Reviving...

Push. Start.

Dang! This is rusty. :(

I am in the process of reviving this page. I wonder what to focus for this one though. My other crappy blog is filled with random thoughts... Well, mostly very random to the highest.

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#7: TASK 3: WWW LESSON PLAN

What's going on?

Form: 4

Level: Intermediate

Time: Two periods (1 hour and 10 minutes)

Topic: Paraphrasing Information

Theme: Social

Aims: By the end of the lesson, students should be able:
         1) To recognize and organize main points from the text.
         2) To paraphrase the main points by using own words.

Technical requirements: 1)One computer for two students (pair),
                                 2) Internet connection,
                                 3) a Web browser.

Preparation:
1) Locate a news on: "Woman loses RM19 000 to cyber lover" from Funny Malaysia blog (http://www.funnymalaysia.com/)
2) Based on the short article, prepare some worksheets regarding the topic.

Websites:
1) http://www.thestar.com.my/
2) http://www.funnymalaysia.com/
3) http://www.theonion.com/content/entertainment

Procedure:-

Set induction: 5 minutes.

1) Teacher briefly talks about the latest news from a local newspapers website (http://www.thestar.com.my/)
2) Teacher asks students' opinion about the news.
3) Teacher introduces the topic of the day by drawing students' attention on WH-Questions.

Activity 1: 20 minutes.

1) Teacher asks students to work in pairs.
2) Teacher asks students to locate the website (http://www.funnymalaysia.com/).
3) Teacher asks students to look for a specific entry (News Entry) on "Woman Loses RM19 000 to Cyber Lover" (http://www.funnymalaysia.com/2009/06/woman-loses-rm19000-to-cyber-lover.html)
4) Teacher asks students to read the article and discuss the issues with their pairs.
5) Teacher distributes handouts. (Activity 1)
6) Teacher asks students to fill in the mind map based on the headings given (What, When, How, Why, Where).
7) Teacher asks random students to report their findings using their own words.
8) Teacher gives feedback.

Activity 2: 20 minutes.

1) Teacher asks students to go to the main page of the blog (http://www.funnymalaysia.com/).
2) Teacher asks each pair to choose different articles (news articles). The articles chosen must not be overlapped with other pairs.
3) Teacher asks students to prepare for a short presentation based on their chosen news.
4) Teacher asks students to organize their findings and transform the information into a table format with these headings:  What, why, when, where and how.

Activity 3: Presentation: 20 minutes.

1) Teacher briefly teaches some skills for good presentation by paraphrasing the facts gathered and transform it into creative own/personal words.
2)Teacher randomly choose pairs to present their findings for the class. Teacher reminds other students to listen to the presenters.
3) Teacher gives feedback.

Conclusion: 5 minutes.

1) Teacher asks students on what they learn today.
2) Teacher asks for feedback.
3) Teacher reminds students on the importance of organizing ideas and how to paraphrase.

Follow-up activity:

1) Teacher asks students to go to "The Onion" website (http://www.theonion.com).
2) Teacher asks students to look for their preferred short news articles.
3) Students are required to read their chosen news, organize main ideas and write a short report essay based on their findings. Teacher encourages students to be creative when writing/reporting the findings.

Their essay should follow this format:-
1) Title:
2) Date:
3) By:
4) Brief report (1-2 paragraphs)
5) Reflection (1 paragraph)


* The task is to be submitted during the next meeting (in class).

#6: Blog Task - Creating Hypertext & Hypermedia

 A Letter to God

A man worked in a post office. His job was to process all mails that  had illegible addresses. One day a letter came to his desk, addressed in shaky handwriting to God. He thought, "I better open this one and see what it's all about." So he opened it and it read:  "Dear God, I am an 83 years old widow living on a very small pension. Yesterday someone stole my purse. It had a hundred dollars  in it which was all the money I had until my next pension check."

"Next Sunday is Mother's Day, and I had invited my last two friends  over for dinner. Without that money, I have nothing to buy food with." "I have no family to turn to, and you are my only hope. Can you please help me?" The postal worker was touched, and went around showing the letter to all the others. Each of them dug into their wallets and came up with a few dollars. By the time he made the rounds, he had collected 96 dollars, which they put into an envelope  and sent over to her.

