Hello everyone! Today, I want you to remember something that I shared with you before. It was a post about teaching with technology / technology use in teaching. Did you remember? Now, you wonder why I pointed out that post. Because I’m at the end of a great term. My Instructional Technologies and Material Design in English Language Teaching course has finished. In that post, I have my thoughts about technology use in English just based on our researchs and already belonging knowledges in our minds. Right now, thanks to our great instructor, we’ve explored and created so many user-friendly tools and materials. So, we are experienced and confident. I feel myself professional about creating material and using technology in teaching at the moment. I can understand and know the importance of 21st Century Learning and Technology Integration into Education better than that post. Because I feel completely enough to supply my students technologic materials.

This course is one of the most beneficial courses in ELT programme for me. I can admit that. Because it was more than theory for us. We’ve learned by doing, feeling, experiencing. In 21st Century, technologic awareness is the ability that all teachers had better have. I can’t even imagine a young teacher who can’t use technology in her/his lessons so, I recommend my friends to give extra attention to this course. I’m sure you will explore so many things both in you and technologic world. I have so many ideas to use in my class even now!

To sum up, this course was so beneficial and great. I can suggest just one improvement that can be done. It is the amount of the lesson. It was 2 hours per week. However, it could be more because technology is like universe. You explore, experience and explore a new thing while experiencing your previous exploration 😀 For example, we should have had 4 hours per week. Thus, we can learn more things and do more implementation. 2 hours is not enough. In addition, this lesson is literally the fun fact of our lesson programme. So many lessons of ELT are theory. This lesson is fun actually. 4 hours could make ELT students more relaxed. Be updated everyone! Keep yourself contemporary. See you all!

Hey! It’s me again. Let’s talk about RSS feed.

RSS stands for “really simple syndication,” or, depending on who you ask, “rich site summary.” At its heart, RSS is just simple text files with basic updated information — news pieces, articles, that sort of thing. (source)

I think following blogs makes us more contemporary about new things, areas that we’re into and shortly makes us more informed. But you know, if you subscribe more than a blog, it is hard to open the blogs in your computer seperately to see what’s new. In this point, RSS make easier to follow your favourite blogs. There are RSS services that you add your favourite blogs and they update themself when a new post is came out. Like a Facebook or Instagram, you can see what’s new in your favourite blogs.

There are so many RSS services avaiable on computer, android and ios. I use a service which is in my computer named FeedReader Online. I use online version because of my PC’s problems but I recommend downloading the service in your desktop. Feedreader is so user-friendly and easy. I follow not so much blogs but I’m sure I’ll discover more blogs to subscribe on Feedreader. Let’s have a look my RSS.

The blog named Connected Teaching and Learning is a beneficial blog that I’ve read and explored some posts of it. I liked it and recommend it to all my teacher and teacher-trainee friends because there are experiences of her, lesson plans, and things that integrated to contemporary events in the world. It is a nice blog to keep you updated.

Hello from a warm day everyone! In a day that temperatures finally increased, I welcome you all 🙂 In this post, you will read a task that my instructor gave us. It is about Web 2.0 tools that we have explored or used. The task was preparing an infographic about some webtools that contains their affordances and constrains. I chose 4 webtools. They are my 4 favourite webtools that I’ve explored. Piktochart which is the best for me, Visme, MakeBeliefsComix and PBWorks. I used them during my spring 2018-2019 term. In ny infographics, you will gain some informations about them and I hope it helps you to decide and gives you some recommendations. To download and zoom my infographic, click here. See you all 🙂

Hi everyone! Today, I want to introduce you what is Digital Storytelling. For my Instructional Material Design in ELT course, me and my 2 friends prepared a digital storytelling. It is based on a fictional story with visuals you created. We found it so beneficial for young learners to make them active in lessons and material creating. It can be based on not just a fictional story, but also a specific subject. Shortly, we loved this idea. If you want, you can click the link and watch our unprofessional digital storytelling. Have a nice spring 🙂

Hello everyone. Today I’ll explain you my “Instructional Technologies and Material Design” task. For this lesson, our instructor wanted us to prepare an online poster about a book we read. I created a poster about a science-fiction book named “Illuminae” by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristof. But someting must have been different. I imagined this book as a movie and I created a movie poster for “Illuminae”. Furthermore, I made Keanu Reeves is in my film. Sounds great, right? Let me show you my poster. It is not professional but I enjoyed it so much while preparing in piktochart.com

To sum up, I like the idea of creating a poster. If you put more effort on it, you can have a professional material. You can create a lot of lesson material. Plus, I would give tasks like this to my students. It could be so beneficial for them.

