the result of quistar 4 teacher

BLENDED LEARNING

After I had read the article about Blended Learning. I think it is very useful. In that learning,  technology and teaching inform instruction—leading to increased student engagement and academic success. Combining classroom and virtual instruction optimizes learning. Teachers are equipped with significant resources to maximize planning and instructional time and differentiate instruction to accommodate varying proficiency levels. Students assume greater ownership and responsibility for their own language development and progress at the pace and level appropriate to their needs. Blended learning also offer some advantages for us who want to use it.  It provides for individualized support for the students. Students can access material at anytime, anywhere, to review the material. It provides richer, more interactive learning experiences. It provides more time for collaboration with the students and teachers. Parents have access to what students are doing - better communication and support. It increases student and teacher productivity, improves teaching and learning, and provides more and better data, and helps customize learning. More and more colleges and even workplaces are using this model. It gives students more time to learn - extends the learning beyond the end of the school day. 

I also can learn how blended learning is used in classroom.The blended classroom is designed to meet the individual needs of student by allowing teachers to personalize instruction.  This strategy can be used for any subject and any grade level.  Blended learning combines face-to-face and online instruction. It allows students to work with teachers in school and have online resources at home. It is similar to the flipped classroom, but with more emphasis on in-class work with the teacher over video/home content. Project Based Learning is a type of blended classroom. Students work on projects at home, and in class. In class, they can ask the teacher for help, and continue on the project at home, with online materials for help. By having online materials available, students have access to support when out of the classroom. Students access some material at home and complete some work at home, while leaving more time during class to get into deeper context with the teachers.

I am as a would be teacher, will consider to use the blended learning in classroom, because it will help the teacher and the students to get a good lesson. 

E-LEARNING

 

(source: http://www.bestway.com.mk/services/education/e-learning/Vh )

What is e-learning?

E-learning (also called electronic learning) is any type of learning that takes place through or with a computer. E-learning is primarily facilitated through the Internet but can also be accomplished with CD-ROMs and DVDs, streaming audio or video and other media.

(Source: http://www.ehow.com/about_4788168_what-purpose-elearning.html)

What Is the Purpose of eLearning?

The purpose of e-learning is to allow people to learn for personal accomplishment or to earn a professional degree, without physically attending a traditional university or academic setting. E-learning can be applied for all levels of schooling from grade school to graduate degrees, and is versatile enough to accommodate all learning styles.

(source: http://www.ehow.com/about_4788168_what-purpose-elearning.html)

The Advantages of eLearning training includes:

1.      More Flexible – eLearning can be done in short chunks of time that can fit around your daily schedule.

2.      Mobile – As eLearning can be done on laptops, tablets and phones – it is a very mobile method.

3.      No Travel– As just mentioned, eLearning can be done wherever you have a device capable of doing so.

4.      Lower cost – As you aren’t using a trainer’s time or any room or equipment, eLearning tends to be the much cheaper option

5.      Tailor it to you – eLearning courses aren’t confined to be fixed to try and suit the needs of the majority.

6.      Technological Possibilities – eLearning is fast becoming a more and more popular method and with it, so has the investment into how to improve it further.

7.      Global – With very few restrictions companies can be confident that their staff can receive the same content regardless of their location, and in many cases, their nationality.

(Source: http://www.optimussourcing.com/learninghintsandtips/the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-elearning)

The Disadvantages of eLearning Training includes:

1.     Lack of Control– Learners with low motivation tend to fall behind when using eLearning as there are no set times to be doing it and they are responsible for the organisation themselves.

2.     Learning Approach – It doesn’t appeal to all learning styles so some learners will not enjoy the experience – especially strong activists and pragmatists. 

3.     Isolated – A lot of questions are a lot easily answered when face to face with someone when you can guarantee an instant answer.

4.     Technology Issues – With heavy reliance on computers that eLearning brings, comes the potential risks that comes with it.

5.     Computer Competency – Some employees might not be too comfortable using computers, especially if their jobs don’t require them to.

