Week 10 - Final Reflection

Time goes so fast and I couldn’t realize that we are in the last week of our wonderful course. I have learned huge of web skills and knowledge in this on-line class started from the first week up to the tenth week. I also experienced many new and useful tools that I have never found before such as Nicenet, JupiterGrades, Delicious, Class Wiki, WebQuest, Rubric, and many more that I couldn’t mention one by one.

In terms of my next class, I would like to make use mainly WebQuest and Rubric since these tools could support my students becomes a more autonomous learner. However, I have to consider another tool, which could substitute WebQuest because I only have one chance to use it as a free tool. Other useful tools that I am still thinking about are related to English skills. Of course, these tools should be interactive such as Voicethread, Jeopardy PowerPoint game, ESL Video Quiz Builder, Podcast, and other listening quiz links.

I think it is good to consider the tool that enables instructor and the participants in this course communicate face to face by means of webcam for several weeks. ANVILL is one of the best experiences for this purpose. Actually, I was really curious to get involve in ANVILL discussion. Unfortunately,  I could not take a part in it as different time issue and slow internet connection.  However, I felt happy since Robert and Jeff Magoto provided a recorded file of interaction in ANVILL, which allowed me to see the real ANVILL class.

Last but not least, I would like to say thank you for Robert for all his constructive comments on my posting in Nicenet and for his recommended tools or articles.  I would also to say thank you to all my on-line classmates for their beautiful sharing to this priceless experience. Please forgive me if I forgot to reply to your e-mail or posting.    

Week 9 - Cooling Down

Time goes so fast, our web skills course will remain within only a week ahead. This week is different from the previous ones. I could say that this week is a “cooling down” phase after working hard reviewing articles, commenting on it in Nicenet class, creating or modifying some wonderful tools, and finishing a final project. So far, I have learned many exciting things through this course as well as found helpful instructor and friends from at least four continents in this globe.

This week, Robert only considers two things in our class, discussion on Nicenet and finalizing our final project. His consideration makes me happy as it enables me to provide more time in order to manage my final project.  In terms of discussion topic this week, it is a good chance for me to revise and extend my knowledge related to learning styles and multiple intelligence. 

I could suit my way of teaching in a class based on students learning style. For example, if most of my students are verbal or linguistics intelligence in my Listening Comprehension class then my decision is that I could incorporate my class with technology by utilizing Voicethread as Roza Ibrahim did in her class. This tool will enable me to make voice annotation and recording my instruction which include authentic listening materials. I am sure my students will be more motivated and eager to learn English. 

However, one thing that called my attention is what happens if my class has many different intelligence students? Should I use one certain learning style or use all sort of learning style?

Week 8 - Reflection

This is also another striving week since I have to focus my energy and time on task and draft of final project. However, this week we are lucky as our guest Jeff Magoto shares his idea regarding wonderful tool ANVILL in our Nicenet class. 

To begin with, my weekly task is creating online course site or exercise. Frankly I say that I would prefer say ‘modify’ rather than ‘create’ tool for online course. My consideration is that the tools are available on the web and I just want to modify a little bit in order to produce other variation of product. For example, I apply Quiz Builder tool to produce a video quiz that enable my students practice their listening skills interactively. The students play and listen to video while answering each question by clicking one correct answer of three options. A Quiz Builder tool is available in the internet as well as video file.

My partner for peer reading is Masafumi Kosaka from Japan. His project interest is to familiarize his cerebral-palsied student with technology-based learning. While my interest is the use of podcast in order to enhance student motivation to increase their listening skills as well as writing skills. I have to do the first draft report to my partner and should be ready due to November 16. Coincidently, at the same time is my birthday as well. I am happy even thought I should work hard within this week. 

Another important issue is the developer of ANVILL software, Jeff, presents enlightenment regarding this tool.  ANVILL stands for A National Virtual Language Lab. It is a speech-based toolbox for language teacher. It is a research project of the Yamada Language Center at the University of Oregon. After taking a quick look at Jeff explanation, I could say that ANVILL has quite similar with Nicenet in terms of getting involve learners to have on-line discussion. However, ANVILL seems to be more complete as its equipped sophisticated tools that enable users to interchange message through text, voice, and video.  

In conclusion, it is worth a try the exciting tools into our class such as a video quiz and ANVILL.  

An interactive song/a video quiz link: http://www.eslvideo.com/esl_video_quiz_low_intermediate.php?id=9572

Week 7 - Learner Autonomy

By making the high quality of our discussion on Nicenet in this week, we have Courtney Cunningham acted as our guest moderator leads our discussion on Learner Autonomy. She is from American English Institute at the University of Oregon. It is a little helps for me her useful suggestion on my posting issue which is to promote learner autonomy based on her own experience by means of music a lot with her students. The helpful steps as follows:

1. Find a song related to weekly topic as well as listen to it in class.
2. Provide a handout of lyric.
3. Post in a discussion forum.
4. Provide a web link of the song.

