Friday 29 January 2010

Hong Kong Live it Love it!



The vedio clip is useful resources for class collaborative writing.
Students read and study the vedio clip. They are asked to write comments on it. First,they write drafts online in small groups. The teacher then criques the drafts online and create electronic links to his own comments to pages of approiate explanations for students' additional background references. Next,using this assistance, the students prepare and publish their articles in the class blog together with reply forms to get comment from readers. When they receive their comments (by mail),they can edit their articles for republication on the school web.
This is an example of integrative approach to use teachnology based on collaborative reading and writing it create an intergarte communicative enviroment for ESL students.

Kids Games

http://www.britishcouncil.org/kids-games-face-match.htm

Google Earth

http://earth.google.com/
This is an useful website for task-or project-based approaches which intergrate various aspects of language learning process. It is based on multimedia computers and Internet. Learners can navigate their own path by pointing and clicking. It fosters students' interactivity both in learner-computer and learner-learner manner.

Sunday 24 January 2010

Internet for English Teaching by Warschauer, Shetzer & Meloni

This article introduces a set of pedagogy-related principles which Warscauer et. al. believe Internet can serves a variety of uses for language teaching and the learning opportunities of our students. The authors classify these principles under 'Learning Goals', 'Teaching Guidelines' and 'Planning Tips'. In terms of Learning Goals, they say that teachers should help students.

The authors define 'Learning goals', namely:
-master new technologies in active and creative ways
-develop autonomous learning strategies
-learn collaborative communication and teamwork skills
-learn in a variety of cultural contexts
-develop critical thinking skills

The Teaching Guidelines are intended to help you organize your classes to achieve the above Learning Goals. The authors classify them under five headings, namely:
Dual Immersion (where students are immersed in learning the skills of language AND technology simultaneously)
Integration (where computers are fully integrated into the curriculum)
Project-Based Learning
Student-Centred Learning
Learning With a Purpose

The list of planning tips is extensive. Perhaps the most useful and relevant tip for me is the one about creating a computer and Internet access for ESL students a secure platform from which to begin their Web-browsing activities. Other useful tips include having students work in groups in a one-computer classroom and focussing on e-mail when students are conducting Internet projects in low-tech environments.

To conclude, teachers who utilise a range of new tecnology for language teaching purposes, will or should evaluate the approiateness of approaches and assess the advantages and limitations of particular technological tools from time to time as to enhance classroom language teaching.

Warschauer, M., Shetzer, H., & Meloni, C. F. (2000). Internet for English teaching: TESOL Alexandria, VA. [Chapter 7]

Saturday 16 January 2010


This is Tokyo Railway Station. This photo was taken in 2009.

Oxford University Press

Teaching resource - here's the link to Oxford University Press

Monday 11 January 2010

My First Blog

My first blog
I've not much expericences of technology in the language learning context. Interesting to start doing it now. Teaachers have to percieve IT as a way to make lessons more attractiv, capture students attention.
A few web sites I used for teaching or learning language are youtube or wikis.
I'll used IT for presentation of information, illustration of ideas, or 'interactive classroom practices'
I hope to learn to use blog for teaching and learning.