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 Wodle in EDU401

 

 

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Normalisation of Bax in the Saudi Kingdom

        Bax argues that, "Our aim should be to attain a state of `normalisation' in which the technology is invisible and truly integrated.

        The article talks about the history of CALL and its three categories which are Restricted, Open and Integrated and we are currently using the second approach  as it suggested. Our aims hould be to attain a state of ‘normalisation’ in which the technology is invisible and truly integrated. It also finds answers of three questions where has Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) been, where is it now and where is it going?

        Warschauer’s within it discuss the phases of CALL. These phases are: Structural CALL1970s-1980s, Communicative CALL1980s-1990s and Integrative CALL 21st Century.

        We can achieve normalization if we use computers everyday in language learning, the teacher and the students.

    In Saudi Arabia, the teachers were teaching by using traditional method. Nowadays, many schools tend to use technologies and with coming years I don't think that we will have any schools without technologies. Another thing that I think  Ministry of Education  will change the policy or at least make classrooms of language learning with technologies.  

Challenges of Creating Web-based Activites in Sally Morrison” Interactive Lanaguge Learning on the Web”

       

         First difficulty is creating web-based language learning activities require many skills which most teachers don't have time to knowing about these skills. The skills are a) technical skill and b) basic HTML skills.

        The second one is the variability of students’ access to computers. Before the teachers create web-based activities, they must ask themselves what type of computer and browser will they be using? and what is the connection speed at which they will be accessing activities?

        The third and last one is if web pages are designed, the students with special needs will be left out. This will lead to difficulties in online activities.

        For me as a Saudi teacher, the first obstacle is the time. I think the class time is not enough, and the students may not have time in their homes too. The second obstacle is that my knowledge about all these things, now I do my best to learn from this interesting course and I will be better after it. Some students may need the same ( I mean they need to train and know how to use these web-base activities). The third and last obstacle is that not all schools provide lab to allow students use it.   

CALL and Language Skills

    

        If you want your English Language to be excellent, you have to practice listing, speaking, writing, reading , grammar and vocabulary more and more. We have a lot of websites which can help you as a learner. These websites include all skills, but I will suggest and recommend websites for vocabulary.

I

        In the classroom, I will ask students to write some words ,such as sea, wonderful, bee, table, road and so on ( mix of all parts of speech) .

        Then, I will ask them to go to this website in their homes to chick whether their spellings are right or not. By this way, the students will know their mistakes by themselves, learn the correct and never forget. 

      HERE
 

How does it work ? 1- Write the word that you want to check its spelling in the blank space.*

Then 2-Click spell check.

- If it is correct, you will see spell check complete ( No Errors Found ).

- If it is not, you will see the correct on and some suggestions. 

I think this is suitable for intermediate and high schools levels.    

.It might be used with text too

II

        I also suggest this website to learn with a fun. The students here will learn and play at the same time.

HERE                                                       

         For me as a teach, I can use CALL in teaching. I can give my students a homework or a task to do it in their home and then come back with their results. I have to encourage them by telling how much are these websites important for their language.

Social Networking Sites

       Firstly, let me be honest.  I don't have accounts in social networks sites, I just have Instagram's account. My reason  for using that is I like memories and I think the best way to keep these memories is taking pictures.  I like sharing my pictures with my family, my friends and the other people too. Another thing, I like to see other's pictures when they travel or cook. I added many accounts which care about make-up and these things, I can get benefits from them. Some accounts publish very important information about the healthy food which I like to follow them and try to apply that in my real life. I interest using this program.

        Secondary, It is possible to use  social networking sites in teaching EFL/ESL. I think it is a useful way too. For example, blogger is a good site. The teacher can post what she wants from the students and the students can replay too. I think this can improve their writing skill and make them communicate easily. Another example is YouTube, the teacher can put her video recording of the lectures which allows the students to watch them and revise what did they study. I think this help a lot in lectures of phonetics. The students will watch the teacher and see who the sounds are produce. It also helps in improving listening skill. Google is a good site. The students can search and get the information.

        Finally, the teacher can use a lot of sites in testing the students and know the thier levels. It benefits the teachers in teaching writing, reading, listening, speaking, vocabulary and grammar.  

Reading 1 - my reflection and questions' answers

Technological Change and the Future of CALL

Firstly, I knew what dose computer-assisted language learning (CALL) mean. It means the use multi-media content, either with the supervision of teachers or on their own pace in self-learning in education. I also become familiar with ICT and technological determinism and its two types ( hard and soft).  

I agree the writer in first part, especially sociological changes, because we have many changes over and over. In Saudi Arabia before, there was no use of  computer-assisted language learning. Nowadays, the use increases. The society use technology in general more than before.

The writer stated that technological development doesn't automatically cause outcomes. He mentioned ten developments in information and communications technology.

