Hi all,
It was a great week in finishing the final project task which was the fruit of the whole course.
The LOTI levels of technology has made me more concerned in comparing its levels to Bloom's taxonomy stages; there's a huge resemblance between them.
Reading about the LoTI (Levels of Technology Integration), has opened my eyes to the importance of doing further efforts in integrating technology in my teaching class to raise my students' level to a higher one rather than accepting the knowledge one. Especially is that it's not that difficult to be applied in my teaching environment since of the existence of a digital equipments. All what I need to go back to the suggested ideas and tools during this course and do more efforts in trying and applying those effective ideas according to my students' needs.
I can conclude saying that we need o implement technology in our teaching process to accommodate our students' needs in this era of huge technical development.
All the best
Hala
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Week (8) reflection
Hi all,
In this week we had to comment on best techniques related to technology that can be incorporated in our teaching classes. I chose creating a blogger as best technique which suit my students and the general attitude of teaching/learning English language since it give students a greater chance to practice English more fluently rather than accuracy which is considered to be an essential and basic issue in learning.
Also, we had to develop an online or offline activity that suit our teaching context. I chose an activity from tools 4 educators site and created an offline spelling and writing activity that assess my students' understanding of food. I liked these sites that allow me to creat my own activities and to be honest it was the first time I used such sites. I'm an internet addict who spends lots of hours searching for extra activities for my students but this was the first time where I come up these amazing sites that allow teachers' autonomy in creating their own stuff in a very organized way.
ANVILL is another site that we searched in for more teaching information. I opened my own account and searched it a while but found it rather little bit complicated and dense.
Still working on finishing my project draft.
Regards
Hala
In this week we had to comment on best techniques related to technology that can be incorporated in our teaching classes. I chose creating a blogger as best technique which suit my students and the general attitude of teaching/learning English language since it give students a greater chance to practice English more fluently rather than accuracy which is considered to be an essential and basic issue in learning.
Also, we had to develop an online or offline activity that suit our teaching context. I chose an activity from tools 4 educators site and created an offline spelling and writing activity that assess my students' understanding of food. I liked these sites that allow me to creat my own activities and to be honest it was the first time I used such sites. I'm an internet addict who spends lots of hours searching for extra activities for my students but this was the first time where I come up these amazing sites that allow teachers' autonomy in creating their own stuff in a very organized way.
ANVILL is another site that we searched in for more teaching information. I opened my own account and searched it a while but found it rather little bit complicated and dense.
Still working on finishing my project draft.
Regards
Hala
Sunday, November 21, 2010
My reflection week (7)
Dear All,
Learner autonomy was our main focus in this week. Moving towards a more student-centered class can be achieved by enabling the autonomy of learners. After reading the required articles, I can say that it's not an easy issue to apply learner autonomy. It needs a thorough cooperative process in the whole education system to achieve it. As early as possible to introduce it in the system is better. Students, teachers and parents will get more into this shift and achieve better results.
One computer lesson plan was our task for this week. I already have a computer in my class so that it's easy to apply the various suggested strategies. I liked most the idea of using it as a learning station which can be used with various level students. On the other hand, using one computer technique as a tool for individual input of a large group is an excelent strategy in consolidating ideas through the team spirit. I shared my colleagues my lesson plan about practicing writing 2 stories using simple past tense.
All the best
Hala
Learner autonomy was our main focus in this week. Moving towards a more student-centered class can be achieved by enabling the autonomy of learners. After reading the required articles, I can say that it's not an easy issue to apply learner autonomy. It needs a thorough cooperative process in the whole education system to achieve it. As early as possible to introduce it in the system is better. Students, teachers and parents will get more into this shift and achieve better results.
One computer lesson plan was our task for this week. I already have a computer in my class so that it's easy to apply the various suggested strategies. I liked most the idea of using it as a learning station which can be used with various level students. On the other hand, using one computer technique as a tool for individual input of a large group is an excelent strategy in consolidating ideas through the team spirit. I shared my colleagues my lesson plan about practicing writing 2 stories using simple past tense.
All the best
Hala
Sunday, November 14, 2010
week (6) reflections
Hi
Teaching large classes and engaging students in an interactive learning process in integrating technology was the main focus in this week.
