Learning Management Systems: The wrong place to start learning

This paper talks about the use of Learning Management Systems (LMS) and it also tells us about the drawbacks of this system. Due to the emergence of new technologies, the use of elearning becomes a new learning method to our new generation. However, in the advocating of elearning, we have to rethink about its drawbacks. Just like LMS, it may create a new kind of learning to our learners but the content of LMS may be too broad. It cannot provide a clear direction for the learners about how to explore different kind of knowledge and what to learn. As an educator, it is important for us to understand the use and the advantages of the system and make a good use of it to benefit our learners.

Learner Autonomy and Tandem learning: Putting Principles Into Practice in Synchronous and Asynchronous Telecommunications Environments

This paper has described three different approaches to learner autonomy which are: an individual cognitive, a social-interactive, and an experimental-participatory perspective. It also shows us examples of how various combinations of technology and pedagogy can lead to different degrees of implementations of learner autonomy principles.The idea and the implementation of tandem learning are very new and impressive to me. L1 and L2 learners were combined together to a tandem pair. It encouraged the learners to be responsible for their own and their partner’s learning. I think it is a very good idea to combine L1 and L2 learners together. However, it is crucial for us to teach learners to take up their own responsibilities in learning. When implementing this kind of technological language learning, school or panel heads and subject teachers should try to integrate it into the syllabus or part of the curriculum. Then teachers can do this kind of learning with students in class and this enables teachers to monitor closely to the progress of students.

Copyright

The introduction of copyright in the course is very useful as teachers do not have much knowledge about copyright and we are not aware of the importance of it. We copy exercises and assessment tests from supplementary exercise and download music and videos for teaching whenever we need or want without knowing whether we violate the law of copyright or not. It is important for us to pay a certain respect to the copyright of the one who create or make the exercises or videos. The introduction of Fair Dealing helps teachers and educational workers to use materials without violating the law and preserve the right for students to learn more. Yet, teachers should also obey the law of copyright so as to set a good example for students.

Practical considerations for Multimedia courseware development:an EFL IVD experience

The article gives us a successful use of interactive videodisc courseware for English language teaching. There are several aspects that have to be carefully planned, they are the design considerations, objective setting, instructional design and implementation. The use of interactive videodisc courseware is a very new idea to a language teacher like me. A good pick of movie can arouse students’ interest in learning English, especially good for students who have short attention span. Through watching movie, students can learn authentic and real life English language. However, the implementation of IVD involves a lot of manpower and resources. The IVD may not be affordable for ordinary schools. Teacher training is also crucial.
In my opinion, some schools fail to use CALL since teachers do not have enough knowledge about the manipulation of CALL. Without knowing the real use of CALL, it is difficult for teachers to make good use from it. That’s why teachers treat the use of CALL in an ad hoc manner.

Theory-driven call and the development process

I support the systematic approach from Meskill and it is impossible for anyone to develop any CALL materials or fully utilize it without a solid knowledge of technology and the use of media. How can a teacher create and make effective use of CALL without a comprehensive knowledge of different software and useful resources on the website? The “fit” between the computer’s capabilities and the demands of language pedagogy is another important issue.
My school has advocated the use of CALL for many years, however, there is no practical use of CALL for language teaching. The use of CALL is just a dish on the menu, that’s meant it is just an item on the teaching schedule. Instead of using the software in MMLC for teaching English, teachers insist in teaching English in their own way. They treat the use of CALL in an ad hoc manner. Thus, teachers’ IT training about the effective use of CALL is imperative. How can we, as teachers, use and develop CALL more efficiently and effectively for the language need of the students?

Response to Language learner behaviour in a Virtual Environment

As a second language learner, there are more benefits than shortcoming about online learning to me. For a self conscious person like me, it is a torture to speak in front of people or speak publicly or even to answer a question in a second language. You may be afraid of how people react to your non-native accents and the sentences you make. Even thought you know it is a good oppotunity to practice the language, it is difficult for you overcome your fear. Therefore, I welcome the use of online learning and make it as a good learning tool. I have used a chatroom form a useful website to communicate with English learners from other countires. It was fun. They would not tease you or discrimate you if you used bad English. Most important of all, you can learn from them and have a chance to brush up your English.
Yet, a chatroom manager is needed to give technial support and prevent users from using any foul language and giving harsh personal comments to pinpoint anyone in the chatroom.
The paper mentioned about virtaul environment can work as scaffolding: giving anxious students more confidence to embark on conversation in the target language. I think helping anixious students to be confident enough to speak in public is a hard job. Could anyone give us some concrete and vivid examples or activities about how to help those students?

The Plan

The plan is from Alice, Charlotte and Shirley