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.