TASK 4: DESIGNING AN ESL CALL/CALLT- COURSEWARE/WEBSITE (10%)

DESIGNING AN ESL CALL/CALLT- WEBSITE

For this task I did a website, teaching simple grammar (Phrasal Verbs) using weebly.com.

Click the link below to access to my website. Thank you!

ENGLISH LOVER- SiMPLE GRAMMAR: GRAMMAR FOR BEGINNER

HYPERMEDIA

.

As I look to the sky I can clearly see
The glorious sun beaming down on me
The clouds go from thick to a whispy thin
To miss such a view is a terrible sin
As I look around this spectacular place I feel a smile take over my face
The fields of lush green grass are dotted
With beautiful wild flowers the bees have spotted
Busily flying from flower to flower
Pollinating before a shower
The distinctive red of a poppy field
To a tarmac strip they have to yield
The man-made pathway cuts through nature's canvas
Taking us to far flung places around us
To a built up concrete industrial machine
Where places like this are rarely seen
So whenever you visit the countryside
Take a few moments to put aside
So you will remember what you have seen
Before you return to the not so green

TASK 3: WEB BASED LESSON PLAN (15%)

WEB BASED LESSON PLAN

ACTIVITY  : READ THAT MENU!

FORM         : 4

LEVEL        : Lower-Intermediate.

TIME          : 70 minutes               

AIMS          : To find specific information in the website and to practice scanning for details.

LANGUAGE FOCUS:

1.      Reading

2.      Writing

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS:

1.      One computer per student with an Internet connection and a Web Browser.

2.      One projector and a screen.

3.      Website: http://www.manhattanfishmarket.com/malaysia.html

PREPARATIONS:

1. Locate restaurant sites with detailed menu.
2. Locate web blog specifically for teachers and students.
3. Post a blog with instructions for students’ reference for follow-up activity.

PROCEDURE:

    Set Induction

1. Teacher asks the students to take their seats and settle down.
2. Teacher projects on the screen the ground rules in Computer Lab.
3. Teacher tells that the students are only allowed to access to the Websites that is instructed.
4. Teacher reminds the students to not download anything from the Internet unless is instructed to.
5. Teacher asks the students if they have their own favourite restaurant.
6. Teacher asks if the students remember the content of the menu.
7. Teacher asks the students and list out the details that usually can be found in a menu.

     Development

1. Teacher recaps previous lesson on Reading Skill: Scanning for Details.
2. Teacher explains that today’s lesson is a practice on that topic.
3. Teacher distributes worksheet to the students.
4. Teacher gives the instructions to the students.
5. Teacher asks the students to read the questions in the worksheet (click here).
6. Teacher tells the students that the answers can be found on the online menu, Manhattan Fish Market.
7. Teacher asks the students to access to this website: http://www.manhattanfishmarket.com/malaysia.html
8. Teacher tells the students to explore the websites in order to get the answers for the worksheet as the menu is more in-depth online than the printed version in the particular restaurant.
9. Teacher gives time for the students to complete the worksheet.
10. Teacher discusses with the students the difference between online version of menu and the printed version that can be found in the restaurant.
11. Teacher discusses the answers with the students and discusses any difficulties while completing the activity either with the language used in the menu or the technology.

Conclusion

1.     Teacher recaps the lesson.

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITY

1.     Teacher asks the students to be in pair and create their own menu using Microsoft Publisher.

2.     Teacher asks the students to post the menu on classroom’s blog in http://kidblog.org/home/

TASK 2: ARTICLE REVIEW (20%)

TASK 2: ARTICLE REVIEW

Kaya, Haldun. (2015). Blending Technology with Constructivism: Implications for an ELT Classroom. Teaching English with Technology, 15(1), 3-13. 

(click the link for the article)

Mehmet Hâldun Kaya or also known as Haldun Kaya completed his high school education at the Manisa Teacher Training High School. He graduated from the Middle East Technical University, Faculty of Education in Foreign Language Education Department with high honour degree in the year of 2002. He worked as a simultaneous interpreter for foreign delegations during his military service. On top of that, he also holds the certificate of Teaching Grammar given by IUE. He has been working at IUE since 2002.

     The article titled, “Blending Technology with Constructivism: Applications for an ELT Classroom” by Haldun Kaya is retrieved from tewtjournal.org from the first issue in 2015. The article contains 11 pages including references. The article is divided into 5 items which are Introduction, Constructivist Learning Environment, Constructivist Learning and the Use of Technology, Applications and Conclusions.

