Final Reflection: Bridging the Digital and Physical Worlds

The course of New Technologies helped us re-envision our language classrooms of the era of digital world. The shifts that we are experiencing now are having a profound effect on our traditional beliefs about learning, teaching, and schooling in general. While the technology is developing, our kids continue to outpace our own use of these tools. We, educators, need to take the responsibility not only for modeling and teaching the safe, effective, and ethical use of all the Internet has to offer, but also for equipping the students with the new literacies that are quickly defining our world. Due to this course, I had the greatest opportunity to take on this responsibility having gained the necessary knowledge, skills, experience, and confidence, for which I want to express my sincere gratitude to my instructor. Thus, I am ready and it’s high time to complement traditional teaching by implementing new technological tools before they become too recreational tools to be refused being used as pedagogical tools.

Knowing about these tools is not enough for making learning and teaching more effective. It is no less important to know how and why these tools are implemented. I found the educational benefits of blogs, podcasts, wikis, digital storytelling, digital video production, learning management systems, and Google for education really attractive and I am going to use them in my classroom to enable the students to practice the four new dimensions of literacy, to complement learning strategies, to support active learning, which forms the basis of constructivism, to provide anywhere-anytime access, and to foster learner autonomy. We need to be responsive to these innovations to bridge the growing divide between the physical and digital worlds.

                With the help of blogs I will bring my learners from knowledge-based to higher levels of thinking as blogs increase students’ awareness of their language learning process, foster reflective learning and collaboration, reinforce students’ confidence and motivation in learning, and develop learners’ sense of the importance of English. Moreover, the research shows that blogs serve as a new reason to enjoy reading and writing, increase the impact and quality of writing skills, encourage a lot of pre-class reading and post-class reflection, and enable students to recycle vocabulary.  

            Podcasts and podcasting will serve my students as a new source of inspiration, a fresh start to arouse interest in learning and exciting tools to improve listening skills, to provide exposure to native speakers, to add a dimension of immediacy to listening practice, to develop learners’ skills of selecting and evaluating listening materials, to solve the problem of unproductive use of learning time, and to improve speaking skills.

            I will definitely use wikis in my classroom as they can serve as an engaging platform for interactive activities and present course information. They can be ideal for building communities, collaboration, easy participation, valuable content, and evolution over time. Like blogs, wikis provide a new reason for reading and writing, hence a new technique to improve these skills.

With the help of digital storytelling and video production, I will empower my students to create products that are different than just papers and worksheets. Besides, developing technology skills, this creative work can enable the learners to synthesize a number of skills, including researching, assessing, organizing, problem-solving, presenting, and writing their own voice.

My hands-on project gave me a lot of practical experience in using the Moodle, as a learning management system, from the teacher’s perspective. I am going to use this online environment because it fosters active learning where learners are engaged in making meaning, analyzing, investigating, collaborating, sharing, building, and generating. This online space will help me organize the teaching and learning content related to both the traditional and new technological tools.

Regarding the mobile-assisted learning, I may or may not use it at this point, although I know about the twenty uses and benefits of its application. If we could achieve top quality education through open education resources and distance learning, this would establish education as a fundamental human right, would enable lifelong learning and a wave of innovation. I would like to see the results of the experimentation of education analytics which will open a new door to understanding the behavior of learning and assist in improving our own practices.

I am looking forward to the teaching opportunity where I will provide the learners with more flexible ways of supporting learning, using new technological tools in an appropriate way as supplementing approaches to the existing pedagogy.  This course allowed me not only to learn about the above mentioned tools, but also to experience the educational benefits myself and to answer how I can incorporate the best-known principles about teaching and learning using technology as a tool for innovation.

