Week 10: Wrap-up...
Hello Donna and colleagues!

It was difficult for me to begin writing for this blog realizing that it is the last one.
I do admire the idea, structure and Instructor of the course -Donna Shaw very much. The classmates, i.e. colleagues are very adorable teachers and I am sure that their students are happy and lucky with them as well.
I would like to express gratitude for this learning possibility to American English Institute of the University of Oregon, US Department of State and US Embassy in Kyrgyzstan. The knowledge I have gained during the course is very resourceful and of much help to learn how to implement web tools in conducting the lessons.
 What I have learnt I am sure I am going to make use all of them.
Every week's new web tools and resources are very handy. I would like to emphasize the following web technologies:
1. Delicious.com - a helpful social bookmarking. I always can use the necessary links in planning this or that lesson;
2. Rubistar.com
3. WebQuest at www.zunal.com
4. Padlet
5. www.nicenet.org
6. www.blogger.com
7. Interative Power Point Presentation
8. PBL
9. Online Exercise/Technology tools
10. Webserching tools.
The most significant thing was that we did our best to create the above stated tools  by ourselves which was a lot motivating.

I enjoy reading articles on Learner's Atonomy, Learner's Learning Styles, The One-Computer Class and other topics. This course has enriched me in a professional way, indeed.
Each Tuesday I was waiting for the grades on Blackboard and for enhancing comments done by Donna. Every time I was clapping and patting on my back when I got excellent marks. I was a responsible and diligent student, I must say. I have learned to set ABCD objectives for the students which is really important for any teacher.

Hoping for the course to be continued.

With warmest regards,
Nazgul
Kyrgyzstan

Week 9! Final Plan Report, ANVILL and Webinar with Jeff Magoto!

I would like to say thank you to Donna for uploading my final plan report and Albana for having it looked and let me know. I tried my best to write it taking into account Albana's remarks on my draft plan report.  
I would like to welcome and thank Jeff Magoto for his fruitful webinar on ANVILL. We were able to ask questions about it and got clear answers from Jeff. It was a little bit pity that only 3 of us could attend to the webinar, but anyway anyone can watch the recorded webinar version.
Learning styles differ from person to person. And the teacher's role here is of great importance to have successful class. It's like you are a mother and you have children and you know that they are all different and treat them accordingly. The same thing happens with our students. With the help of psychological test on determining learner's learning style at edutopia.org we can identify our students'. 
I can't believe that the course is approaching to the end. We have learned a lot new things, broaden our horizons and possibilities in teaching. We have met new people and I believe we will keep in touch with each other on facebook and share with our experiences.

Nazgul
Kyrgyzstan  

Week 8. Hello Donna and inspired Yellowgroup wiki classmates!

       This week we were given very useful links like toolsforeducators.com, easytestmaker.com and others. They are very handy to create visual aids for classes. No need to paint anything more. You can create on-line and print it right away crosswords, matchings, word searches with pictures, it's marvellous. And the great choice of topics has been covered - adjectives, parts of body, seasons, etc. WOW!

        I have created at blogspot.com a blog for my class. This blog is created for students of 2 year-course students of the English language departments (10 students). Their level of English is intermediate. They need to work much on freewriting and I have given 10 topics to have been commented on till September. All of them have mobile phones or computers connected to Internet. So, they can do it any time during the summer holidays and begin commenting from Number 2 or Number 5 topic. It doesn't matter. I'll correct their mistakes, word choice and spelling on my part.

         I am working in partnership with Albana Berisha from Kosovo on Plan Report drafts. She is a wonderful person to work with. I like her WebQuest on literature and plan Draft; and I have just posted the Plan Checklist on our shared wiki page. I also would like to express gratitude to Albana for giving me nice advice like to work out my WebQuest more and for sharing useful links. 

        As for my Plan Report draft. I confess it needs much working. I need to look at word choice again, remove spelling and grammar mistakes. I need to work on timeline more. 

          

Nazgul wishing you all the best,

Kyrgyzstan

        

Week 7! I have a partner!

Well, I have a partner and her names is Albana Berisha from Kosovo. We will be cooperating on our drafts to check, advise and objectively value the quality of paper. We have chosen the same teaching web tool. i.e. WebQuest. 

Unfortunately, I did implement WebQuest to my class just once bacause it was their last lesson 2 weeks ago. Now students are passing their exams. Though I have implemented it at one class period, students' feedbacks were positive; and they are looking forward to the next academic year to learn English through WebQuest. And, of course I will offer them not only WebQuests, but also Padlet, blogs, Vocaroo, Mobile learning, PBL and Games. I'll do my best to direct them and get them interested in the automous learning principles. 

As for Padlet post, I have added the article "20 ideas for using mobile phones in the language classroom" by Hayo  Reinders from "English Teaching Forum" (2010), which summarizes amazing ideas for mobile learning. Look at Donna's wall spring'14! This is a wonderfull wallwisher. We have there not only just articles but also videos. If we do the same activity for class learning that will arouse the student's autonomy, because he or she is looking for information on given topic. 

Good luck to us,

Nazgul

Week 6!

