The Last Week

This course is closing to finish. The ten week web skills course was full of learning. I was really lucky to take this course.

In the past nine weeks, I learned various technology tools as well as important theories and principles in the learner-centered English instruction. I enjoyed creating a blog, a WebQest, an Interactive Powerpoint and a wiki. Those tools will be  of great help in my teaching.

I also liked to learn how to search what I need and Delicious. It makes a big difference in getting useful information.

I have learned about important theories and principles. And also, I learned about how to write objectives using ABCD and how to assess the students' performance.  I thought technology is a tool and the effectiveness and usefulness of the technology depend on the teacher who has concrete objectives and adequate methodology.

Moreover, learning from the classmates through discussions, blogs and seeing their works posted in the wiki. Everyone has a great experience and an open mind to share them with each other.
I am going to miss this class.

Thank you for everything, Donna and E-friends.

What I learned in WEEK9

In WEEK 9, I submitted my final Plan report, and learned about learning styles and Multiple Intelligence Theory. I have learned that It is very important for teachers to know there are various learning styles in students since we need to facilitate the students to learn effectively. 

MI Theory

In 1983, Howard Gardner of Harvard University identified seven intelligences we all possess. Because our understanding of the brain and human behavior is constantly changing, the number of intelligences is expanding. Two to three new intelligences had been added recently. Gardner claims that we all have all the intelligences, but that no two people are exactly alike.

Gardner’s eight intelligences

Linguistic, Logical-mathematical, Bodily-kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Musical, Naturalist, Spatial.

Technology and MI

 

Technology can be used to facilitate learning in each intelligence area. There is no "correct way" to integrate intelligences or technology into the classroom. The critical point is to provide the most effective learning environment for students.

Creating a wiki in WEEK8

Time flies. The eighth week has almost finished. Since I started this course, I have learned various kinds of technology which can be used in English teaching as well as important principles in teaching and learning English.

In this week,we reviewed peers' course project Plan and also learn about ANVILL.
ANVILL stands for A National Virtual Language Lab. Any teacher or student with web access (in class, at home, or in the office) can use ANVILL to listen to the
news, watch video clips, or submit voice or video-based assignments.


But the most challenging thing I did this week was creating a class site. I created a class site using Google site.
This is my first site I created.  I created my 5th grade class wiki, which I plan to use in order to increase the students' input and practice at home.I also plan to post the information about homework.But my final goal is to have the students self-access autonomously.

The URL is
https://sites.google.com/site/mrskuritasclass/Mrs. Kurita's class

I would like the students to self-access to English resource on the wiki. I would like the students to keep a record about what they read and listened to, or do any reflective tasks. And also, I would like to make a quiz section in writing page,where a student post her own quiz and other students post answer.

What I learned in WEEK7

    In WEEK7, I learned about autonomy and one-computer classroom.

    As for autonomy, I found the important role of teachers or advisers. Teachers should work towards autonomy with leanrers by creating a friendly atmosphere, honest and open feedback, respect for the ideas and opinions of others, approval of self-improvement as a goal collaboration rather than competition. SALC in Kanda University in Japan has learning support advisers working in full time for learners and the support system works very well.
With technology, we can help the students by introducing them appropriate leveled educational web sites or movies that they can access when they want to. Introducing Facebook, blogs and emails also increase their chances to self-access English.
     I made a lesson plan for one-computer classroom. In this plan, I use the computer as a presentation tool and a learning center.

    In my Plan Project, I will use one computer since we cannot use a computer lab. I would like to introduce interactive PowerPoints into the class first. Then I would like to try a project by using WebQuest. After the students get familiar with WebQuest, I would like to give them  homework of WebQuest which has them engaged in individual learning at home. Finally I hope to encourage them to self-access to appropriate leveled English resources that I post on my blog or wiki. I don't know which is better for my students to use, a blog or a wiki.

    I really thank this course and Donna who has taught us a lot of important and useful things.

Creating an Interactive PowerPoint in WEEK6

I created an interactive PowerPoint titled "World Quiz" this week.
I incorporated several elements such as "making the students to anticipate"
"making them to respond to it", "make them to think in pairs" and "Making quiz pair activity".
I often use questions or incomplete sentences to allow the students think and use their inner speech. I think producing appropriate pauses is important to allow the students think and respond to it.




When I was making the PowerPoint, my son who is a college student told me that he didn't like classes using PowerPoint because they are boring. So I said, "this PowerPoint is an Interactive PowerPoint. Maybe your teachers don't know how to use them interactively."

The model of interactive PPT is really great. Seeing is believing, Once you see the PPT,, you can understand what the Interactive PowerPoint is. This course provides with good learning opportunities and useful information.

Creating a WebQuest in WEEK5

In the week 5, I gradually got ideas for the final Plan by reading about PBL (project-based learning) and WebQuest. I think the PBL and the WebQuest  are powerful tools for learner centered approach as well as rubrics and alternative assessment.
Changing I would like to expect in my class is introducing WebQuest. It might be a good solution for my several problems that I post in WEEK4.

So I tried making a WebQuest for the first time. It is titled A Class Timetable as I post on Nice net.

WebQuest : A Class Timetable 

Class timetable (sheet) is commonly used by students in Japan. The project is making an English version. Targeted learning items are time, days of the week and school subject. The students can learn those items individually and as many time as they want to do  at home. The tasks include a reading and listening comprehension task, a listening task and a writing task.
After they did the tasks at home, they will review the same learning items and they will do a speaking task of the oral presentation about their class schedule or activities in a week. 

With introducing  WebQuest into my class, students will be able to access it to learn about targeted items and do the project individually at home on Sunday or during a summer vacation or a winter vacation. The project will provide with a meaningful opportunity to use in English.

Making my first WebQuest was very hard. I took long time to find appropriate Web resources according to the lesson plan. Making a file for the worksheet and a rubric was  also difficult. Moreover, I tried using Japanese  as well as English  since my students might not understand the process of the tasks in English. They will learn how to use WebQuest gradually, and I hope they will be able to use WebQuest with only English descriptions.

What I learned in WEEK 4

In the week 4, I discussed on teaching reading and writing with technology, after reading articles on the topic. Then, I thought about the current concerns that I have in my teaching context and posted concerns such as lack of time to input, limited content in the textbook, many students, and easy to get distracted.Finally, I wrote a technology enhanced lesson plan. it was really good and tough experience because I had to synthesize the ideas about the objectives, web sites, learners' needs, technology setting and activities including critical thinking and meaningful context using 4 skills.

I chose Phonics Silent-E as a topic for  my lesson plan. Since I found a great web site called Starfall http://www.starfall.com/, I had been thinking about using pages in the site for my teaching. I faced on the reality that my school has poor technology environment when I started to plan.
In my teaching context, bringing my computer into the classroom is the most realistic, because no computer in the classroom, the computer room are usually used by another class and Lab is in another building far from our building. In addition, I need to think about other concerns such as lack of time, limited content in the textbook, many students, easy to get distracted.
Therefore, I concluded that it is acceptable to have the students learn in whole group with one computer in the classroom and to provide them with homework which requires learning individually with technology at home. I chose following web pages:

1. The movie "Silent-E" http://www.starfall.com/n/skills/silent-e/load.htm?f
2. Making a word http://www.starfall.com/n/make-a-word/silent-e/load.htm?f
3. Picture hunting http://www.starfall.com/n/picture-hunt/long-a/load.htm?f

Finally, I am very glad that the classmates posted comments for me and shared their great ideas and helpful information for me. Thank you very much!