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.

Week: 4 Four tasks of the fourth week

I have almost finished the assignments of the fourth week. And I am looking back to this week. This week was another milestone in our e journey. I remember this week for mainly four tasks .Firstly, I explored many websites dedicated to build reading, writing, grammar and vocabulary  .Secondly, I learned to make technology enhanced lesson plan. Thirdly I identified the problem that I want to solve with using technology. Finally, I took part in experiment with Google document.

 I began my week’s journey with some interesting articles on using CALL in developing reading, writing, grammar and vocabulary. I went through ‘Using the Internet in ESL Writing Instruction’ by Jarek Krajka; ‘Three Extensive Reading Activities for ESL /EFL Students Using E-books’ by Mei Ya Liang; and ‘Using Technology to Assist in Vocabulary Acquisition & Reading Comprehension’ by Andreea I. Constantinescu. Krajak has given number of ways how to use internet component in writing personal letter writing to description of place. I got some ways of using internet technology from the articles. Liang has given tips on engaging students in pre-reading, while reading and post reading phases with study guides and e-books. I seriously thought urgency of time to use Internet technology and posted  on Nicenet discussion. I explored   reading and writing websites. I like Breaking News English for   detail lesson plan and multi skills building exercises. There is long list of websites .I have to test and consider their usefulness.

  I learned to make technology enhanced lesson plan. I used the template suggested by our course instructor. What I think now is that I should  calculate approximate time for each steps of lesson plan and try  if the time  calculation applies in my class or not. I should study other lesson plan and revise my model in future.

 There are many challenges to teach English Language to under- resourced, low motivated and irregular students in EFL context with very little exposure in limited time. I remember how people laugh at us when we use English outside class. I understand that one hammer can’t fix all nails with single stroke no matter how power full the hammer is. Technology can be effectivetool for language teaching learning. Technology is not magic wand. So I want to start change with few problems. I  Identified number of problems of my class. I chose   to deal with reading and writing habit to limit the scope of my course project.

 Our course instructor, Courtney, had given us optional task with google doc. Creating Google doc was new experience for me. Finally I did it .But I did with many trails and errors. I nearly gave up the process. At first it seemed unbeatable challenged but finally it gave me sense of satisfaction.

 I couldn’t go through all the websites suggested by my e friends. We have to wait few more years for reliable Internet connection. So some messages were posted twice on Nicenet as I was posting from cell phone. I beg for pardon for inconvenience.  I attended training session conducted by NELTA , GORKHA .One session was on Trace Effect. I thought it would be great for young learner as in combine gaming with language learning. I have been elected as executive member of NELTA, Gorkha branch( professional   development forum  for English teacher working in Nepal). I should be more responsible for professional development of fellow teachers as well.

 Let’s see what next week brings for us.
 

Week 3: Three big ideas of the third week

               It is nearly the end of the third week. Each week seems as a new semester for me. I’m getting new insight with newer exploration of cyber world. I learned three great ideas-social bookmarking, building aural/oral skills with websites and implementing technology related change in class (project) in this week.

                              

         Delicious is a social bookmarking site. It gives us freedom web links   shaving and sharing. I created account at delicious dot.com and shared some web link with some tags. The process was easy. It has made my web search easier. I am habituated with Mozilla Firefox bookmarks. I feel difficulty to get them from other devices. Now I can easily share web links to my students and get them from anywhere. I can’t stop thanking delicious. I can take my favorite web links where ever I go. What a freedom!

                            

Every language learner wishes to speak fluently with native like pronunciation but it is impossible without proper aural /oral training. Listening and spoken skills are neglected in foreign language class room in Nepal.  The listening and spoken component s are skipped in class room. We never got such training in the past. New technology has offered new possibilities i.e. integrating listening and speaking in the class. Let’s hope there will be something different as digital divide is narrowing rapidly
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I have been using teaching English and you tube for my own listening skills enhancement. But I got long list of web sites for listening skills. Each participant suggested new sites according to their experience. I need to explore them. I voted Randal’s cyber listening lab as best listening site. It supplies detail listening activities very well organized. The other useful sites I visited are..www.manything.org, I tried vocaro ,eyejot and audiopal. I learned to send voice-email and video mail. I got oppertunities to review some great articles to strengthen my insight in teaching listening and speaking skills. ‘Developing Listening Skills with Authentic Materials’ by Lindsay Miller, ‘New Perspectives in Teaching Pronunciation’ by Maria Grazia Busa, and ‘The Employment of CALL in Teaching Second / Foreign Language Speaking Skills’ by Julia Gong  and  ‘Pedagogy-technology Interface in Computer Assisted Language Learning Neri and e.t al. I read Miller article on using authentic materials in the class and got ideas of using radio, TV, internet and CD as authentic listening source in the class, with well established format of pre listening, while listening and post listening activities. I updated my knowledge made in computer   assisted pronunciation     training ( CAPT). I realized the importance of self directed private pronunciation training with automatic feedback. I am hopeful that automatic speech recognition soft ware will make progress to meet the demand of time.

