mobile...

Just wanted to share a few 'finds' and good tips for mobile technology incorporation

Phil Rice has some good pointers for apps in language teaching

nik peachey also has some really interesting ideas for using video and shares some of his favourite apps

there are some really good ideas for using various ipad apps particularly in language teaching on kirsty pacido's blog

my small illustrative bubbl

barriers to using technology

For most of us technology is now a major part of our lives, there does however, remain a certain amount of scepticism and indeed technophobia among many people. Certain generations will quote age as a barrier to using technology. They feel that as they have not used it their entire lives then they will not be able to acquire the 'knack'. On a personal note I have found many younger learners to be curious about technology in a 'what's that?' way whereas with adult learners that way of looking at technology is not always there. I remember in an adult class setting a task to bring to class some photos, on the day of the next class I showed my photographs and then came the part of the task where they talked about their photographs. It was very interesting to watch the scrabble for mobile phones and them finding their photographs, having to ask each other for help when they could not locate them. This was in stark in stark contrast to my younger learners who would frequently enter my class with their heads buried in their Smartphone screen and/or with headphones in place. I should point out that this is a generalisation but I do think therefore, the 'challenge' with incorporating technology with adult learners is that they can have a vastly differing experience of using it. Another significant barrier is the logistical one, something that most of us who use technology on a regular basis encounter. My recent example was the PC crashing when trying to download and use Smart software. We have thankfully now reached a mutual understanding and appreciation of this despite the original misgivings the computer had! In their article J Keengwe et al split such barriers in two types- first-order and second-order "first-order barriers include lack of equipment, unreliability of equipment, lack of technical support and other resource related issues. Second-order barriers include...teacher-level factors, such as beliefs about teaching and technology and openness to change." Although they refer to studies from the early two thousands they do provide some interesting insights into the work that still needs to be done to integrate technology and remind us that "although technologies allow  students to work more productively than in the past , the teacher's role in technology-rich classrooms is more demanding than ever"   

Reference
Keengwe, J., Onchwari, G., & Wachira, P. (2008). Computer Technology Integration and Student learning: Barriers and promise. Journal of science education and technology , 17 (6), 560-565.

the value of mobile technology in learning and teaching

Before we think about the value of mobile technology in learning and teaching we need to consider the various meanings of mobile. When discussing learning, both the learner and the devices themselves can be ‘mobile’ -we can now have access to learning aids almost anywhere and anytime. This has meant a great change in the way we learn, rather than it just being restricted to a classroom or school environment we can now access learning at our fingertips. As with any technology what we use is constantly evolving as well as the way we use it. As N Hockly states “Part of the challenge in arriving at a single definition of mobile learning has to do with the fact that it is a rapidly changing field, with new and more sophisticated handheld devices constantly appearing on the market.” For the majority of people some form of  smart device or tablet is something that they now utilise on a daily basis. This trend coupled with the improvement in networks and internet access means that we have wider access to tools for work and social media. It is only natural that this will also apply to learning. Rather than attending a formal course people can engage with various informal learning opportunities while they travel, in free time and at their convenience. These can range from listening to a podcast, downloading and using an app, reading educational publications, the possibilities are numerous. There also needs to be a consideration, however, of how to incorporate mobile technology into formal education. I feel there is lot of potential and the ability to connect learners to each other more easily is a valuable resource when used in the correct way.

Reference

Hockly, N. (2012). Mobile Learning. ELT Journal , 67 (1), 80-84.

 

Has technology changed the way we learn?