 

Google for Education

Googling for education is a wonderful alternative to learning and teaching. The reasons are numerous. It enables Ls to extend their learning outside the classroom. It serves the various needs, preferences, and learning styles of Ls. They can get thousands of results by one search and find the answer to their question in an instant. It allows for anywhere-anytime approach to learning, increases engagement, communication and collaboration among and between Ts, LS, and parents to make sure that Ls take the ownership for their learning. Using technology prepares Ls for future career as almost all fields of life require skills of using technology. Ls become not only consumers but also creative producers.

To be able to create this stimulating environment we need to choose the appropriate tools which are free. Google offers apps for education which include Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Groups, Talk, Sites, Blogger, Maps, Google News, Analytics, etc. For example, science projects can be formed using google sheets, assessments can be administered using Google Forms, guests can be invited using Google Talks, and so on. It is no surprise that this rich environment can increase Ls’ engagement rate.

Security and privacy have always been an issue in education. With the help of Google’s Cloud, the institution can guarantee scalability, security and efficiency. Besides, all the data is in our control.

If we want to get started, we need to go to www.google.com/a/edu and sigh up. I found the support provided by the help center 24/7/365.25 really necessary and helpful. We can even stay up to date about the new features through Google Apps Release Calender. The introduction of chrombooks is also a great idea as they are easy to scale, customize and manage. There is also the possibility to connect with other schools, colleges, and universities using Google tools. The online training center will help to acquire skills for using the core tools in the classroom. Moreover, Google provides training for educators who are passionate about implementing new technologies in education.

Human mind is developing so fast, more than ever before, that it is challenging to manage to adapt to all these developments. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my instructor Dr. Madyarov for providing this fast array of educational opportunities which added a new platform to my teaching philosophy, hence to my teaching practice.

 

Cloud Computing

I got to realize how cloud computing can change the entire computer industry. By loading one application businesses will allow workers to log into a Web-based service which hosts all the programs the user would need to do his or her job. The network of computers that make up the cloud handles all the running of applications starting from the e-mail to complex data analysis programs. 

Businesses are running all kinds of apps in a cloud these days including custom-built apps. Moreover, you don’t’ need to pay for all the people, products and facilities to run them. They are more scalable, more secure, and more reliable, and cost less. You don’t buy anything as it is all in your monthly subscription. I read that Google and Amazon already have most of their IT resources in the cloud.

The flexibility that eliminates the constraints of traditional computing environment in terms of time, space, power, and cost, attracts not only businesses but also educational institutions.

The second youtube material provided an efficient way of using software and IT in education. The fact is that our expectations from IT have changed as we want it to work on a wider array of devices. These needs demand more improved IT services. The idea is that if we use on-premises software developed uniquely for our educational community, we will be concerned about the security and flexibility of its use, as the needs are evolving and resources are shrinking. On the other hand, if we use software delivered over the Internet, that is cloud computing, we will have worries about the protection, storage, and management of data. Also, we may not tailor the Internet services to meet our specific educational requirements. Thus, the solution is to combine the on-premises software and Internet cloud services because the limitations of one can serve as the strengths of the other and vice versa. This way we can achieve flexibility and choice which are very necessary to meet our ever evolving needs in this era of technology.

Analytics in Learning and Education

The article Analytics in Learning and Education opened a new perspective for me to look at the process of learning and teaching. It is likely to establish a new platform on which the future of the higher education will be based. Big data or analytics, as new tools of observation, will enable us to watch the educational processes from a new dimension which has never been revealed before, and gather an astonishing array of data that will have the greatest impact on higher education.

Every click, every update, every social interaction as also mentioned by Daphne Koller in the video material, can leave a digital footprint. I had a chance to examine this footprint in the file posted in the Moodle. I immediately started thinking about correlational studies which could find the relationships between a number of variables. This kind of learner-produced data will give us new insights in teaching and learning and transform our practice from ‘clinical’ to ‘evidence-based’ practice, as in medicine.

The difference between academic analytics and learning analytics is that the former focuses on data analysis at an institutional level, whereas the latter focuses on a specific environment in which learning takes place. Both can bring valuable impact on understanding the learning process. One of the biggest values that I could observe is that analytics can help us identify Ls at risk and provide immediate intervention to assist him in his educational success.