          

                  

 I got opportunities to review the practices carried out by the past participants while doing web skills course. I learned the different types of practices they did with technology and the outcomes   brought by   such practices .I reviewed the project report written by Tendouinde Bruno Nikiema in Burkina Faso. I read about other reports from   other participants post. I got the overall picture of course project and the way of preparing the project report.

I am back to work. It is a bit difficult to manage time because of heavy teaching load. I am slowly getting used to the schedule and process of the course.I has noticed some changes in my online behavior. I spend less time on social net working sites and check my email more frequently. I have gathered more web tools. Internet is   vast. I need more guidance and support to fully use it for personal and professional growth.

  Thank you Deborah Haley, our guest moderator ,  Courtney our instructor   and course participants.

       I am waiting for Courtney's mail for the fourth week.
   

Week 2: Sharpening Search Skills

     Now the second week is close to end.It is time to reflect on what I learned in this week.
My journey started with Noodletools.I got comprehensive lists of search sites which I never imagined I usually search with Google.Now I have several search sites for my specific search need.I  can save my time and choose appropriate content  easily with Noodle-tools.Now my list includes Google,Yahoo , Bing,You tube.Infomine, iseek education,Biography.com and many more.
  I have already known about placing quotation marks and key wording for Google search.Now I know the way of refining search with +,-, tilde. I must thank our course instructor,Courtney, for posting- web searching tech tip-June 2009 on our course web site.
    Instructional objectives are heart of teaching learning process.I learned new format of writing  instructional objectives using Audience,Behavior, Condition and Degree.I think this model is more precise as it specifies parameters of objectives. I read both versions of Bloom's taxonomy and noticed the changes.I realized the importance of developing higher level cognitive skills among learner.Our testing system(in Nepal) focuses lower level skills in examination so student just memorize . We need to re formulate for questions in exam.
     I  took closer look at my class as I described my class for preparing project work.I wonder how to develop reading habits among my students.
   I spent  most of days of this week with my parents in my village. I managed to keep in touch with the class on my cell phone in spite of connection failure, power cut and limitation of my device.One of our skills is adopting the resource we have.But it was great experience. I was reading friends message in the field while helping my parents My holiday is over.I don't know how to manage time for  next week.

Week: 1 Reflection on gettig started new journey on web skills

Dear all
          I would like to introduce myself. I am Krishna Prasad Parajuli from Gorkha, Nepal. I am lecture of English at Drabya Shah Multiple Campus Gorkha.I am Life Member  of Nepal English Language Teacher' s Association(NELTA).I am one of the  participants  of ' Web skills' course this year.
        Here is my first blog post. It is simple post.I hope I will learn  more complicated design in future.I am posting it a bit earlier because  I won't get access of Internet   for next few days  in my  village. I hope I will be able to read your message on cell phone.
       I heard about the e teacher course in 2011.I was excited to hear about it from some NELTA members.
I had to wait another two years for the course.Finally waiting was over on January 7.Though our journey formally started on January 7,I collected some ideas about the course  from  previous years  participants.
       I  created  my account on blogger few moths ago but I  didn't post any thing .I didn't have any reason for blogging. But when  I read  Campbell's ideas of blogging for learning as tutor blog,class blog and learners blog I am convinced  that blogging can be useful.I wonder what might be other possibilities.
       I am busy this week navigating different links, creating accounts ,posting,commenting,reading messages, editing own messages ,knowing new sites and tools. It is really nice to meet great people around the world having similar interest and dealing with similar problem in different contexts.I don't have any problems till now. Journey has just begun.There is long way to go.I am not alone .There are my inspiring helpful   instructor MS.Courtney and  dynamic participants  both from home and abroad.I have known some of participants from their posting. It was easier for me as I have winter holiday. I don't know what kept me online till midnight with out any complaints.My holiday will be over  next week.I know more challenging tasks are coming in  following weeks.I don't worry much because they will provide me opportunity to learn new things.

          Sometimes I worry if I can't meet the specified standards.This is my first online course. I don't  fear about making mistakes. No mistake,no learning.
              Please  feel free to comment me . There will be more posting next week.