Using emails is one of the techniques that teachers can use in large classes focusing on priming, engaging and fostering better communicative learning. Integrating emails in teaching help shy students to ask, discuss and comment freely. On the other hand, it encourages other students to speak up in front of the class when the teacher gives them positive feedback. Besides the possibility to circulate any comment or feedback to all students.
Power point presentations is another tool to be used in teaching large classes. Adding interactive elements to power point enhance students' engagement and address different learning styles.
Regards
Hala
Teaching large classes and engaging students in an interactive learning process in integrating technology was the main focus in this week.
Using emails is one of the techniques that teachers can use in large classes focusing on priming, engaging and fostering better communicative learning. Integrating emails in teaching help shy students to ask, discuss and comment freely. On the other hand, it encourages other students to speak up in front of the class when the teacher gives them positive feedback. Besides the possibility to circulate any comment or feedback to all students.
Power point presentations is another tool to be used in teaching large classes. Adding interactive elements to power point enhance students' engagement and address different learning styles.
Regards
Hala
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Hi all,
I enjoyed myself a lot while reading the required articles for this week especially about the PBL and the web-quests. PBL approach is designed to a more autonomous learning directed by more responsible students. As I mentioned in the nicenet, it's not an easy task to design projects and incorporate them in the curricula in a way that match the required topics and objectives. But it's definitely worthy trying this shift in the whole spectrum of the teaching curricula.
I always hated the traditional ways of assessment using paper-and-pencil tools which show students' proficiency of English rather than the actual use of it. Alternative assessment on the other hand solve this problem by showing the students' ability in using real English.
I posted an alternative assessment tool which is a performance assessment that assess students' oral ability. It's called strategic interaction(scenarios) where students perform a certain situation and the teacher focus and measure their performance and assess to what extend students have accomplished the desired goals or objectives.
Another assignment for ma was thinking of a solution for the previous anticipated problem in my class. I thought of adding a news session in my class and provide mu students with a transcript for the oral excerpt. I thought also of asking students to listen to the same news at the same time and on the same channel. Then discuss it with each other online. After that, give me the feedback next lesson to fill in the gaps and focus on the needed language.
I tried my best to do the extra credit task but unfortunately I couldn't because I had to attend a workshop conducted here in Aleppo at the HIL .
That's all for now. Your comments are welcomed.
Hala
I enjoyed myself a lot while reading the required articles for this week especially about the PBL and the web-quests. PBL approach is designed to a more autonomous learning directed by more responsible students. As I mentioned in the nicenet, it's not an easy task to design projects and incorporate them in the curricula in a way that match the required topics and objectives. But it's definitely worthy trying this shift in the whole spectrum of the teaching curricula.
I always hated the traditional ways of assessment using paper-and-pencil tools which show students' proficiency of English rather than the actual use of it. Alternative assessment on the other hand solve this problem by showing the students' ability in using real English.
I posted an alternative assessment tool which is a performance assessment that assess students' oral ability. It's called strategic interaction(scenarios) where students perform a certain situation and the teacher focus and measure their performance and assess to what extend students have accomplished the desired goals or objectives.
Another assignment for ma was thinking of a solution for the previous anticipated problem in my class. I thought of adding a news session in my class and provide mu students with a transcript for the oral excerpt. I thought also of asking students to listen to the same news at the same time and on the same channel. Then discuss it with each other online. After that, give me the feedback next lesson to fill in the gaps and focus on the needed language.
I tried my best to do the extra credit task but unfortunately I couldn't because I had to attend a workshop conducted here in Aleppo at the HIL .
That's all for now. Your comments are welcomed.
Hala
Sunday, October 31, 2010
My reflection on week 4
Dear all,
It's been such a useful week, especially we moved a further step in our project tasks.
Reading about the other skills activities and how enhancing them by adding technology elements was something!!
I found using emails in teaching different genres is very useful and motivating. This generation spends most of his time in front of the computer and the web. Making use of this merit and motivating students to develop their language learning skills will be a success. I liked the sites which refer students and teachers to communicate with other students who share similar needs and aspires add authenticity to learning.
