Week 10: Reflection after the e journey of web skill

 Ten weeks long journey on e learning of webs kills is over now. I am reflecting on what I learned during the course.  On line course was new experience for me. I  was not sure  if I could complete the course  or not  because of my little  technological skills, limited  connectivity and heavy load shedding  on one hand and heavy teaching load on the  other hand. But now I think I learned more than I had expected.

 Each week was like a new semester. I started real learning sharpening my web searching. I used to use Google, Yahoo and   Bing as search engines. But after visiting Noodle tools I learned a lot of search engines.  I got opportunities to explore several excellent websites to build listening, speaking, and reading, writing, vocabulary and grammar skills.  Bookmarking  with Delicious.com made my job very easier. I can bookmark my favorite web links and access them any where. There are search engine for kids. I even learned the way of sending audio mail with VOCARO and video mail with EYEJOT.  I   already had a passive blog account. I started to post the course provided me reasons for blogging. Blogging increased my confidence as a blogger. Now I can give on presentation on usefulness of blogging for enhancing reading and writing. I carried out technology enhanced project with my student. Making rubric at Rubistar was easier. It makes assessment transparent and constructive. The learners have better ideas what they are expected to do in their assignment.  It has increased my confidence of using technology. I learned to write more specific ABCD model objectives. I     learned to make interactive power point, web quest, Google site, NiceNet discussion, wall wisher and many more. Discussion on large class, PBL, learners autonomy and large class teaching, one computer class, learners differences and multiple intelligences were some of significant tasks and topic during the course.

 Using technology in under resourced traditional class is not an easy task. We can think of effective use of technology only when we have access of appropriate technology. Otherwise it is just a topic of discussion.  The access of technology is increasing. Our planner and policy makers are far behind in implementing modern technology in Nepalese Class. They are piloting one lap top per child. But I don't know how much progress has been made.  But we should be ready for change otherwise we would be outdated teacher.

 A teacher can do a lot but he can’t do all unless he is supported from his colleague, students and administration as well as. I have applied some of the things I have learned in my class for example I implemented technology enhanced project in the class. My students learned web searching making power point presentation. I need support from Campus Administration to use additional technology for example Multimedia Projector, computer lab for audio visual resources.   There are some things which can be solved only by initiative of University.  Integration of technology in assessment, learner’s autonomy and teacher’s autonomy can be ensured when university pans and policies support. Our university is still run on traditional model.

 I learned the model of distance on line course. Our instructor Ms Courtney and guest moderators really worked hard. Her positive comment and feedback supported me to be motivated. Motivating learners in online course is not easy. I always got positive comments: great, excellent, outstanding, good job, wonderful. I always met deadline and never missed   any assignments. I started to check my mail more frequently. Each time, I checked my mail I expected some comments from other course mates. I must admit that I couldn’t read all my friends blogs post and comments.  I regret for not being able to do so.   I learned so much from their posts. Their experiences and ideas were   shining like diamonds. I always studied in traditional way without any discussion with my teacher and other student. Our NiceNet discussion redefined the learning process.  The web skill course helped me to build a dedicated team of hard working teachers from different parts of the world.

 Before the course I was an ordinary confused traditional teacher with very little technological knowledge. Now I am more confident and skillful teacher with more technological and pedagogical knowledge to use technology in teaching learning process (still in traditional setting but with greater potentialities to transform). I have started my journey there is very long road with many obstacles ahead . Challenges provide opportunities.  Using technology is not goal in itself. It can be effective tool to achieve educational goal when we use it efficiently.

 I am happy because I learned  many useful things. I sad because the course has ended here.I hope to get similar opportunities in future.At last I want to extend my vote of thanks to RELO, Kathmandu, AEI at Oregan , Drabya Shah Multiple Campus , my students and course mates  from both home  and aboard. Without your constant support ,  I couldn’t  make it. I am grateful to you all.  I hope to get similar support in future.

 Thank you.

 Best regard

 Krishna

Week 9: Learners differences and technology

  Now we are very close to the end of our webskills course. We have implemented   technology enhanced project in our class and prepared final report. There is little left for the next week. The best part of this week discussion was on learner’s differences in terms of multiple intelligence and using suitable technologies to help the learners in terms of their intelligence.

 Multiple Intelligence theory was forwarded by Howard Gardner in 1983 in his book Frames of Minds. He identified seven types intelligences in the book. He added two more types of intelligences in 1999 when he published the book Intelligence Re framed.  According to Gardner everybody possesses linguistic/verbal, Mathematical l/logical, Visual/ spatial, Kinthestic /body, Musical/ rhythmic, Interpersonal, Interpersonal, Naturalistic and existential.  People don’t have these intelligences in the same way. The degree of intelligences varies person to person.