The rest of the day, all the workers felt a warm glow thinking of  the nice thing they had done. Mother's Day came and went, and a few days later came another letter from the old lady to God. 

All the  workers gathered around while the letter was opened. It read,  "Dear God, How can I ever thank you enough for what you did for me?"  "Because of your generosity, I was able to fix a lovely dinner for  my friends. We had a very nice day, and I told my friends of  your wonderful gift. " "By the way, there was 4 dollars missing. It  was no doubt those thieving bastards at the post office!!!!!!

#5: Task 2 (10%) - Article Review

"Teaching Vocabulary to EFL College Students Online"

http://www.tell.is.ritsumei.ac.jp/callejonline/journal/8-2/al-jarf.html

CALL-EJ ONLINE - Journal, Volume. 8, No. 2, January 2007

By Reima Al-Jarf, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia

Reima Sado Al-Jarf is a professor of ELT and translation at the College of Languages and Translation, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. She has been teaching ESL, translation and linguistics courses for undergraduate students and ESP courses for graduate students for 21 years. Her areas of interests are: Use of technology in language teaching and learning, reading curriculum design, reading in ESL and spelling and translation error analysis. She has published 6 books and more than 96 journal articles in refereed International and national journals. She has given 145 conference presentations and conducted 27 workshops in 35 countries around the globe and is a member of twenty two national and international professional organizations.

Summary of the article:

This research studies the use of online learning in EFL vocabulary instruction from home as a supplement to classroom instruction. Based on the previous researches on the use of technology in classroom, it is evident that different types of instructional approaches, vocabulary activities and skills are effective in developing learners’ vocabulary in L2 CALL environments. This study aims to answer following questions: 1) Does online instruction have any positive effects on EFL freshman students’ vocabulary achievement as measured by the post-tests?  2) Does the frequency of using the online course associate with the students’ vocabulary achievement level (active vs. passive participants)? and 3) Does online instruction have any positive effects on students’ attitude towards vocabulary learning?

How? 53 female freshman students were enrolled in their first vocabulary course. They were taught of English vocabulary for in-class instruction (traditional instruction) for 12 weeks. They used the same textbook and managed to cover 50 lessons during that period of time. The subjects did most of the vocabulary exercises in class with the help from the instructor (researcher). Subjects were assessed with two in-term tests and several pop quizzes. Answers were always discussed in class. As a supplement to the traditional in-class instruction, subjects used an online course. Students used their own PCs+Internet at home. Before engaging in online instruction, students’ computer literacy sills were assessed. A tutorial was given for their reference. The guide was also posted in the “Conferencing” area. The subjects checked the specific vocabulary links posted, answered the quizzes and encouraged to check the daily vocabulary lesson. They were required to write a paragraph using the vocabulary items learned and posted it in “Conferencing”. This was done for each lesson. They were also engaged in discussion threads. The researcher provided technical support, responded to individuals’ needs, provided feedbacks and served as a facilitator during the study. Before online instruction, subjects were pre-tested. The pre-test covered the vocabulary skills and themes to be studied. At the end of the semester, all participants took a 250-word vocabulary post-test that covered all of the vocabulary skills and topics studied throughout the semester. Students were also given an open-ended questionnaire covering: their reasons for joining the study, their feeling towards the course, how do they progress, their opinions on the effectiveness of the study and the frequency of using online instruction to learn.

The subjects? There were 53 female freshman students signed up for the study. All of them were from the same programme at the College of Language and Translation (COLT), King Saud University. All of them were taking the same courses as required by the faculty. All of them were Saudi and native speakers of Arabic. Their age range is between 17-19 years old.