Most suggested activities enables the students to take the driver seat and shift the teaching/learning process into more a more learner-centered one and the teacher's role become more as a counselor rather than the ultimate authority in class. The teacher suggests certain web sites from which students can decide and choose. Adding to that, most activities can be worked on from students' and teachers' homes in case of technology lack or unavailability.
Writing about the lesson plan which incorporates the use of technology reminded me with my first years of teaching when I used to plan each detail in advance. I share Robert his idea in the advantage of preparing our lessons in such a detailed plan every now and then. Jazzchants are my favorites in teaching vocabulary, grammar, stress and intonation. I focused in my plan on how to practice the use of "can" in a motivating way using jazz chants. listening to CD players, downloading the chants and recording new chants all involve the use of technology which is our main interest.
Moving to talk about certain issues we face as teachers in our daily teaching has been very reflective. I had to go back in my thoughts to my teaching class and reflect on the merits, demerits and difficulties. This reflection increased my concentration on the final objectives of my teaching besides focussing on my students' needs and start thinking of ways to tolerate them.
It was amazing when I added the bookmarks to my delicious! Easy, fast and interesting. I'm ..... years old and founded it that interesting and motivating, so what about mu teenage students?
All in all, I can say it's been a fruitful week. I went through various readings and comments while using technology.
Regards
Hala
It's been such a useful week, especially we moved a further step in our project tasks.
Reading about the other skills activities and how enhancing them by adding technology elements was something!!
I found using emails in teaching different genres is very useful and motivating. This generation spends most of his time in front of the computer and the web. Making use of this merit and motivating students to develop their language learning skills will be a success. I liked the sites which refer students and teachers to communicate with other students who share similar needs and aspires add authenticity to learning.
Most suggested activities enables the students to take the driver seat and shift the teaching/learning process into more a more learner-centered one and the teacher's role become more as a counselor rather than the ultimate authority in class. The teacher suggests certain web sites from which students can decide and choose. Adding to that, most activities can be worked on from students' and teachers' homes in case of technology lack or unavailability.
Writing about the lesson plan which incorporates the use of technology reminded me with my first years of teaching when I used to plan each detail in advance. I share Robert his idea in the advantage of preparing our lessons in such a detailed plan every now and then. Jazzchants are my favorites in teaching vocabulary, grammar, stress and intonation. I focused in my plan on how to practice the use of "can" in a motivating way using jazz chants. listening to CD players, downloading the chants and recording new chants all involve the use of technology which is our main interest.
Moving to talk about certain issues we face as teachers in our daily teaching has been very reflective. I had to go back in my thoughts to my teaching class and reflect on the merits, demerits and difficulties. This reflection increased my concentration on the final objectives of my teaching besides focussing on my students' needs and start thinking of ways to tolerate them.
It was amazing when I added the bookmarks to my delicious! Easy, fast and interesting. I'm ..... years old and founded it that interesting and motivating, so what about mu teenage students?
All in all, I can say it's been a fruitful week. I went through various readings and comments while using technology.
Regards
Hala
Sunday, October 24, 2010
My reflection on week 3
My dear colleagues,
Day by day I get use to the use of technology and find myself more comfortable, confident and relaxed in handling learning through the web. This feeling directed me to think about my students who by their turn and by time and enough instructions will be confident too in learning English through technology. I consider this course is a perfect example to show us how we use the web skills in teaching not just from the readings but from the real experience and trial we are doing everyday (hands on).
This week was full of many theoretical ideas to read about in implementing technology in our teaching classes plus lots and lots of practical tips to be really used in implementing various types of technology.
I started reading Developing Listening Skills with Authentic Materials
http://www.elthillside.com/up/files/article4.doc and I can say that during my teaching career, I was interested in using authentic materials and this article inspired me with many other techniques in integrating authentic materials in my teaching classes in addition to baring in mind the use of technology which has become one of the necessities in our everyday life. previously, I tend to use CD player to enhance my students' listening skill depending on the same pre/while/post mentioned criteria, but after reading reading about the use of radio, I incline myself more with this techniques because it sounds more realistic and authentic than the pre-designed listening excerpts.
