Aahhh..I talked about missing this class last week. Now.. I am in the final week of the course. What do I feel? I am not sure how I can describe it..I have mixed feeling I think. I felt about it 2 weeks ago and I never thought that being in the final week would be this hard. Especially reading my lovely classmates' posts on their blogs.. even the titles make me sad..
the entries seem to be the farewell words..May be they are..I hate this feeling..it brings me to the graduation moment but I think we are all in the graduation ceremony after 10 weeks sitting together in the class.
I can't describe one by one about what I have had during the course..Webquest,Blog,Delicious,ANVILL,interactive PPT, PBL,ABCD objectives and many more.. Shahnoza made a wonderful list about what we have learned so far. For me.. I think Webquest, PBL, interactive PPT and online tools are some of the knowledge that I will use in my Speaking class. How lucky I am to have so many sources that can be used in the future.. I am so grateful that I am part of this wonderful course..it's truly an inspiring journey..
I want to thank all my dear classmates..I have many talented and wonderful friends here..Though we live in different part of the world but it seems that we truly "sit" in the same room! Share ideas, opinions knowledge and help each other are the activities that I will miss alot and also the blogs and the discussion board.
For the next participants in this course, my suggestions are
- Devoting the time (It will hard at the beginning and you will feel hectic but after you can manage the time..everything will be fine)
- Follow all the instructions.
- Put the technology first in all aspects that you will learn in this course
- Don't hesitate to ask..either on the board or sending an email to Robert even if you think it's only a small matter.
- Complete the tasks on time and focus about the final project since the Week 2. Robert will give you the tasks and use them as your steps in doing the final project. You will see that they will be useful when you meet the deadline.
- Be active in Discussion board and the blogs..you will find many great ideas and experiences from your classmates..
- Don't give up even if you feel that it's so hard to do all the tasks in your real life and the course. You will get through it.
Goodluck and welcome to the newcomers ... I hope you will get valuable experiences like we do..
I want to say thank you so much to our dearest,Robert, for all his guidance during the course.
To all my classmates.. I am already missing you all...I hope we can still keep in touch...whether by the blogs or other tools such as social networking..It will be great to "meet" you after the course..
Dinner everyone??
Can you believe that Week 10 is coming? When I looked back..all the tasks..discussions on the board, the blog kept me busy and all the weeks passed me so fast..
Now..I have to drag the bags into the finish line..Am I a different teacher now? No doubt I am..
This week we talk about the learning styles and multiple intelligences.After reading the articles..I found out that having many learning styles in the class needed more efforts to overcome the problems. Students have to be the focus of the learning process not the teachers. I like the way of Richard M. Felder differentiates the learning styles based on the characteristics.I think I am a bit visual and verbal learner since I like to study using pictures and making notes about something in my own words. When dealing with many learning styles in the class..it can't avoid that we have to prepare different strategics in teaching the same topic. One lesson plan can not use in many classes because each class has specific characteristics along with the learning styles the students have. Flexibility and back up plans are the way to prepare ourselves in the teaching-learning process.
Based on Rosen 's article, it talks about the Internet and Distance Learning which is similar with this course. Virtual classrooms help the students in matching their learning styles with the lesson. So it can be said that it's not only using technology in multimedia forms but also virtual one. When I read some of the articles, I realize that many methods with technology in it can be used in the class. They are truly giving new perspectives in preparing the lesson in my class.
Next week will be the bitter-sweet week since it will be the last time we sit together in the class..
Goodluck everyone!
It's almost at the end of Week 8 and I think that most of my classmates are very busy with their tasks in real life and also in this course since the final project is on the way..I am struggling to manage my time in doing the project but I think I'll overcome this obstacle...
This week is more practical because we have to make an exercise whether it will be used online or offline and Robert gave us many links to make one. I chose the printed exercise because I still haven't had the internet connection in the lab.I'll keep the links as my references. A class site is also one of the task this week. It will be great if I can make a class site such as Nicenet or a blog but I think I'll keep that as my future plan. This week is another busy week, isn't it?
ANVILL is also a great tool for enriching students' ability in speaking although it requires good internet connection. It took me a while in exploring ANVILL because it offers many great things such as Voiceboards,
Quizzes and Survey,
and Livechats. It gives me another tool and technique in my Speaking Class. While reading the explanation of ANVILL, I imagined about applying it in my lab along with the other tools for speaking practice. I am sure that I can get there soon..
Two more weeks in the class..soon I am going to miss it..