The impact that technology has had and continues to have on learning is evident if you walk into the modern classroom. Over the last couple of decades the incorporation of technology into classrooms has meant that they have changed in numerous ways. One major change has been interactive boards; the board has long been the focal point of classrooms since the times when it was written on with chalk. You only have to walk into most modern classrooms to see the difference that this has made. Students now not only read what is on the board but they also look at pictures, watch videos and check answers all on the one board. That is leaving aside the potential for students to design their own activities and student participation and writing on or using the board; all of these are true interaction with the technology and the learning activity. A huge part of learning is from a kinesthetic and hands on experience of things. This is something that technology cannot replace. As L Monke reminds us

"There is a huge qualitative difference between learning about something, which requires only information, and learning from something, which requires that the learner enter into a rich and complex relationship with the subject at hand"

Previously only very brave teachers would venture very far from established methods of teaching, now it is not only possible but necessary to incorporate activities that use different learning styles - more pictorial/visual stimulus, more sound and more movement and interaction by the learners themselves. There is also the issue around the use we make of technology for research. Before the internet became a major part of our lives we did not need to be as concerned about checking the sources of any material that we find and also how easy it is to plagiarise. It has however afforded an ease of access to information that we nearly all take daily advantage of.

Reference

Monke, L. (2004). The Human Touch. Education next , 4 (4), 10-15.

glog

setting sail...

smart

I have been having a go at making some activities using the notebook software for Smart. I had used this to a small extent previously but not much. I used objects to 'hide' and 'reveal' words or answers. I have realised now that there are much more complex relationships you can create between objects and this is what i have started to use. You can choose objects to be accepted or rejected and so, like i have done, if the activity is to match words to pictures you can set the word to be accepted by the correct picture. Another feature I discovered was the ability to add sound. This is particularly useful in language teaching as you can hear pronunciation by just clicking text or a picture. i have embedded the results as a powerpoint for you to see. I'm not sure how well the interactivity is maintained with the conversion to powerpoint however... I am also embedding a previous activity I put together.

another good talk...

I love this! I laughed a lot while listening to it. I have read some of Isabel Allende's work which I would recommend if you get the chance and she has a very interesting life story. 

TED Talk- an unexpected place of healing

I looked at some very inspiring talks on Ted this lady's story however, I think is an inspiration. She described the experience of being re-educated and rebuilding her life following a road traffic accident. she talks about being left blind and her mobility was severely impaired among other injuries. The ordeal was still to this day difficult to deal with as shown by how emotional she got as she spoke. Where most people might have given up hope she was inspired and helped by those around her including the group of pensioners in the home she goes to. There are some very funny incidents she describes including being taught to swear as her speech recovered - you can imagine the group of men finding it hilarious!
So it is overall a lighthearted and uplifting account as she does not dwell on the obviously painful and traumatic road to recovery. she tells us instead how through reeducation and the pensioners pooling their varied skills and experience she was able to reach the point she is at today. i think her approach and the collaborative effort she describes are a lesson  and inspiration to us all. If only more of us could take this attitude and be willing to be this selfless in helping others.  

going mobile....

We were set the task this week to evaluate and explore some mobile technology.
Personally I have used an ipod touch both in my teaching and day to day. I have also used a kindle fire on a couple of occasions but despite this experience I still found it eye-opening to look at and have a go at using a different tablet - a lenovo thinkpad. With a preference for smaller handheld devices I tend to find tablets a little cumbersome. call me a little old fashioned but for any substantial typing or computing I would rather a laptop or desktop. Having said that I can see the place that this technology has and that this is the direction the technology is moving in. I think it is a case of what you are comfortable with- I'm sure that people who's first use of computing is with one of these devices would find it challenging to change to a larger screen and separate keyboard to name but one challenge. As I am used to being 'guided' with some sort of indicator such as 'slide to unlock' on touch screens it took a rather ridiculously long time to unlock the screen on this tablet. Having managed this, many of the features were recognizable and user friendly as it uses windows. The various levels you need to exit through to sign out and shut down took a bit of getting used to as well as a slightly mysterious red button which i concluded would be something to do with the camera.
In terms of teaching a foreign language, from very early on in my lessons I found mobile technology a very user friendly and logical way to access and store audio material to playback in class.
As in language teaching this is something that is frequently used for listening practice, I found it much quicker and easier than carting around CDs! I also discovered some useful podcasts to use in my lessons and also some audio material on Itunes U to use. So it has been really refreshing to just save everything on one device and have the option to playback  as long as there is a dock available or you can bring your own portable speaker. It is also useful to record spoken practice- the student themselves and the teacher are able to listen back to it and give feedback. Recording speaking for assessment purposes is also an option.