Reading about the advantages and disadvantages of The Employment of CALL in Teaching Second/Foreign Language Speaking Skills (www.edfac.unimelb.edu.au/research/resources/student_res/postscriptfiles/vol3/vol3_1_gong1.p I can say that the advantages are much much more than the disadvantages and teacher should never hesitate ti incorporate technology to their classes, and administers should think seriously about equipping schools with the required equipments. Here I'd like to comment on of the CALL advantages which is the spontanious feedback and self assessment; this is exactly what we need in the coming teaching classes students who are self-motivated and up to take the driver seat. We need to lessen the traditional teacher-centered class which dominates, direct and the only one who assess students' performance.
Moving to talk about the websites that give tips and lesson plans. I read many and stopped to reflect on Randall's Cyber Listening Lab: http://www.esl-lab.com/ which is directed to improve students' listening skill. I searched the site and found it really organized and clear. It depends on the pre/while/post form of presenting the listening activities and it ranges from beginner levels to upper intermediate from which teachers can choose what suit their students' needs.
Coming to what is really delicious and tasty "Creating my delicious"
In the beginning I struggled a bit till I could created my delicious with the help of my colleague Ola . It's a good way to organize my bookmarks under certain tags. I start importing my bookmarks and organize them under specific tags. It needs time till I finish them. I can say that when I was creating my delicious I felt my total privacy in organizing and adding stuff besides, feeling in community when sharing others my bookmarks and vice verse.
Regards
Hala
My dear colleagues,
Day by day I get use to the use of technology and find myself more comfortable, confident and relaxed in handling learning through the web. This feeling directed me to think about my students who by their turn and by time and enough instructions will be confident too in learning English through technology. I consider this course is a perfect example to show us how we use the web skills in teaching not just from the readings but from the real experience and trial we are doing everyday (hands on).
This week was full of many theoretical ideas to read about in implementing technology in our teaching classes plus lots and lots of practical tips to be really used in implementing various types of technology.
I started reading Developing Listening Skills with Authentic Materials
http://www.elthillside.com/up/files/article4.doc and I can say that during my teaching career, I was interested in using authentic materials and this article inspired me with many other techniques in integrating authentic materials in my teaching classes in addition to baring in mind the use of technology which has become one of the necessities in our everyday life. previously, I tend to use CD player to enhance my students' listening skill depending on the same pre/while/post mentioned criteria, but after reading reading about the use of radio, I incline myself more with this techniques because it sounds more realistic and authentic than the pre-designed listening excerpts.
Reading about the advantages and disadvantages of The Employment of CALL in Teaching Second/Foreign Language Speaking Skills (www.edfac.unimelb.edu.au/research/resources/student_res/postscriptfiles/vol3/vol3_1_gong1.p I can say that the advantages are much much more than the disadvantages and teacher should never hesitate ti incorporate technology to their classes, and administers should think seriously about equipping schools with the required equipments. Here I'd like to comment on of the CALL advantages which is the spontanious feedback and self assessment; this is exactly what we need in the coming teaching classes students who are self-motivated and up to take the driver seat. We need to lessen the traditional teacher-centered class which dominates, direct and the only one who assess students' performance.
Moving to talk about the websites that give tips and lesson plans. I read many and stopped to reflect on Randall's Cyber Listening Lab: http://www.esl-lab.com/ which is directed to improve students' listening skill. I searched the site and found it really organized and clear. It depends on the pre/while/post form of presenting the listening activities and it ranges from beginner levels to upper intermediate from which teachers can choose what suit their students' needs.
Coming to what is really delicious and tasty "Creating my delicious"
In the beginning I struggled a bit till I could created my delicious with the help of my colleague Ola . It's a good way to organize my bookmarks under certain tags. I start importing my bookmarks and organize them under specific tags. It needs time till I finish them. I can say that when I was creating my delicious I felt my total privacy in organizing and adding stuff besides, feeling in community when sharing others my bookmarks and vice verse.
Regards
Hala
Sunday, October 17, 2010
My reflections on the second week
Hi Followers,
The second week is coming to a close end and I've delayed my reflection till the very end to come up with all thoughts and ideas that might encounter me through my readings either to the required readings or to your fruitful comments and reflections.
