Week 10 reflection

This is the last week of Webskills course. I really appreciate everyone in my class. All of you gave me good ideas, encouragements, some tips, and professional suggestions. These are my treasures which I got here.

I tried LoTI, and I got a result. I agree with that. I know I’m going to teach more student-centered with using more technology in the future.

Well, yesterday it was decided by Osaka city Board of Education that I will change the school from this coming April. It is a new senior high school and there are projectors in every classroom and students are interested in business and economics. I need to arrange my project plan for new school and new students, but I’m excited about that. In the new school, I definitely believe I can make use of the knowledge I’ve learned here.

Week 9 reflection

By making the Project, I reflected what I've got during these 9 weeks. There are some tasks I've done and it gives me some confidence.
In discussion we discussed issues related with multiple intelligences. There is a topic about handwriting. In Japan, many elementary students learn calligraphy (it is regarded as an art) because we should write words beautifully in my culture. Naturally, handwriting is encouraged by teachers, until the end of high school. Yes, it’s very old-fashioned and I don’t think it is bad. Yet, I think students need to use other different tool, a computer, too. In most places in the world, now people use both handwriting and computer. Why should they learn only by a pencil and a notebook? We, teachers need to use computer as a tool and show them by teaching in any subject. English, why not? English class will open the door to a broad world. Then it is not unusual to teach English using a computer, which will broaden students’ world. If we, teachers, cannot use a computer effectively in class, there is no choice. However if we can, we can choose when and where we use the tool. That’s the point, I think.

Project Planning - Thank you so much!

I finally finished the project this week. I didn’t teach this term, so I would try my plan as soon as possible and want to see how students react and what things will happen. Thanks to my partners’ advice, I could make my project more concrete. I really appreciate Anna and Vilma.  Partners’ points of views deepen my idea more. Thanks a lot. And of course, all the classmates give me ideas to plan this project through discussion, blogs and tasks. Thank you for your fruitful cooperation.

Week 8 reflection

I wrote the first draft of my project. I don’t teach last February and this March, so I planned it in my head. Therefore some points might be not realistic. To guess my students reaction was the most difficult part because their reaction would be various.

What I was impressed is how useful some online tools are. AVILL has lots of possibilities to use in class or outside of class. I would like to share the information with my co-workers and discuss the usage of the tool.  In my school, several teachers teach English for one grade, so English teachers need to work as a team.  The tool will supplement our teaching style focusing on reading and writing. In our head, we know the lack of speaking practice. Such practice will improve their reading or writing skills, too. Each skill is related and we need foster integrated skill in order to be international people. 

Survey making was also refreshment for me. New students will enter my school from this coming April, and I’m excited about that. Now I’m planning the new students’ English course. At the beginning of English class, I can carry out the survey and know students’ needs and readiness. This is also helpful tool and the spread sheet makes me easier to collect the data and put them in order. What a wonderful thing! Tools should help us.

week 7 reflection

This week I reflected how I have learned English and how I became an autonomous learner. When I set a future goal, I became to study independently. Setting clear goals will be a big motivation.  But not all the students are like me. I need think about various types of students in front of me. It is a big issue for teachers how learner can be autonomous.  

Also, we made one-computer classroom activities. I said there is no Internet access in a classroom but I can use my laptop computer offline in classroom. Presentation soft can be used in a offline classroom, so I made an activity to make a presentation. It was fun experience for me because I hadn't a doubt I cannot use a computer in a classroom because there are no Internet access. But there are some things I can do without Internet access! I'm glad to learn by this course and I realized I need to be flexible.

Week 6 reflection

It was a good practice to make interactive Power Point because I used power point as a presentation assistant for me. It expanded my imagination how I introduce power point and when is suitable and I asked myself why I need to use it and what to teach.

I have no course to conduct my project this term so I'm planning my project with my PC and imagination. I wish I had my students and classes to carry out my project.   

Originally, the reason I applied this web learning course is that I am not good at using technology tools in my school and I seldom have information about what kind technology we can use and how they can help us in class. Now I know a lot. I’m really glad to have learned many practical things through this course. Although I got excited about that, I must not forget the first point. How can technology help our teaching and students’ learning? I will keep it in mind and consider my project carefully.

About teaching large classes

I am usually teaching large classes (40 students in one class), so reading assignments for this week are very useful and practical. For me, it was surprising that many ideas are extended from ideas of teaching small classes. It means basically the number of students is not the main problem, but the basic idea is common – to face students sincerely and trust their ability to learn, at the same time not to forget to keep encouraging them to go forward. Of course, teachers have more things to pay attention in large classes. However, teachers can interact with them because they are there, just in front of you.

Thanks to the Internet, teachers can share many ideas for large classes. I’m glad to know that this week. We should not be afraid of making change to our classes. We need consider well how to teach, but should not hesitate to give it a try and see what happens. It will give another idea to challenge.  

