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Weekly Readings
Week 1
- Hints for Learning Online. (Learning on-line is a new experience for all of us; however, it is a way of learning that will increase in the future, as more institutions and organizations use the Internet for distance education. Does being a student in an on-line environment require new strategies for maximizing your learning? We believe it does, and we would like to share some simple tips to help you succeed as a student on the Web.)
- Netiquette. ("Netiquette" stands for "Internet Etiquette" and refers to the set of practices created over the years to make the Internet experience pleasant for everyone.)
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What makes a successful online student. Illinios Online Network. (Qualities for online students.)
Week 2
- Almeida d'Eça, T. (2004). Online Communication Tools that Promote Language Learning. Polifonia... (This article is based on my year-and-a-half experience with the Webheads in Action, an online community of practice. After referring the main features of each tool (Tapped In, Yahoo Messenger and Yahoo Groups), as well as some advantages, disadvantages and practical applications to the teaching-learning process and to online professional development, the article ends with advice and conclusions based on my practical experience with the Webheads.)
- Lai, Chun and Zhao, Yong (2006). Noticing and Text Based Chat, Language Learning & Technology, Vol.10, No.3, September 2006, pp. 102-120. (This study examines the capacity of text-based online chat to promote learners’ noticing of their problematic language productions and of the interactional feedback from their interlocutors.)
- Gonzalez, D. & Esteves, L. (2006).Enhancing Collaboration Through Chat in ESP: A Conversation Analysis. IATEFL Poland Computer SIG Journal, May 2006. (Chat rooms are ideal spaces for interaction, collaboration and negotiation of meaning, crucial aspects in language learning. However, they have not been fully exploited in language teaching. This study shows the results of a conversation analysis of 30 transcriptions of chat sessions where architecture students were carrying out collaborative group work. The researchers wanted to discover the discourse patterns and conversational strategies used by the students in this online context to study their possible repercussions in English learning. The results seem to indicate that the students were building the kind of discourse that is thought to lead to language learning.)
- Peachey, Nik (2012) Tech Tools for Teachers: Podcasting. (A comprehensive overview article on podcasting and how it can be used to help students develop their listening and speaking skills both inside and outside the classroom.)
- Vilà, C.A. (2010) Skype in the EFL Class. Humanising Language Teaching, Year 12, Issue 4, August 2010.(Skype has become a very popular tool for making calls on the web. In this article, Cristina Arnau Vilà briefly explains what Skype is, how it works, and gives some tips on ways to use it in the classroom.)
Week 3
- 7 things you should know about wikis (2005). Educause Learning Initiative, Jul. 2005.
- Alden, Chris (2006). How blogs can make the link. The Guardian, Jan. 2006
- Borau, Kerstin, Ullrich, C., Feng, J. & Shen, R. (2009). Microblogging for Language Learning: Using Twitter to Train Communicative and Cultural Competence. Advances in Web Based Learning - ICWL 2009
- Campbell, Aaron. (2003). Weblogs for Use with ESL Classes
- Duffy, Peter and Bruns, Axel (2006).The Use of Blogs, Wikis and RSS in Education: A Conversation of Possibilities. Proceedings Online Learning and Teaching Conference 2006.
- Klingensmith, Kate (2009). A Teacher's Guide to Twitter. Feb. 2009.
- Millin, Sandy Twitter for Professional Development (2011.)
- Nelson, Melanie and Lewis, Karen. How do I start? Blogging Basics.
- Pang, Chiew. Why Twitter for Teachers? (A collection of articles, resources, etc. for teachers and others to see the benefit of social networks such as Twitter).
- Stanley, Graham (2005). Blogging for ELT.
- Using Wikis in ELT. Nov. 2011. (Summary of a very lively discussion held in Twitter by the #ELT Chat group).
- What to do with wikis - an ELT perspective. TEFLGeek. Nov. 2011.
Week 4
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Assessment for learning: Improving feedback in interactive exercises. Mar. 2011. (Based on HotPot exos.)
- Computer-based language learning with interactive web exercises (2011). (Mainly based on Hot Potatoes; presentations at an Italian Conf.: ICT for Language Learning, Oct. 2011)
A short note: HotPotatoes terms of use have changed:
"Hot Potatoes is now freeware. The complete version of the programs is now available for free, from the Downloads section . The free version of Hot Potatoes for Windows is version 6.3, and the Java version is 6.1."
"The Hot Potatoes suite includes six applications, enabling you to create interactive multiple-choice, short-answer, jumbled-sentence, crossword, matching/ordering and gap-fill exercises for the World Wide Web. Hot Potatoes is freeware, and you may use it for any purpose orproject you like. It is not open-source."
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Godwin-Jones, Robert (2007). Creating interactive Web exercises for language learning.
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Torres, Isabel Perez (2003). Creating Materials Online with Free Teacher Tools. TESOL Spain, Newsletter 2003.
(This article focuses on this utility of the Internet. Some sites are presented where teachers can easily design activities and exercises online, such as quizzes, tests, puzzles or surveys, which require no advanced computer skills. Included are only those tools that are free for educational use for obvious reasons.)
A short note:
2 of the sites mentioned in the article no longer exist; one is Headline Makers: lang.swarthmore.edu/makers/index;
when you click on the link you get the message: The server at lang.swarthmore.edu is taking too long to respond.
You can find the old site here and a new one here
The other is Trackstar; the link takes us to a site about Online Casino and Gambling; the present site is:
http://trackstar.4teachers.org/trackstar/index.jsp
- What are authoring tools for MFL? (2005) (An interesting article about Authoring tools. However, some of the software referred to is not free.)
- Babicka, B. - Nevaril, J. (2008). Hot Potatoes - How Not to Get Burnt. Interesting hints on the usage of Hot Potatoes. (After opening the file click on the text to enlarge it.)
Week 5
There are a lot of things to read and watch here. Don't feel you have to read everything !!
Pick and choose something you like and share your thoughts with us !
Don't forget you will be able to come back to the wiki later on in the year ! (You can bookmark using your favourite bookmarking tool).
- Almeida d'Eça, Teresa (2005). Going Global with the Webheads in Action. Teaching English with Technology, Nov. 2005. (Teresa shares with us her classroom journey with the Webheads towards blended learning and going "global.)
- A Vision of K-12 Students Today. (Blended learning from the students' point of view - again thought provoking stuff for teachers and parents. Do you agree with this viewpoint?)
- Blended Learning. (E-learning resources explained clearly. A good starting point for reading.)
- Blended Learning (2010). Educause Learning Initiative, Nov. 2010. (Some recent research done on blended learning. A very detailed account of the state of blended learning and its challenges today.
- Blending of face to face learning with online learning (2010). (Read what other educators are sharing on Twitter on this subject. There is plenty of food for thought here. All the tweets using the #edchat have been collected together in an easy to use posting. The very curious can see the whole #edchat here http://tinyurl.com/27yxwju )
- Freedman, Terry (Ed.) (2010). The Amazing Web 2.0 Projects. (An e-book edited by Terry Freedman with 87 projects from many collaborators worldwide.)
- Gonzalez, Dafne (2005). Blended Learning Offers the Best of Both Worlds. (An account of how our own Dafne has used blended learning in her teaching context.)
- The Networked Student. (An easy to understand video about Networked students and teachers. How blended learning can change our role as "teacher".)
- What is Blended Learning? (The debate is open : what is blended learning ? A clear posting that's not too long but asks some interesting questions.)
Additional Readings