teachperspectives-blog

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Whew, what a journey! – Final thoughts

As I’ve already mentioned it in my very first blog post the field of digital tools was something I wasn’t really acquainted with. But creating this blog for my seminar at Marmara University was one of the best things in the course of my studies. I remember working on a blog as a group project back at my university in Hamburg. It was unfortunately one of the worst group work experiences ever and probably because of that I was really scared off of using media tools which is why I’ve always been a bit reluctant when it came to technology in the classroom.

However, during this course I realized the magnitude and positive impact of technology and how beneficial it can be in educational settings IF correctly instructed and applied by the teacher.

Reflecting on 21st century learning and my “teaching with technology” statement made me realize even more that in today’s world there seems to be three levels of social or political participation (no guarantee for validity, only my thoughts). I believe that in school only the first level is being dealt with namely the direct form of political participation: voting and the understanding of our political system. The second level is e.g. to participate in demonstrations or organizing/volunteering in charity work.  But the third one is historically very young in its influence of social and political developments: the role of the internet and its tools. The distribution of information has become so widened and accessible but at the same time also very fragile which makes it to an obligation for educational institutions to prepare students for this challenge. If technology in all its varieties can be used in a positive way more people could not only gain access to high quality education but could also learn to participate in social developments, to create a voice for themselves. You can see it e.g. right now in the political uprisings in Sudan and how solidarity and awareness is raised on the internet because the mainstream media is silent on that topic. The many ways of visualizing and sharing information is absolutely important in order to understand today’s globalized world.

I am beyond grateful for taking part in this course. At the beginning I did not know what to expect but I enjoyed so much to become more familiar with various kinds of web tools that I have never heard of before. Furthermore, I really appreciate the task format in which the focus was rather to get to know the tool than to write longer essays. I am very excited to learn more about web tools and how to use them properly in class. Through this seminar I gained a whole new perspective on teaching and why the usage of technology has to be discussed and taught in educational institutions.

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Pedagogy of the Oppressed - Movie Poster

The creation of a movie poster was a lot more challenging than expected. Pedagogy of the Oppressed is one of my favorite books and it was such a meaningful process for me to create a movie poster for it. Canva.com is the easiest to tool to create a poster like this because it offers a variety of templates to choose from. Creating the poster was not only challenging because of designing the layout but also because of creating deeper meaning through pictures which is not as easy as it seems to be. I enjoyed the process a lot. It gave me the possibility to reflect the message of the book in a different perspective. I would definitely use this task format at school. I think it is a fun way to deal with a book if you might have difficulties understanding it or if you want to deepen your interpretation of a book. For subjects dealing with literature or for history this could be a very useful task to give students the opportunity to be creative but also to challenge their own perspectives.

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The biggest challenge in creating a digital story about my best friend was actually finding a suitable tool. At first, I tried out Animoto but the free trial version did not offer longer videos and I was a bit confused with the templates. I got a tip from my class mate to use movie maker and after some research I found the 2012 Microsoft version which is super easy to use. After that, creating the video was really easy. My only problem was that I’ve lost all my photos of the past years which is why the video is a bit short. But apart from that, creating a digital story is a lot of fun and watching it afterwards even more.��

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My wall of courage - Padlet

https://padlet.com/hunnybunnyfly/vxvwr4prbpen

I created a padlet wall of my idea of what happens when individual rights are threatened. This is the first time that I used Padlet and it is a very interesting concept of visualizing ideas. Unfortunately, I did on my own but I can imagine that doing this in a group can be a very productive way of exchanging and sharing ideas. It is also a useful tool to conceptualize more complex topics and can function as an extended form of a mind map.  Especially, as getting to know the different forms of web tools that can be embedded on the Padlet wall. Padlet has definitely a lot of potential in the classroom for bigger project works. 

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My very first podcast! I used the web tool vacaroo.com, an online voice recorder, that is very easy to use. In my podcast I will talk about my idea how to improve the world for the better. I never did this before and it was so much fun which I actually did not expect. I enjoyed the task of making a 60 second podcast a lot because it challenges you to narrow down an idea and presenting it in a convincing way.  I believe podcasting in class would be a really good way for students to not only practice their speaking skills but also their writing skills. Especially for students who have difficulties talking in front of the class this could be a great way to encourage them to overcome their fears.

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RSS: getting an overview – in my case better late than never

RSS or Really Simple Sindication makes it possible for internet users to see most recent posts from subscribed websites and blogs as soon as they are published. So it is a very useful way to get a filter on all the information we spot on the internet.

I use Feedly, an online reader, because for me it was visually the most appealing and the easiest to understand. I also tried out Feeder but the addition of websites took a lot more time than on Feedly. I wish I would have known a bit earlier what RSS is but better late than never. I actually used to use Facebook like an RSS online reader and I am apparently not the only one. Actually, up to 43% of US-Americans use Facebook to read the news. [1] However, I prefer RSS a lot more than Facebook because of its clear structure and the access to every blog as well as not having to deal with hate speech in the same amount as you encounter it on Facebook.

On Feedly I follow many news websites but also educational blogs and I have found my favorite one: TeachThought. This blog has a lot of information and tips on how to use technology efficiently in the classroom but it also has a big focus in what way thinking habits can affect the learning process of students and how teachers can support critical thinking in their lessons. The blog covers a wide range of crucial topics from technology use to the necessity of interdisciplinary education. I would recommend this blog to any teacher who looks for a more progressive approach in their teaching style.

