Mod. 12 : How could I use a specific podcast in my teaching?

Among all the podcast websites Dr. Burgos provided us, I found ESL Pod the most useful one that I can use for teaching L2 students in ESL classrooms. There are a couple of reasons for that. First, it is designed for ESL students; therefore, the contexts of the podcasts meet ESL students’ need. Second, all podcasts go with scripts and explanations for vocabulary and phrases in terms of the podcasts themselves and the scripts which help students learn more and learn better. Third, all the podcasts that the host, Jeff records give clear instructions and explanations about how to use the vocabulary and phrases correctly in the contents of the podcasts. Fourth, the speaking speed is not fast but clear for intermediate and intermediate-advanced students. Above four advantages of the ESL pod I have stated, I would like to choose Ordering Soups and Salads for teaching my students as an additional listening and speaking practice when they learn some topics which are related to ordering food at an American restaurant. However, I would let them know that the actual speed of ordering American food in the U.S. may be different from what they listen to this podcast for it is for teaching purpose. The speaking speed is a bit slow comparing to the normal speed of Americans'. Once they are used to the speed, I would adjust the somewhat slow speed to normal speed podcasts for them to practice. I believe students may gradually improve their English skills by being trained through listening to podcasts regularly.  Let's look forward to seeing the result!

Mod 11: How could I use ePals in my ESL/EFL classroom?

After exploring the ePals, I have been thinking deeply about how I could truly incorporate ePals to my exam-oriented ESL classroom. Finally, I have concluded three ways which may benefit my students in the long run.

Firstly, I would like to have students participate in the forum of environmental concerns at ePals such as global warming, how to recycle, etc. By so doing, students are much more aware of the environmental issues which may facilitate their critical thinking and broaden their background knowledge for exams. In addition, students would be able to bring up their ideas, shares their ideas, give comments, and receive advice with other students oreachers around the world. I think participating in the forum with people around the world at ePals is motivating to my students because they may realize learning a second language is really important for it helps them communicate and express ideas with others. Most importantly, learning is not just limited to their native contexts.

Secondly, I have been asked by many of my students that how they could have foreign (pen) pals. Now it seems like ePals provides them with great opportunities to make friends with students all over the world. In addition, it is also the leading provider of safe collaborative technology for schools to connect and learn in a protected, project-based learning network. Therefore, I believe parents would agree if their children want to make epals through this website. To encourage my students, I would have them make epals through written contexts. They can either write each other by emails or regular mails. In this way, they can not only practice their writing but also get to know each other interculturally.

Thirdly, since ePals is not just for students but for teachers, I would like to engage myself to connect with teachers around the world, too. I would like to exchange ideas, lesson plans and even discuss classroom management with them. In this way, I may motivate myself to keep moving forward and to become a real professional teacher in the future.

All in all, there are still a lot I need to dig up at ePals. I am looking forward to being inspired through ePals.com soon!

Mod 9 : Post #2 How would I use Bookr in my future classroom?

Among the three websites that use Flickr photos, I found Bookr the most appealing. The reason for that is because I was inspired by a love story of a photo album from Bookr, the best day of my life. This story is a love story about a couple. It described how this girl's boyfriend proposed to her by showing us a sequence of photos. To tell the truth, I was quite touched and enlightened by this story. Therefore, I think it would be feasible if I apply this on-line application to my future teaching. In the following paragraphs, I am going to illustrate some ideas about how I can utilize it in the near future.First, children all love stories and so do adults. For example, we can teach students by showing them a series of photos. Moreover,through Bookr, teachers can find various photo stories with captions in terms of friendship, life, relationship, recipes, to name just a few. For example,  Why do people celebrate Halloween By so doing, students would be highly interested and motivated. for those interesting and new stuff can easily catch students’ eye. Second, teachers can find stories which not only fit for their current teaching contexts but also for students’ English level. Third, since we have only an earth, we should all think GREEN! By using e-photo stories, we reduce the use of books. Instead of photo copying stories or purchasing books for students, teachers can show students stories through Bookr. It is innovative and digital, isn’t it! Fourth, teachers can encourage students to create stories through the photos they took. In this way, students can create their own work and share their e-photo stories with classmates. It would be fun. 

Last but not least, only follow the trend and apply technology into teaching can a teacher be inspired all the time!

