We start this unit by talking about the benefits of using technology in classrooms. There is an infinite number of language apps that teachers and students can use as part of their teaching or learning resources.
Brown and Lee (Chap. 12, pp. 237-256), talk about how technology has immersed in the area of education over the years, acknowledging that the use of technology for "language learning began in the 1060s" and which is referred as CALL (Computer-Assisted Language Learning).
The development of CALL can be seen in three stages: behavioristic CALL, communicative CALL, and integrative CALL (Warschauer and Healey, 2009). To touch a little bit on how these stages of CALL were used, we can see that in the 1970s, behavioristic CALL was only used in universities and utilized as "a mechanical tutor" for language learning. Communicative CALL continued to be used in the 1980s "for skill practice but with more emphasis on communicative use of language, employing non-drill activities." And the last stage, integrative CALL, "began in the 1990s with the development of the World Wide Web," known as the internet.
After many years of using computers as part of learning in the classrooms, the development of MALL (Mobile-Assisted Language Learning) came to increase the support not only language learning, but educational learning in general. The use of mobile phones has given the users more flexibility, accessibility, and portability over the use of computers as it is described by Wang and Smith (2013).
So, to put some of our technical skills into practice and as part of our learning in this unit, we looked into infographics which are the use of visual images to represent information or data. I created an infographic representing my role as an L2 learner when I first began to learn English with some modifications reflecting the present and the use of technology. We also had looked into the various ways of screencasts which are useful tools for teaching and keeping learning interesting in the classroom.
For me, using technology has some level of difficulty and frustration. I do not always have the best experience with it. I find myself spending a long time trying to figure out how to function an online tool or a program on the computer. It's frustrating at times; with that said, I realize that I have to embrace it and make the best out of it. After working for so many years in the school system, I know how these tools are used in the classroom and how they can enhance learning. The use of technology not only makes things easier for the teacher, but it keeps the learner engaged and active in his/her learning. The possibilities and choices are endless. So, here is to a fun and smart way to use technology in a classroom!
You can see my infographic under the Assignment Tab - TESL 100
No comments:
Post a Comment