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

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

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

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