Reflection- Virtual class

• Write about your likes and dislikes. 

It's enough interesting. I can dress my character up, fly across the river, and if I want, dance- I don't know how to have it dance yet, though.
I had to go to PC room because my computer is not capable to install Second Life. Half of the men in there are smokers and there wasn't a vacant seat for me in non- smoking area, so I had to try not to breathe for about 30 min... and I actually succeeded if you can believe!  hohoho

• How could you use it for your teaching? 

 I'll let my students have a chance to make some foreign friends. It's obviously helpful to have a friend who speaks my target language. I saw that strangers had a chat casually. Students can join in it and build a writing skill. They can have a conversation verbally if they connect mic with computer. The sounds are pretty clear to understand.

• What are the advantages and disadvantages?

We can differentiate our characters. As I mentioned earlier, I can choose everything I like in SL such as character and clothes.
I was in PC room during the virtual class so it was little bit hard to concentrate on the professor's talk. It took about 10 min to find the locate and teleport there. I made a phone call to ask help to my friend because I didn't know what to do at the first.
In my opinion, I'm not sure that Second Life is a proper program for teaching and learning. I  might say this because I don't understand what virtual class exactly mean and how to control my SL character yet.

Reflection- Video Conference

* Advantages and disadvantages
I don't have to wear makeup or even formal clothes to go to school! Professor showed us nice PPT as he always does in the class room and I could understand what he tries to explain.
It seems that it's little bit hard to concentrate only on the lecture because of the videos on the right side of the screen. It feels like listening to the teacher during the soccer game to me. I like watching the World Cup soccer game but I've never been crazy about it. However, it still attracts me to see. Just like it, for the first few minutes, I couldn't help but kept glancing to all the members' faces and also mine. After a while, of course, I made myself stop doing it. If I have video conference later though, I guess I won't do it.

* How to use it for my teaching
As a teacher, I'll set an order to speak because we often spoke at the same time during the question time.  Or make a sign such as thumb-up to have a chance to speak.
If I use video conference for my future teaching, there will be two purposes; to check students' assignments for me and to let students present their results. I know it's very hard   for some students to stand in front of the class and present or express their opinions. (I had a hard time to overcome it too.) There is only one way to overcome this fear: do it as much as you can. Video conference can provide them with opportunities to speak to audience.

* I like it. It was a pleasure time to meet my professor and colleagues through web cam! If I didn't take this class I would never sign up oovoo and have such a great time.  However, if I didn't have web cam or mic, I would never like it because it costs some money to prepare those equipment. Actually, I don't like taking my pictures much, but I found video conference is fun. Isn't it interesting? Anyway, I ♡ VC.(video conference kk)

Week 10- Things to Consider

* What is an authoring tool and what can they be used for?


An authoring tool is a software package which developers use to create and package content deliverable to end users. Authoring tools also varies. Distribution methods include: web, kiosk, interactive CD-ROM,
USB pen drive, etc.

As the technology is high-advanced, it could place a great burden to learn  curve for a lot of these packages on teachers. Authoring tools usually feature a simple design. You can pretty easily add pictures, sounds and video materials. But some of tools require a degree of expert  knowledge which most teacher may not have the time or inclination to acquire. Therefore  teachers would need to ensure that any software they choose is going to be useful to them.



* —If you wanted to make a simple exercise for your students, what would you do and how would you do it? 


I would like to use e-materials online: Hot Potatoes
To activate the learners' schemata, give some questions before the reading or listening as a pre-reading tasks. Questions are supposed to be simple and cover the following reading or listening text. It might get students  interested.
To help students assess their comprehension about the lessons, I can also use Hot Potatoes.  I would not give grades to students depending on their scores but it would work for students, because they can be aware what they missed in the lecture and might try to study more. 

Week 8 - Things to Consider

1. How to use podcasts in language teaching.

Learners can choose, listen and subscribe to any podcasts that interest them at any time, on any electric devices like an MP3 player, cell phone and computer. They can listen to podcasts made by others and, and also produce their own podcasts.

As a teacher, I can record lectures as podcasts to let students who miss a class download the later listening, which is referred to as cousecasting. I can direct my learners to podcasts already available on the Internet, for self-study purposes, or use them for listening in class.


2. How to set up a podcast project with learner

step1- setting up a podcast page
Using a podcast site, the teacher sets up a podcast page for the project before the class. It's very easy to use podcast sites and there's no specialist technical knowledge needed.

step2- creating learner podcasts
Learners prepare and rehearse a short text about themselves or specific information such as history, cooking, technology, etc. It's important for students to have time to rehearse their texts a few times so that they feel confident about being recorded.

step3- Listening to learner podcasts
Learners listen to all of their classmates' podcasts in the class or out of the class. They note down briefly what they listened and have a conversation about them.

step4- Follow up
As learners are getting familiar with the podcasting site and how to use it, they can start to produce regular podcasts on the topics which are covered in class. Their podcastings are going to be more natural and also learners will get more confidence and be able to carry them out more quickly.

