Reply

Dear Jose, Wilma, Celeste and Natalya!
Thank you very much for your comments on the Anvill project. I hope to stay in touch with you after the course through our Blogger Blogs.

Kind,
Irina

TV stream live presentation

Hello, buddies!

I took part in watching and online chatting  of stream TV PD scholars presentations yesterday. It was really great experience! Did anybody from the group attend it too? If so, please,  comment or post something  here.
I'm also looking for the course participants who's planning to join ANVILL and want to try it  next semester. If so and you are interested in cooperating and sharing this experience, please, post something to me here. Let's be in touch!  I'm registered  under blog name's  'inaviri' :-))

Have a good weekend,

Kind
Irina V

week8

 At last I have  got very exciting and important information -  I mean ANVILL wiki.  I always enjoy exploring new tools , especially most difficult for users- wikis and web 2.0. wigets - and to think about  how they can enhance learning, activate and motivate both teacher abd students...

 I won't repeat my previous post ( from nicenet). I'd like to add  that ANVILL  requires both from students and their teacher to be internet SAVVY, otherwise the try could lead to frustration and become a nightmare to all..

At least, broadcasts and vidcasts should require special training for students to join in. Writing threads, comments, forums and chats - even SKYPE-ing are easier and more casual for them. Communication and learning through broadcasting  is a brand new W2.0 tool!

 Anyway, I was very happy to find somebody who paid attention to this huge online wikis gap and tried to put a lid on. For me, this course was worth participating only  because of that...

Kind

Irina

about ANVILL and other webtools nicenet

Dear Jeff, Donna and buddies
When it comes to web 1.0 and 2.0, I think everybody agree that online tools are useful for education enhancing. Especially when you can use special PC lab with free fast internet access available in class and proper hardware(mics,webcam, headset). Or at least you and your students should be lucky to have expensive modern! devices+soft+above accessories and very cheap fast internet at home(like we do enjoy in Moscow). 
Then we can talk about planning and using internet and web tools for education.

From the sites proposed this week8 (EastTestmaker,Lanternfish,tools4educators,Smile and other) I would prefer only Hot Potatoes. Not because it's user friendly,free and more or less reliable, but also because you can download it and work offline too. Besides, you can create audio and video! quizzes with it too ( as it was shown at excellent french site (http://eolf.univ-fcomte.fr/index.php?page=technically-interesting-hot-potatoes-page). 
On the other hand, they don't provide technical support. But it's competitive to Quia.com I always use, and Atanau also recommended it as a reliable tool. Thank you!

As for wikis,I have been using free(no ads) and premium PBWorks sites for several years already and VERY happy! 
I also tried another very popular between educators wetpaint.com and google.docs(igoogle, google sites). I use my googledocs and Igoogle sites for several years too. One can use downloaded googledocs to work offline, creating tables, polls, and use it as MSOffice replacement.No ads,great.

I don't mention Nicenet and Blogger. I tried it several years ago, but my Wikis cover all educational needs in any languages(incl. embedded forums, threads, pages comments and chats).
BUT - online audio and video bloggings, podcasts- vidcasts, widgets, own radio and stream TV broadcasts - is a Real Problem with most wikis! You are completely right tryting to fill that huge gap! I'm sure all educators will benefit from ANVILL a lot!

I was really pleased and excited to discoverand explore ANVILL - wiki designed mainly for oral and video online education. 
The idea is really great,Jeff, as all other wikis availabe have dramatic constraints on embedding such things, may be exept PbWorks...

I created my account there and posted in my blog and group blog (in Eng and Rus). It works OK. 

But I still have some questions:

What is my access level(writer, editor?) 

If it's a free tool,is it for 1 year only(support and hosting are VERY expensive!)

And what is the memory size available? For 100KB I even cannot find any picture to upload. 
With PBWorks I have 2 GB of free memery available (with free 24h support and hosting). 

The last question - if I upload my files, or create and save my audios and videos on your site - can I download'em or save backups as well?

Anyway, Jeff,I appreciate the possibility to join your wiki and would like to be in touch with you as admin for further course design and implementing...Have anybody from overseas already?

Kind
Irina

week7

So, another busy week. Week 7. The topics were learners' autonomy (+teacher's one) and one comp classroom..I read all articles and  skimmed discussions on the above, and found out that autonomy topic was more discussed. But it  was mainly framed with increasing autonomy (i.e freedom)  of teaching methods/strategies and growing necessity of self-teaching/self-evaluating for learners ( i.e. self-study or what?). Second topic articles and discussion covered 'survival' matter  and advice of how to teach with one in-class computer...Sure, offline.Hmmmm...
To tell the truth, I'm a bit at a loss for such topics choice for this week...Hope next week ones will be more technology-driven  and valuable, sorry...
As for peer choice, I would prefer our course mentor to appoint anybody herself as I respect all course participants and will appreciate their kind attention to my project.
I'm also sorry but I won't create any special lesson for 1-comp class as I'm not sure to have a comp in-class at all.  It is not so important.  Anyway, my PPT sample interactive (week6)  could be an add-on to such lesson ( or I will print out slides).