The findings? Based on the research, it is found that students who participated in online vocabulary course improved their vocabulary skills and thus leads to good performance during the post-test. The test is proved to have content validity. The inter-rater reliability was also taken into consideration. 30% of random sample of the pre and post-test papers were selected and double-scored. For the frequency rate (Active vs. Passive participants), the analysis was based on students’ reponses+posts in “Conferencing” and how much they participated in the online group discussion. It is found that those who actively participated in the online communication achieved and performed better than those who did not contribute much to the online discussion and conference. For the attitude section of the research, it is evident that students found the online vocabulary course as useful and fun. It is also considered as a new way of learning English vocabulary and doing homework. It also increased their motivation and self-esteem level.

My reaction:

This research is very interesting because it shows how CALL courses can help boosting students’ performance in language learning. I believe that through online instruction courses, students are exposed to abundance of new things. Learning becomes effective and meaningful as they explore new findings. It also promotes autonomous learning whereby students become actively engaged with their own learning. Based on the research, students who really enjoyed the online lessons scored highest. This can be evaluated based on their comments/reflections/reactions posted in the site (message, discussion and conference). In addition to this, I believe that students who actively engage with online courses can practice freely, with their self-paced study in a non-threatening learning environment.

Therefore, I think the research was well conducted due to prior measurements and procedures done by the researcher. Every aspect was taken good consideration before the online instruction was introduced. As a result, the study is highly reliable and valid.

In Malaysian context, the research may serve as a ‘stepping stool’ for researchers to study the effectiveness of online teaching and learning. One of the crucial points is due to the technological era. Malaysian students have the tendency to use more interactive and collaborative study by using technology in classroom. Nowadays, traditional method seems to be obsolete. This research may help teachers in general and also in Malaysia to improve their teaching skills. Through online courses, students are more exposed to inductive learning and this is why this research has strong implication in the teaching norm, globally.

#4: Task 1 (10%) - ESL WEBSITE EVALUATION

Website: Fun Easy English

URL: http://funeasyenglish.com

I have chosen to evaluate FunEasyEnglish website (http://funeasyenglish.com). It is a free ESL website for teaching and learning. This website is one of the projects developed by Howie Hayman. He is also the developer of Howie Hayman – Evolution of the Man, the Myth, the Legend.

1. What does the application attempt to “teach”?

The website aims to teach English by integrating all language skills (Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking). This site covers all aspects of learning English from Grammar, Idioms, Pronunciation, Vocabulary extension and even the study of slangs.

Basically, this site offers a wide range of teaching and learning materials for both teachers and students.

There are ample activities which can be found from this site. There are games, crosswords, daily puzzles, video lessons, online classroom activities, facts of the day, English TV, English radio, problem solving activity and many interactive activities to enhance learning. It also offers tests with standardized grading scheme. There are various types of tests and quizzes which focus on language based enrichment. It also includes other areas of knowledge namely; general knowledge, social studies, science, environment and geography. Thus, it teaches the language via authentic learning and experience. Overall, this site really promotes autonomous learning for students. It encourages students to learn English in many good ways.

The topics for learning are sorted by themes and sets. The themes are varied according to days. This can be accessed through “Daily Classroom” portal. The topics are also updated regularly. If a learner misses any days of learning, he/she can always access the lesson by clicking at the days (dates) the have missed. Apart from that, they can always choose to do drills and practice on their favourite skills separately.

In a way, this application also “teaches” learners to make full use of their computing skills. As it promotes self-discovery learning, the site is very useful to produce skilled learners in terms of Internet and computer.

Other than that, this site ‘teaches’ students to connect with other users to learn. In a way, it implies the practice of Vygotskyan’s Socio-cultural learning theories. Learners are encouraged to join the forum and link with one another.

For teachers, there are loads of worksheets which can be downloaded for teaching in classroom. This site also teaches the teacher on how to use the website in class. There is a tutorial part where teachers can utilize the site to the maximum extent. It also links to other ESL websites which reviewed to be good for ESL teaching and learning.

Most importantly, this site attempts to teach language learners to be self-directed and promote autonomous language learning. This is the best tool to prepare students for the next level of education (Primary & Secondary, University). In my opinion, the best thing about this site is when it offers casual and relaxing way of learning. At the end of every activity, learners can go at the “Relaxation” part and do fun activities. Therefore, the learning process is endless. Brilliant!

