Learner autonomy is always an important element for motivating students to learn knowledge. I agree with Schwienhorst that learner autonomy is not the same as self-access or self-instruction. Autonomy is a bigger term which includes self-access or independent learning. Teachers should assist students to set up a learning goal and students have to figure out the learning process by themselves.
It is true, as suggested by the author, that critical reflection is essential for further improving the learning. This reflection is not just carried out by students, whom should evaluate the effectiveness of their learning processes. The reflection should also be done by teachers, whom have to fine tune their teaching strategies and find out what students really need.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Reflection on Liou
Interactive Videodiscs (IV) , as suggested by Liou, is a good teaching resources of communicative approach. IV presented the slices of life and the visual stimulus for encouraging students discussing with their friends.
In my teaching, videos and films play an important role that make the lesson more interesting and interactive. I often use films for teaching grammar like reported speech. I jot down some conversation between the characters and I asked students to change those direct speech into the reported speech. This authentic material is especially good for training students identifying the use of pronouns. When there are more than 2 characters included in that plot, they have to state, with the use of pronouns, clearly whom the characters are talking to.
Another teaching idea I used in my lesson is to write summary of a short clip of the film. This also echoes with the learning strategies suggested by Liou in the article. Teacher can take a short clip, may be a few plots and ask students to write the summary. This can train students to be a active listener and active audience. Students make use of their auditory and visual memory and complete the story.
IV should be carefully chosen by teachers. Some IVs are quite culturally specific and students may not able to understand what was going on in the film. Moreover, films from some countries, like England, are quite slow in pace and these may not be suitable for students, whom can be bored easily.
In my teaching, videos and films play an important role that make the lesson more interesting and interactive. I often use films for teaching grammar like reported speech. I jot down some conversation between the characters and I asked students to change those direct speech into the reported speech. This authentic material is especially good for training students identifying the use of pronouns. When there are more than 2 characters included in that plot, they have to state, with the use of pronouns, clearly whom the characters are talking to.
Another teaching idea I used in my lesson is to write summary of a short clip of the film. This also echoes with the learning strategies suggested by Liou in the article. Teacher can take a short clip, may be a few plots and ask students to write the summary. This can train students to be a active listener and active audience. Students make use of their auditory and visual memory and complete the story.
IV should be carefully chosen by teachers. Some IVs are quite culturally specific and students may not able to understand what was going on in the film. Moreover, films from some countries, like England, are quite slow in pace and these may not be suitable for students, whom can be bored easily.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Reflection on the Copyright law
The document about the Copyright law in Hong Kong is a very important message for all students and teachers, especially for those who develop the courseware.
It is very useful for including video and audio clips in a language learning courseware so as to raise the motivation of the learners. However, including copyrighted materials can be a big problem. It is resonable for video and audio creators to safe their right of publish in order to encourage more people to get into this creative industry. However, sometimes it is difficult to avoid. This is exactly what the 'fair' idea is. It's essential to be fair to the video and audio creators.
However, there are still some questions in my mind. Take the following case as an example. If a website includes the Youtube videos, which are originally copyrighted but in Youtube the videos are free to quote. Is that webpage violate the copyright law?
It is very useful for including video and audio clips in a language learning courseware so as to raise the motivation of the learners. However, including copyrighted materials can be a big problem. It is resonable for video and audio creators to safe their right of publish in order to encourage more people to get into this creative industry. However, sometimes it is difficult to avoid. This is exactly what the 'fair' idea is. It's essential to be fair to the video and audio creators.
However, there are still some questions in my mind. Take the following case as an example. If a website includes the Youtube videos, which are originally copyrighted but in Youtube the videos are free to quote. Is that webpage violate the copyright law?
Assignment 3 Proposal
Group 3: Connie, Christine, Helena and Joe
Background and Context
The project targets at the Primary 5 students, who have to deal with the Territory-Wide System Assessment (TSA), which is a public exam designed by Hong Kong Examination and Assessment Authority. TSA requires students reading different text types - short stories, poems, jokes, riddles, etc. This project mainly focuses on increasing students' exposure to those text types and enhancing students' self learning skills.
Students' Needs
In order to prepare students for the TSA, reading of different text types are needed. It is found that primary school students in Hong Kong have little exposure to different types of texts and therefore they are extremely weak in understanding and interpreting the texts. This class web aims at providing them more practises on reading the texts. The web provides more opportunity for students to read more texts. The web will also include comprehension exercies with various kinds like multiple choice questions, gap filling exercises, matching, and etc.
Syllabus plan
The text types chosen in the class web (short stories, poems, jokes and riddles) are already included in the formal curriculum. This class web can be a practical tool for catering learner diversity. It can be a complement for the formal curriculum. Teachers can go through the materials with the weaker students at school. For the stronger students, this class web can be their self-learning material. Teachers can encourage those high flyers to find more information from the Internet to further enhance their exposure.
