Week 10

Dear All,
the particularity of Week 10 is that we still want to discover more about It and language teachers.

LoTI helps teachers to realize their level of integration. But on reading Alex's post I can't help wondering whether reaching other levels depends on the availability of IT resources. Basically I personally think that it depends on its use. According to students, LoTI will vary. In some classes, it is a marvel to use a laptop, I just imagine in some remote areas in my country.

I feel really comforted in using IT in my class. This online course has been of a great quality. The course was far from being boring and too theoritical. I started sharing with my colleagues on writing ABCD model objectives, it's a chance to participate in the course but we have the huge responsibility to share with our colleagues to strengthen their strategies and techniques to motivate students and maximize learning.

Each week has its specifity, I tried to range from the most important to the least. I couldn't because I learned something that I didn't know before. Participants were ready to share with one another.

I copied some lessons plans, and projects so as to implement them and to encourage my students to learn.

The guests speakers come at the right time. Special warm hands to Donna who've been willing to share and give constructive feedback.

Laye

Learning Styles

Dear All,

It's nearly the end of this training course, as time goes, interesting things come out. The best is to come.

This week's topic is of paramount important, the only reason why teachers are in classes is to teach. Teaching requires knowing people with whom you are. Teachers know the way they learn and then they provide students with appropriate activities. Everybody feels at ease. The teacher takes into account students' learning styles. Classroom activities should be designed according to students' orientations. Teachers can give the test to students and reveals them its importance.

Thus, students will discover different learning styles. Imagine if a teacher doesn't make much difference between the intrapersonal and the interpersonal learners.

Now we easily undersstand when teachers are asked to vary their activities. Varying with the inetention to meet students' learning styles. It's also good that students know their own learning styles that will help them to find out how they can efficiently learn.

Laye

Week 8: Generating Exercises

Dear Classmates,

For every week, I just thought that was the most important because it dealt with a real concern as a teacher using technologies in his own classsroom.

Teachers are confronted with generating exercises (online or paper activities). I prefer teachers get accustomed to using desk exercises, mostly those who don't have access to internet, and create also printable sheets for plan B for those who live in countries like mine where powercuts are really frequent.

This week comforts me with the idea that teachers should be ready to face any kind of situation while teaching. Students' motivation and interests should be kept on the rise.

The One-Computer Classroom

The further we move, the more we discover useful tips and strategies to better use the computer in the classroom. It might sound impossible for some to use one computer in a large class. I found out the answers to all the following questions.

How can I use one computer in my class?

How can I use one computer in a large class?

How can students learn from the computer?

The computer can be a creation tool, students can create bulletins, brochures, greeting cards, business cards, multimedia (film, diaporama...). This is a picture of one my colleague who invited to share with him IT and language teaching.

It can be a good learning tool. Teachers can download films as materials for language classes. direct students to links where they can find the right information. I think of all Donna has been doing with us.

Some websites propose 101 activities and some tips. Using the computer make students be focused and the teacher will easily monitor tasks and as Katty suggested me, in large classes, teachers should schedule students' use of the computer in order to be fair with students as far as their participation is concerned.

Laye

Large Classes

Week 6

In developing countries, it's not surprising to see crowdy classrooms, the smallest number is 50 students. Managing large classes is a current issue and among the solutions, the use of IT isn't included.

I think this week has been enriching because there are means to make students interact. Indeed, teachers should be curious enough to seek for tips and techniques for their students. From what I learn this week, I think we have the duty to share these ideas: interactive lectures... Some teachers tend to think that they are losing time if they let students communicate. Thus, they monopolize the floor lecturing, they exclude students. Is this teaching?

Students can be grouped and given interactive tasks: games, embedded videos or texts with comprehension questions, crosswords, ...

Grouping students is not an easy task in the sense that there are lots of things to be taken into consideration: size, level.... Do students need to be grouped for every single activity? In fact, there is a good rationale behind that idea of grouping students.

