Technology for EFL/ESL Classes

Nowadays classrooms should be complimented by some technology tool. We cannot keep teaching with the traditional methods while our students are fond of computer and mobile devices. It is the mission of the educators to find the best way of implementing the technology in the teaching-learning process. As an EFL/ESL teacher, I like using the technology in my class. Before our technology course, I used very simple tools such as; YouTube, Google search and the Internet to show some images related to the lesson. However, after this course I started using blogging and twitter. I like both of them; they are user friendly and really helpful for both the teachers and the learners. They bridge between the learning inside and outside the classroom. They can also be used to develop the language skills such as; reading, writing, listening and even communication. Moreover, I really like the idea of the digital games especially with the young learners, but I have a concern about it related to the time consuming and anxiety issues that the young learners may not be able to control it. We can get many educational games from the following link WWW.EDUCATIONARCADE.ORG .

Finally, I would definitely continue using the technology. Although, I may need some help from computer teachers or technicians but I feel myself more confident now to try any technology tool to facilitate the learning process and engage the learners in lifelong learning process.

 

 

Cloud Computing and Google Apps For Education

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services over the Internet. Cloud services enable individuals, organizations, education institutions and businesses to use software and hardware that are managed by third parties at remote locations. For example, online file storage, social networking sites, and webmail are all included in the cloud services. The cloud computing model allows the users to access to information or online resources at anytime and from anywhere that a network connection is available. Cloud computing provides a shared pool of resources, including data storage space, networks, computer processing power, and specialized corporate and user applications. One app is shared by everyone, with a commitment to security, reliability and flexibility. The U.S. National

Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) defines the cloud computing as the following: NIST cloud definition, version 15 http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/SNS/cloudcomputing/

 

”Cloud computing is a model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction. This cloud model promotes availability and is composed of five essential characteristics, three service models, and four deployment models.”

 

Cloud services are popular and have many benefits because they can reduce the cost and complexity of owning and operating computers and networks. Since cloud users do not have to purchase hardware, or buy software licenses, so it is flexible and can bring advanced services that a single company might not be able to afford or develop.

Some other benefits to users include scalability, reliability, and efficiency. It is Scalable because it offers unlimited processing and storage capacity. Additionally, the cloud is reliable because it enables access to applications and documents anywhere in the world via the Internet. Moreover, it is also considered to be efficient because it allows organizations to free up resources to focus on innovation and product development.

Another potential benefit is that cloud computing is secure. Users’ personal information may be better protected in the cloud. It improves specific efforts to build privacy protection into technology. Cloud computing will enable more flexible IT acquisition and improvements. It also permits changes to the procedures according to the sensitivity of the data itself. In addition, information in the cloud computing is not lost as easily as the paper documents or hard drives. Today’s education should not be limited; it needs technology to meet the evolving needs of teaching and learning. Google Apps for education help schools and institutions to extend the learning resources beyond the classrooms. It helps students to learn across a wide range of modalities and variety of learning opportunities. These apps are very important in the education because it engages everyone, such as the learners, families and faculties in the school community. It also increases the interaction and collaboration options that allows dynamic learning environment.  For example by visiting www.google.com/a/edu you can get today’s apps. www.Google.com/chrombooks/edu is also an easy and fast tool that unlocks the books for the students.

Finally, as an EFL/ESL teacher, I really like the idea of Google apps to enrich my knowledge and develop my methods. I would also like to help my learners to increase their motivation and creativity to become better learners.  

Learning Analytics

The connection between the learners and technology devices is consistently increasing. As an educator, I have always had concerns about the higher education. How can we make better decisions to improve the higher education? How can we learn about the weaknesses and strengths of our learners? How can we help our learners to improve their learning styles and become self directed learners? We really need reliable data to be analyzed and implemented in future higher education. Future education needs new technologies, flexible classroom designs, and higher interactive learning environment. Consequently, learning analytics depicts the future picture of the education. It is the measurement, data collection, and the reporting data of the collected analysis. For example, EDUCAUSE www.educause.edu and NGLC http://nextgenlearning.org work to focus on interactive learning communities to collect the data necessary for learning analysis. Online learning is able to record rich data traits and activity streams that can be used to prevent learners from dropouts and help them to achieve success and accomplish their learning goals. It also helps the institutions to make better decisions concerning their learners or the learning system itself. Additionally, it provides the learners with an important insight into their own learning strategies and methods to overcome the possible learning challenges. Moreover, watching the ted talk of Daphne Koller about online learning advantages inspired me with many creative ideas. She presented a new and young learning concept which mostly focuses on the learners. One of the most interesting features Koller referred in her speech is that the learners are able to listen to the lecture in an interactive way through answering to specific questions that may pop up on the screen throughout the lecture. The lecture will pause for a while so that the learner tries to answer a question. After watching Daphne Koller’s speech I changed some of the misconceptions that I used to have about the online education. I have never trusted the online education, but I was fascinated by her real life stories and how the online education helped people to accomplish important steps in their lives and get college degree. Finally, as MA TEFL profession I think developing the online learning features may have better results in the future higher education. www.linkedin.com , www.futurict.eu