Reflection Paper

I don’t have any fear of technology, but it’s time- consuming work and somewhat challenging to apply technology in class room. I can use computer and smart phone well and surf the Internet to get information or data. However, having these skills, I think, doesn’t mean that I am able to teach students with technology. I have visited a number of sites in Internet, but didn’t know and wasn’t interested in how to evaluate websites. To distinguish authentic websites and to find useful websites are very important for not only students but also teachers. We have been working on producing simulations and webquests. These two projects have me create new things and cooperate with a partner. During the process I’ve acquired new knowledge and been exposed lots of English contexts. If I become a teacher, I will use project work for my future students because I hope them get something meaningful and precious through the classroom activities, and simulations and webquests are absolutely suitable.

I guess my weakness is that I’m not confident of my work. It’s different from shyness. Nobody might believe I’m saying that I don’t have confidence of my work, but it is… I am always worried too much that ‘Do I have any vocabulary or grammar mistakes on my posts?’ ‘Is it even correct?’ ‘Is my answer same with the one the lecturer is looking forward to see?’ something like that. That’s why all the assignment I’ve done take too much time to finish. I really want to break my weakness.

Week5- Things to Consider

1. Examine how the Internet can be used as a starting point for authentic, relevant simulation work and as the source of materials which promote collaborative learning, communication, knowledge sharing and higher-level thinking skills.


 Cloud
 : N drive, icloud, Daum cloud, etc. 
Any Internet users can store data on cloud. It enables us to share knowledge in a very convenient way. For example, if we work on a team project, all the members need to share  the updated data at any time, but sending email or saving in a USB device have a limitation. It would be definitely simple and convenient way to sign in one ID and share the data at any time through the Internet. Team project, I think, is included in collaborative learning so using cloud would promote it.




2. What is the methodology for creating and using webquest?


* The skillset for creating webquest are the following;
- Research skills : to search the Internet and to quickly and accurately find resources such as Yahoo and Google
- Analytical skills: to cast a critical eye over the resources you find when searching
- Word processing skills : to combine text, images and weblinks into a finished document


* Process

• Exploring the possibilities

- Choose and chunk the topic: choose a large topic and then break it down into smaller
- Identify learning gaps: figure out the students' needs. The class objectives and the actual outcomes could be different.
- Inventory resources: Check every resource is working for the webquest
- Uncover the question: The answer shouldn't be single. Students are supposed to search the answer!!!!

• Designing for success stage

- Brainstorm transformations: learners decide what they are going to do with the information they find on the websites
- Identify real-world feedback: the information for the webquest might be gathered from real people so learners would be engaged with the wider world
- Sort links into roles: inventory resources are assigned to the various sections of the process stage of the webquest
- Define the learning task: the direct result

• Creating your webquest stage

-Write the web page: turn the webquest plan into a websige and put it on a web server
- Engage learners: engaging and stimulating introduction, having motivated tasks and getting learners involved
- Scaffold thinking
- Implement and evaluate:take feedback and consider how the webquest went for you, and make appropriate changes for future

Educational Tools

http://www.weebly.com/

: website/blog software.
It's easy to build a blog and to post and find information. Teachers can upload any documents, videos, maps, etc., and students can find what they need easily. There is a special version of Weebly for students and teachers. Teachers are able to manage their students' accounts and accept HW online.
I've used Weebly and it's absolutely plain and simple. I think it would be a nice tool for my future class.

http://www.ted.com/

: Riveting tools by riveting people.
There is a ton of inspirational videos. The videos are greatly well categorized into talks, speakers, themes, and translations. Also, users can re-size them by most viewed, most popular this month, most comments this week, and so on.
The videos are mostly interesting and enough inspirational. It could be encouraging students to give them opportunities to learn something from riveting people.
I guess that it will improve the listening skill too. Personally, I strongly believe that listening comprehension skill is the most important one for language learners, so if I become a English teacher, I will recommend my students to use this site as a educational tool.

Website Evaluation

The site I will analyze is located at hppt://www.esl-lab.com. This ESL listening Web site created by Randall Davis and helps ESL/EFL students improve their listening comprehension skills through practice with self-grading quiz pages. The author has a master’s degree in TESL and worked in a variety of teaching and training positions and his one of the specialties is CALL. There are an email address and phone number to contact him. The content is really useful. As this site much focuses on listening comprehension and everyday conversation, there are a number of listening quizzes and video clips. All files are recorded by native speaker so they are reliable and factually. There are also resources for English teachers such as free printable worksheets. Actually there are some ads for TESL certificate, schools for adults, and so on. I’m not sure but it seems that they are pretty reliable companies.