(source: http://www.optimussourcing.com/learninghintsandtips/the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-elearning)

Best practices of online training :

1.      A supportive community : Teachers and e-learning establishments should encourage a strong sense of community amongst their online students.

2.      Clear expectations  : Students should be aware of what they will be receiving from the virtual class instruction, and both parties should know the preferred method of communication and delivery of the core curriculum.

3.      Asynchronous and synchronous activities: It’s important to incorporate activities that are more interactive, as well as those that require the student to brainstorm and research a topic in depth.

4.      Effective usage of available resources: To get the most out of the e-learning experience both the teacher and the student should take full advantage of the vast amount of resources that are available online.

(source:  http://www.talentlms.com/elearning/)

How to make e-learning effective

Here are some tips that can help you create a highly effective e-learning course regardless of the material or curriculum:

1.      Know your subject material well

2.      Online courses provided should appeal to all learning styles

3.      Facilitate Contact

4.      Platform should be easy to navigate and fully functional

5.      Course documents should be available to every student enrolled

6.      Set and communicate clear goals

(source:  http://www.talentlms.com/elearning/)

The future of e-learning

E-learning is here to stay. As computer ownership grows across the globe e-learning becomes increasingly viable and accessible. Internet connection speeds are increasing, and with that, opportunities for more multimedia training methods arise. With the immense improvement of mobile networks in the past few years and the increase in telecommuting, taking all the awesome features of e-learning on the road is a reality with smartphones and other portable devices. Technologies such as social media are also transforming education constantly.
Generally speaking, learning is expensive, takes a long time and the results can vary. E-learning has been trying for years now to complement the way we learn to make it more effective and measurable. The result now being that there are a number of tools that help create interactive courses, standardize the learning process and/or inject informal elements to otherwise formal learning processes. Several e-learning trends give us a view to how e-learning and learning tools will be shaped in the future:

(source:  http://www.talentlms.com/elearning/)

E-Learning Trends

Blended learning

Blended learning is a combination of offline (face-to-face, traditional learning) and online learning in a way that the one compliments the other. It provides individuals with the opportunity to enjoy the best of both worlds.

Social and collaborative learning

Collaborative learning is an e-learning approach where students are able to socially interact with other students, as well as instructors. In essence, learners work together in order to expand their knowledge of a particular subject or skill. In e-learning environments, this is typically done through live chats, message boards, or instant messaging.

Gamification

Gamification is the use of game-based mechanics, aesthetics and game thinking to engage people, motivate action, promote learning and solve problems. Basically it's the use of gaming technology to solve problems outside of the games sector. Games are created to draw people in, to keep them playing, to keep them interested, entertained and involved. And it's much more than just adding rewards, points, and badges to processes to motivate people - it's the instructional method, and not just the delivery system, that provides the elements for learning in a game situation i.e. we must ask what pieces in games makes them engaging such as interactivity, content, story.

Micro-learning

Micro-learning involves learning in smaller steps, and goes hand-in-hand with traditional e-learning. Activities that are micro-learning based usually feature short term lessons, projects, or coursework that is designed to provide the student with ‘bits’ of information. For example, rather than trying to teach a student about a broad subject all at once, aspects of the topic will be broken down into smaller lesson plans or projects.

Video learning

Video brings a whole new dimension to teaching methods. If your course content involves a level of practical skill, this can be demonstrated. Whether it's building a PC or conducting a chemistry experiment, these aspects of the course will most definitely benefit from being seen rather than simply explained in text and static images.

Rapid e-learning

While rapid e-learning can pertain to a number of things, it is generally used to describe the pace at which an e-learning course is developed.

Personalization and e-learning

Personalized Learning is the tailoring of pedagogy, curriculum and learning environments to meet the needs and learning styles of individual learners. Personalization is broader than just individualization or differentiation in that it affords the learner a degree of choice about what is learned, when it is learned and how it is learned.

Continuous learning

On a personal level, continuous learning is about the constant expansion of skills and skill-sets through learning and increasing knowledge. As life changes the need to adapt both professionally and personally is as real as the changes themselves.

