phones in the language classroom” by Hayo Reinders that those devices facilitates authentic communication among the second language learners, and they practice their language anytime and anywhere.

Here are some examples of how to use those devices for different kinds of activities in EFL/ESL classes, students can take notes, do some short writing like text messaging, listening, speaking, voice chatting, reading, blogging, surfing, tweeting and many others. The only thing that I didn’t know before our class discussion was producing flashcards which I really liked.

Of course using MALL has its own negative sides depends on the age of the second language learners, because students might use the devices for other purposes rather than completing the task and specially the young learners and the teens. However, no one can deny the advantages of using the mobile devices in ESL teaching and their addition of fun and joy to the learning process while practicing.