I strongly agree that the most crucial factor is not just the transformation of our perceptions or concepts about what is actually happening in the learning process, but the corrective transformation of processes connected with teaching and learning.

It was interesting to find out about the implications of the learning analytics, and one that I found, in the article is that assessment is no longer end-of-course activity, and each L can find learning content relevant to his background.

The same conviction was put forth by Daphne Koller in the video material who presented that the content of online courses they provide worldwide for free is divided into modules for different Ss with different backgrounds which allows Ss to follow much more personalized curriculum where every single S has to get engaged with the material.

She also presented the way they graded the Ss’ assignments. The solution is peer-grading or self-grading which very well correlated with the T’s grading. I believe this solution is also a useful strategy for Ss to learn from their learning experiences where there is a lot of collaboration. One interesting fact about feedback was the finding of the study that a S who would pose a question at 3 am was likely to receive a response within 22 minutes. I am quite sure that the ability to interact actively and receive immediate feedback or be told when or where you are right or wrong is really essential.

Technology allows not only for personalized feedback based for example on the distribution of wrong answers on the map but also solves the 30-year old problem connected with personalized curriculum.

Mark Twain’s words help me describe Armenian universities as a typical example of providing lecture-based format of education where “a professor’s lecture notes go straight to the Ss’ lecture notes, without passing through the brains of either”.

We need active learning, interactive learning, and the learner performance will increase in all parameters.

 

 

 

Learning Management Systems

Before reading and watching about the Learning Management Systems (LMS) assigned for our homework, I had already got familiar with this educational environment for my hand-on project presentation. Nonetheless, the video material presented by Stephen Downes provided a more general view and comparative perspective on LMS and PLE (Personal Learning Environment). The first difference that he mentioned is that LMS is used by an educational institution or corporation and provides a repository of content and services. Individual learners can access this management system and obtain the content, perform various tasks, have discussions, conduct online conferences with each other, etc. In contrast to this, in PLE the learner is the center and he or she can access content from different sources, like Google Docs, Facebook, iBook, and others. In short, as Downes mentions the difference is that LMS is centralized, whereas PLE is decentralized.      

I could identify two types of LMS. One is the Collaboration Management which can stand alone from LMS, and when someone doesn’t have access to LMS, he or she can join the collaboration. Another type is called Federation when two students access their LMS different from each other and these two systems then join a collaboration system. However, one disadvantage here is when someone wants to join the system, he or she will be locked out. The PLE network is different in that it connects individuals instead of LMS and here individuals are directly connected to each other by sharing resources, messages and other ways, and they are not required to join any LMS. If in PLE the learner is responsible for the management of his data, in the case of LMS when the learner leaves the institution, all their data remains there.

Although there is this disadvantage, I am sure that the organization of learning through LMS would be a great step forward for our Armenian reality. For example, Moodle is an alternative to online learning solutions whose modular design makes it easy to create new courses, adding content that will engage learners.
            Moodle is an ideal online learning solution for the following reasons:

·         Easy creation of courses from existing resources

·           Course content which can be re-used with different learners

·           Active learner involvement

·           Enrolment and learner authentication which is simple yet secure

·           Online learner and teacher management features

·           An active support community to help solve problems and generate new ideas

·         Affordability

 Activities are at the heart of a course management system. Moodle was designed by an educator and computer scientist, with “social constructionist” principles in mind.  A constructivist perspective views learners as actively engaged in making meaning, learners who can analyze, investigate, collaborate, share, build and generate based on what they already know, rather than what facts, skills, and processes they can parrot.

My exploration of the Moodle form the teacher’s position gave me a lot of practical experience, and I believe in the near future I will implement this online environment in my language classrooms.

 

Mobile-Assisted Language Learning

These days it seems mobile phones are used everywhere by everyone; maybe more than any other technological device. This prompts us educators to find ways to take advantage of mobiles and use them in language learning.