(source:  http://www.talentlms.com/elearning/)

Applications of Online Training

Customer service training

Customer service training is in fact the blueprint for a company’s entire support process. A solid training program ensures that a team operates to consistently deliver good service to customers, with or without a game plan.

Training programs yield several benefits for the organization, employees and customers:

1.      Increased engagement

2.      Improved customer service skills

3.      Increased customer satisfaction

4.      Increased profit

Sales training

Effective sales training develops the individual’s skills and builds on existing abilities to ultimately improve business performance through increased productivity and profitability.

Some benefits of online sales training:

1. Ease of use: ny salesperson, no matter what their level of experience, can learn from an online sales training programs
2. Interactivity: questions can be asked and answered in real time. With online sales training programs anyone can be trained at any location, in most any language.
3. Instant access: training programs are available to learners all day, every day, throughout the year. Employees can log in and start learning whenever they have the time and from wherever they are located!
4. Customization of training process: online sales training programs allow for material to be created and added to customize training for the individual, particular company branches, localities and/or specific requirements etc.
5. Flexibility: online sales training programs should be accessible from a variety of devices wherever and whenever employees want to learn on the go. They should be able to log in and learn any time.
6. Accountability: he most effective online training programs have comprehensive tracking and reporting tools, allowing management to see how their employees are progressing at a glance. General statistics can also be viewed and broken down.

(source:  http://www.talentlms.com/elearning/)

First Quiz of ICT

CALL (computer assisted language learning)

A definition of CALL

Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) is often perceived, somewhat narrowly, as an approach to language teaching and learning in which the computer is used as an aid to the presentation, reinforcement and assessment of material to be learned, usually including a substantial interactive element. Levy (1997:1) defines CALL more succinctly and more broadly as "the search for and study of applications of the computer in language teaching and learning". Levy's definition is in line with the view held by the majority of modern CALL practitioners. For a comprehensive overview of CALL see ICT4LT Module 1.4, Introduction to Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL): http://www.ict4lt.org/.

A brief history of CALL

CALL's origins can be traced back to the 1960s. Up until the late 1970s CALL projects were confined mainly to universities, where computer programs were developed on large mainframe computers. The PLATO project, initiated at the University of Illinois in 1960, is an important landmark in the early development of CALL (Marty 1981). In the late 1970s, the arrival of the personal computer (PC) brought computing within the range of a wider audience, resulting in a boom in the development of CALL programs and a flurry of publications. Early CALL favoured an approach that drew heavily on practices associated with programmed instruction. This was reflected in the term Computer Assisted Language Instruction (CALI), which originated in the USA and was in common use until the early 1980s, when CALL became the dominant term. There was initially a lack of imagination and skill on the part of programmers, a situation that was rectified to a considerable extent by the publication of an influential seminal work by Higgins & Johns (1984), which contained numerous examples of alternative approaches to CALL. Throughout the 1980s CALL widened its scope, embracing the communicative approach and a range of new technologies. CALL has now established itself as an important area of research in higher education: see the joint EUROCALL/CALICO/IALLT Research Policy Statement: http://www.eurocall-languages.org /research/research_policy.htm. See also the History of CALL website: http://www.history-of-call.org/.

Types of CALL Programs

 CALL programs/materials include (from ICT4LT Module 1.4): 

- CALL-specific software: applications designed to develop and facilitate language learning, such as CD-ROMs, web-based interactive language learning exercises/quizzes (see CD-ROM examples for language learning)

- Generic software: applications designed for general purposes, such as word-processors (Word),  presentation software (PowerPoint, see an e-book made by students "Many Moons"), and spreadsheet (Excel), that can be used to support language learning (see examples of using Excel for language learning & teaching)  *Also see Microsoft Office Online Templates)

- Web-based learning programs: online dictionaries, online encyclopedias, online concordancers, news/magazine sites, e-texts, web-quests, web publishing, blog, wiki, etc.