Hello everyone! Today, I’ll evaluate a website that its target is teaching English and supplying resources.

Website: Easy World of English

AUTHORS

There was a section named “about us” that gave me a brief information about authors. Six English teachers for young learners created this website to make students learn English in an easy and comfortable way. They live in United States and have been teaching since 2004. (Picture 1)

PURPOSE AND TARGET GROUP OF THE WEBSITE

They pointed out that their target group are both students and teachers. Their aims for students are a flexible online English learning program with their own pace and supplying Extensive multi-level, reading, writing, grammar, and listening exercises to enable students to improve their English language skills. For teachers, their aim is becoming a reading, writing and listening resource in three levels to enable their students to improve their English.

CONTENT OF THE WEBSITE

When we click the website first, we see four main sections. They are Grammar, Pronunciation, Reading and Picture Dictionary. It was good to see three different skills of English. (Picture 2)

-Grammar section: In the grammar section, we see first a note that explains how to use and study in this section. It is a crucial thing in a website that both having an easy design and enough instructions to use it efficiently. There are three levels. (Picture 3) When we click our level, there are suitable grammar subjects for your level and enough explanations with examples. (Picture 4) After the subject, there was a button that allows you to download some grammar exercises that you studied in that page. (Picture 5) I like the level and accuracy of grammar explanations. They were clear.

-Pronunciation section: As the grammar section, there was an introduction that shows how to study with pronunciation materials in the website. Instead of levels, there were six sub-headings: The Alphabet, Minimal Pairs, Numbers, T&D Sounds, Special Endings and Verbs. (Picture 6) According to my observation, in the website, authors wanted to supply some beneficial resources about some confusing details in English pronunciation. Especially, I liked the “Minimal Pair” part. They tried to give us key points. When we click one of the sub-headings, we see relevant voice-recordings. It was easy to play them. It is obvious that they chose basic and easy programs. The voice recordings were quite appropriate for young learners and beginners more than intermediate learners.

-Reading section: The part that I liked the most was Reading section. After the introductory part, there are three levels as grammar section. When you choose your level, there are 20 different readings. Each reading has also audio version and quizzes. A reminder; I think readings are appropriate for beginner, elementary and pre-intermediate students as pronunciation part. For them, these readings could be tailor-made-of.

-Picture Dictionary section: In this section, there are some basic categories that each one consist basic words with their pictures. It is nice especially for young learners because their visual memory is stronger than us. Also all the words and their pictures have their audio pronunciation. When you click a picture or a word, you hear its pronunciation. (Picture 7)

CURRENTNESS

There was no date that shows when the website was updated. I think they created the site and never came back to upload a new resource. I don’t like these type of sites because in this globalized world, we have to be contemporary.

ERRORS IN THE WEBSITE

When we click into main sections (Grammar, Pronunciation, Reading, Picture Dictionary), letters cover the visuals on the page. You can’t read easily and can’t see the topics. (Picture 8)

VISUALITY AND DESIGN

The design was totally basic and easy. It was good for usefulness. However, there were no visuals instead of picture dictionary. In terms of visuals, the website was boring and out-dated

IN TERMS OF EFL TEACHING

I think this and these kind of basic websites can be used for beginner- elementary and pre-intermediate students to increase their reading resources and pronunciation recordings. Students can use them when they’re at home. Especially students who think they’re not enough English background, this website could be helpful for their short-time studying individually. However, I do not recommend it to intermediate and upper-intermediate students because of simplicity.