For technology and English teaching side, the writer mentioned five areas. These areas are  new contexts, new literacies, new genres, new identities, and new pedagogies.

In my opinion, CALL can motivate students to learn and make them interact and communicate with each other.  If it uses in education in a suitable way, it may improve teaching process and gives better results.

-          What is Technological determinism?

It means when the new technology introduces, specific results will come.                     

-          What are the ten developments in Information and Communication Technology ?

The first important change is from phone-based to wireless communication because of improved technology and telephone/Internet relay facilities.

A second change will be a move from dial-up Internet connections to permanent, direct online connections.

A third change will be from the use of mainly personal computers to the use of portable computing and online devices.

A fourth change will be from narrowband to broadband.

A fifth change will be from expensive personal computing systems to widely affordable computers and other hardware, first in the developed countries and then in the developing countries.

A sixth development is that the Internet will change from being an exclusive

form of communication and information, mostly limited to people in developed countries, to becoming a mass form of communication accessible to most of the planet.

A seventh development will be a movement from text-based information and

communication to audiovisual forms of information and communication, as exemplified by the growing popularity of digital photography and home video production facilitated by new technology and the increasing trend for Internet news sites to offer multimedia presentations of news.

An eighth change will be from use of English as the main online language to multilingual Internet use.

A ninth change will be from “non-native” to “native” users of information technology.

A tenth change will be the movement of CALL from the language laboratory to the classroom.

-          What is the expected effect on English teaching of these likely future developments ?

The student may waste their times, because they may communicate in their own language instead of using English language which makes the teacher frustrated.  It is a good idea to have real-life tasks on the Internet and solve real-life problems in a community of peers or mentors as the writes mentioned. So, they can communicate and talk easily. 

-          What is meant by the five areas examined: new contexts, new literacies, new genres, new identities, and new pedagogies ?

New contexts effective by ICT in teaching English. Because of having native speakers  ( such as in U.S., Australia and England ), ESL speakers  ( such as in  India and Nigeria), and some and  EFL speakers in countries such as China, Japan,Egypt, and Israel, so it suggests that there will be a fundamental change in the relationship between native and non-native speaker.

New literacies : Here we have another result of ICT development.  In the era of print, the act of reading consisted of an attempt to understand the meaning of a single author. Reading in the online era has become an attempt to interpret information and create knowledge from a variety of sources. Although all reading and research skills include selecting the right questions, choosing the

right tools, finding information, archiving and saving information, interpreting information, and using and citing information, there is a great difference between reading a book in the library and assuming that the information in it is reliable because it has been vetted twice--once by the publisher and again by the librarian who purchased the book--and conducting research online, where the very act of reading cannot be done without making critical decisions at every step.  

New Genres :  The students demonstrate mastery not only of multimedia but also electronic communication. How can the electronic communication can take a place in teaching new types of writing.

New Identities : The increased importance of online communication is also contributing to new kinds of identities. Teachers should downplay academic literacies, but it does imply that students who use new media can develop a wide range of literacies and identities, and these skills must be taken into account in English teaching.

New Pedagogies : The writer here mentioned the stages of CALL from bad to good and the changes that happened . These stages are written in next question's answer. 

-          What are the first three stages of CALL mentioned in the reading ?

First stage is Structural CALL - 1970s-1980s

Second stage is Communicative CALL - 1980s-1990s

Third stage is Integrative CALL- 21st Century

In Saudi Arabia :

 ICT witnessed the ten development, and they created their own commission at 2001. It growth ,because the people use it more and more.

 KSA also witnessed the five areas which are new contexts, new literacies, new genres, new identities, and new pedagogies.

CALL began in our educational places many years ago.  

New Terms

 Netiquette : It refers to etiquette on the Internet. It means when people communicate or deal with each other online, they have to respect the privacy of each other . Also, they shouldn't annoy or bother each other.

Educational technology : It is an academic discipline. It is a new application, strategy or  technique to improve the learning process through the use of media . So, the teacher and student use that to get better result in teaching-learning process.

Learning Management System (LMS) : It is a software program used to deliver the information and course to the students . It created to help in administration of content of the course.

Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL ) : is an effective learning environment. The students can practice in an interactive manner using multi-media content, either with the supervision of teachers or on their own pace in self-learning.

Online education : It means the students take the class and interact with the teacher over internet. The students don't need to attend the classes.

E-learning : It allows the students to contact or interact with the teachers or administration of the school or university they are in.

D-learning : It allows the students who don't want to attend the class as a traditional way to get the lessons or information from a website.  

Blended learning : It describes the way e-learning is being combined with traditional classroom methods and independent study to create a new teaching methodology. So, it is approach which acquires face-to-face communication between teacher and students.