- Computer-mediated communication (CMC) programs: synchronous - online chat; asynchronous - email, discussion forum, message board

The development of CALL – from the pedagogical perspective

I) Warschauer's Analysis (Kern & Warschauer, 2000; Warschauer, 1996; Warschauer, 2004)

(*Note: the three stages have not occurred in a rigid sequence. As each new stage has emerged, previous stages continue.)

·           Structural / Behavioristic CALL (1960s -1970s)

View of Language: Structural (a formal structural system)

English Teaching Paradigm: Grammar-Translation & Audio-lingual

Principal Use of Computers: Drill and Practice

Principal Objective: Accuracy

Characteristics:

1.      Repeated exposure to the same material is believed to be beneficial or even essential to learning.

2.      A computer is ideal for carrying out repeated drills, since the machine i) does not get bored with presenting the same material and ii) it can provide immediate non-judgmental feedback.

3.      A computer is used as a tutor, presenting material and feedback on an individualized basis, allowing students to proceed at their own pace and freeing up class time for other activities.

·           Communicative / Cognitive CALL (1980s -1990s)

View of Language: Cognitive (a mentally constructed system through interaction)

English Teaching Paradigm: Communicative Language Teaching

Principal Use of Computers: Communicative Exercises (to practice language use; non-drill format)

Principal Objective: Fluency

Characteristics:

1.      Grammar is taught implicitly rather than explicitly.

2.      Computers are used to stimulate discussion, writing or critical thinking. Students are encouraged to generate original utterances rather than just manipulate prefabricated language.

3.      The programs avoid telling students that they are wrong and are flexible to a variety of student responses.

4.      Computers are used as a tool (e.g., word processors, spelling and grammar checkers, and concordancers) and the target language is used exclusively.

·           Integrative / Sociocognitive / Socioconstructive CALL (1990s -present)

View of Language: Sociocognitive (developed in social interaction through discourse communities)

English Teaching Paradigm: Content-based & ESP/EAP

Principal Use of Computers: Authentic Discourse (to perform real-life tasks)

Principal Objective: Agency (*definition: "the satisfying power to take meaningful action and see the results of our decisions and choices" Murray, 1997, p. 126)

Two types: Multimedia CALL (CD-ROMs) and Web-based CALL (on the Internet)

A) Multimedia CALL

Characteristics:

1.      They create a more authentic learning environment using different media.

2.      Language skills are easily integrated through multimedia.

3.      Students have a high degree of control over their learning through hypermedia.

4.      It facilitates a principle focus on the content without sacrificing a secondary focus on language form.

B) Web-based CALL

Characteristics:

  A) CMC –

1.      It provides authentic synchronous and asynchronous communication channels. Language learners can communicate directly, inexpensively, and conveniently with other learners or native speakers of the target language at any time and in any place.

2.      CMC can be carried out in several forms; it can be one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-one.

B) The Web –

1.      Students can search through millions of files around the world within minutes to locate and access authentic materials exactly tailored to their own personal interests.

2.      Students can use the Web to publish their texts or multimedia materials to share with partner classes or with the general public.

3.      How Computers can be used in the Language Class

1) Teaching with one computer in the class

                - delivery of content (PowerPoint, word-processor, Webpages, etc.)

                - classroom activities/discussions mediated by the computer

                - Interactive whiteboard

2) Teaching in the computer network room (network-based language teaching)

                - task-based group work /activities

                - computer-mediated communication (CMC): asynchronous/synchronous

                - tandem learning

                              

3) Self-access learning (independent learning)

                - drills and exercises

                - word processing

                - resource searching

4) Distance learning (i.e. individual learners working by themselves, at a place and time of their choice and, to some extent, at a pace and in an order also chosen by themselves.)