A brief history of my time with Office...

It feels like I have used Office and especially word all my life but there was obviously a time before it existed and I used it! My first introduction to it, probably like most people, was to word process school work etc. Looking back on it, it seems incredibly simplistic now, as the functionality was not that sophisticated it was just a case of dull non-formatted words on a page that might as well have come out of typewriter.
After using it during my degree, again mainly to word process, I then realised that I would have to improve my skills for administrative work and to use the Office tools in the workplace, and so I took some modules towards an OCR secretarial diploma. This obviously helped with administrative skills using Word, and to use formal layouts in word for letter writing, report writing etc. It was not until later in my working life that I really needed to use Excel and Powerpoint. I am mainly self-taught in both these and have just used them to the point of my purpose at the time and not beyond that. When a previous colleague used to talk about pivot tables I responded with bafflement at what they were- never mind how to do them. I'm sure like many people I suffer from only having used Microsoft tools through lack of availability of any alternative or lack of willingness to try anything else. I do find it accessible and easy to use though- this could be getting too comfortable with what you are used to of course..
I am sure I still have things to discover about the full functionality of these. This is especially true in using them as a teaching resource and having not used referencing functions in Word. In terms of an organisation and planning tool, in previous employment Outlook was a mainstay for this but I think something different will be needed when it comes to teaching. Although it was very useful for setting up reminders it came more into play with arranging meetings which I'm not planning to do anytime soon. My lesson plans, schemes of work etc are all going to be word processed so anything that helps to do it more efficiently is an absolute bonus. I also have never used Publisher so would like to explore what this has to offer. I have also just seen something interesting about what they are intending to do for students- we'll see...

I've spent a bit of time looking through various blogs related to language teaching. I found many interesting ones by current teachers providing advice, resources and general guidance. The most inspirational and relevant one for my teaching at the moment is Literacy, Languages and leadership.
The blog's author is a very experienced Spanish teacher of adults. She has responded directly to other teacher's questions and comments through the blog. As well as this she has posted many links to very useful resources and sites. She also delivers various talks and speeches and is evidently a highly motivational speaker as well as writer. There are posts about insights and advice for teaching adult courses in particular and the specific requirements of adult learners in terms of course content. As well as this there are posts and documents about the use of technology both in the classroom and as a tool for preparation. These include the use of skype in the classroom, tips on using social media and using Scibd.
My other find this week has been Pinterest. It is going to prove a really useful way of keeping any blogs or sites that I come across in one place as well as being a really useful way to find more through connecting with and finding others with similar interests. I have started to compile a 'board' of what I have found so far. I think it will be invaluable in directing me to resources, I have already come across a useful interactive online course for Spanish through my browsing. It is going to be important to use tools of this kind wisely though as I can see it getting to a point of overload with too many things and not knowing where to start!

 

Ok, so far today we've been setting up and customizing our blogs using blogger. I set this up using my existing account. Firstly the amount of windows I ended up having open was a thing I had never seen the like of before! Possibly partly due to my going back and forth between my account and faffing with some settings and then going back to the blog etc. that said it is still not the most user friendly way of customizing as it insists on linking everything back to your google account rather than directly in the blog itself. Having said that I do like the features and what you can put into- links, photos, practically anything. The tool to add gadgets is very straightforward also. I think I'd possibly explore more and find out different features of other websites for blogs just for a point of comparison! No doubt as we get further down the road we'll be seeing lots more things to share

14th Oct 2013

So this is the start of my launch into the blogosphere. I'm going to be sharing my thoughts as I start to teach and learn about and try to get to grips with all sorts of techno wizardry to help me along the way as well including this blog. Any comments gratefully received!