Mobile-assisted Learning

Mobile technology has become one of the most frequently used communication device. According to Liz Kolb, the 21^st century generation learners are free-agent learners as they learn anywhere, anytime and at any pace. Therefore, many researchers and educators talk about the use of cell phones as social tools that support authentic and relevant communication and cooperation among learners.

One of the advantages of this technology is that all learners have them as they are cheap and very powerful in giving and receiving information. The articles that I have read and Liz Kolb who is an expert in mobile assisted learning emphasize the use of mobile phones in EFL classrooms and introduce different ways of applying these devices for EFL learning/teaching purposes. I found many advantages in using cell phones in learning. Here are some of them:

ü  Enhances students engagement

ü  Takes the learning from inside the classroom to outside

ü  Gives access to online textbooks, dictionaries, podcasts

ü  Enables students to go beyond the classroom material

ü  Students can interview people

ü  Take videos in class and outside of it

ü  Download interesting things related to the topic

ü  Listen to EFL activities, songs

ü  Share their findings with their peers

Moreover, mobile phones help students to become self-learners, be creative and avoid all types of restrictions that traditional learning sometimes puts in front of them. However, there is a thread that the cell phones may serve as ‘cheating and distracting tools’ if frequently used in the classroom. To avoid that the teachers need to be trained on how to use this technology so that the students can benefit from it and to demonstrate the real purpose of using them in and outside the classroom.

I am an optimist and I think that mobile-assisted learning can be implemented in Armenian classrooms as almost everyone has a phone and if given clear instructions the learners can use them in their learning. To be honest I have used my cell phone as a tool that allows students to listen to different songs or other listening activities. I have not tried anything else, but I think that it will work pretty well. 

Virtual Worlds

Virtual games are very popular nowadays. These games allow people to create new things, to express their opinions and become heroes of their dreams. I am sure that virtual games like second life can have a positive impact on language learning. In the language learning context virtual games help students to communicate with each other in the target language, develop critical thinking, increase motivation and become self-directed learners.

Second life is one of the most popular virtual world games that children enjoy playing. To be honest I have tried to play this game and noticed that it is a very interesting and motivating game. Though I am not a “gamer” but I think the good thing about this game is that it gives you freedom to create your own game and to be creative as much as your imagination allows you. Each player chooses his/her own avatar and interacts with objects in the virtual world by moving mouse. The player can do whatever he/she wants and can explore the environments, socialize with other avatars, travel throughout the world.  

Thus, the articles also mentioned the positive impact of virtual games on learning. According to one of the articles that I have read virtual worlds give chance for visualization, simulation and shared learning experiences. Besides, the learners are excited to do things they practically can’t do in real life and be whoever they want to be. Here the teacher is more facilitator that controller. The students are active learners and use the knowledge gained in the class right away. Therefore, educational institutions need to take virtual worlds seriously as they are the future of education.

Video Games

It was very interesting for me to learn about the benefits and real purpose of video games. All videos and articles that I have read say that video/computer games give more freedom to students to use the new materials in real life and not just learn for knowing or for getting high grades.  Video games allow students to produce their own games. Therefore, they become the designers of technology and they can make it better and better every time they create a new game.

For me one of the main advantages is the fact that the students can make mistakes and they are not demotivated by low grades or teacher’s negative feedback. On the contrary they try even harder to improve the game and to solve the problem in that particular game. Besides, these games are available for everyone. The students or kids just need guidance and they can become from novices into expert designers of video games.

The main goal of the new media is to teach things in new ways and that can apply to all areas from math to language teaching. One of the speakers mentioned that video games are there for solving problems and for getting assessed.  They give the language one needs just in time. In this context words are powerful tools.  

Moreover, video games stimulate both writing and reading. There are many fan fiction sites where one can write a story and get feedback right away. Also, students are put in the world where they have to solve problems together.

The good thing about video games is that the students try on the role of a doctor or a scientist and they feel the position of a hero. Once they care or are passionate about certain things, they do things better and are motivated by failure.

Hence, the parents and teachers should realize that there is other kind of literacy and that the new media is the future of our children.

Video Production in EFL classes

 We live in a century of “technology boom”. As future TEFL professionals we can make use of all technological tools in our teaching. We can make our language classes the most interesting and effective places for students. One of them is video production. It involves both fun and pedagogic instructions in authentic materials that reflect real life interaction. The good thing about it is that it stimulates students to develop their problem-solving, critical thinking skills. By implementing videotaped materials, teachers can create a wide range of language teaching activities. Here are some of them:

·         Interview: Students can interview each other in English on videotape

·         Role-play: Students prepare a dialogue or a conversation

·         Documentary: Students make a short movie about places of interest or their free time

I think video production can be a powerful tool in language teaching if the teachers are aware of its benefits and are trained enough to use this tool in their classrooms. They should be aware of the fact that students become more self-directed and creative learners.

                         

Podcasting: successful educational tool

     

The word podcast derived from 2 words: iPod and broadcasting. As far as I could figure out from readings podcast is a type of Web 2.0 tool that includes video and audio files one can subscribe to. The “evolution” of podcasts started from 2004 and is dramatically increasing.

