Week 8  Reflection : Exploring a Series of Technology Tools to  Create a Class Site; creating an Exercise  Using Tech; Project Task7: Writing a Draft of my Project Plan and Peer-project Review.

I Love This Course! Do You, too?

This week8 has witnessed astounding developments. Questions we have been wondering about have been answered. We have discovered through the week’s readings and tasks that we are able to create Sites like Google Sites, Nicenet, Padlet, Wiki etc for our Classes by ourselves and not resort to computer nerds to do so. We can also make, or borrow or choose exercises from an assortment of  websites using technology. That will make the job easier and fun to do. I have been able to create a Blog, a Nicenet and a Padlet Wall for my Class! How wonderful!

 By the way, I have had a problem trying to upload my tech exercise on Sean’s Wiki resources. My access to the Wiki is blocked and denied due to false manipulation and multiple access attempt. Sorry for the inconveniences and for the fact that I can’t access coursemates’ uploaded exercises and learn from their uploaded tech exercises.

This week’s discussion about Online Exercises Tech Tools have been fruitful. Eftekar and Baetty’s intervention have set me thinking seriously and reconsider carefully the type of technology to use suit my students needs.

 ".........no tech tool can automatically ensure learner autonomy or learner centred approach until or unless these tools are designed to facilitate so." Eftekhar.
"This issue makes me realize that autonomous learning will not run as teachers expected when the teachers are less knowledgeable about the tools they are using for their classes."Baetty 
"I want to question whether this learning is applicable for every age and proficiency level?
Even though students will get a help from discussion they join in the nicenet, I do not think it will work well for foreign language students. How will they discuss something in a language which is not their native language. They do not have the language to communicate it" Baetty. Good points!!! We have to pay attention not to be overambitious  in the choice of the appropriate Tech Tools to  use and in the course design for our students.

Due to my travel to Ouagadougou, the country’s capital city for my visa to the 2014 TESOL Convention in March (as announced in my week 7 blog, and registrations of all kinds) , I have fallen behind in writing my Project Plan draft.  I need to quicken up the pace of work to submit it on the due date next Friday. I have been able to review Eftekhar’s  Project Plan. Eftekhar , you haven’t finished your project plan but you are doing a good job! Congratulations! I will send you my feedback soon via email as I cannot access Sean's Wiki.  Hope you will finish it up by Friday! I will try to do so too.

Foli.

Week7 Reflection : the  one-computer classroom and mobile devices, the class Padlet, my WebQuest,my Project Plan(Eftekhar,my Project-Review partner)

I have been using the one-computer classroom since 2008 with my students with mitigated success. This week 7 has been the starting point of new discoveries regarding other possible ways of using it. The required readings ie  “Strategies and applications for the one-computer classroom”, “7 Categories of Classroom Computer Use”, the Teacher Tap. "The One Computer Classroom" and “ Going to the MALL : Mobile Assisted Language Learning” have been wonderful and resourceful. I still hesitate about the MALL with cellphones for their tiny screens and limited application; the tablet might do but their availability is another challenge. I am hopeful those problems will be resolved with time. Anyway, the computer still has great days ahead.

The Class Padlet is a simple and useful posting device; a blackboard enabling the teacher to have the big picture of all students postings. I have created a wall and posted two articles on Learner Autonomy. I intend to use it with my students as a blackboard.

My WebQuest is almost done. I’ve only got the teacher’s page to complete. Please, have a look at it if time allows and don’t hesitate to send a feedback. I have posted it on  Class Wiki. You can also find it here http://zunal.com/profile.php?u=264466 . 

Job Hunting, can u imagine that? That is my WebQuest Topic!

 Really sorry we couldn’t have a substantive discussion with our Guest Speaker Rachel for Nicenet has  been out of service since Saturday. Hope that will not take long.

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Thank you Eftekhar for accepting to be my Project Review Partner.  My Project plan is not going as planned due to some good news that is causing some petty challenges. Anyway, I remain convinced that things will work out well.

The good news is that I have been selected by the US Embassy in Ouagadougou,

to take part in the 2014 Portland TESOL Convention. I will be going there with two other colleagues from Burkina Faso. I will certainly meet SEAN and some other UO  intructors, lecturers, 

professors, Dr. Kay Westerfield, Jennifer Rice, my former ESP 2012 course Instructor, there in late March. Gee!!!

The challenge is that for two weeks now, I have been engaged in TESOL Convention Registration, 

registration and appointment at the US Embassy for the visa. I am traveling to Ouagadougou tonight ( about 400 km from Bobo where I live ) this Sunday at 11:00 pm to arrive at 04:00 next morning to meet  the visa Consul for my appointment; this is gnawing into my working time a great deal and is a challenge in performing my webskills assignments, tasks and project.... I go to sleep very late (2:00 am and wake up at 06:00 am). Blessings are definitely not easy to manage in this Winter 2014 Webskills season.  Baetty is in a similar situation. I imagine her running around between the 10th Annual Cam TESOL Conference, the Webskills Courses and others! Fortunately, TESOL Portland takes place after the Webskills.

Thank you all,

Foli.