Kind
Irina

One comp nicenet

Dear Donna and buddies:

I think that both discussion topics of Week7 - One computer and Learners'(+teachers')automony - are 'interconnected'. 

Using or integrating of even one computer gives and develops more automony both of teachers and learners in education at any stage and at any institution...

As far as I know, in some US states kids play and learn using computer at the kindergardens. Some other states are opposing to that.

Lot's of off-line or downloaded and saved programs could be applied in-class to facilitate teaching and learning, motivate and engage pupils/students. But they can be replaced by TVsets and recorders, or even 'teacher's' live performance, textbooks, handouts...

Using Internet in the classroom is A DIFFERENT thing! In my classes at college - it'is not possible. In my previous University experience - possible BUT very limited (i.e. some sites like Youtube are not available, other have limited access and so on). But in turn,there were no problems with number of PCs stations for students.

So, using Internet in the classrom (not a gadget) is a problem that deserves a separate discussion and great teacher's attention... 

Meanwhile, I prefer to develop the strategy of out-of-class(remote)online autonomy of higher education (university age) students through our collaborative course wiki-site, and use our rare and time-limited in-class meetings for oral/speaking/ 'live'communication on textbooks or other syllabus topic.
The less 'live' class hours and the more 'class' attendees we have, the more difficult it gets to teach and to learn efficiently! It doesn't matter with or without a computer. The fact is that so we HAVE TO develop our and our students automony by any possible means...

Kind
Irina

My page on PbWorks Summercamp 2010

http://camppbworks2010.pbworks.com/w/page/26614770/Irina%20-%20Mentor

As I recommended  before, this is a link to one of my studnets SLIDE.COM presentations.  http://www.slide.com/r/GWbcsGlF6z9dHWm-oxb6kdzh2fbwuoQc?previous_view=lt_embedded_url

One of my slide.com presentations ( I use'em as  Slide-reports of students PPT conferences) and animoto.com one ( could be posted on Utube) are posted on the blog earlier.
The bad and annoying thing about Blogger : you cannot embed anything but links!  I managed  to embed the above here by pasting the embed code directly to the new post window and saving it. Anyway,with PbWorks and Google sites no  such problems!

WEEK 6

Now, Week 6 is over. It was  very fruitful for me as I've learnt something new about PPTs and ways of students engagement.
At last I've done interactive PPT ( kind of funny webquest).  It took time to study how hyperlinks to slides and links to websites work. Better to dowmload PPT from  class wiki to get all work. I uploaded it to slideshare.net - the same problem - slides hyperlinks  dont work!

Big question fly!

View more presentations from Eva Basil

I tried googledocs presentation - you can embed youtube video to a slide there, but no pages hyperlinks possible :((  Nothing is ideal...


I still think that there are much better and easier web-tools for quizzes, quests and tests then PPT. I don't think I would use PPTs for in-class gaming. Anyway it was interesting to try something...
By the way, does anybody use Glogster ( edu.glogster.com)? http://evabasil.edu.glogster.com/rocknrollcat ( my sample glogster)

Not to repeat, I posted two of my nicenet opinions below, please, feel free to comment, if you want. Thank U.
Kind
Irina

About PPTs and oral presentations

Hi! 
It seems general opinion is "PRO" PPTs and other visual in-class aids(mostly for lecturing, anyway). 
Thank you, Celeste, Natalya and Donna, for your on-the-go comments. Get some fun and not boring to skim it all at all:))

Learnt something new about PPT: possibility of making PPT games for in-class use and slides hyperlinking. 

Good advice on Jeopardy screencast at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgPO-agnnMk. Thanks for sharing!

By the way, a screencast video could be a lecture visual aid (vidcast) or add-on to your oral PPT presentation and a starting point for further in-class activity. Or can even replace PPT...
I would recommend Jing.com for the likes of screencaptures and screencast. 

As for lecturer or student-presenter: 
we actively use here PPTs as teachers'lecture support and for students public conferencing practice in English. 
But first of all, we should teach students 
the basics of public speaking in any language(both native or foreign);
skills of on-stage presenting and body language-i.e.voice, tone, intonation, gestures and other;
selecting proper topics; 
organizing and structuring the speech;
studying useful expressions and even sentences;
writing and studying by heart their speeches;
and only then adding a slide show as support,
logically designing and even counting number of slides... 

Slides and speech should match and switch. 
The great deal- using good samples,preparation and rehearsal. 

