PGC project.
Question 1.
How and why
digital technologies can be used to support teaching and promote learning.
Plan:
A) Why digital technology is used.
B ) How does it work in practice.
To begin
with, digital technologies have become an essential part of teaching and
learning. There are various platforms available nowadays to conduct effective
lessons, namely Microsoft Teams, Zoom and even telegram. I have been using
Teams platform for already two years, and I strongly agree that it gives a
great support during teaching process.
A) With
respect to Microsoft Teams, based on my personal experience, I can say that
this is a very useful platform for students and teachers. Microsoft teams
allows us to create groups for our students where they are received tasks
regularly. Task can be uploaded both in general chat and the section called
files. Thus our students can easily keep track of the assignments to be done.
Particularly section FILES where we can upload documents comes in handy since
various e-books, video links and audio files can be saved there. Most of the
times young learners tend to lose the hard copy of handouts whereas e-version
is always at their hand. The volume of information given during one lesson
might be difficult to memorize at once, this is why the copies are saved in the
Teams groups.
B) When it comes to practical part of the Microsoft
teams platform, I personally find it very effective. One of the useful features
of the platform is ( SHARE THE SCREEN ) mode, which gives the teachers
opportunity to illustrate necessary pages or any visuals while online (
distance) teaching. It is very important for students to be able to see the
exact part of the material since not all learners are great at following only
verbal instructions. Another feature of the platform is called ( BREAK OUT
ROOMS ) where students can be put either to do a pair work or in a mini groups.
After being divided into virtual rooms, students can practice speaking skills,
role plays or organize interviews. Firstly, break out rooms extend STT (
student talking time ) whereas, having a lesson in a larger groups they normally
have less time for verbal tasks. Secondly, when virtual rooms are on, the
teacher is able to jump into any room and monitor the working process. Lastly,
when the learner are mature enough, let us say 15 years and above, break out
rooms make them become independent type of learners by coping with the task
mostly on their own. More information about using break out rooms can be found
via the link:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/create-and-manage-breakout-rooms-during-class-meetings-18b340cd-1106-4fa5-a852-5676614f7e7d
Question 2
Critically reflect on the role of various forms of
electronic and digital technology can play in the teaching and learning process
and how to engage these processes in classroom.
Plan:
A) How digital
technology changes the process in the classroom that includes design, planning
for teaching, learning and assessment.(supported with reference and authors.) (includes official website of course book English file. Online exercises for
revision and self study. Using laptops, tablets and phones. )
B)
Electronic and digital technology
for assessment.
A) Nowadays, teaching and learning process is closely
connected to electronic and digital technology. Most of the private schools
provide their students with laptops and tablets to deliver a quality education.
Based on my personal practice, I would like to highlight the fact that
utilizing the devices mentioned above, improves the comprehension of the
students and makes the learning process more exciting.
One of the examples can be using laptops during the
lesson for revision purposes. The students need the computer in order to
complete online tasks in a course book called “English File” published in 2019
which offers a vide range of exercises on the official website. Link is
attached:
https://englishfile4e.oxfordonlinepractice.com/app/
The online platform consists of ( Grammar, Vocabulary,
Pronunciation, Writing, Speaking and Reading sections. ) Students can sign in
the online platform using their password attached to their hard copy of the
course book. The platform includes a lot of visuals and audio tracks. It is
quite colorful and well organized. Moreover, every completed task is checked
automatically, therefore this kind of activity is applicable in large groups.
The whole idea of the website it that the students could easily drill
the tasks which they were explained by teacher already. The hard copy of the
course book comes in two parts, Students’ book and workbook. Work book is used to
revise the units from Students book. However, completing the tasks only in hard
version is never enough. This is why, the online platform is a very effective
addition to review the units.
Moreover, there is one online platform, called
“baamboozle”. Here is the link:
https://www.baamboozle.com/
I used to include this interactive online game in
order to drill some of the grammar rules and irregular verbs. Implementing this
game made my students more excited, since it required my students to divide
into two teams and compete between each other. They really loved it and were
ready to play it the whole lesson. Moreover, it offers a free classic option
which is more than enough to utilize it while we share our screen. Once we
sign in, there is a space for searching needed topic.
Here are some screenshots of it.
B ) With respect to assessment students’ progress, I personally
utilize online platform which contains tasks for every unit of the course book
called ( English File 4th edition ).
The link for the platform: https://englishfile4e.oxfordonlinepractice.com/app/
As I mentioned in
answer ( A ) every student has an access to the platform using their unique
code provided in ( Student’s book ). The convenience of the platform is that
the marks are calculated automatically. I encourage my students to have their
headphones or air pods at hand so that they could complete audio tasks right in
the classroom. Thus, with the headphones on, no one is distracted while
listening to audio exercises in the premise.
It is very important
to mention that, none of the hard copies of the books can give the students
opportunity to drill the audio materials in a way it can be done on the online
practice platform. Firstly, the students having their laptops or tablets are
able to listen to the pronunciation of the words seeing the transcript options.