2. What sorts of things is the application user expected to do with regards to learning the content?

This website offers a series of tutorial sessions for learners. Therefore, the user is expected to go through the sessions based on their preference. After they finish with the tutorial, they can proceed to the activity set. The set is pre-determined on top of the tutorial videos. Thus, learner will be aware of what language emphasis is being taught.

Learner may also skip the tutorial and choose to do the activity. There are various activities pertaining the topics (again, learner may choose their preference). They are expected to comprehend the command and do the activity.

This site promotes self-discovery learning and expects learners to casually learn the language. If they are not able to finish the task, they can always quit and try new things suit with their level. At the end, they can also play games to enrich their knowledge.

3. What sorts of computer skills is the application users expected to have in order to operate/access/use the application?

As the name of this website suggest, users are expected to have basic computer skills to access the application. The application is very user friendly; even the very beginners can access the website.

They need to have Internet connection, speakers, keyboard, and mouse. It enhances the technology use with responsive mouse and keyboard. Most importantly, learners need to know how to browse through one application to another. Students just need to explore to master the application.

It is pretty easy as they just have to point and click at what they want to do. Keyboard and mouse are used to fill in the answers (by typing or clicking). They need to have speakers for tutorial and also listening & speaking activities. That’s pretty much of the skills and hardware they need to operate the application. Overall, this application requires only basic computer skills to access with.

4. While you are “playing” / “accessing” / “assessing” the application, does it remind you of anything you do in a classroom, or with a teacher, or with a fellow classmate, or in self-study?

Yes, as I went through the games section, I played the “Hangman”. During my practicum days, I often did this game with my students. Back then, I just used whiteboard and marker pen. Yes, it is way left behind compared to what this site offers. Somehow, it motivated students to quickly answer the question based on the clues given. It really stimulates their motivation and at the same time, improves their vocabulary. Therefore, this is a useful site for sure.

For the tutorial session, I remembered my school days where we used to have “Tutor-Tutee” program. It is almost the same when I accessed the application except it is not bidirectional learning. The point of teaching took place as it simplifies the command to meet with beginners. Nevertheless, it does affect my knowledge.

5. Can you pinpoint some theories of language learning and/or teaching underlying the application?

I have tried to explore if there’s any practical use on whole language theory for this site. Unfortunately, it does not put the theory in practice. For the tutorial part, the theory which is being applied is the Direct Method. According to Brown (2001), the Direct Method is taught through demonstrations, objects and pictures, and the association of ideas. There will be one teacher (Hayman) teaching for all tutorial videos. The method is simply taught with the presumable essence that students may easily comprehend the ideas.

An apparent theory being implied by the application (Vocabulary) is the Krashen’s Second Language Hypothesis. I will be focussing on Krashen’s Input Hypothesis whereby he suggested that new, unfamiliar vocabulary is acquired when its significance is made clear to the learner. Meaning is conveyed by providing extralinguistic support (illustrations, pictures, graphics, actions and photos).

For the writing and grammar practices, the application utilize The Silent Way method where students to work on their own. They are expected to respond to questions given with the help of provided cues, graphics and commands without being modelled by the teacher/instructor.

As mentioned before, this site promotes self-directed learning to the maximum extent. Thus, it practices the ALL (Autonomous Language Learning) theory. However, teachers need to guide students to become autonomous learners at the early stage.

For listening activity, the theory in use is the Working Memory. According to this theory, two largely independent sub-components can work in parallel (one visual and one verbal/acoustic) (Baddeley & Hitch, 1974). Therefore, it allows students to simultaneously process information coming from their eyes and ears.

6. How well is the constructivist theory of learning applied to the chosen website(s)?

Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) is being practiced for this website. This site is actually providing sufficient scaffolding for students to learn English. It strongly applies what constructivism theory implies. At the beginning, it guides students to attain the final result until they can finally do the tasks on their own. For example, when a learner fails to answer a question, the application provides hints for them to guess. At the end, the will find it very effective to learn English as a second language. This is actually a form of ZPD.