Sorry for exposing here some well known and very common things, applying both for lecturers and students.Trying to fight a bad habit of 'reading lectures' or mumbling written presentation. Just to think about it.

Sorry for too long piece of writing

Kind
Irina

Students engagement nicenet

Dear Donna and all

Overall:
I consider this week articles and resources very useful as they are making clear ways, instructions and methods of activating students learning while lecturing or presenting...

But: 
Communicative Approach of Teaching is well known and recognized worldwide now. And it's the same efficient both in small and large classes. 
Sure it could be CALL integrated if you and your students can afford it...

Furthermore, I'm sorry, but I consider practicing emails as a communication tool with may be more then 10 students or less - very tyring,inefficient and a bit outdated(http://tep.uoregon.edu/technology/engagement/inclassdisc.html).
The idea (Rick Rice and others) of using free forums (I could also recommend Lefora.com) or online chats (like f.e. Chatango.com) embedded into your wiki-site fit best for any group discussions. Size of class doesn't matter here.

As for web-based quizzes or Blackboard's (not available in ourlands so far),they still look more affordable and better to use with any number of students then proposed PPT-driven in-class games. Why? It's fun and may be amusing for 3-5 students. But if you have 40,70 or 100 and more?? Dividing'em in groups? 
In my experience, I would prefer web based quizzes after the class or module - with immediate automated evaluation. F.e. for my last 2 ESP courses (70 BE and IT students total), I prepared all tests and quizzes with Quia.com and assigned with deadlines. Some simple embeddable tests, polls and quizzes you can make even with googledocs! But in-class (F2F) tests or exams are still compulsory as add-ons to that.

The last point:
I'm obssessed and very optimistic with using podcasts, vidcasts, webinars and on-line stream TV conferencing with any gadgets you and your students may have. Better than web-reading for teaching anyway!
But, believe me, nothing goes without your basic course intranet website(better wikisite, not a blog!), where you can embed or link up everything and everybody, meet(forums, chats, comments),share and communicate, teach and learn individually and to all...

Kind,
Irina

WEEK5

Week 5 as useful for reading about PBL, especially about role playing .I  suppose to us it with my ''kinetic ' ballet dancers in cvlass .The rubrics matter is also important for students performance evaluation when  RubiStar is  being used for. Saves time a lot. As for webquests, I tried all recommended sites but didn't like them. I would still prefer Filamentality 2.0 for that. You and try to hunt web neoterms and get some fun at my spage there http://www.kn.att.com/wired/fil/pages/huntevabasiev.html. Have a nice time and good catch!

Have a nice weekend

A Portal to Media Literacy

The Machine is (Changing) Us: YouTube and the Politics of Authenticity

A Vision of Students Today

Week 4 lesson plan post

Hi, Donna and all,
Thinking about main structure/features of a lesson plan according to the template and i-add-ons...
It's possible to make-up just one-lesson design of the course and use it as a model for other classes.

Unit name : Singing together! In English.
Optional lesson

Lesson Title: English/Scottish old song 'Auld Lang Syne'

Lesson Author: Irina Vasilieva + webpage http://www.manythings.org/songs/ckmp3-auld-learn.html

Grade Level/Subject Area: 3 year ballet academy students/ESL

Time allotted for lesson: 1a.h.(40 min)out of 2 a.h.(1.30h)a week for each of 3 groups.

Short description of lesson: study vocabulary/listening/pronunciation/old scottish/ with the song; memory training.

Classroom layout/Students grouping: in every group of 3/in-class activity/work all together first and then individual/group contest(optional)

State Carriculum Standards: Russian State Secondary Education Standards

Instructional objectives: be able to listen, read the script online ,understand, articulate and sing without any mistakes. Memory training and fun.

Materials, resourses, technology: print-outs of the lyrics from the webpage ( made by students at home) and online in-class webpage listening/watching/repeating.

Students present level of performance and skills:
low-intermediate(mixed groups)

Instructional procedures:

1)Intro:
F.e.- Warming up Questions/Answers activity:
What English songs/singers/groups do you know? Why do you like these songs?
What do you sing on the NY ( ABBA songs)? Teacher ask questions and shortly tells 'the history' of old Scottish/Irish blessings and 'Auld Lang Syne' greeting song.
Informal talk. Oral speech mistakes are possible.

2)Techniques and activities:
Learners involvment: drawing attention/activating listening/general speaking in Eng. on the topic.
Communicative method - Informal talk.
Group listening and individual speaking/singing activity with hand-outs or website.
Learning proper pronunciation/text meaning and memory training with fun (informal way).