 There are different theories to account learners differences in term of their learning styles. MI theory has powerful impacts on teaching learning   process. Unfortunately, many teachers are not aware of learner’s differences. Even they are aware of learners’ differences they are unable to teach in appropriate ways. We teach all the students more or less in the same ways is if one size fits for all in Nepal.  Like else where we praise linguistic and mathematical /logical talents among learners. Other types of   intelligences are virtually ignored. The mismatch of teaching style and learning style is common problem. It is the most ignored problem in Nepalese class room.

I realized that different types of technologies have different potentialities to enhance students learning styles. I learned that blogging can be good option for interpersonal learner. Collaborative writing can be good for students with good interpersonal skills. Wide ranges of technologies are available for learners. Power Point Presentation might be good options for visual learners.  We learned many technologies/tools   suitable for different types of learners. We have not discussed about benefit of audio books. It can be good for auditory learners.

 One thing should be kept in mind while using technology in the class. We are still not sure which is the best way to integrate technology in the class? So we should try different types of tools. If we use different tools, it kills learners monotony on one hand and  offers something good for everyone in the class  in terms of their learning styles. The one words answer for the right practice is variety

 There is one more week . Let's see what it  will bring.

Week 8: Reflection after the action was taken

 We are near to the end of our online course.  I have implemented what I have learned in the course with technology enhanced project with my students in my campus. The project provided me an opportunity to integrate the various  modern technologies  instead of traditional  lecture  method  in  my class. This week I was busy with project report, reading my peer’s   draft report and providing developmental feedback and creating course site and exploring more tools. I also took part  in class discussion as usual in our  discussion forum.

 I prepared   draft report of my course    project which  we conducted for last three weeks. and sent it to Mukti   who is my peer reviewer. He has given some suggestions to make it more clear. We have been working together. I also read his draft report and provided some developmental feedback. We are learning much from each other. To prepare draft project was easy because we have   been working on it from the second week. We have been collecting   the required   information every week. Now I am refining my project report following my peer’s suggestions and consulting the rubric given by our course instructor. She is really working hard to make sure we all are walking on right track.

 The real challenging task of the week was creating course site. When I had first seen our course main website i.e. Google site I dreamed myself   creating a similar site for my students. I tried two weeks ago. I was much confused at first. I just created the site and left without filling much content. As I saw the weekly task of creating the course I decided to complete my Google site. I stared to work again. With many trails and errors I completed my Google site for B.ED students. I must admit that it does not have great contents now.  Editing the site took much time. Now I can focus on content. I learned some ticks of editing the site but not all.  In addition to Google site I  created  Nicenet  Class for my B.ED students. It was very easy for me. It is discussion forum for my students.

  

 Our discussion topic  for this week was online tools. I explored  ANVIL. It is great as it provides platform to integrate text,audio and video for teaching. It is still difficult for us to use  audio and video from Internet because of limited bandwidth.    We  have not discussed much  on usefulness of  different online tools.. I know the reason we are busy with project reports and creating  course sites. 

 The students are sending me email giving me their feedback on our project. I am encouraging them to  write email . The students are interested to learn with technology. I have planted the seeds, I will keep on watering.I hope they  they will germinate, grow and bloom and  produce many seed for new generation. Let me see how big  they grow in future.

Week :7 Working differently

It is time to reflect on   7 th week. This week was dedicated to discussion on learner autonomy and teaching in one computer class. I learned to use wallwisher as online message board. Students are working with course project.

 Learning is life long process. To be autonomous learners means be able to take charge of own learning as Holec suggest. We have very closed system in Nepal. There is very little room for learners’ and teachers’ autonomy in Nepal. One size does not fit all. Almost all decisions regarding learning needs, goals, content, time, and resources are imposed by external body. Introduce learners autonomy at once in such context is more harmful than useful. What a teacher needs to do is gradual transition from traditional setting to learner autonomy. Learners feel insecure and confused if they are left on themselves. Learners’ autonomy demands changed role of teachers. Self access center, study skills training can be instrumental to the journey toward learners’ autonomy.

Computers are still thing of luxury in most of the institutes in Nepal. We can do a lot with a computer class. What a teacher needs to do is learn time management with different learners group. One computer can be used to keep administrative records, display visual, browse web, send e mail, process words, and view content on CD ROM, writing process etc. Projector, loud speaker and printer make teachers job much easier in one computer class. Dividing students in different group to access and work turn wise   ensure that everyone take advantages of computer. Otherwise  one computer becomes easy to see and difficult to use tool in the class.