Photo by Hsieh, Ming-Chuan

Mod 9 # Post 1: various types of Creative Commons licenses

Nowadays there are many works enjoying copyright such as books, movies, drawings, clothing, photos, just to name a few. Flickr is a website that allows people to upload, share, and protect their photos. In order to protect personal photos, Flickr has set up various various types of creative commons licenses. Please see the following icons.
1)Attribution means: You let others copy, distribute, display, and perform your copyrighted work - and derivative works based upon it - but only if they give you credit. 

2)Noncommercial means:You let others copy, distribute, display, and perform your work - and derivative works based upon it - but for noncommercial purposes only.
3)No Derivative Works means:You let others copy, distribute, display, and perform only verbatim copies of your work, not derivative works based upon it.
4) Share Alike means:You allow others to distribute derivative works only under a license identical to the license that governs your work.


Photo by Socceraholic

 By complying with these types of Creative Commons Licenses, we can respect the creators  and enjoy  their photos. Isn't that great?

Infusing Twitter into My Future Classroom

After reading two articles, Can we use twitter for educational activities  and Forget E-Mail: New Messaging Service Has Students and Professors Atwitter, I have concluded some ideas about microblogs. To illustrate, one of the Microblogs, Twitter, is considered as a popular, user-friendly, and interactive application to people all over the world. I myself as a novice twitterer have been thinking about how I can utilize twitter to facilitate my future teaching recently.Finally, I have figured out some ways I can use tweeter as one of my teaching methods as the followings.

Firstly, I personally think that the hashtag is a good one that I can use to bring up a small talk for my students. For example, I would enter a hashtag for weekly question associated with our current lessons so as to encourage my students to brainstorm together and to motivate their English learning.

Secondly, I would recommend my students opening an account of twitter for the purpose of learning English only. If some of the students have already had a twitter account, I would ask them to follow my twitter also. In this way, I can show my students good educational twitterers I am following. I believe through my twitter I can guide my students to follow instructive, edifying and beneficial twiiterers.

Last but not least, I would teach my students how to use twitter educationally and intelligently instead  of using it as an on-line chatting application for as a teacher, we do not want them to use twitter as a killing time tool, do we?

Mod 6: RSS Feeds

I found an inspiring and interesting blog called English with Rosa Among all the posts, I am especially interested in a current post with a video clip, Football Players Also Learn English , she shared with the audience about what two famous Spanish football players, Iker Casillas and Pepe Reina do for leisure activities. Rosa’s comments and the video clip remind me of a Taiwanese tennis player: Lu Yen-hsun His efforts to make him become the first Taiwanese player to reach the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam, and the first man from Asia to reach the quarter-finals at a major in fifteen years. Of course, as a national player from Taiwan, Lu not only practices his skills for tennis but also his English as best as he can. These efforts of his all show that making people notice him and Taiwan needs both continuous practice in order to catch up with other top-notch international players and a good faculty of English to communicate with people around the world. I think no matter which country you are from, being able to communicate with people around the world is very important. Therefore, as a teacher, we need to teach our students that English is not just a school subject but a tool to connect you to the world.  All in all, I enjoyed the post Rosa wrote and I am looking forward to receiving more instructive and interesting RSS feeds from her!

Mod. 4- Post #2 - Ning

I’ve joined EFL classroom 2.0 because I found this group beneficial to second language teachers. This group so far has 17000 + members and most of them are teachers from all over the world. In this social networking group, they share their teaching experiences, teaching techniques, favorite English learning websites, reading or useful teaching materials, etc. Moreover, EFL classroom 2.0 is diverse. It has organized categories such as videos, forums, classrooms, blog posts, photos, events, message board. You can name it. I am really looking forward to having more interaction with the group members and hope I will be enlightened by the community so as to enhance my teaching in the future.

CONNECTIVISM AND COLLABORATION

Through reading Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age , it did enlighten me to some extent. In this article, the author mentioned that: " Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning.” Indeed, nowadays the 21^st century learners are different from that of learners in the past two decades. Every day, after we wake up, the first thing we do is not reading newspapers to acquire information but turning on the computer subconsciously and mechanically. Why? To receive updated news from your friends and news around the world. To give an analogy of that, a learner today is like a spider. In order to prey, it needs to spin its web. The way of spinning cobwebs is like nurturing and maintaining connections so as to facilitate continual learning. Without making webs, a spider cannot catch preys and finally it may die of hunger. It is the same as human beings. If we do not connect ourselves to the world, we will soon fall behind and lose competitiveness.