I can’t find when the pages are last updated. I don’t think the content is up to date, but still they are working well and reliable.

This site is stimulating me at least, and I guess others may feel same as me because it provides enough information so gives feeling that if I am done with these all listening quizzes, I will be a master of English! It could sound fun, but it is… It’s easy to navigate. At the first page, there are video clip on the left side, and lists of many listening quizzes. The lists are categorized into different levels and purposes such as general listening, academic purposes, vocabulary, etc., so learners can easily find what they want to study and choose their own levels. The pages load quickly and there are not any broken links.
I bet any English learns will improve their English listening comprehension skills through this site and also speaking skills could be improved; it is a well known fact that listening and speaking skills go along with. Try to visit Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab and start!

Week3- Things to consider

1. Consider the difference between ELT related and authentic websites.

ELT websites ...
provide content that learners can use and also include useful classroom activities. They can help learners prepare for exams or brush up on certain aspects of the language. They are often ideal for HW, access to the Internet permitting.

Authentic sites...
can be chosen to fit your learners' interests. This is a key factor in keeping motivation high in your teaching, try to find ones which have an easy structure and navihation, and with smaller chunks of text per page. They also provide an ideal opportunity to work through the issues of 'total comprehension' that plenty of learners have to deal with at some point in their studies. Students are able to feel comfortable with understanding the content of a site and identifying what they need to know or find out without reading every word on the screen.

I have a question; how the learners figure out whether some authentic sites they choose are really authentic?
Are teachers supposed to check and help them find proper sites?

2. Examing finding websites using different types of search engines.

* Crawler (Spider)-Based

Crawler-based search engines such as Google and Yahoo, compile their listings automatically. They "crawl" or "spider" the web, and people search through their listings. These listings are what make up the search engine's index or catalogue. You can think of the index as a massive electronic filing cabinet containing a copy of every web page the spider finds. Because spiders scour the web on a regular basis, any changes you make to a website, or links to or from your own website, may affect your search engine ranking.

It is also important to remember that it may take a while for a spidered page to be added to the index. Until that happens, it is not available to those searching with a search engine.

* Directories

Directories such as Open Directory depend on human editors to compile their listings. Webmasters submit an address, title, and a brief description of their site, and then editors review the submission. Unless you sign up for a paid inclusion program, it may take months for your website to be reviewed. Even then, there's no guarantee that your website will be accepted.

After a website makes it into a directory however, it is generally very difficult to change its search engine ranking. So before you submit to a directory, spend some time working on your titles and descriptions or hire a professional to submit to directories for you.

 - Paid Inclusion

Most directories offer some form of paid inclusion. Paid inclusion guarantees your website gets reviewed and/or indexed promptly. Keep in mind that these search engines usually still allow people to submit for free; it just takes longer.

(source :http://www.redcarpetweb.com/basics9.html)

* LINK-BASED SEARCH ENGINES.

One other kind of search engine provides results based on hypertext links between sites. Rather than basing results on keywords or the preferences of human editors, sites are ranked based on the quality and quantity of other Web sites linked to them. In this case, links serve as referrals. The emergence of this kind of search engine called for companies to develop link-building strategies. By finding out which sites are listed in results for a certain product category in a link-based engine, a company could then contact the sites' owners—assuming they aren't competitors—and ask them for a link. This often involves reciprocal linking, where each company agrees to include links to the other's site.

(source: http://ecommerce.hostip.info/pages/924/Search-Engine-Strategy.html)

Things to Consider

2. Examine specific teacher doubts about using technology in the classroom and suggest some solutions.

To use technology in the classroom often needs much time to prepare and some teacher might believe coursebooks and formal materials such as audio player and white board are still good facilities. However, their lecture will pick up by using technology. Students can improve their knowledge by searching information related with topics. Teachers can make PPT or Prezi easy to make but look fabulous and wonderful. It would be time consuming work, but it is worth trying.



3. Look at a variety of EFL teaching contexts and instructors' access to computers, and discuss the types of computer-based activities you can do with your learners.

I looked four English course books as EFL teaching contexts and tried to find some instructors' access to computers. I noticed that there aren't as many directions and activities as I expected which let instructors access to computers, and it is pretty surprising me because I distinctly remember we often use computer during the classes to help both teachers and students. In books, instructors play Master CD and show students how to write email and that's all. I might choose wrong EFL teaching contexts and that's why there isn't enough computer-based activities.