Technology devices can help teachers. the challenge lies in teachers' hands. Some of them don't know how to use them. teachers should learn and even in such a situation, students can be trusted to help.

Week 5

1. Creating Rubrics

Rubrics are really necessary for a teacher. It states beforehand teachers' expectations. It gives to teachers' grades objectivity in assessing students' productions. Rubrics enable students to assess their own work.

2.Assessment

Here is the picture that I want to share with all participants

PBL seems to be wholistic, and I really appreciate Webquest, it's topical and students can go through tasks autonomously and are ready to work and produce something of their own.

Week four: Create a technology-enhanced lesson plan

I started using CALL empirically. I did it because I found that it motivated my students and got in touch authentic materials; Now, I have good grounds to use it more often than not. In our area, it's possible to find students who have been learning English for five or six and have only been exposed to teachers' English. They have problems to understand native speakers. Teachers should do their best to include videos and audios, to use appropriate websites in their lessons to develop the four primary skills. This is the reason, I appreciate the task 'creating a technology enhanced lesson plan. Using the template makes it easier because of the guidelines.
It's worth being here. I appreciate constructive remarks.

Week 3

My delicious page
This is something new and really helpful; I used to put my favorite on the computer . Whenever I format it I lose all. I think creating a delicious page enables me to save all without fearing formatting.
The delicious page can be organised according to different fields to make research easier.
Students can be taught that in order to save their favourite websites, which they use whenever they need them. Their delicious page will be function as a virtual library.
Every week, you make it worth learning because of useful tips.

Web searching

Week 2 was rich also in terms of web searching. Donna has suggested some websites. And what I learned from that was the Internet is full of resources, either for teachers or for students; Teachers should provide students with the appropriate websites. I understand that and the purpose is rather to gain time but also students are easily guided. However, teachers should associate students. Though Donna suggested us websites, some other participants came with good sites.

ABCD Model

I've learned that a course can't be implemented successfully without prior clear objectives. Using behavioural verbs is not sufficient, there are other elements which help teachers to give clear objectives:
Audience,Behaviour,Condition and Degree.
Franckly, in the Past, I didn't know about the condition and the degree. From now on, teachers should integrate these elements, they make the assessment easier.

Classroom Projects

I first experience classroom projects last year. On reading project samples, though I was lagging behind, I must admit that I made some strides. As time flies, students lack motivation because of routine; Teachers use the same activities and in the long run. Students know beforehand what they are going to have or to do. Variety is a spice of life as the saying goes.
Projects are serious ways of teaching and learning. Teachers should plan every step so as to move safely.
But another key point is to set risks, imagine you intend to run a video and it breaks down, did the teacher has an alternative in case this happens in the class. Here I don't mean to be pessimistic.
The time should be negotiated, students can't some tasks in a short period of time.

Reflections Week 1

On reading different comments on rubrics, I learned that it is the best way to assess students’ work objectively, especially in writing and students can assess their own work. Actually, in grading they are mostly influenced by their previous performances or names. Mostly in writing, marks are subjective. It happens to us before reading a student’s paper, it can be the best or the less good, we say to ourselves that it’s needless to read the paper. With clear rubrics, teachers avoid misjudgements.

Another point to be mentioned is that negotiating with students, it is a key issue for a successful class. Students are partners, resources. Students can bring materials that teachers need in his/her class. Mostly, when they are involved in making decisions and they feel that they exist, they realize that nothing is imposed. Classroom realities are not different from what we live in real life. It is democracy versus dictatorship. In a dictatorship class, students are afraid of participating, making mistakes, and they resort to plagiarism to please the teacher’s demands in terms of accuracy. Democracy is synonymous with flexibility, teachers welcome students’ proposals without frustrating them. Making mistakes is part of language learning and even failing students deserve encouragements; at least they have actively taken part in the classroom.

With our present project, Children’s Situation in Kolda, students will need to search issues on Child Labour and Childrens’ Rights. So, providing them with good searching engines will help them find resources. As I said in the discussions, learning can happen outside classes.