        As mentioned in the title of the article, it is about bringing the technology in a constructivist classroom and make use of it to create a more beneficial and experiential environment to the students in learning language.  It is important to create an environment whereby the students are able to experience the language themselves through meaningful and authentic activities, thus allowing a long term result to the students. This article is written to get the readers to read and analyse the benefits of using technology in a constructivist classroom and it provides selections of application that can be used in ELT classroom. Technology allows the students to access, review, modify, evaluate and improve the students’ performance and if it is implemented well, it may increase and improve students’ learning, understanding and their achievement. Motivation is very important in learning especially language learning, and the blend of technology in an ELT class can offer just that and also increase students’ motivation to learn and giving them the opportunity to think critically and encourage problem-solving skills. The author provides the Digital Bloom’s Pyramid to show that web 2.0 technologies can be fit into the traditional Bloom’s Taxonomy. This actually shows that as long as web 2.0 technologies can help to achieve the six levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy, then using them can help create students with critical mind. Teaching and learning require both teacher and student. Students rely on feedbacks of the teachers for them to know their mistakes and to improve themselves. However, sometimes, teachers are not able to give feedback personally to the students due to other workloads and most of time because of a large number of students in class. Therefore, using website 2.0 can help in this matter as it provides immediate feedbacks to the students. The author truly believes that blending technology with constructivism brings a positive implications in an ELT classroom. 

        I will recommend this article to all English teachers and also parents here in Malaysia as it interests me a lot with the new approach in language teaching. This article is well-written and provides assurance that using technology to teach English is possible and effective. Besides that, I believe this could be one of the best ways to help Malaysian students to learn English language more effectively and to boost their confident in learning English. This is because during my practicum, I realised that most of my students are afraid to use English in class as they are afraid of making mistakes and being laughed at. They also uninterested to learn English in class because they are bored with the pen and paper activities in class. Since the students belong to gen Y and are technology literate, using ESL websites, blogs, social network and such are a privilege to them. They will also enjoy the class because it is different from the usual and traditional way of learning in class. I can say this because, during my practicum, my students enjoyed themselves and actively participated with the activity using song to learn phrasal verbs. They even requested me to play the song again for them to sing. This shows how the students are in need of diversity of activities in class to get them to engage in teaching and learning in class. Parents also need to know that technology can be used as a tool for the students to learn language, so that, they will understand and support their children at home by providing and allowing the students to use computer and have connection to the Internet in order to access various ESL websites. With proper guides and unlimited support by the teachers and parents, using the blend of technology in a constructivist English classroom in Malaysia, can actually be the answer to improve and polish the Malaysian’s students’ proficiency in English language.

    

TASK 1: ESL WEBSITE EVALUATION (10%)

ESL WEBSITE EVALUATION

The ESL website that I have chosen is Learn English Today. The website provides a wide range of free resources for ESL learners from grammar, word games, quotes and down to the English for business. On the left corner of the website, there is a panel on the topics that the learners can choose and click. Besides that, on the homepage of the website, there is an overview of the content for each topic or subject offered in the website.  

1)     This website "teach" the learners English grammar particularly and also exposes them to idioms, proverbs, vocabulary, new english words, phrasal verbs, and famous quotations. Besides that, the website leads the learners to series of smaller branches of the main topic of the grammar lessons.  Not only that, the website also includes lesson or guide on Business English which provides lists of vocabulary, useful phrases and terms used in all areas of business and also guidelines for letter-writing and presentations, business conversation topics, exercises, idioms and word games in the topic of business. This website provides notes on the subject of the learners' choice and if the learners want to assess their understanding, they can click on the quiz button provided at the end of the notes. Learner can also click on the Grammar lessons and/or Grammar exercises on the left panel of the website, to access to a wider range of grammar topics and can also access to grammar exercises from there. Some of the exercises are available online only and some are meant to be printed out only; but most of the exercises are available in both online and printed version. Exercises that are available online gives immediate feedback to the learners, while the printed version provides answers at the foot of the page. The exercises on grammar basically test the learners at a sentence level and are not divided in different levels of proficiency.  The only exercises that are divided into different levels of difficulty are if the learners clicked to Word games. There, the activities are divided into easy, medium, more difficult and challenging.

2)     The website is an open source and free to be used by the learners. There is no subscription needed and learners do not have to create account of that sort to get access to the notes, exercises and such. Learners just have to type in the name of the website and choose the topic that they want from the left panel of the website. What is interesting about this website is that the learners can click to "Study Resources" and the website will have a long list of links of other websites for the learners to study English and other things like "online education" and "studying abroad".

