Thursday, January 24, 2008

Tentative Syllabus: Week 5

Managing Computer Mediated Writing in the EFL Classroom:

From E-mail, Groups and Text Chat to Blogs, Wikis and Messaging

Syllabus for Tips & Tricks Session, Week 5

Was: The Email-based Online Classroom

Evolving into: The Asynchronous Online Classroom: from E-mail [to Groups to Blogging] to Wiki ... and points beyond

Facilitators: Vanessa Vaile, Beyza Yilmaz

Contributors: Moroccan Teacher (and we hope more to come)

Tools:

  • Email and associated features/tools
  • Blogging apps: Blogger; Typepad; Wordpress, Edblog
  • Wiki
  • Yahoo Groups (and others)
  • PPT
  • File sharing
  • Interactive (games, quizzes)
  • Online surveys/ polls

Materials:

  • Tips & Tricks blog (Vanessa)
    • Open for comments posted in response to original posts
    • Tips group and others invited to join as guest contributors
  • Wiki (Beyza)
    • [for Beyza to fill in and elaborate on features and participation]
  • PPT on Wikis in the ELL class (Beyza)
  • Tools and features in existing T & T group
  • Links to online tutorials and other resources – posted on both blog and wiki

Objective: to explore and compare tools and applications for the asynchronous online class and asynchronous tech component of blended or hybrid

Brief description:

1) Describe and give examples of using email and other text based tech apps in the online and blended classroom.

2) Hands on participation using these tools and apps

3) Resource sharing and discussion


Methodology:
  • Telling: descriptive narratives of asynchronous class management strategies
  • Showing: presentations on blogs and wiki will run a blog and a wiki, both created just for this session.
  • Doing: hands on participation by teachers, ESL students, session visitors and participants
  • Reflecting: comments; impressions; discussion


Note: "lectures," materials, PPTs, links to recommended readings, assignments, activities, etc. will be posted on blog, wiki and/or tipstricks2008 yahoo group

Day 1: Introduction.

  • Characteristics of the Synchronous (Beyza) and Asynchronous (Vanessa) Classes
  • In the Beginning There Was Email.
  • Why write when you can talk?
    • Blended classroom
    • Online classroom
  • Text based tools for online and blended classrooms – a brief overview
  • Learning situations and the learners who use them. Who and what we teach when shapes how we teach and what tools we use.


Day 2: Course Management:

  • Role of the internet in managing blended or hybrid classes
  • Email based asynchronous classroom.
    • Rolling vs fixed admissions.
    • Open ended, ongoing classes vs classes with fixed start/end dates.
  • Self-paced CBI
    • Online
    • Computer Labs
  • Student attrition and retention.


Day 3: Applications, tools and resources for computer mediated writing.

  • Surveys [create and post link to online survey]
  • Comparison and evaluation: which applications fit which learning situations, learning styles, course materials/goals, and which complement one another, e.g. using email groups, blogs and wikis does not make email obsolete.
  • Synchronous elements in asynchronous learning

Day 4: Email and Groups

  • Associated tools and features

Day 5: Blogging and blog features (Vanessa)

Day 6: Wikis and other social networking tools (Beyza)

Day 7: Wrap Up Discussion.

  • Recapping: TWTWTW
  • What next? The future of asynchronous text based instruction in a world of virtual synchronicity.
  • Lead into Week 6

Sunday, January 20, 2008

The right place for me !

Hi ,
Thanks for the invitation. I'll be glad to share my modest experience with you. I've been working on the use of e-mail to contribute to the improvement of writing in my EFL classes for some time now. As no technical support is provided in my school, the students and I have to use our home computers . There's a good website - EPALS - which enables teachers with monitored accounts for their classes. My first online colleague and I have been using its services for a while. Recently, a colleague from the US suggested that we share a blog together and she is setting up.

I shall be looking forward to learning more trips and tricks from you.Writing is the skill that presents the most challenges for a language teacher.
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