Hello everyone! Today, I want to share a task that was given us by our instructor of the lesson named “ Instructional Technologies and Material Design in English Language Teaching”. We formed groups including 5-8 people to prepare our padlet. Firstly, I want to share what is Padlet with a nice definition:

                “Padlet is an application to create an online bulletin board that you can use to display information for any topic. Easily create an account and build a new board. You can add images, links, videos, and more. You can return to add more later.” Here are some examples for padlets:

Our group has 7 people and we decided our topic is “Endangered Species”. We collected datas and distributed some things to be written, done etc. When we finished our padlet, we had a beautiful page that summarizes and gives good information about endangered species. I can say that padlet is a great material for both students and teachers because it also can be prepared by teacher and students plus an online source about a subject supported visuals and whole students’ and teachers ideas / abilities.

Before this task, I had never known padlet. It is such a contemporary useful material which facilitates 4Cs. What were 4Cs? Communication, Collaboration, Creativity and Critical Thinking. Padlet supplies all these abilities appropriate for 21^st century learning. I hear you say how J

• Imagine a group of students or teachers. When they prepare their padlet, they discuss the subject, their way of creating a padlet, sources they use etc. and by doing these; they communicate each other so communication is facilitated.
• They prepare all together so collaboration is facilitated.
• All of members of padlet group have different bright ideas and abilities. They all put their best and we have a great material. Creativity is facilitated.
• And the most important one for me. In student-centred active learning processes, students’ ability of critical thinking increases. So in padlet, students are involved the process of creating a material. It means, padlet facilitates critical thinking.

At last, I share our padlet link here. If you want to look at it, you can click below:

Hey! It’s me again! I hope you’re fine because I shared our first wiki experience. I would be happy if you visit our page. To go our page, click here.

I have a lesson named Instructional Technologies and Material Design in ELT. Our instructor created an online wiki page that allows all of us to write and add new pages. I had never known this tool before my instructor said us. She wanted us to evaluate/review a book that we like. I reviewed the book “Sapiens” by Israeli historian Yuval Noah Harrari. The book was great but more important than this is the tool. I found it super great and I’m sure I’ll use so much the online wikiing. I have so many ideas even now to use it in my future classes.

In 21st Century, technology is in its climax as never before and it has still been developing. By the technology improves, technology and teaching started to get closer. Now, we have thousands of opportunities that we can use in our classes with the help of technology. However, there are some authorities and people who think it has disadvantages. Through this, technology has still being integrated into teaching. Here, I want to make a clear summary of major advantages and disadvantages that are spoken about technology use in teaching.

Advantages: thousands of materials, visual and audial support, closeness of a huge source, teaching and learning programmes like games, dictionaries, videos, online lessons; songs, series, films, e-books, office programmes, creativity, active learning, automatic feedbacks, online tests and contests, enhances participation, analytics, office programmes, more professional tasks, no need to carry heavy books, less time-consuming, updated information, keeping updated, being aware of what is going on the globe, alertness etc.

Disadvantages: lessons just based on technology, misinformation, economic distribution among students, distraction for some students, changes about social interaction, less presentation skills, classroom cheating, over-stimulating, extreme attention to technology more than lesson etc.

I think everything has a disadvantage. If we use it carefully, it is one of the best things in the world. We have to stay up-to-date. Needs of children evolve day by day and they are more intelligent than us. Using technology will be a necessity, an obligation in order to supply them what they need. Actually, we, teacher candidates are luckier because we were also grown up with the technology. We can adaptive ourselves into technology is easier. Whenever possible, we should always be up-to-date about technologic opportunities and know new innovations in technology.

What do you all think? Do you think positive or negative about technology use in classroom? Write your opinions on the comment section.

I learned how to create a podcast and its opportunities to create a nice audio lesson material. I decided to make a podcast and did but it is not about teaching or lesson material. My podcast is “60 Second Idea To Improve the World.” What is this?

BBC World Service has a nice podcasting challenge named “60 Second Idea To Improve The World.” Speaking person in the podcast must explain her/his bright idea in 60 seconds. It is quite good because we can listen different bright ideas and a purpose to make a podcast, right? 😀 I also embedded the link of the BBC. You can click the picture.

Let’s listen my idea by clicking here. I hope you like it. Do not forget to make comment 🙂