Techonolgy to be used
Colourful and interesting layout will be applied in the class web for attracting our target audience. Different comprehension question types (M.C Questions, gap filling exercises, open-ended questions with complete sentences as answers) will be included. Hot Potato will be used to design the tasks. For designing the webpage, Dreamweaver will be used. Some Flash clips will be included as visual effects to further increase the readability of the web.
Background and Context
The project targets at the Primary 5 students, who have to deal with the Territory-Wide System Assessment (TSA), which is a public exam designed by Hong Kong Examination and Assessment Authority. TSA requires students reading different text types - short stories, poems, jokes, riddles, etc. This project mainly focuses on increasing students' exposure to those text types and enhancing students' self learning skills.
Students' Needs
In order to prepare students for the TSA, reading of different text types are needed. It is found that primary school students in Hong Kong have little exposure to different types of texts and therefore they are extremely weak in understanding and interpreting the texts. This class web aims at providing them more practises on reading the texts. The web provides more opportunity for students to read more texts. The web will also include comprehension exercies with various kinds like multiple choice questions, gap filling exercises, matching, and etc.
Syllabus plan
The text types chosen in the class web (short stories, poems, jokes and riddles) are already included in the formal curriculum. This class web can be a practical tool for catering learner diversity. It can be a complement for the formal curriculum. Teachers can go through the materials with the weaker students at school. For the stronger students, this class web can be their self-learning material. Teachers can encourage those high flyers to find more information from the Internet to further enhance their exposure.
Techonolgy to be used
Colourful and interesting layout will be applied in the class web for attracting our target audience. Different comprehension question types (M.C Questions, gap filling exercises, open-ended questions with complete sentences as answers) will be included. Hot Potato will be used to design the tasks. For designing the webpage, Dreamweaver will be used. Some Flash clips will be included as visual effects to further increase the readability of the web.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Reflection on Warschauer, Shetzer & Meloni
The dual immersion suggested in this article is a new idea to me. This idea, no doubt, explore the scope of taking technology as a tool for teaching English. To communicate with others effectively in this rough sea of technology, studets have to learn the language as well as the technology.
In my school, technology is often used as a tool for communication with students from different countries. AV conferencing is not something new to my students that we often have different inter-city activities such as debating and sharing. Of course, these activities are all in English. Students enhance their language skills not because the computers installed language learning software, but it's because they simply have to use the language to argue or exchange ideas with others. This is a truly authentic environment for language learning and this is a real communicative approach. Not only the langauge skills are enhanced, some students now even know how to connect the AV conferencing, what skills they need to use when having AVCON (a little slower pace when speaking, getting used to the time lag, etc). Technology really helps in this context.
In my school, technology is often used as a tool for communication with students from different countries. AV conferencing is not something new to my students that we often have different inter-city activities such as debating and sharing. Of course, these activities are all in English. Students enhance their language skills not because the computers installed language learning software, but it's because they simply have to use the language to argue or exchange ideas with others. This is a truly authentic environment for language learning and this is a real communicative approach. Not only the langauge skills are enhanced, some students now even know how to connect the AV conferencing, what skills they need to use when having AVCON (a little slower pace when speaking, getting used to the time lag, etc). Technology really helps in this context.
Reflection on Hubbard
The theory suggestd by Hubbard, I think, is a very well-organized one which provide a very good framework for developing, writing and evaluating a CALL programme.
The operational description stated detailed procedures on how the programme should be built up, what aspects should be taken care of. It also provides good framework for evaluating the courseware on design and supports, for instance.
The users' fits, which I considered to be the most important elements in courseware development, are mentioned in this theory.
Therefore, I highly recommend this model for considering the effectiveness of a CALL programme.
The operational description stated detailed procedures on how the programme should be built up, what aspects should be taken care of. It also provides good framework for evaluating the courseware on design and supports, for instance.
The users' fits, which I considered to be the most important elements in courseware development, are mentioned in this theory.
Therefore, I highly recommend this model for considering the effectiveness of a CALL programme.
Reflection on Levy
The literature of Levy mentioned the two theories about designing CALL programmes - the CALL proceduralists, who believe that CALL will improve by writing the programme and testing the programme with the users, and CALL formalists, who suggest theories are the foundation of development, writing and evaluating.
I personally tends to believe the proceduralist approach that the development of CALL programmes should take the users and stakeholders into consideration. Writing a theorically perfect CALL programme doesn't mean that the users love and eager to use it. It all depends on the context. Theories, no doubt, is an important element for evaluating the courseware. The theories are good basis for judgemental evaluation. Combining with the empirical evaluation of the real testing on users, the CALL programme can be the one most theorically supported and user-friendly.
I personally tends to believe the proceduralist approach that the development of CALL programmes should take the users and stakeholders into consideration. Writing a theorically perfect CALL programme doesn't mean that the users love and eager to use it. It all depends on the context. Theories, no doubt, is an important element for evaluating the courseware. The theories are good basis for judgemental evaluation. Combining with the empirical evaluation of the real testing on users, the CALL programme can be the one most theorically supported and user-friendly.
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