One of the related article is Bird-in-the-hand or Bird-in-the-bush? by Samuel Sheu.  He  helped his students to develop their autonomy through a number of ways: 

1. Made their own vocabulary cards or diaries.
2. Worked in pairs and group for jigsaw.
3. Llistening to English program on TV or radio.
4. Conducted group sharing.

He managed to encourage his students who were less motivated to learn by choosing and doing what they wanted and liked, and sharing with their friends. The way to promote greater autonomy in students of Sheu case is interesting and it is worth a try. In addition, all comments from Robert, Courtney, Vinicius, Masa, and Roza Ibrahim in Nicenet discussion are really to widen my insight in terms of learner autonomy.  

Week 6 - Start off and Presentation Tool

I’ve created Nicenet class page and let learners comment on what they had experienced with podcast. They had to visit my suggested link in  ESL Podcast Blog and answer the provided questions in Nicenet Conferencing which I focused on their first impression learning English by means of podcast web. The following task for learners is they have to write their complete report in a class blog that I created fortnight ago. However, one thing that called my attention is how to participate learners in solely one blog since many blogs could pay more considerations.  I finally found the idea to log in a class blog which  is by using a single class password. I made other Google email account for learners besides my own one so that students are able to upload their task in Blogspot with a single student password.

My other activities within this week are reading article regarding to PowerPoint presentation and creating interactive PowerPoint. In Rick Finnan and Donna Shaw article, I found clear steps regarding ideas to improve the student learning in large lecture classes. The way is to break down into small group activities which include Think-Pair-Share, Concept Test,Quick-Thinks, Minute Paper, Scripted Cooperative Learning, and Concept Maps. In all, I could conclude that the most sound of these techniques is doing collaboration in a large class.  In addition, I managed to create a simple and interactive Jeopardy English Grammar Game. As a matter of fact, I have never made interactive PowerPoint before.

That is a wonderful presentation skill that I have learned this week. I would like to say thank you Robert for your guiding and my ‘classmate’ for you sharing in Nicenet. I plan to use this interactive presentation to my students as a warmer or filler. Of course, I have to modify it in order to follow allocated short time, for example 3 minutes activity for warmer. Another idea is that this could be also used as a race game for two or three groups.

You can download Jeopardy English Grammar Game here.

Week 5 - A Striving Week

I strive harder this week as extra credit appeared in weekly assignments as well as creating handy web tool such as Rubric and WebQuest. I also read a number of useful articles related to Project-Based Learning and alternative assessment. These really improve my web skills significantly since I have being out of the touch to educational web skill tools and PBL.

I need at least 3 hours to read the article and tutorial for each Rubric and WebQuest followed by creating both tools in web. Project-Based Learning according to McGrath is that work in groups to solve challenging problems that are authentic, curriculum-based, and often interdisciplinary. Rubric is an alternative assessment tool that can be modified by instructor in order to suit learners necessitate as they doing their project. This also could be as self-evaluation when the learners’ project is finished.  The instructor could also evaluate with the Rubric.  WebQuest is a sort of simple web site created by instructor that can be used as a part of PBL.      
                         
It is worth a try of Rubric and WebQuest in PBL framework for my future class. I’m pretty sure that the learners will have new atmosphere experiencing English learning process since this could boost up their autonomous learning.

Week 5 - Rubric

It's an exhausting week after struggling 2 days read articles or tutorial of Rubric and had a chance to attempt trial and error creating Rubric I finally did it by modifying dimensions and levels of quality based on my own class project. For me, this stuff is as a new web tool that I have never thought before. My curiosity arises to know more that allow me to spend much time to explore more.
 

I think not many instructors have known the benefit of Rubric in the field of education. Rubric can be used to assess the performances of learners. The fascinating of Rubric is that it can be switched by instructor to meet criteria to assess the learners. Rubric is a wonderful tool since it makes me much easier to manage alternative assessment. I have some options to create it by using a provided customizable Rubric or I can modify it based on my subject need. 

Actually, it provides simple and easy way to create one. For the experimental purposes, I tried to make Rubric for my Listening 1 class which consist of 22 students. Their level of English proficiencies are between high-elementary to low-intermediate. Their task is searching and experiencing suggested podcast web as I have provided within recommendation link. The following task is the learners have to write report in their blog.

Up now, my next consideration is to what extent the learners are familiar with this tool. I think it needs extra effort to introduce this to learners in order to know the benefit and drawback of this stuff.

You can visit my Rubric here.