Seven Week: Nice Work

Week Seven:  List of Task I have done

1. One Computer Option  

Dear Robert and all,

I have gone through web http://www.lburkhart.com/elem/strat.htm and got useful ideas for using computer in the classroom. In my class there is no use of computer. There is computer in computer lab but they are very few in number. Only those students who studied computer subject are using computer lab facility.

In my school, there is no WIFI, and internet facility. Some students have computer in their home, but majority of them have been using internet for the purpose of chatting and other social network. However, I am using my laptop in the classroom to download data related with topic to be taught. For example, while teaching biography of popular people or poet,I am using laptop in my class. By the result, students are motivated towards learning procedure.

While planning the lesson, I am using computer and I am encouraging my student to connect internet to their home as well. It has been agreed that computer is pen and paper of our time. Thus, use of computer or Computer assisted language learning system is essential in the Nepalese EFL context. This type of learning strategy will certainly help to make learners autonomous so far.

Thank you.


With Best Regard,
Maheshwor Rijal

REPLIES (2): [ Hide Replies ]

• FROM: Maheshwor Rijal   (02/24/13 1:16 AM PST)   [ Send a personal message to Maheshwor Rijal]
  SUBJECT: RE: Week 7: one computer option
  [Edit]
  Hi,
  
  Robert,
  
  Thank you so much for your valuable ideas and suggestion, and I often download relevant materials related with the lesson to be taught. I was the problem for me before, right now I got ideas of searching, bookmarking, etc.
  
  I do have been using video related with lesson, and I used speaker for maximizing the sounds.
  
  Besides, this I have used mobile phone and it was useful for practicing songs and rhymes. I am waiting for change because I am applying the knowledge through this web skill course.
  
  With Love,
  
  Maheshwor
• FROM: Robert Elliott   (02/21/13 8:15 PM PST)   [ Send a personal message to Robert Elliott]
  SUBJECT: RE: Week 7: one computer option 
  Hi Maheshwor
  
  At first I thought you were in the "no computer classroom". But then I realized you were on the one computer classroom when you said you bring your laptop.
  
  Yes it is your own, but that is what I had to do many years ago. I took a risk and bought my own, and figured out how I could incorporate it into my lessons.
  
  That said, you have many limitations to what you can do. How about this. Can you find some speakers (they are not to expensive) you can hook into the computer for playing back pre-downloaded listening activities? You can download authentic speech, or capture radio programs off the internet at home, or download songs from youtube then bring them into class.
  
  You could also use an audio recorder in your computer (audacity is a free one), have students record dialogs or skits or pronunciation work, and play the audio back for the entire class. It is a great way to work on pronunciation and spoken language.
  
  Just a few thoughts. Can anyone think of more?
  
  Robert

2. Second Task: Learner Autonomy

FROM: Maheshwor Rijal   (02/20/13 11:48 PM PST)   [ Send a personal message to Maheshwor Rijal]
SUBJECT: Week: Learner Autonymy
[Reply]

Hi Robert, and everyone,

I have gone through article entitled "What is Learner Autonomy and How Can It Be Fostered?" by Dimitrios Thanasoulas, and got the very practical ideas about teaching and learning by making my classroom autonomous with the help of technology.

While going through article, I do agree with the view that learner autonomy is helpful making the children or learners more independent, by the result, this will helpful for developing critical reflection, decision making and developing awareness.

In this article, more importantly, I like the ideas of promoting learners autonomy. Self report, diaries and evaluation sheets are helpful for making learners more autonomous. While making the learners more autonomous in learning process teacher should act as facilitator, co-learner. In my classroom, my students is weak in speaking and it is due to lack of exposure of English. In my context, learners' autonomy is important, because it will help for increasing their knowledge and skills. It is useful to be self reliant language learners and to be able to communicate in terms of real life situation. Use of technology is must in the classroom so that learners will be motivated, a good users of target language both in classroom and daily life situation as well.

Thank you.

Maheshwor

Third Task: 

FROM: Maheshwor Rijal   (02/23/13 3:57 AM PST)   [ Send a personal message to Maheshwor Rijal]

SUBJECT: Week 7 Task: Wallwisher/ Padlet
[Reply]

Dear

Robert, and all friend,

This work is very interesting and useful for me.This is the first time that I  am using this ideas. Find the my web URL:

http://padlet.com/wall/5b0mkpa97l/wish/7446667

thank you.