Constructivist learning is based on students' active participation in problem-solving and critical thinking regarding a learning activity which they find relevant and engaging. They are "constructing" their own knowledge by testing ideas and approaches based on their prior knowledge and experience, applying these to a new situation, and integrating the new knowledge gained with pre-existing intellectual constructs. This site promotes the full use of constructivist learning through a wide range of language activity especially with the problem-solving activities. Through this application, students become active learners.

7. In 1980s and early 1990s, there was a major debate on ‘whether the computer was “master” of or “slave” to the learning process (Higgins and Johns, 1984). In relation to your evaluation – was the computer a replacement for teachers, or merely an obedient servant to students?

When it is stated that computers as ‘slaves’ and ‘masters’ to the learning process, it is rather untrue. It is fair to say that this website provide help and assistance for both teachers and learners. So, it does not replace the role of the teacher but rather to steer the learning.

In my humble opinion, this website serves as a facilitator in language learning. It guides, facilitates, and helps students for better comprehension. If by using computers or this site alone can solve all of the problems, there should be no teachers in the field.

I believe that teacher needs to be there to teach students whatever they need to know. Then, the website application serves as the mastery tool for students to understand whatever taught in classrooms.

8. Would you like to use the application yourself in your future work?
   Yes? Give reasons:
   No? Give reasons:

Yes. I really look forward to use the application for my future work! I strongly believe that nowadays, we need to adapt with current trend of education. This website offers an extension of what can be done in classrooms. It also makes it easier for teachers to look for resources in teaching and learning.

The design features of this website can help to reinforce learning. The layout is simple. It is easy to navigate within the site and from one activity to another. You can even listen to the English radio while doing grammar activity!

The methodologies implied within the website are also need to be taken into consideration. The site is highly learner-centred. It gives immediate feedback when wrong answer is given. It also gives clues for learners. The learning also progresses as the level of difficulty progress.

This site encourages learners to engage and participate in the on-line discussions and forums. This is very useful when they can also make friends around the globe and at the same time, learn the language. The best thing about this site besides its tutorial session is the “Relaxation” part. It serves as the closure of every lesson. It is optional but the purpose is clear which is to promote “Endless-learning”.

*Suggestions/Recommendations:

I strongly believe that the website is interactive. It provides extension to learn English through many good ways. However, I would like to suggest for this site to provide Email and Print functions. This would be useful in the future. The graphics and aiding images should be added to underpin learning. Perhaps, the moderator can add some more animated characters to attract learners. I noticed that this website does not have FAQ section. In the future, it is hoped that the moderator will publish FAQ section for users. This can actually help users to study the site for better exploration.

#3: Blog Entry

1. Why do you think evaluation of CALL courseware, websites, materials etc important?
2. How do you think Hot Potatoes JCloze may help your students learn English?

1. Why do I think evaluation of CALL coursewares, websites, materials important? Well, for the most obvious reason; I think we need to evaluate whether those sites or materials are bidirectional and individualized in terms of learning function. Sometimes, there are sites which offer only tutorial rather than other interactive functions. There are also some coursewares which does not serve multifunction tasks.

We need to understand that those materials are tools for language learning. Thus, a tool needs to be assessed whether it serves the function or not. By means, we need to look at the material's student-centredness level, how much does the material facilitate teaching and also its objectives and designs.On top of all, I think it is important for language teachers to evaluate the materials to check for their appropriateness+efficiency.

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2. How do you think Hot Potatoes JCloze may help your students learn English? It is all about the skills. Hot Potatoes help learners to develop learning skills through drills practice. JCloze is a good tool to create drills without burdening the students and also the teachers. It saves time, space and energy. It helps learners to learn the target language better through authentic learning.

JCloze also helps students to learn English better because it stimulates students' interest to learn. Therefore, it is a wise tool to motivate students to learn rather than the traditional method.

Using JCloze to create exercises helps students to learn the language authentically. They have to engage with the critical thinking process to solve the problems (filling in answers). In a way, JCloze Hot Potatoes is a dynamic tool for teaching and learning English. Obviously, it helps learners to learn better. In addition, it can be fun as learners might perceive the activity as fun and also competitive! ;p

#2: Using Microsoft Words to create class activity.

1.2.