Very often instructors ask the students to turn off their phones before the class starts not to get distracted by them. Surely, this is still necessary, but there are certain ways to use mobiles for educational purposes. I discovered a number of educational reasons for using them in the language classroom.

Thus, students can use the notes feature to collect everyday language and send their notes to the teacher. This helps to break the boundary between class time and daily activities. Students can use the camera feature to take pictures of text. Through the voice recorder, learners can record conversations outside the classroom. Another useful technique is to use the text messaging feature to reinforce vocabulary learning. This function can also encourage learners to improve their writing skills. They can start with shorter texts and then expand them into essays. The challenge for educators is to encourage that type of writing from which students can learn the language.

I found the technique of tandem learning rather encouraging for interaction. This is when two students learn each other’s native language by exchanging text messages. Mobiles can also be used for microblogging on Twitter and social networking. Through this device a lot of listening and reading materials can be distributed.

Despite certain problems connected with mobiles, such as lack of access, noise and disruption in class, cost, increased teacher workload, mobile-assisted language learning can serve as one supplementary means to boost motivation and enhance language learning process.

Distance Language Learning

One of the greatest opportunities provided by technology is the Distance Language Learning. In this learning environment both Ts and Ss differ from their classroom counterparts in terms of the roles they assume, the way of interaction, and the attributes and expertise required of them. My vision about the distance Ts’ and Ls’ roles was reinforced by the articles “Towards an Understanding of Attribute and Expertise in Distance Language Teaching: Tutor Maxims” and “Independent Language Learning in Distance Education: Current Issues”.

When I put the Ts’ and Ls’ roles on the continuum from traditional teaching/learning to the distance education, I can see the multiplied roles of Ts and Ls in this remote environment. Thus, the article by Cynthia White et.al showed the findings of 3 studies, one of which revealed that e-tutors’ roles include collaboration skills, basic technology knowledge, interpersonal communication skills, and knowledge of the distance learning field. The second study conducted with novice Ts who “learned distance through distance” implies that direct experience of distance learning is useful but not enough for professional development and awareness raising.

I found the third study useful in terms of identifying all the roles and competencies of an e-tutor. Among the roles are content facilitator, metacognition facilitator, process facilitator, advisor, assessor, technologist, resource provider, manager, designer, co-learner, and researcher. The competencies are related to pedagogy, communication, discipline expertise, and technology. I think this identification of roles and competencies can be useful in forming expectations about the roles of an e-tutor and identifying the gaps which need training. Besides, the tutor maxims listed in this article are really necessary along with recognizing the above mentioned roles to enhance the quality of e-tutoring and e-learning.

The second article by Cynthia White gave me some insights into the current issues of distance education and the Ls’ roles. Obviously, in distance education Ls are involved in self- management and environment management. They have to make numerous decisions and take on some of T roles. However, there are certain issues here connected with the isolated study context, less availability to provide immediate feedback and assistance, more awareness on the part of the L, and new kinds of skills and motivation.

To address these issues, Ross Paul and Anderson and Garrison debated one stating that learner independence can be fostered through high-quality materials and the other arguing that it can be achieved through collaborative experiences. In my opinion, a course could be effective if it provided a mixture of both approaches. What I found really important is when Ls develop effective interface between themselves and the learning contexts, and a new view of what it means to be a language learner.

I believe that if there is a triangulated evidence of Ts’ roles, and context of delivery, which includes support services, organization structures, feedback opinions, opportunities for interaction and so on, the e-learners are likely to achieve effective learning.

I tried to complete these by completing the online assessment questionnaire and doing the language learning course. While the questionnaire helped me gain understanding of the skills necessary for e-learning and build up expectations for the course, the course itself helped me make numerous decisions about my own learning, and this is an essential factor to argue that distance learning is a great means to foster learner autonomy which is a crucial criterion for effective learning.