Week 5 Creating a WebQuest

This week I first saw a web quest and knew what it is; furthermore I created my web quest. Incredible!  I almost gave up making it because some data were supposed to be saved but they weren’t. I even did not know to press save bottom after typing data. How careless I was!  At last it is on the web. I’m not sure whether the level of activity is suitable for my students or not. Well, I just tried creating one webquest as an experiment, that’s all. For my coming project, I needed some practice. However, I can’t deny my excited feeling, like children. Creating my original work is published; what a wonderful experience I had. I really thank e-learning program in University of Oregon for giving this opportunity for me.     Kaori

Week 5 reflection

This week I learned about Web Quest and Project Based Learning. I have been interested in PBL, but in Japan it is used for science or society classes in elementary schools. Therefore I was curious how the project works for language learning and for young learners, not kids. I will try PBL in my class by all means.

As for Web Quest, it was first time to see it and it took me some time to understand the general idea. Web Quest is one style of web learning and it enable students study independently as long as they have internet access. What I was surprised is there is an evaluation part for most Web Quest. On the part, there is a rubric which says how students are evaluated by a teacher. I’ve seen rubrics but I did not know how to use it. I just thought it was for teachers to measure students’ achievement. No, it wasn’t. It is true that rubrics are the aims for students to achieve, but the important point is students and teacher share it. Before starting doing tasks, students know how they are evaluated. This makes a big difference. Students will be motivated because they know the things they should clear. This is a good idea so I would like to use it right away.

Week 4 reflection

This week I could learn a lot about reading, writing and vocabulary. I thank some web sites for saving my time and giving new ideas for my classes. Of course, a lot of plans are not useful because of the level setting, classroom setting, the class size, or the contents itself. It may be some time loss in a sense, so we need to find our favorite and useful sites under our classroom conditions. As a learner, I recently have a problem to expand the active vocabulary, so I’m glad to learn some tips for building my vocabulary.

I reflected my class and found many issues. I feel there are some problems for my class but when I made a report to put for NICENET, I could realize those issues objectively. This was a good opportunity for me to know where I stand now and what I am facing with.

As for making a technology sample plan, I planned what I haven’t done before at all. It was exciting work because my imagination went freely, with remembering students’ faces. Do they enjoy this? Will they learn something as I planned? Can they do presentation in English? It is always fun to consider these things. I want to try the plan right away, but shamely my classes were over in this term. In April, new term will start, so I can do try and error. Of course I should not forget to know my students’ needs first.  anyway I really enjoyed this week.

Week 3 reflection

I tried Delicious tool for the first time this week. The registration was very easy, but it is not clear how to link my favorite web sites, so I copy and paste the URL. I believe there is some function to link by just click. I tried delicious button to move to tool bar by dragging several times, but it doesn’t work. I wonder why. I feel I'm learning new tool.

I read some project which had done in the past, and I could get some concrete image toward “project”. I’ve learned most is their clear objective settings. Well, I’m shaken up by their project and feeling in trouble because I still cannot decide what kind of tool I will use, on what purpose I do action research, how I should carry out my project…I cannot narrow many possibilities to one.

Week 2 - reflection

 This week I’ve got flu since Monday and I have to be absent from my school. I could not take care of my little children, what a terrible week for my husband and me! Nothing will start by complaining…Now I’m OK. At least I can write my blog like this.

 I would like to put my thanks to people who gave me comments. Thanks a lot. This is my first blog, so I didn’t know how happy when I get comment from someone! Also, I thank e-learning system itself! Even I was sick at home, I still can learn something new.

 This week I learned how many search engines are on the Internet! They broaden my world for certain. I’m ashamed that I used only Google and did not think about other engines at all. Very often I need supplemental information about a topic covered in a textbook. Especially I am not familiar with science, NSDL will help me a lot. It will be my treasure.

 In addition, I got new idea – abcd method. That’s the way to set objective in a class. The objective should be observable and assessable, which is the important point for me to think about well. It is because I tend to set the unvisible objective like “understanding the usages of relative- clause”. What is more meaningful for me is that I could notice I put two or three objectives in one activity. By using abcd method, I can sharpen my intention why we do an activity. I myself can know my objectives clear. I mixed goal and objective many times. This notice is harvest for me. I need more training to think by using abcd method, though.

Week 1 Reflections

This week was a series of new things for me- first experience of online discussion Nicenet, starting to blog, and facing for a long time in front of a PC screen. It was like walking in a forest with a lamp at night. I'm still not sure whether I could survive this week or not. When I cleared one step, I felt what's next. It is far from enjoying the web operation. However, thanks to kind support, I managed to come here.
Without this opportunity, I would not even try blogging though most of my students do blogging. I know I need change, so I feel glad that I was forced to challange new things. Without change, no improvement. I appreciate this opportunity very much.