The readings proved that podcasts are a successful tool in education. The US colleges and universities have started to use podcasts for educational purposes. However, there are certain guidelines that need to be followed. Firstly, podcasts should be short and concise as the long ones will bore the listeners, secondly, they should be relevant to the course content and finally, they should not limit imagination or creativity.

I think one of the advantages of podcasts in learning environment was that it allowed students to have access to course materials 24 hours a day and they could download them easily and listen whenever they wanted. Even if students missed the classes they could listen to podcasts and catch up with the rest of the class. One major thread here was that the students would miss the classes but the opposite happened as students became more enthusiastic and interested in attending the classes so that they could take part in discussions and share their own experiences. Overall, learning via podcasting made students more enthusiastic, creative and ready to learn something new. Students could communicate with the course materials and offer their own interpretations on the topics discussed.

Thus, one of the articles talked about the main features of podcasting. One of them was learner choice and flexibility that podcasts offer. For instance, students could listen to a particular podcast several times whenever it was convenient for them. Another feature was to get the tacit knowledge of peers through various discussions. Tacit knowledge was the knowledge that one possessed through his experience or actions. Finally, the third feature was the sense of informality or friendly atmosphere that podcasts brought to academic learning.

A couple of years ago a research was carried out on the benefits of podcasting in undergraduate degree. The results showed that students were mainly positive about learning via podcasting and they improved their learning skills by engaging with listening materials and actively participating in exchange of ideas.

Moreover, podcasts focus on improving oral and aural skills of students both in classroom and outside the learning environment. Podcasting is some kind of “extension” of distance education as it could be implemented out of campus and students could listen to professors’ lectures and respond to these lectures by creating their own podcasts.

To sum up, podcasting has moved academic learning into the next level. It includes the following steps:

·         easy to access- can be easily downloaded and put in one’s iPod or mp3 player

·         access to course content and students can revise the materials before the exam

·         free of charge

·         interactive

·         includes a synthesis of different kinds of sources

·         stimulates creativity for real audience

·         connects informality to formal learning

·         students can be engaged in authentic activities

Weblogs in Schools and Blogs in Language learning

The term blog was introduced to public in 1997. Nowadays blogs are very popular and are used for various purposes. There are different types of blogs: personal, educational, etc. However, this post focuses on the role of blogs in education, mainly in language learning.

According to Will Richardson blogging is a specific genre of writing where one can link his/her ideas. He also talks about blogs as tools that help children become network creators and network learners. Likewise, blogs develop creativity as they are a place where each person can be reflective, problem-solving and do critical thinking. Blogs are very interactive as they allow us to communicate with others, share ideas and learn new things. Will Richardson recommends us to start from reading different sources. He brings various examples where children have used blogs and their writing as well as reading skills improved. Moreover, children are more enthusiastic about blogging as they create content not only for teachers but for real audience. Blogs foster collaboration as children start working together as blogging is a communication and networking.

Thus, blogs as tools can be used safely when clear instructions and clear goals are set on how to use blogs at school environment. I agree with him that one way to develop blog writing at schools is to start negotiating with parents and then with administrators as they are the key to a change in classrooms.

Speaking of role of blogging in language learning it is worth mentioning that blogs are easily integrated into language learning environment. If they are used properly they can serve as tools for successful learning. Blog writing gives the learners opportunities to develop their language learning strategies.

I would like to introduce blogging to my EFL classes as they are very strong tools of language learning. Firstly, parents should be informed about benefits of blogging and their worldwide use at schools abroad. Secondly, there should be access to technology at classrooms where I teach (unfortunately, EEC does not provide access to technology. Often times it is not so easy to conduct listening). In terms of assignments the starting point would be to make students write small essays and read other blogs.

What does it mean that the world is flat according to Thomas Friedman? What are some of those flatteners? What kinds of implications does this idea have for teaching and learning?

According to Thomas Friedman world is flat because technologies, habits and people converge. Besides, people work together and can collaborate.  He also mentions that the flattening of world has already happened in Russia, India and China. He says that there are three globalizations: globalization 1.0, that is, globalization through countries, globalization 2.0, that is, globalization through companies and globalization 3.0, that is, globalization through individuals.

Thomas Friedman talks about 10 flatteners and all these flatteners work together and that is why world is flat:

• the fall of Berlin wall which opened many windows
• Netscape went public-it gave internet to the world- people easily connect to other people
• Work flow (software)- people connect through applications
• Outsourcing
• Off shoring
• Open sourcing
• Supply chaining
• UPS
• Informing-collaborating with data
• Steroids-wi-fi

He also mentions things that converge. For instance, we should horizontalize ourselves, that is, change our habits in order to collaborate differently with others and to successfully interact with each other. His ideas can refer to teaching and learning in a way that teaching is also collaboration: with materials, students, other teachers, parents and the whole system under the term “teaching”.

Sugatra Mitra’s talk was rather interesting as he talked about primary education in remote areas. His findings showed that the remoter area was the worse the results were. His experiment proved that primary education could happen on its own. Besides, if they had access to the Internet, they could learn anything. It was pretty interesting that children were rather self-organized and worked well in groups. The most surprising fact was that they did not need a single teacher or instructor. They needed only a good computer and access to the Internet.