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