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