Week 6: Extra Help for Speaking Skills

Read articles:
* Using Original Video and Sound Effects to Teach English ( Shahla Yassaei)

* The Employment of CALL in Teaching/Second Language Speaking Skills (Julia Gong)

Rate: * * * * * 5

Karla Diaz

What surprised me in this article is to know that speaking activities are still in the developing stage. This means that the base of a communicative language it is not approached yet. We have been forced to produce certain utterances in English; however, we have received only written, grammar, vocabulary and listening inputs. It seems kind of illogical. Regardless of this, I believe that we know where the weaknesses are and what we can improve to be the difference as teachers. We have lesson plans, creativity, materials, and technology. Now it is time to blend all these resources into one to deliver a great class and developing at the same time speaking skills.

There are programs which aids students to create a conversation and receive feedback at the same time. Even though some authors considered that using CALL in speaking activities have more disadvantages, I consider that our students are willing to practice in front of a computer rather than in the classroom. We need to use real materials and technology makes it easier. It is possible to let students to encounter with the target language by using any software they might consider better for them.

I had not any idea that there are several activities to improve grammar and writing, such as “Freeze Framing” and “Picture-Less Listening”. I will definitely apply one of them because it is possible to combine speaking activities to it. Also, I learned that we can create our own materials and get inspiration by our environment. So there is not excuse that we cannot extra help from technology to develop our class. I encourage my classmates to break the old routine and help our students to acquire the target language. 

Week 5: Critical Thinking, another skill to develop

Rate: * * * * 4

Karla Diaz

What I learned by reading this article, that even knowing the fact that technology should be apply in the classroom, it is important to be aware what our students are going to learn. In previous readings, technology was seen as a tool, support and a mandatory resource. Now, I have learned that we need to go beyond. As a teacher, our main focus now, it is to teach our students to think critically through technology.

I did not know that we need to teach our students how to think critically. Learning and thinking are two different skills, so which one is more important? For me are both. In the learning process students obtain information which later, they will make their own questions, rationalize to finally have some outputs. Critical thinking is important because it helps us to put away any misinformation that we receive, also we use the logic to create our own conclusions. For example, there are a lot of websites that might guarantee you the acquisition of the second language. Here’s where our job as teachers we need to take seriously, we need to “surf” in the internet, search for the best websites where our students will practice and improve their skills. We need to take the time to find a specific exercise for a specific skill. This will help to enhance our students to practice and think for themselves is those exercises will help them.  I would like to know how can I apply critical thinking in the classroom and how can I noticed when my students are thinking critically. 

Week 4: Internet as a Support

Read article: CALL Me … Maybe: A Framework for Integrating the Internet into ELT ( George M. Chinner)

Rate: * * * * * 5

Karla Diaz

A belief of mine that was confirmed in the article is that internet has been seen just as a tool, where you can search information only, and not as a source for the development of a skill. Teachers’ work is to blend internet in their courses, but a limitation always comes up. What if we do not have total access to internet? How can we apply it in our syllabus if our students cannot reach the goal? Reading this article helps me to realize that despite of the limitations, teachers can be creative and safe the required information and/or links to use it in the classroom. It is true that the availability of internet must be the key for a successful planning; however, there are plenty of websites which will enhance students’ learning process, and in most of them, an account it is not required.

What really surprised me about the article is that some authors considered the idea that having full access internet in a class will not be productive. I totally disagree with this assumption, as a teachers, we need to use authentic or semi-authentic materials; therefore, internet helps us to extent our activities. Internet need to be used as a framework, because it will support what a teacher explains and teach and internet will be their classroom and teacher at the same time, when students are practicing grammar exercises on-line. Finally, I do not consider properly mention that no one has access to internet, but everybody has a cellphone!! Nowadays, even in your mobile you have access to internet, so there are no excuses to learn and search for websites to improve yourself.  

Week 3: Podcasts and Syllabus Integration

Read articles: 

-Integrating CALL into the classrooms: the role of podcasting in an ESL listening strategies course ( Anne O'Bryan and Volker Hegel)

-Blending technologies in ESL courses: A reflexive enquiry (Paul Gruba, cameron Clark and Marisa Wells)

Karla Diaz

Rate: ***** 5

After reading both articles about the integration of technology in the classrooms, the term “podcast” appeared and it was not until I finished reading that I realized how important the elaboration of a syllabus is. In a previous analysis I have expressed that technology will never substitute a teacher; however, a teacher really needs to blend technological sources to develop a successful class. It is important to think outside the box, it is true that textbooks are useful, but listening to a radio program or reading an essay of a native speaker goes beyond than a book.

It would be fantastic to receive in any subject of English, the opportunity to be in a video conference of other students that are learning a second language; students of different countries would be sharing their ideas and feelings about the acquisition of another language at the same time. Technology not only involves the use of a computer, it requires the interaction of the students with podcasts that will help them to have a better understanding and retention of any subject. Here is where teachers need to be focused on, a teacher will not invent how to incorporate technology in the classroom, first, it is required to establish the needs, options and type of knowledge the students will have access.

Now that we are learning how to elaborate a syllabus, as future teachers we have the task to think in our students’ needs. They will received the same subjects, but we can be the difference, let’s add something fresh and meaningful to our class, let’s set goals for us and for them, let’s think about how innovate can we be, so that students can interact with the podcasts to awake in them the curiosity and the motivation of learning.