Transcript Technology in the Classroom
Technology in the Classroom
Alexander Ganz University of Arizona / Universität Leipzig
What have you seen?
Online Discussions Online Group Work Peer Editing Online Assessments Games, Virtual Realities Online Research Polls, Slideshows, Webinars How active was your learning process?
Digital Natives
Prensky (2001) – “Digital Natives” To receive information at twitch speed To be able to multi-task To have hands-on activities To have graphics before text To have random access to information To be networked socially To play games rather than do serious work To have frequent rewards
What is good learning?
“ …students collaborating and discussing ideas, possible solutions…” “…project-based learning, designed around real world contexts…” “…connecting with other students around the world, on topics of study…” “…immersing students in a learning experience that allows them to grapple with a problem, gaining higher-order thinking skills from pursuing the solution”
WHAT DOES EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH TELL US ABOUT HOW TO USE TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE STUDENT LEARNING?
What kind of teaching and learning initiatives are likely to lead to great results (Learning Outcomes) How can we take advantage of ‘technology’ to make such activities more interactive, richer, accessible?
Trends * Initiatives * Needs
continuous need for eLearning for a variety of reasons (economic needs, geographical needs, cultural needs) continuous need for new developments w/ fast-paced and interconnected global world in the past five years we have seen an incredible amount of research, proofing the use, advantages and problem areas of technology in the classroom (Belz, 2002, 2003; Furstenberg, et al., 2001; O’Dowd, 2003; Throne, 2003; Warschauer & Kern, 2000) better connections between CALT and pedagogical goals
Some Critical Factors of CALL
assessment cost effectiveness instruction preparation quality satisfaction solutions
The Battles
open source vs. paid solutions contact courses vs. hybrid courses vs. online courses self-controlled vs. instructor-lead tools vs. platforms vs. gimmicks
Current Research
Tayade, A. V. (2010).
Developing a social networking portal for language learning, communicative
competence and cultural awareness. (Doctoral dissertation).
Bikowski, D. (2008).
The discourse of relationship building in an intercultural virtual learning community
Theses Database. (AAT 3302714).
. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Liaw, Meei-Ling. (2006).
E-Learning and the Development of Intercultural Competence
. Language Learning & Technology, 10.3: 49-64.
Resources
Online Language Learning Environments (OLLE)
OLLE – Online Language Learning Environments [Online Language Learning Environments] “are quickly emerging, empirical research in this area is scarce, leaving open questions about many aspects, such as the proportion of users who have actually completed courses, the length of time required for an online language learning community to mature, the development and uptake of user-generated materials, and the relationship between language learning and cultural learning in an online […] context.
In short, although [OLLE] seem promising, much is yet to be learned about the dynamics being generated within the online learning community and how such experiences might lead toward or detract from satisfactory, efficient, useful, or culturally sensitive language learning experiences” (Liaw, 2011)
OLLE
D2L Moodle Blackboard Angel Sakai Epsilen Online Course Management tools / LMS alone do not create good classes or great results!
Resources
Tools (Social Media Tools, Paid Services, LRCs, )
Storytelling / Curation
Scoop.It / Storify (Curating anything social; tweets, photos, videos; drag and drop) LiveBinders.com
http://www.webadvantage.net/webadblog/30-plus-cool-content curation-tools-for-personal-professional-use-3922 http://storify.com
Voice & Video
Voki.com (Speaking Avatars, Lesson Plans, Learning Resources) MSU’s CLEAR (Audio & Video Dropbox, Mashable)
Skype / Google+
Fifty ways of using Skype in your classroom (Conferences, Guest Lecturers, Interviews, Games, Collaboration …) Elluminate Adobe ConnectNow Now that Google+ is free why not have group project hangouts http://www.teachingdegree.org/2009/06/30/50-awesome-ways-to-use-skype-in the-classroom/
Examples
CLEAR’s Rich Internet Applications for Language Learning ( http://clear.msu.edu/teaching/online/ria/ ) http://clear.msu.edu/mashups/10956
Things we just briefly mention
Immersive Environments (SecondLife, Gaia …) Wiki’s, Blogging, Podcasting, etc Basic tools like YouTube and Social Networking and their integration in the classroom but check out this site for ideas http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2010/05 /100-inspiring-ways-to-use-social-media-in-the classroom/
Resources
Tools for Projects
Cool Tools for Cool Teachers
Dipity; create interactive timelines that include any form of web media Vuvox; create linear multimedia collages ManyEyes; statistical visualizations Popplet; gestural & visual compilations Gliffy; create any type of chart (flow charts etc online) http://www.dipity.com/wiwo1/wiwo-de-Chronik-der-Finanzkrise/ http://www.vuvox.com/my_vox/show/0138eb08b6?presentation=0113aee81c http://www-958.ibm.com/software/data/cognos/manyeyes/
How in the world do I keep up with all that stuff and become a cool great teacher; a teacher, that uses technology smart and effectively?
Daily/Weekly/Monthly Resources
CALICO Website / Listserv / Journal Computer-Assisted Language Instruction Consortium DigitalerWandel.de
Journals like Open Learning, Language Learning &
Technology
OIA Workshops and 1on1s TechCrunch, Gizmodo, Mashable! CampusTechnology, CLEAR Websites Technology Clusters in National Conferences (ACTFL, MLA, …) Browse around … http://www.go2web20.net/
Language Resource Centers
CALPER CARLA CASLS LARC CERCLL ….
http://cercll.arizona.edu/doku.php/resources/lrc Find the perfect resource: http://nflrc.msu.edu/