As for Siemens video,The impact of Social Software on Learning, he said that through social means, we are able to share and connect with each other. Take Facebook as an example which has been widely used all over the world. With it, it allows individuals to form connections with each other. It gives people an ability to talk, to have conversation, to comment and to share ideas and lives. In addition, other social software such as Blogs, Wiki and Podcasts all play a role in connecting people together in terms of learning from each other and socializing each other. Doubtless, for the people in the 21^st century, to nurture and maintain connections is surly needed to facilitate continual learning.

Video Reaction

After watching a video, A Vision of K-12 Students Today , it made me wonder how time flew and how much our life has been changed because of digital technologies comparing to 10 years ago! In the video, first, the K-12 students showed how many hours each day they were engaged in digital technologies/computers as 21st century digital learners in order to let us know that their life is always surrounded by IT. Second, they told people how low percent their teachers were using blogs, wikis and podcasts or they never used digital technologies in class. They wondered if teachers would teach them to think to create to analyze and to apply them in their daily life for life goes on and it is advanced with IT. One child even showed her notebook to the audiences implying what she could learn from teachers by taking notes in class because technology has been changing the way we live our life; however, teachers are still teaching students in a traditional way. Moreover, this video also showed us how competitive China is which made the kids afraid of falling behind as members of the global village.

 In my view, digital technologies did change our way of living, thinking and learning. However, they cannot replace the essential ways of learning and acquiring knowledge. We are still able to write, to create, to come up with ideas simply by using our brains without the help of technology. As a teacher, it is very crucial for us let them know that digital technologies may help our learning more interesting and collaborative, but some essential knowledge and skills we definitely need to learn from books, and life practice.  Last but not least, don’t let technology rule your world, but you rock your world with the help of it!

Safety Tips of Blogging!

Blogging has its own advantages and disadvantages. Speaking of disadvantages of Blogging, as a teacher, we should teach students the safety of blogging. The followings are some tips for students to learn how to blog safely.


1. Students should not disclose their personal information such as phone number, address, SNS number, PIN number or even your private life.

2. Students should not give nasty comments to others. Blog in peace with others!

3. Teachers and parents should keep an eye on students’/children’s blogging activities to make sure they are using blogs positively. For instance, be concerned about what is going on in their blogs to see if they are doing good or having problems in terms of academic studies or peer pressure.

4. Students should not easily trust any information from unknown websites because some of them may be scammers.

5. Teachers should regularly check students’ posting or comments, making sure they stay educational and are school-appropriate

6. Teachers should let students know the difference between appropriate posting and inappropriate posting. They should know what they post may influence others to some extent. Therefore, they should be aware of what the post and be cautious about what they write on their blogs.

How could I use blogs in my class?

     Reflecting on my previous seven-year teaching experiences at cram schools in Taiwan, I found that I myself barely used Internet as a medium to interact with my students except asking them to email me their writing assignments for grading. However, after reading chapter 1, 2 and 3 of Will Richardson, I am now much clear about how to apply blogs to my future teaching. In order to use blogging as one of my teaching methods, the followings are my ideas for using blogs in my future class.

     *In my blog, I will share and update many useful links for learning English on-line in terms of academic or entertaining websites. In this way, students can enjoy various English on-line materials in their spare time so as to motivate their learning.

 *In my blog, I will regularly post journals sharing reflections, sharing English teaching/learning experience, sharing current life, or sharing movie reviews. I would like to be a teacher not just teaching them in class but to be the one who can share many things in life with them. Hopefully, by doing so, there would be more interaction between my future students and me.

 *In my blog, I would like to recommend my students to read (watch) inspiring, thought-provoking, positive, entertaining, interesting or touching English books/ movies. I hope by recommending them those can not only motivate them to be active in learning but also bring good influence on them in terms of cognitive development.

 *In my blog, since I will keep teaching exam-oriented class. In other words, most of the time, the class is still a teacher-centered one though I want to modify it as 70 percent teacher-centered and 30 percent student-centered. Therefore, setting up a blog for them can provide students with a voice to talk or discuss English questions with me as opposed to traditional classroom settings where some students might be too shy to express themselves.

 *Last but not least, in my blog, I hope that students’ parents can join the on-line community I set up by giving me any comment, advice, critique. In addition, I would like to make my blog a communication center for them. Through my blog, they can talk to me freely about their kids’ English learning at home or at school or even they can ask me any question because I will be willing to answer for solving English problems.

      Finally, those ideas will be my major tenets for how to use blogging as one of the teaching methods. But, I may add or drop some ideas according to  my current teaching orientation then. I truly hope that I can successfully apply blogging to teaching in my future class soon!