[1] https://www.journalism.org/2018/09/10/news-use-across-social-media-platforms-2018/ [6/17/19]

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Web Tools 2.0 – my all time favorites

In this post I have enlisted my favorite educational web tools: Canva, Prezi and Edmodo. These web tools enable teachers as well as students to collaborate and exchange ideas in a different way. Since the development of web tools is very fast, teachers need to be up-to-date. But again, just as it is important to know the variety of tools, it is just as important to know how to use them efficiently in the classroom so that students can really benefit from them.

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ABCya! has convinced me – website evaluation

At first I was rather skeptical of the usage of digital tools for younger learners. But I have found the website www.abcya.com for children in pre- and primary school. The site includes educational games that are helpful for practicing spelling and phonics.

However, the website is not only conceptualized for language learning but also has four further learn categories: numbers, holiday, strategy and skill. The main categories are sorted after class level and each of the class levels is then subdivided into the five learn categories. All of the five learn categories entail a variety of games which are easy to understand but for younger children who cannot read parent’s supervision is still necessary.

The creator and the team behind abcya.com can be checked on the website. Since the website has references of big companies like Apple or The New York Times it seems to be clear that the quality of content is rather reliable and up-to-date. In addition, a kid’s safety certification logo and further links for policy terms are attached at the bottom of the main page.

Overall, the website has a clear structure and a planet-themed design in high quality which is very appealing for children. The games on the website are really creative in their approach of language learning and are fun to play. I tried one game out and it does have a positive effect on your motivation to learn a new language in a playful and easy way. I can imagine these games could be played as a reward if children have finished their tasks or if they need a break. The games provided on abcya.com are especially useful if students need a more positive connection with English. Educational games in this manner can be very beneficial for the learning process of students if it is played in an instructed time frame during lessons.

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Knowing how to use technology is a powerful act of knowledge –  a statement on teaching with technology

As a teacher, I am convinced that the usage of technology has to be dealt with in educational institutions and in the classroom because technology has a profound impact in every aspect of our lives and we need to learn how to make the most of it. There is no way to avoid it.

The rise of the internet has severely altered the distribution of information and the access towards it. E.g. when we see how social media has played a significant role in political uprisings, if it’s the Arab spring or the rise of right-wing extremists in Western countries through social media, we have to acknowledge that the understanding of how to use the variety of digital tools is a powerful act of knowledge in today’s world. When in past times getting access to information was the challenge, today’s biggest challenge is to learn to filter and differentiate all the information that we are constantly encountering on the internet.

Therefore, educational institutions have to integrate technology in their curricula. Students need to understand the different versions of information platforms on the internet. If it is a blog post or a news article or a podcast, they need to understand the differences of sources, their quality of research behind it and how they are produced. This is something that many cannot differentiate which is very dangerous when we observe the alarming rise of right-wing supporters in Western countries in recent years.

I am still not sufficiently acquainted with the variety of digital tools and this is an obstacle that I need to overcome because the changes in the technological world are quite fast but I will definitely integrate digital tools in English as well as in my other subject history. So I absolutely agree in the framework of 21st century learning that educational institutions are responsible to prepare students for the complexity of today’s globalized world. However, not only for their work and future career options, but first and foremost for understanding the political and economic power relations that manifest social, racial and gender inequalities as well as the destruction of our environment which are the greatest threats to our societies.

Today more than ever, the usage of technology can be used for the better or the worst. But it is our obligation as educators to teach the younger generation how to take advantage of it for everybody’s benefit.

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The historical development of CALL – a different approach to language learning

Usually when we think of language learning we associate it with books or vocabulary cards. But since the 1960s there has been the development of computer-assisted language learning (CALL).

In its historical development there are three distinctive phases:

1960s – Behavioristic CALL At this stage, behavioristic theories of learning were dominating the approach for language learning. Apart from that, computer technology was rather limited.

1980s – Communicative CALL The focus shifts from analyzing language to its usage. CALL software was developed and the first PCs are available that enabled students to use it more frequently.

1990s – Integrative CALL From the 1990s on the development of technology has significantly expanded as well as working on a more learner-centered approach.

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A New Era – 21st Century Learning

What makes learning in the 21st century so distinctive? The rise of technology has not only fundamentally changed the way we interact. First and foremost the distribution of information and the access to it has affected almost every aspect of society, which is why students need adequate preparation in how to deal with the complexity of today’s globalized world.

So the question arises what are the most essential skills students need to have? The so called 4 Cs have been outlined as an approach to illustrate these key competences: Communication, Collaboration, Creativity and Critical Thinking.

Communication: To learn to express ideas and opinions in a coherent and articulated manner is significant in everyday’s life but especially when using digital tools that demand an understanding of the different forms of rhetoric in media.

Collaboration: The ability to work and interact with other people is crucial, not only for the work environment but also for your own personal life. It requires the willingness to compromise, to be flexible and to take responsibility in order to achieve a goal effectively.

Creativity: Creative thinking is probably the most important ability because it is the only way to produce new and diverse thoughts. Progress to a better world is only with the ability of creating and adapting new solutions possible.

Critical Thinking: The competence of analyzing and reflecting on our thoughts and actions is what makes creative thinking effective. The ability to realize different perspectives and the correlation of more complex issues as well as questioning existing thought patterns is essential for understanding the globalized world we live in.

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Hello there, welcome to my blog!

This is my first blog and I will keep you updated to the most relevant topics of how technology can be used in the classroom and what an impact it has on teaching and the learning process. I will take a look at in what ways we can benefit from the usage of technology in educational settings but also in everyday life. Another focus is how technology can be integrated in learning a foreign language. There is a great variety of media tools in the field of second language acquisition which I will explore in this blog as well. My name is Nurulain and I am studying school education, right now as an exchange student at the ELT department of Marmara University. This area is also for me rather new, so I am more than excited to share with you my insights and my own development of how to use technology for educational purposes. I hope there is something interesting and helpful for you as well.