Sunday, October 7, 2012

How Would English Language Teachers Use Blogs, Wikis and Delicious With their Students?





I tried to figure out an activity that combines all of these social networking web-sites. Because I think every networking site has a special characteristic that we can't find in the other, so why we don't use them to complete one another, wiki gives us a great characteristic that is, it's so flexible  we can easily edit and add or remove things, it's great in dealing with large classes. Delicious is a bookmarking website, that we can use it to share references and sources where our students can find them easily by using the key words or labels. Finally, blog is a personal site, that any individual can uses it for posting his/her opinion on something or writing about things happening around.



English language teacher can use them in an assignment that asking the students to go to Delicious and find the shared link titled with " English language level test " or " Test your reading skills" , take the test.. then ask them to take a screenshot and share it on their wikis, then ask them to discuss and describe how easy or difficult it was?, when they felt like struggling?, what were the difficulties they've faced?,and have they enjoyed doing it?, all on their own words. Later on she can make a list on wiki and arrange them according to their marks on the test to create a competition atmosphere.



Sunday, September 30, 2012

The Possiblity of Reaching Bax’s Normilasation in our national context: Why is it possible?When is it possible ?How will it be reached?




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

In his research, bax argued that we should set " normalization " as a goal to be achieved. That using the technology is invisible and hardly even recognized as a technology. According to Bax, we can achieve normalization if, teachers and students use technologies without being afraid of inhibition. They will be completely integrated into all other aspects of Classroom-life, alongside course-books, teachers and notepads. They will go almost unnoticed. When the needs of learners will be carefully analysed first of all, and then the computer used to serve those needs. He suggested to plan for this normalised state and then move towards it.

Bax set some agenda for the future of CALL which are, identifying the criterial factors which normalisation requires. Auditing the practice of each teaching context in the light of these criteria. And finally, adjusting our current practice in each aspect so as to encourage normalisation.





CALL normalization could be achieved in Saudi Arabia in the nearly future, because socially we are almost there, you can find even 3 or 4 years old child is using his I-pod or I-pad and surfing the internet playing online games, but for education it's still retroactive, even phones are prohibited!! But there is some hope that these rules going to be changed gradually, the students and teachers are capable to use technology  they only need to be educated how to use it for education. What we need is the ministry administration desire. If the admins are willing to move toward normalisation, it won't take us so long to change.

 Designing  programs that fill into students needs and the cultural aspects and the Islamic rules would be strongly required.



 Also, educating the students that technology could be helpful in the learning process is required.

Teachers must know that technology is not always something for fun, it could be more educating even than books. Also that, it's strengthen the relation between the teacher and his/her students since s/he can be connected to them.



Wednesday, September 26, 2012





                                          Hi all, welcome to my blog. Enjoy