I don't think that I will fly higher than the previous week since I put more bags around my neck this week along with cookies bags from the Eid Mubarak.. *it's only me making a joke.. lol*
This week started with 2 discussions on the board and a lot of reading materials but I found out myself reading only few of them. Learner autonomy is one of the hot issues along with one-computer option. Thanasoulas' article gave a very good quote says Autonomy is a process, not a product. I can not agree more about it. It's truly a process both in teachers and students' side. Dealing with one-computer classroom is not as easy as it looks. Carol and Francis' posting about their situation in the class gave me a new perspective that we should maximize what we have now and make the best of it. They inspire me to do the best.
It's time to prepare the final project and I hope that I can finish it on time..
Flying with bigger bag around my neck is not always easy...I must admit that I tried so hard to keep up but I realized that sometimes I need to take a rest in order to fly higher.
This week is full with new experiences such as making an interactive PPT,
engaging students and teaching large class.
The links provided truly led me to many informational links. Interactive PPT took me a while to make it since I used to make the ordinary one..although I felt that I could make a better PPT but the one I submitted to Wikiclass was a good example of learning a new technique for me.
The discussion about Engaging Students informed me that many techniques are available for us to use. I read my classmates' experiences and found out that I need to "dig" deeper. Technology provides many excellent ways to engage the students to the lesson and I realize that I am on the right track to embrace them. I am so happy that I have many experienced classmates here..
I agree that large classes are challenging.. it needs a powerful strategy to overcome the obstacles but I think I have more than one powerful strategy which I can use based on the course. Small group,Think-Pair-Share,ConcepTest,Concept Map etc are several techniques which are available to be used. Amazing..isn't it?
Week 7 is coming..Final Project is on the way..Hope we can reach the end with bigger bag and wings..
It's a very productive week as Shahnoza's wish and time consuming as Yudi said. I am totally agree since I need more time in completing all the tasks..we have PBL, Webquest, and Rubrics this week. I must admit that Webquest and Rubrics took me a while to comprehend. Both of them are new to me especially the rubrics because I used write down the rubrics in my Assessment Book and kept it simple. I kept in my mind the categories of the assessment. Now I have to write it down with the explanation. Thanks to Rubistar for making it easier for me and whola..I made one..
I took a while too in making my first webquest and realized it was easier to explain something using this technique. It is so organized. Based on my classmates' experience with blog and webquest when they asked their students to make one..I think it will be great to apply these to my students too..
One major thing this week is PBL and the discussion about it is so interesting on the board. In my opinion, PBL surely can change the way of teaching with more attractive ways. After reading Susan Gaer's article, I learned that this technique even can change a community ! I know it depends on the situation but it is worth it to try, isn't it?
I think the class will need more "bags" for the rest of the weeks..
Week 5 is coming..time is surely running faster than I thought..
It's been a hard week..I missed my blog and the board but I couldn't push myself through the real things I have here..Thank you for Robert for his understanding..
What do I have this week? we continue our priceless lesson by making a lesson plan called Technology Enhanced Lesson Plans. It's similar with the common lesson plan but we have to add technology which can help our teaching process. It's quite tough in order to focus in applying this new technique and write it down on a piece of paper although we have done this activity many times. Changing the mindset of the old way of teaching and gradually embrace the new techniques take some times to get used to..when I tried to make one..I wrote with the "old" way I knew. I think this week is more practical and help us to plan the final project step by step.
This week's materials are about Reading and Writing skills so I think I have already had the whole package in one "bag" but still I will need more "bags" till the Week 10. Krajka's article gives a new perspective of teaching writing through 3 basic elements which are web pages, email connection and creating class websites. Robert said that these kinds of methods were something common for teachers who were familiar in teaching with technology but he also said that we lived in different situation. It's a new thing for me as I never taught in a class which provides the internet connection but it is always fun to find new challenge..isn't it?
Liang's article also gives new method in teaching reading..She suggested to use e-books as the main materials for the students and led them to discuss about these on class blogs. Blog will encourage the students to give more comments or opinions without having hesitation feeling because they don't have to face their classmates personally. It will be good for introvert students.
I also found out a new link for speaking class : Free English Now .
It provides many free MP3 files to teach specific purpose, for example, Greetings and Introduction.I also have 3 links from Robert as the required websites to explore. I like Lauri's ESL Website because it provides many interesting flashes to be used in listening and reading classes. The other goodies for my bag for sure.
It's almost the half way to the end of this journey but I will enjoy every minute I have to get there .... ^^