First of all, I'd like to say that we almost all of us have been depending on yahoo and google search engines, but now (and talking about myself) I'm much more confident to use alternative search engines that are either easier, more to the point or faster than google. Definitely this task couldn't be done individually; i mean if I had to try all the suggested search engines by myself and decide on their advantages and disadvantages, I would definitely quit the course. But being done collaboratively, make it easier for all of us to get benefit and learn about all these various search engines.
The way this task was organized, spread and shared, gave me some useful tips about how I can assign group tasks to my own students online and how I can monitor and assess them.
Second, I'd like to comment on the ABCD learning objectives. Most of us (as many of you have commented) are familiar with lesson planning techniques and already focusing on them on daily basis, but the ABCD tips have enlightened me with the necessity on focusing on the ultimate objective of certain teaching in an organized way. Sometimes I concentrate on my students' behaviour or the objective more than their condition. And other times i don't seriously take into account the degree I want them to reach or I don't specify it exactly. Knowing about the ABCD objectives was of great benefit for me.
That's all for now.
Regards
Hala
The second week is coming to a close end and I've delayed my reflection till the very end to come up with all thoughts and ideas that might encounter me through my readings either to the required readings or to your fruitful comments and reflections.
First of all, I'd like to say that we almost all of us have been depending on yahoo and google search engines, but now (and talking about myself) I'm much more confident to use alternative search engines that are either easier, more to the point or faster than google. Definitely this task couldn't be done individually; i mean if I had to try all the suggested search engines by myself and decide on their advantages and disadvantages, I would definitely quit the course. But being done collaboratively, make it easier for all of us to get benefit and learn about all these various search engines.
The way this task was organized, spread and shared, gave me some useful tips about how I can assign group tasks to my own students online and how I can monitor and assess them.
Second, I'd like to comment on the ABCD learning objectives. Most of us (as many of you have commented) are familiar with lesson planning techniques and already focusing on them on daily basis, but the ABCD tips have enlightened me with the necessity on focusing on the ultimate objective of certain teaching in an organized way. Sometimes I concentrate on my students' behaviour or the objective more than their condition. And other times i don't seriously take into account the degree I want them to reach or I don't specify it exactly. Knowing about the ABCD objectives was of great benefit for me.
That's all for now.
Regards
Hala
Hi Robert, Nada, Rahmat, Margarita and Irina,
I'm really glad to read your comments and I feel like day by day we are coming closer to know each other through our blogs.
Margarita, I liked your solution in assigning on/off line roles to solve the problem.
Rahmat, I'm myself wondering too about the suitable students number in such online sessions. I think Robert may advise us out of his experience.
Irina, thanks I searched the suggested website and it's useful.
The third week is approaching...can't wait till see our new tasks.
Cheers
I'm really glad to read your comments and I feel like day by day we are coming closer to know each other through our blogs.
Margarita, I liked your solution in assigning on/off line roles to solve the problem.
Rahmat, I'm myself wondering too about the suitable students number in such online sessions. I think Robert may advise us out of his experience.
Irina, thanks I searched the suggested website and it's useful.
The third week is approaching...can't wait till see our new tasks.
Cheers
Thursday, October 7, 2010
week 1 Hala's blog
Hi all,
Here I'm posting my first reflection at my first blog. I'm really excited about it and I can tell you that it wasn't that complicated to create following the user friendly manual. Creating a blog has empowered me with the sense of creativity and responsibility and as I was creating it, my students were my major point of interest; I can say that it's really easy to ask them to create their own blogs, post and comment. This is what we need to build on in our coming teaching; connecting learning/teaching English to technology and mainly the web which is by itself our students' main interest nowadays.
Looking forward to seeing your comments.
Hala Moukayed
Here I'm posting my first reflection at my first blog. I'm really excited about it and I can tell you that it wasn't that complicated to create following the user friendly manual. Creating a blog has empowered me with the sense of creativity and responsibility and as I was creating it, my students were my major point of interest; I can say that it's really easy to ask them to create their own blogs, post and comment. This is what we need to build on in our coming teaching; connecting learning/teaching English to technology and mainly the web which is by itself our students' main interest nowadays.
Looking forward to seeing your comments.
Hala Moukayed
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