3)Closure:
Lesson overall summary and students outcome evaluation:
singing in Eng without mistakes ability;
gaining students attention to the course;
activating listening/speaking;
pronunciation practicing;
vocabulary practicing;
gaining Eng./Scot.cultural traditions knowledge;
motivating with fun/higher grading;
motivation with personal/group public performance (optional).

Supplemental activities: follow-up individual/group competition for best singer or best group singing(if time left)

Assessment: accurate, clear and distinctive pronunciation,vocabulary(lyrics)study by heart - average 90% per student for grading.

Student products (feedback or outcome??): ability of individual singing in Eng.(without mistakes), funny public performance.

[Reply]

Another Week4 problem nicenet

Below is my personal opinion.
It's a real joy to teach linguists or translators their Core Subject. 
Most of such students enjoy classes and are highly motivated,inspired to everything you can propose them:wikis, PPTs and so on.. Rare lucky case. Is it?

It's really a joy to master ESP students, highly motivated to aquire top grades in the ratings and professional language level for their future well-paid job...Right? 

At last, there are many low or not motivated students for the 'junk' subject(Engl) we have to deal with...True?

What about teachers?

Teachers need joy and motivation to teach any students and to look for the new ways for better teaching results(via internet or so on).
So, to invest lot's of their personal time (not paid!! or appreciated by colleagues and some students) to design and prepare such 'personal'courses...

There are many teachers - and students!- here think the above is crazy and not necessary, and consider traditional teaching way of formal 'lecture-book-paper-pensil' and 'chalk and talk' easy and best.
I come accross it everywhere here...To give it up?

WEEK4

So, Week 4 time vanishes... This week I found some sites useful for the project.  As for weekly articles , not much new...
Clear and well structured  template for  lessons planning, but we normally have similar templates here ( not online). State requirements for courses/lessons plans writing in Russia are different... Anyway, I decided to post some of my nicenets here to' collect toughts' for final project.

I read the articles by Jarek Krajka. I agree that for writing skills, on-line activities should be incorporated into your class work. But the idea itself is not new. 

I was using our class wiki site at http: //evabasilvk.Pbworks.com for teaching English for about 5 years already, and I would say that e-mailing is NOT necessary at all - except may be cases of foreign students class correspondance.

By the way,any side 'pen pals', comments, chats, forums and other things wiki's missing, could be easily integrated into class wiki and used for communication. You get everything in one!

The students get(download,copy, print out) the texts of different genres from our class wiki assignment page and when ready (online or offline) post(upload,copy) their writings(f.e.translations) themselves to their personal wiki pages. 
Then submit'em to my weekly editing and evaluation and other students commenting at the same time.

Another benefit is that the teacher (and students!) can monitor all metadata (drafts) of these writings and edits. 
From this point of view, the above article looks for me a bit outdated, sorry...

Another article on extensive reading by Mei-Ya Liang could be of help, too, as for describing teaching methods/patterns of how to arrange it online, but also looks very basic,I'm sorry.

I'd like to support some of the below course participants when they say it is not possible to teach writing/reading only online, without in-class 'paper and pensil', especially when it comes to beginners or to immediate tests!
In my experience, so called 'Blended Course e-Teaching' is the best strategy.

BTW,thank you for the multi-skills sites. I found two useful for my course project - listening and speaking: Mikhael Krauss one(I completed his Internet course several years ago, it was super!!)http://www.lclark.edu/~krauss/toppicks/toppicks.html and http://www.manythings.org/. 
I will use some stories and songs. 

So, f.e. ABCD is: 
All ballet students of each class group (1-2-3) should read loudly the lyrics of the song 'Auld Lung Syne' at http://www.manythings.org/songs/ckmp3-auld-learn.html, 
then translate it into Russian, 
then listen and repeat the song all together about 5-6 times within,say, 10-15 minuted to learn it by heart, articulating it with 90% accuracy. 
Then they will vote for 'the best English song singer' between them in each group to be graded.

Kind,
Irina

WEEK3

I was a bit delayed with WEEK 3 comments.
It was useful to  read more about teaching speaking  and listening using CALL and explore recommended websites. Sure, it could be useful for my students.  I revised all websites on the matter and saved some on my Delicious page. Normally, I dont use social bookmarking and  prefer  posting links on our class wiki or open the frame on Netvibes portal. It's quicker and easier to use.  Have everything in one pocket...Anyway, I consider Diigo  more convenient for my browser(GChrom)...
As for the the former projects revision, the same simple pattern and  template was used  for different courses, but the language itself differs,  style looks a bit lengthy and wordy ... I  may be not right, but I would prefer another style writing -  something like' thesis' writing  with 'milder' verbal forms for activities description.
Can't say anything about the content itself, as only the project author knows if it fits or not.
See what we have on WEEK 4

Sample of Slide.com Presentation ( Business Translation Studies students)

Sample of Animoto.com video ( Business Translation Studies Students)