Secondly, they learn how to highlight the
stress of some complicated words particularly from their covered units.
Thirdly, while doing listening comprehension exercise,
learners may easily open audio scripts of the conversation. Thus, seeing the
words the students improve their listening skills, since in these kind of
tasks, speakers use a lot of contractions which is not common for ( elementary
) or ( pre-intermediate ) level learners.
Lastly, the students
have chance to record their voice in certain exercises and comate their answers
with correct pronunciation. Very useful exercise for improving speaking
skills.
Another useful way
of monitoring students progress is by recording their results in specially
designed Power Point table. The table is designed in a way that it indicates
strong and weak points of the students. It consists of 6 criteria, which is (
listening, speaking, reading, writing, grammar and vocabulary). If the students
gets less than 70 percent in any of the criteria, the color in that very
column gradually turns into yellow or even red color is the points are very
low. If the result is more than 70 percent than the results are green or dark
green. Since I and one colleague of mine sometimes teach the same group in my
school, we keep the data tracking table available in ONE DRIVE designed by
Microsoft. It is very convenient, because the results can be seen for any
teacher who has got access to that file as well as the data can be edited via any
laptop.
The next tool which
used for assessment is called Kahoot.
Kahoot is an online
game where users can create their own exercises or utilize already existing
ones.
How does it work?
Kahoot is normally
used in large groups since it provides the mode of competition. Learners can
get access via their smartphones, laptops or tablets. A teachers needs only
internet, laptop and projector.
https://create.kahoot.it/details/78ae40dc-32c0-4831-bf87-2d21a778c817
Initially the teacher
has to log in and chose a kahoot game in a section called “discovery”.
Then the teachers
starts game using “classic mode” so that the students are able to join the virtual
room via their gadgets and play in a form of competition. Once it is done,
there GAME PIN has to be filled in by participants. They have to type their nick names in.
After that, the
learners will see a question and various multiple choice question on the
projector. Whoever is the fastest to choose the right answer using his gadget,
gets the highest points.
Question 3.
Debate the relative advantages and
disadvantages of different technologies in delivering/facilitating major
teaching/learning activities in relation to issues such as student diversity,
equality and learning preference.
Plan:
A) Younger group of students aged 14.
Advantages and disadvantages. ( via Microsoft Teams platform )
B) Advantages and
Disadvantages of different technologies in relation to learning preference and
older students aged 15 and above.
A) When it comes to online teaching involved young
learners and teenagers, there are a lot of advantages can be seen.
One of the main advantages of conducting online lessons using M. Teams platform is ( share screen
feature ). Children and teenagers find it more exciting to be present in online
lesson and being shown some visuals or tasks right on their screen. Thus,
learning becomes easier and effective. I normally share my screen through out
the whole lesson but my camera is on only the first 5 minutes.
Another advantage of
Teams is the feature for recording the lessons. Some of the students who have
short attention spam find reviewing the lessons very useful. The recorded
lessons can be watched at any time. Also, when some of the students are on sick
leave, they have opportunity to catch up with others. Next advantage of Teams
Platform is that it is convenient for students who live in remote areas from
the school.
One of the disadvantages
of using digital technology is that young students aged 14 and younger need
extra help, for example they might be on the wrong page, not able to find the
right file or simply cannot be focused enough to understand teacher’s instruction
from the first attempt. Another disadvantage of the Teams platform is that
parents have to be involved in the lesson and assist their children if the
learners are aged 8 and younger. For instance, the students might not be able
to login the Teams platform, not being able to turn on the camera and microphone
and e.tc. Moreover, young learners aged about 5 and 6 do not really take online
lessons seriously, they are easily distracted during the lessons considering
the fact that they are already distracted when face to face lesson is going
on, so online lesson is more difficult to be managed.
The next disadvantage
is connected to low speed of the internet. Unfortunately, in my personal
teaching experience, not all the parents or grown up students understand that
it is one of the most critical requirements for having a quality online lesson,
meaning that the reliable internet provider has to be chosen. Otherwise, the
picture during the lesson freezes, voice cannot be heard and in a result, it is
going to be frustrating both for a teacher and a student to study with low
speed. Based on my experience, if myself find UZONLINE internet provider as one
of the most reliable ones, plus the packages they offer come with adequate
price. I personally use 30 Mb/s UNLIMITED monthly package and I must say that I
am satisfied with the quality of lessons.
B) One of the advantages of teaching young
students online aged 15 and above, which has to do with students needs, is
that, they have chance to study even in the late evening time. Let
us say form 20:00 till 21:30. Most of the times female students are afraid of
attending late classes either because they are not allowed by parents or
because of the far distance. Another
advantages related to student’s preferences is that some of the Degrees
offered by international universities such as ( TEFL course ) in Webster
university in Tashkent has option called HYBRID LEARNING. What is Hybrid
Learning, it is an opportunity to study either offline or online even if the
students has to move to a different country. This is a very convenient option
for those who is already outside of the country and still wants to get his
degree in Tashkent at affordable price. Moreover, the hybrid learning option
allows to experience the lesson in a REAL TIME which gives us opportunity to
ask questions at any moment.