I like watching and playing Jeopardy very much. And this week I have had an amazing experience because I did create it myself. I am sure Interactive PowerPoint with hyperlinked slideshows - exercises, games -are very motivating ones for learning English. Well, after having looked the articles and watching YouTube videos how to create Interative PPT, it was a bit time-consuming task, but at the end I achieved the desired results and shared on the course wiki. I do hope you like creation :-)!

Creating student-centered classes, including large casses is possible with the help of technologies.Using web technologies allow us grab students' attention, they not only just listen the topic, but also watch it. After having learned the topic, the class play Jeopardy  students are likely to participate as the human-beings are very competitive creatures.

Well, the article "Enhancing Learning by Engaging Students" by Rick Finnan and Donna Shaw is of great success with their useful tips in conducting lectures. I like those general factors to do at large classes - variety, pace, interest, individualiztion, speaking styles, routines, and collaboration. Think-pair-share activities are really necessary to think over the written sentences of lecture, they cooperate socially and reflect on them not only verbally, but also in written forms. Concept Maps resembles Brainstorming activities with some differences- In ConceptMaps you use information given at the lecture, and in Brainstorming you put the ideas based on your backgroung information. Both activites are also interactive ones.


Project Task 5. I implemented Project Task 4 in the class. What I did first? First I showed the WebQuest at the lesson and explained how to use it and shared the URL of the WebQuest. I asked them to read carefully, watch YouTube video on diphthongs and practise pronunciation, and do the exercises on the page. then, next lesson, after greeting them we opened the page and revised again (3 students out of 19 weren't able to visit it). They were given the theory on diphthongs before, so this class was of practical significance. We watched You tube video, then they in pairs made up 3 nonsense sentences including all 8 dipthongs. It was interesting to hear those funny sentences. We had recorded the sentences, but I failed to save it, I lost the document and then the bell rang.  Unfortunately, it was the last lesson, but nevertheless, I think,  I aced the goal, because they learned all English dipthongs; and did some practice on triphthongs as there was an exercise on the WebQuest page. Their feedbacks and behavior were positive.

So, this is the end of fruitful week 6 and I hope you are doing well.

Best,
your colleague Nazgul

Week 5. PBL, Alternative Assessment, Rubrics, WebQuest.

Since nowadays I can't imagine my future lessons without web technologies. The more I learn about webresources and technologies's opportunities in students' motivating learning the language, the better I like to use them at the lessons, not just because "it's cool". I want to broaden the student's learning horizons and and opportunies.

The topics of  Week 5 are very up-to-date ones and appropriate for our course and English teaching. I begin thinking of topics for PBL, imagining what I'll do on my next WebQuest page, and those rubrics which will be of much help in evaluating students. When I showed rubistar to my colleagues from the university they were very interested and asked me to share all the links we have been given.  By the end of the course I'll show my colleagues the final project and share all the links at the teachers' meeting.

I have created WebQuest page "Listen carefully and repeat" on http://zunal.com/webquest.php?w=243968. telling the truth it is new thing for all of us. It has a lot advantages for self-learning and during the class. You can watch, listen, read, play hangman and other things. The WebQuest is a on-line lesson plan with it's rubrics, tasks, step-by-step process and of course, introduction! It is very convenient tool for teachers thats is not in teacher's copybook. Students are able to visit the lesson several times if they wish. In order to create it, teachers need to search or use the files they have in computers, to make the page work. The teacher must be self-motivated to do it and this tool helps to look at teaching from different angle. Yes, it is time-consuming work, but it will stay on-line forever. Other teachers can also use it. Why not? This is the world of sharing, isn't it?

I want to thank Kelley for joining and supporting us.

My post seems to be very emotional, but this is the way I'd like to express my feelings about this week 5.

Hello Donna and colleagues!

This week we were given assignments which, I think, I have completed. 

First, I would like to state what I learned and got from this week:

# read the articles from Week Four "Using the Internet in ESL Writing Instruction"  (2000) and "Three Extensive Reading Activities for ESL/EFL Student using E-Books" (2004), where a lot of interesting and useful tips and techniques for teaching Writing and Reading styles using the Internet are discussed;

# downloaded a lesson template;

# made a lesson plan on Phonetics of English for my upper-intermediate students using giveno lesson template; 

# got familiar with Oral Presentation Rubric : Final Oral Presentation at http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.phpscreen=ShowRubric&module=Rubistar&rubric_id=2051482&;

# read through the classmates' discussions on Nicenet.org and paid a lot attention to Donna's comments, that are of my future consideration.

Secondly, I should thank Donna for assistance in clarifying the issue which will be solved further in my course project. It was a little bit challenging to find out the problem I am going to work on. 

Here at this course I have learned Oral Presentation rubric for evaluating student's speaking skills. I really like them, because I have problems in assessment student's knowledge. Now, I think I need to create and add some changes to the rubrics to adapt them  for writing and listening skills' assessment.  

Finally, I have seen all photos of some of my classmates. Nice to see you.

Wishing you all the best!
Nazgul
Kyrgyzstan