Project work demands learner’s autonomy. Learners go through transition period before they fully become autonomous learners. My B. Ed   students are doing course project. They are using their mobile phones to browse contents. I want them to much time with computer. They expect much guidance than I offer. I need to modify my project a little. It is very difficult for me to use lab computer because of power cut. I am thinking of quieting Nicenet activity now.  There is power problem every other day and it is only forty minutes periods. I will ask them write their essay on copy rather than post on Nicenet.

 I liked the wallwisher as it gather varieties of resources together.  I taught a poem yesterday. I asked students to write the message of poem on white board similar to our wallwisher. Many   students came and wrote on white board. I did little experiment with virtual techniques on real class. The students loved it. I think it can be used  to brain storm ideas before the class and  consolidate ideas after the class especially with intermediate students.

 Let see how far the project go. I  am waiting 8 th week.

Week :6 Words to action

 It is nearly the end of  6th week . I am reflecting  on the achievement of the week. This week will be memorable   week because I brought the  tips and tricks of Power Point Presentation, making the large class interactive and   starting project  based learning with students.  I am attending 18 th international conference of NELTA.


I learned to make power point couple of years ago. But my power point slide were just liner blocks of text.I din't have ideas on designing  power points.I learned to make interactive Power Point.I learned     some tricks of Microsoft"s power point  presentation.i.e. font,text amount, color, hyper linking,animation,action,blank slide,questioning,etc.The mode of delivery is  more  important than slides.Good slides can enhance presentation. Presentation is not reading slide after slide. I  saw some  presenters were just reading block of text on slides with out caring  audience in NELTA conference. Power Point is for'' to the point ''They could do better if they had explored tips on presentation.Now I think I can improve my Power Point Presentation.


 Large classes are difficult to handle.Large class demand additional supports, skills and resources. Unfortunately  most of large class are in developing countries which  don't have  good resources and support system. . Large class are common in Nepal .I learned many suggestions from experts and thought the possibility of implementing in my class. Many of technology related solutions are not applicable in our context in absence of appropriate technology.Dr.Richard Smith,one key speaker of 18 th international  conference highlighted the need of bottom up approach of solution from individual teacher in local context. I fully agree with him. He is discussing the issue today. I am applying concept map,demonstration . predicating from text etc in my class to make  them more interactive. I am reading my e friends experience and thinking on the possibility of their adaptation in my class.
 I started the course project with my student. I did technology survey with them. I  gave them one orientation class with Power Point Presentation. We have stared our initial work.I grouped them  in to four group and assigned reading. I have forty minutes period and every other day their is power cut. I helped my student the techniques of web searching on their cell phone. As I came to attend , I don't know their progress on project. I hope they are doing assigned task. I will discuss with them  and keep them in track.
  I am having wonderful time in Kathmandu.I met my  friend working different parts of country, my teachers and experts and foreign delegates.There are five persons doing web skills in our group. I met Mukti, Kunjar and Sharmila. Virtual fiends became real friends.We are sharing our ideas and we took group photograph.
 I was wonderful experience. I attended Sharmila's Presentation.It was great and engaging.  Congratulation for your great presentation.
  I want to stop now as I am getting late for the second day of conference.
 

Week 5: Reflection from the half way of e journey

                    We arrived on the half way of our ten week long  e journey. I have gathered a lot of useful tools. I am ready to implement what we learned on the first half. Next week is time to put theory in to practice. Our actions speak louder than our words.

 This week, I got opportunity to redefine teaching learning in the light of   projects based learning. Project based learning takes the students to tackle real world problems in their own way. It promotes learners autonomy and enhance communication skills and collaboration skills which they need in their professional. I was always taught with traditional chalk and talk methods. I followed the same traditional methods. Now I am ready to make some change taking some insight from Project Based Learning. I hope to orient my students towards the use of modern technology in their learning. Maybe we can teach without using modern technology for another ten years in Nepal. But by the time my present students become teachers, they will have to become proficient at using technology.

 Assessment system is traditional in higher education of Nepal. Students are evaluated with three/four hours pencil and paper based examination by exam board and students have to wait another ten month to get exam result. I never knew how I was evaluated and what we were expected to perform during exam. I learned alternative assessment tool rubric. It   describes the expectations to achieve certain grade. It makes evaluation transparent. Teachers use it to award grade and learner to compare and improve their project works. I created my own rubric to assess my student’s biographical essay. Rubistar is user friendly sites with many templates to customize and create rubric.

Another important web recourse I came across is WebQuest. It is web inquire based extended lesson plan. It is carefully planned learning activity on Internet using web recourse. It minimizes the students searching time because all the resources that students need to work on are listed the webquest. It specifies the tasks, process, resources and evaluation process of project. I created a sample WebQuest on Zunal.com for my bachelor students.  It is simple one. I will see its practicality. 

 

I decided the model and tools for my course project. I need to   work further to make my project manageable. I am waiting course instructor suggestion to proceed.