Maheshwor

Week Six

Reflection : Week Six

I am writing the reflection of this week very soon, In this week I have learned  practical ideas of using Technology in my classroom. This is very first time for me and I got scholarship for this course. I am amazing, that use of technology, email, internet are tremendous in EFL setting. I faced many challenges and obstacles while doing assignment and applying those ideas in my class as well.

I learned how to manage large class and role of  technology  with the help of article. I am thankful to instructor and all classmates. I would like to say that use of technology in Nepalese EFL context is must. So far as EFL classroom is concerned, teaching method is still teacher centered in most of the public school. Due to lack of sufficient amount of exposure, it is difficult for developing proficiency in English.

I like the use of Power point in the classroom, it is because it provides motivation and create collaborative learning environment as well. It will develop skill of presentation on the part of learners and teachers as well. I have created one interactive power-point and shared in Wiki.

I am working in my project, " Motivating/ Encouraging Students towards Communication". I choose this topic since my students are facing problem while sharing ideas with each other in English. I am using different web technology and links. I am facing difficult situation right due the the bitter problem of load shading. However, I am very much happy with my learners as they are very much interested in learning with use of different technology for teaching different language skills and aspects ( vocabulary and grammar). Thank you.

Thank you so much.


Maheshwor

WEEK FIVE: REFLECTION

Reflection- Week Five

This week was very significant and precious for me, and learned new things like creating rubrics, knowledge of Web quest. In the earlier phase creating rubric was quite difficult, later I was able to the specified accomplish task.  Now, I want to  make brief review of the work that I have done in this week.

Describing Technology Related change: 

In my class, students are not able to communicate fluently. I, thus, particularly need to focus on encouraging and motivating students towards communication. The topic of my project is "encouraging students towards communication with the help of web tools". I am grateful with instructor Robert for his valuable suggestion,  and for providing other relevant links for my project. I am very much eager to establish conducive environment for learning through the use of web tools and technology. 

Creating Rubrics & the use of PBL

A rubric is an assessment tool that provides the criteria for evaluating students' product. Specific levels of performance are listed along with a rating system such as needs improvement, satisfactory, good and excellent. Project based learning model is very useful for engaging students in group work so that they can easily show their creativity. For, this I read the article " Less Teaching and More Learning" by Suasan Gaer and got the idea of designing the project . I like the ideas as expressed by Gaer and it will be useful for me.

Last but not a least, the class was practical an learn-able  and I am delighted from tutor Robert and you all course mates since I got ideas and knowledge from your experiences. 

I am very much delighted from tutor Robert and you all course-mates since I got the ideas and knowledge from your experience 

With Best Regard,

Maheshwor 

REFLECTION: WEEK FOUR

This week was the best of time for me. Before writing the my reflective understanding, I would like to quote one saying by Bill Gates as " Technology is just a tool, in terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important". Gradually and day by day, I am realizing that I am one of the smart teacher who implement web tools in my class. Thanks Web skills course and my dear all course-mates.

I read the article in detail regarding "Using Internet in the ESL Writing Instruction"  by Jarek Krajka and learned many useful and practical ideas for making my classroom setting more technology friendly. I realize that using the internet in the EFL pedagogy is best way which ultimately energizes students for learning. I agree with the writer that internet is the best tools " to explore the whole world just by clicking the mouse". I, of course, believe that web is multinational and without borders,.and it helps for developing cultural awareness, to know the discourse and knowledge of the world and most importantly, useful for providing authentic exposure. Secondly, This week was remarkable as I got chance to review the article by Mei-Ya Liang on " Three Extensive Reading Activities for ESL/EFL students Using E-book". This is new experience for me regarding the use of E-book in my classroom. I got the practical ideas with of using E-book for the purpose of teaching different genre to my students. Now, I have gone through the website 

 http://fog.ccsf.edu/ and http://www.backyardnature.net/, got useful idea. 

In the same way, I discussed on my project and elaborate the issue. The main issue of my class is students’ feels hesitation while speaking. It is because of the reason that they are from different cultural, linguistic and ethnic background. My aim is to encourage  students towards communication with without feeling any hesitation and shyness. For this, I do use knowledge of web skills. .

This web skill course, furthermore, gave me new ave-new  for making technology enhanced lesson. I came to know that lesson plan is important so as to make our lesson as complete and objective oriented. It facilitates teaching learning procedure. The class will be more lively.  There is no doubt that computer is like pen of our time, so the use of technology in EFL setting is important. 

It is the golden opportunity for learning and developing academic leadership by using web tools and internet in classroom. 

Thank You.

With Love,

Maheshwor

Reflection : Week Three

First of all, I would like to wish  HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my dear instructor Robert.

