English Language Learning & ICT

Dr. Sarah Schrire

English Coordinators’ Forum Mofet Institute 7 February 2010

Models of ICT

Traditional computer-assisted language learning (CALL) software

Electronically mediated texts on the Internet, e.g. Webquests and Thinkquests

Computer-mediated communication (CMC) and “almost unmediated” communication

Models of Teaching / Learning

Behaviorist / Instructivist

Problem-based / Constructivist

Personal-learning / Connectivist

Models of ICT

Traditional computer-assisted language learning (CALL) software

Electronically mediated texts on the Internet, e.g. Webquests and Thinkquests

Computer-mediated communication (CMC) and “almost unmediated” communication

CALL on Video and CD…

Cozy English Courses Wida’s Authoring Suite CALL@Hull CALL software reviews

TESL CALL and Activities Linguistic Funland English to Go Verbocity To Learn English Using English Learn English Kids &

Teaching English British Council

Top ESL Sites – english4u Kathy Schrock Portal MERLOT

and Internet…

CALL Evaluation Rubric

The CALL approach

Aimed at improving on “paper-based” instruction – Instant correction and feedback – User-tailored help

Attempts to activate strategies used by good learners / readers

– Recognition of discrete word and sentence structures – Cloze for prediction of discourse markers – Timed or paced reading – Skimming and scanning for purposeful reading – Concordancing – inductive understanding of vocabulary

Reflects an instructivist approach to learning

Soooo....?

Webquests

“an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from

resources on the Internet” (Dodge, 1997)

Favorites

Learn All About It – A webquest for EFL / ESL teachers

A Tale to be Told – Folktales and reading brought to life

Awesome Comics – The medium becomes the message

Never Again! – Again? – On theme of genocide

Do Your Part – On theme of saving the earth

Characterizing Webquests

Based on accessing information from authentic texts on the Internet and other sources

Reflect an inquiry-oriented approach to reading and learning around specific topical content

– defining problem

– setting task and specifying expected product

– specifying process and resources

– explicating evaluation

Fit a constructivist approach to learning

WebQuest Portals

Original Newcomer

Best Local

Original: Tried and True

The Official WebQuest Site – The original by Bernie Dodge – Search by matrix – Questgarden template

Selection: Quality Assurance

Best WebQuests – Selection by Tom March – Search by rubric

Newcomer: Fresh but Green

Zunal – Finding its feet – Updated – Generally shorter tasks – Meeting criteria?

Local: Worth a Look!

Nellie’s English Projects – An organized listing by Nellie Deutsch – Rubrics for searching – Background pedagogical information – Includes own developments

Variation on a Theme –ThinkQuests

“an international competition where student teams engage in collaborative,

project-based learning to create educational websites”

(from the ThinkQuest website)

Issues in “questing”

Internet for English versus English for Internet – Navigating through chaos: can we tame the Internet? – Internet sites as a text type to both learn and learn

through (free versus controlled hypertext) Teacher control over learning situation

– Instructivism versus “hole in the wall” learning Web 1.0 or Web 2.0?

– Forum in Classroom 2.0 – Revisitng WebQuests in a Web 2.0 World

Soooo....?

Communicating…

Traditional CMC in EFL

Asynchronous forums Email Keypal or epal projects Synchronous chats

Student-teacher Student-student Students-students

•Motivates reading and writing about topics of interest

•Encourages use of expressions others have formulated

and Connecting…

3 Cs: Communication, Connection, Content

Email & Epals

Forums Blogs

Wikis & Collaborative

Docs Chats & Skype

Virtual 3D Worlds

Social Bookmarking

C ‘n C: Google Wave

Social Networks

3 C Samplings

Did You Know?

3 C Samplings

• Teacher-moderated forums • Student-moderated forums • Google Docs • Second Life • Delicious • Wikis • You Tube • Epals • Skype • Google Wave • Moodle

Soooo....?

Models of Teaching / Learning

Behaviorist / Instructivist

Problem-based / Constructivist

Personal-learning / Connectivist

A moment before… I thank you for your attention