                - delivering online course content

                - CMC activities: email, discussion forum, chat rooms

                - tandem learning

                - community building

4.      Principles of Using and Designing CALL Programs in Language Learning and Teaching   

        - student/learner-centeredness (to promote learner autonomy)

        - meaningful purpose

        - comprehensive input

        - sufficient level of stimulation (cognitively and affectively)

        - multiple modalities (to support various learning styles and strategies)

        - high level of interaction (human-machine and human-human)

(Source: www2.nkfust.edu.tw)

ICT IN EDUCATION

(source: http://api.ning.com/)

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) content in English enables students to develop and apply skills, knowledge and understanding of ICT in their composing, responding and presenting, and as part of the imaginative and critical thinking they undertake in English. The ICT content has been incorporated into the content of this syllabus to ensure that all students have the opportunity to become competent, discriminating and creative users of ICT and are better able to demonstrate the syllabus outcomes of English through the effective use of ICT.

In their study of English, students are able to apply their existing knowledge of word processing, multimedia, ways of formatting and presenting texts, simulation software, graphics and electronic communication and further develop their skills, knowledge and understanding of these technologies. They learn about the ethics of information communication through technology. (7-10 Syllabus, p9)

(source: www.englishteacher.com)

Educational ICT tools can be divided into 3 categories: Input source, Output source and Others.
　See the following graph：

(source:www.elmoglobal.com/en/html/)

Using ICT as a classroom tool has many other benefits because ICT :

• provides highly motivational activities for students …Initially computer-based activities can provide stimulus to undertake tasks that students may otherwise avoid
• links to other learning and to real-world situations and experiences that reflect gender & cultural diversity
• increases opportunities for student interaction and decision making…This interactive process has the potential to cater for individual learning styles
• makes complex tasks more manageable …in some cases these activities require the development of new skills
• makes repetitive tasks more interesting
• illustrates complex processes or concepts
• provides access to resources…increases the need for students to develop critical thinking and effective information processing skills
  (DET Computer Based Technologies in the English KLA, 1997, pps 6-7))

Research suggests that incorporating ICT into the English curriculum can:

• improve writing and reading skills
• develop speaking and listening skills
• support collaboration, creativity, independent learning and reflection (Becta,2003a, Becta,2003b, VTC,2003) (cited in Becta 2005)

ICT can enable students to:

• access information and respond to a widening range of texts
• organise and present information in a variety of forms
• broaden the range of audiences for their work
• compose a widening range of texts for a broad range of purposes
• compose for real audiences. ICT can support them in their choice of genre for audience and purpose.
• identify key characteristics and features of text
• develop understanding of language and critical literacy (Becta,2006,ICT in the Curriculum)

ICT enhances composing in English by allowing students to

• plan, draft, revise and edit their own and others’ writing using a word processor and other desktop publishing packages
• share and collaborate in the writing process
• use hypermedia to write up, lay out and present their work for publication on the Internet
• transform different media into one text
• email for a range of communication purposes
• design websites using informative/ persuasive texts
• publish writing in a variety of forms
• use video editing programs and programs such as Photo Story , Movie maker and animation software packages
• integrate digital photography and video into their texts
• integrate different media into one text
• communicate with a wider group of people in a range of forums (e.g. via e-mail, newsgroups, online conferencing raps) and hence promote collaborative learning .

 (source: www.englishteacher.com)

(source: www.gaia-tech.com)

3 Main advantages of ICT tools for education 1‧ Through ICT, images can easily be used in teaching and improving the retentive memory of students. 2‧ Through ICT, teachers can easily explain complex instructions and ensure students' comprehension. 3‧ Through ICT, teachers are able to create interactive classes and make the lessons more enjoyable, which could improve student attendance and concentration.

3 Main disadvantages of ICT tools for education 1‧ Setting up the devices can be very troublesome. 2‧ Too expensive to afford 3‧ Hard for teachers to use with a lack of experience using ICT tools (source:www.elmoglobal.com/en/html/)

Conclusion:

There are many benefits that we will get, if we use ICT in teaching and learning process. It will provide students many things that can support them in getting knowledge because it provides many resources of information through using internet. It also can help us to keep our file, document,or data, and records. Eventhough it has some disadvantages, but if we can use it well, it willgive us more advantages.