 

Third week was wonderful for me and it more practical and praiseworthy. I would like to start my reflection from one famous Chinese Proverb that, " I hear, I forget, I see I remember and I do I understand" . This quotation is related in my learning. When I do many things regarding different technologies, I understand so many things. I, of course, believe that use of technology will make our EFL classroom more lively and  practical as well. Now, I want to write my reflective understanding regarding this week tasks:

Task One : Aural Oral Skills Building:

I reviewed article entitled Developing Listening Skilll with Authentic Materials, by Lindsay Miller. I do agree with the view of writer that more than 40 percent of our daily communication is spent in listening. Without  listening, there is no speaking, so every good conversation starts with good listening. I understand that teaching listening is not an easy task rather it more systematic following different steps; pre listening, while listening and post listening. I would like to thank Robert and classmate who for valuable information. It is my first time I using webtools for different skills. Forthermore,  audio visual devices, TV/Video, language laboratory and Multimedia computer are useful for teaching aural and oral skills. I, therefore, believe that this will increase curiosity on the part of learners so that they can communicate easily. Regarding websites, I have book marked in delicious.com for useful link. (https://delicious.com/rijalmaheshwor).

Task Two: Delicious.com

I heard only the term bookmarking while searching some website.  This is the first time, I am using delicious.com for bookmarking. I learned so many thing for the purpose of collecting website for my teaching purpose.I came to know that I can use Tag bundle in delicious.com. This is my starting. I need to link different URL for making EFL lesson practical and purposive as well. 

http://www.englishvoice.org/

This is useful for practicing listening and speaking English with the people around the world, and helps to share your thoughts, ideas, and opinions.Moreover, this provide recording voices online using the online using the services.

I have already book marked other very useful weblinks in my delicious pages,) in https://delicious.com/rijalmaheshwor). 

 Task Third:  Project Review

This task gave me practical ideas regarding how to carry out research. I reviewed one project article by Prem Phyak. By reading this article,  I got the ideas to carry out project report systematically. 

Last but a least, this week has been easy for me in comparison with earlier weeks. I have very much glad with Robert and all friends.

Thank you.

Maheshwor

Week Two: Reflection

Hi,

Dear all,

Week two has been very much interesting for me,  I feel really happy and learned so many things in second weeks including how to make specific objective including ABCD  ( A- Audience, B- Behavior, C- Condition and D- Degree), and I shared learning objective with my course-mates   I am very much pleased with my Instructor Elliott, who assisted me by providing and sharing valuable links. First of all, it was very confused and I got puzzled. But later on, I grasped the ideas about this and designed accordingly. From this new experience, I need to share my learning experience with my colleges.Now, I am sure that  I can make my teaching lesson more observable and objective oriented by creating conducive environment in learning, with the help of web technology.

Moreover, I got so may information regarding the use of websites and different search engines from my instructor and all friends. I keep on searching information from these site, I am realizing I am learning great things with concrete aspects.

In the same way, it was very informative and enthusiastic while designing project. Reflecting back my earlier teaching and learning days, I used to design lesson plan but it was not so much systematic so far. While designing project, I came to know that it is useful for developing academic leadership, the more to be "ELT engineer" in the coming days. It is, of course, well known to us that the world is becoming smaller mini village due to the advancement of information and technology. This is my immediate need to use those new innovations and new trends  in ELT pedagogy in the real life situation i.e. classroom.

Finally, I am very much happy with you all guys regarding comments, feedback.

Thank you very much.

Best Regard,

Maheshwor ( Melodious Maheshwor)

WEEK ONE : MY REFLECTION

Hi Dear all !

I feel as if I am in the seventh heaven since I got golden opportunity  of learning through interactive web As we all know that today world is .globalized world, thus, it is our need to make the classroom more technology friendly. I again want to quote David Warlick who believes that " we need technology in every classroom and in every teacher's hand because it the pen paper of our time". Learning through blogging is one of the way, through which I will get lots of exposure from people in the field of pedagogy from all over the world. So, I want to say that the world is  like small village due to rapid influence of technology.

Definitely, I will also share my learning experience with my fellow friend and my students as well. Although I have published some articles in blog ( http://neltachoutari.wordpress.com/12/12/01/revisiting-vocabulary-teaching learning-my reflections/). Now, I am realizing the importance and usefulness of blog in language pedagogy.

Finally, I am very much pleased with my instructor Elliot and dear all friends, as it is the real platform of sharing the learning experiences with each other.