The first disadvantage of online
teaching which my students find is that no matter what age they are, the
students have more screen time. Most of the lesson time students have to follow
the teacher’s instructions and pay attention to various PPT shown on the
screen. The next disadvantage of online education can be a sense of
isolation. Unfortunately, activities related to team work and collaboration do
not appear to be the same as it looks in offline lesson. Definitely there are
some alternatives in ZOOM or TEAMS platform called ( BREAK OUT ROOMS ) but the
teacher looses a lot of time jumping between them during online session. (
Sam Thompson, The director of IT company called “KALTURA”. December 28. 2021.
) Students loose
the opportunity to meet each other during their lunch breaks as they are used
to do in school. During those lunch
breaks, I noticed how happy students are while talking to each other and
sharing ideas about lessons. The break time is a sort of stress release for
majority of the learners, since they support each other morally. Face to face
interaction between students gives a feeling of a real educational environment.
Question 4.
Critically reflect on
the desirability, practicalities and issues associated with changing delivery
from mainly face to face to a much more flexible technology assisted mode.
When it comes to practicalities, I
prefer checking writings in a word document rather than asking the students to
write in a sheet of paper. Why word document? Since editing essays allow me to
use various tools and colors, my students are able to see their weak points in
their writings. I prefer to improve essays, instead of just crossing out
mistakes without offering a better word choice or grammar.
Here are some of the corrections which I
have done for my students.
Whenever the students write essays in a their note
books, I understand that it is not possible to fit all the necessary feedback I
need include in their writings. Moreover, my handwriting might not be illegible
for some learners.
One more practical moment in utilizing technology is
CHAT. At the time I conducted online lessons via TEAMS platform, I tried to
have more interactive lessons. Using chat is very effective, especially when
teacher knows how to do it. One of the activites I did in chat with my students
is to drill irregular verbs, my students really enjoyed typing 2nd and 3rd
forms right in the chat. They
had a sense of competition at that time.
In the screen shot below, my students practiced the
structure ( there is / there are ).
The next advantage I see in teaching online via Teams
is that, most of the learners are not destructed by their groupmates who
usually sit next to them and chat. In order to have more organized lesson from
the very beginning I used to arrange online lesson choosing particular date and
time. Once it is done, we are able to change the setting of the virtual class
and put restrictions beforehand, so that only the teacher is able to mute the
microphones. On top of that, students in offline lessons might come a cross
with bullying from their groupmates. Whereas in online lessons, every student
is in his own comfort zone.
“While
electronic devices are required for online learning, they easily steal
attention for long periods of time. Most students will hold their phones or
leave them on their desks while studying.” By Sandy Botros.
https://writingctr.rutgers.edu/blog/164-online-learning-distractions-at-home
As soon as I started teaching online
during Pandemic Covid-19, some of the students became less active during my
lessons. One of the reasons is that young learners are easily distracted by
their devices such as phones and tablets. They might play their favorite games
on the phone while having online lesson on their laptop. Whereas, face to face
teaching gives me more opportunity to monitor students in a classroom.
“Indeed, where and how we
study can be a source of distraction as well. Some students wear comfortable
pajamas while laying on their beds with laptops to watch class lectures. This
can be a problem for concentration because humans mentally associate the bed
with resting.”
By Sandy Botros.
https://writingctr.rutgers.edu/blog/164-online-learning-distractions-at-home
When our school starts online period of
education, our students from secondary have to wear a uniform close to a smart
casual one. However, some of them tend to put on their pajamas and even lie in
the bed. Actually, one of our school rules claim that the students are obliged
to sit at their desks.
The next drawback of online learning is
that the students may oversleep, knowing that they do not have to go to school,
they tend to ignore an alarm clock and keep sleeping unless their parents make
them wake up. On top of that, I experienced the students who managed to skip
their breakfast and join the lessons right from the time they wake up. At the
beginning of every lesson, students are supposed to turn their cameras on just
for taking attendance purposes and then they were allowed to turn of the cams.
Reference:
1."Create and manage breakout rooms during class
meetings"
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/create-and-manage-breakout-rooms-during-class-meetings-18b340cd-1106-4fa5-a852-5676614f7e7d
2.Behnke,Gilliland,Schneider and Singer in 2005,
https://theaverageguy.tv/2020/04/07/10-benefits-and-uses-of-electronic-gadgets-in-learning/#:~:text=Improves%20overall%20student%20performance.&text=Not%20only%20that%2C%20gadgets%20also,conducted%20in%20classrooms%20more%20flexible.
3. Sam Thompson, The director of IT company called
"KALTURA". December 28.2021.
https://corp.kaltura.com/blog/advantages-disadvantages-online-classes/
4. Sandy Botros, https://writingctr.rutgers.edu/blog/164-online-learning-distractions-at-home