3)     Upon seeing the exercises and quizzes in the website, it does reminded of the handout on grammar and the exercises that were given in school by the teacher and it is fair to say that most of the reference book on grammar, offer the same style of notes with the same type of exercises for the learners.  In learning English grammar, a lot of exercises are required and this particular ESL website offers exactly what is needed.  However, even if the format and style of the exercises are the same, the difference is that the website does not offer exercises with different rate of difficulty, therefore, does not allow the learners to challenge their understanding in the particular topic of grammar. However, if the learners wish to do activities based on the levels of difficulty, they can always click to "Word Games" and there, it has different word games with four level of difficulties which are easy, medium, more difficult and challenging.  Even these word games reminded of activities given by the teacher back in school especially the crosswords.

4)     As mentioned in the previous paragraph, the website offers the same manner of notes and exercises as in textbook/workbook.  However, it can not be deny that the website can give immediate feedback unlike the exercises in the textbook.  Besides that, what is amazing about this website is that, it can give what the learners want by directing them to different ESL websites that contain the topic that it does not have.  This website is somehow a one-stop for the learners in learning English. For example, learners can click on "Fun Activities" and click on the games that they want and it will direct to the website with the particular game chosen.

5)     The language learning theory underlying in the website, is behaviourism.  This website provides a lot of English grammar exercises.  These exercises are basically to drill the learners, so that they will use the correct grammar as a result of formation of habit due to frequent practice in grammar. Besides that, the immediate feedbacks from the exercises allow the learners to immediately realise their mistakes to avoid fossilisation and also due to the fact that the key to success in drilling is for the learners to know exactly what it is they should be repeating, and in this case, the usage of correct grammar.

6)     An important criterion for evaluating a CALL program, task or activity is the potential for language learning; and this website is a good website to learn English grammar.  However, the notes are not sufficient enough for the learners to rely solely on this website.  Especially to the learners who use this without a guide of a teacher.  The notes provided are as a guide to remind and refresh the learners' memory of the topic of the grammar that they have learned, before they start with the exercises or the quizzes.  This website allows the learners to practice and polish their English grammar by answering the exercises and the quizzes provided by it.

7)     As mentioned earlier, this website provides a lot of grammar exercises. Therefore, in future work, probably in preparing worksheet for grammar for my students, I would definitely use this website even though I might have to pick and choose the questions so that the exercises that I will give to my students are suitable according to their level of proficiency. Besides that, I would bring the students to the computer lab and play the "Word games" activity in class as a group activity. This way, it will be a different activity than the usual paper and pen activity. In preparing notes for the students in the future, I will use the notes only as a guide and example in helping the students to further understand the grammar rules. For my own personal reference, I would definitely use this website to refresh my memory on the grammar rules as it is direct and it is easy to use.

Task 1: Introduction

TASK 1

1. Introduce yourself.

My name is Nur Amalina Naazira Zainal.  I am from Selayang.

2. How would you rate yourself in terms of your computer skills and why? (e.g. expert, novice, savvy, geek, illiterate etc)

Probably Novice.  Because I know some things related to the skills but i don't know the terms for certain things.

3. What computer software and hardware knowledge do you have?

Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint, windows movie maker, and sound voice (i don't remember the exact name).

4. Have you experienced learning via the computer (online courses, using courseware, websites etc)?

Yes.  There are a lot of things that i learned from the internet and it is not only limited to my education but also general knowledge and self development.

5. Did you try to incorporate technology in some of your lessons during your practicum? Was it a success or a failure? If you did not what was/were the reason(s)?

No I did not.  the reason for it is because the teachers did not agree with me to bring the students to the computer lab as it is almost to final examination.  they feel that bringing the students to the computer lab is a waste of time.

6. What is your opinion on the use of computer/technology in language teaching?

I think it is a good approach to the students to learn in a different environment.  However it is all depend on the students.  Some of them see the the technology and websites are used for fun and games only not to learn something.  Some might find it interesting as it is different from the traditional methods of teaching and learning in class.

7. What are your expectations from this course?

I hope I can be more literate and able to use many different platforms via computer/technology to create a more fun activities that can help the students to learn while having fun.

8. What is the topic chosen for your Academic Exercise? Why have you chosen the topic? Who is your supervisor?  How do you plan to complete your AE so that it follows the designated processes (chapter by chapter) and can be submitted on time?

The Approaches of Teaching Literature in Secondary Classroom.  Because I like literature but i found that most of the students do not like literature.  Therefore, I want to investigate the methods and approaches of different teachers in teaching literature in school to see which of these approaches are 'better' approaches for their students.  My supervisor is Mdm Rosalind.

I planned to collect the data first and then I will start with the rest of the chapter.  (This is also recommended by Mdm Rosalind).