ESL Podcast

Podcasting makes language learning more convenient since the learning process is no longer been constrained by the time or places. With podcasting, we can learn at any time anywhere.

The episode, ESL Podcast 736-Following One's Dream, I chose is from ESL POD. This episode lasts for about 16 minutes with a slow speed. It includes a short dialogue as well as the interpretation of the dialogue. After the dialogue, the host will explain all the new phrases and vocabulary in the dialogue in details so that the listener can comprehend the content better. This episode can be used in ESL elementary listening classroom. As teachers, we can apply this material both inside and outside the classroom. If we use it inside the classroom, the teacher can first teach students some new phrases or expression that is going to be played in the episode, and then play it. After listening it, the teacher can ask students to repeat the dialogue or ask students to create a similar dialogue with their classmates. Since there is a detailed interpretation of the dialogue, teachers can also ask students to listen it at home. And then students are required to make sentences with some new phrases or vocabulary. Besides, students can be also asked to read after the dialogue so that their pronunciation can be improved through repetition. 

Applying podcasting in a language classroom is an effective way to improve language learners' learning efficiency. As an ESL teacher, it's important for us to know how to make the best use of those internet resources and try our best to help student acquire the language better.

A fantastic online learning community---ePals

      

       The program ePals provides teachers, students, and parents worldwide with a safe and secure platform for building educational communities. Both teachers and students can enhance their teaching and learning effectiveness by sharing projects and best practices with other professors and learners around the world. I think the most obvious feature of this program is it creates a global collaboration-learning environment for participants. As its website describes, ePals connects teachers as well as students with people not only they have already known, but also with the people they may not know around the world. People may get connected because of a common interest, or a common need. Also, this program involves authentic communication and learning activity.

      In my future classroom where students are Chinese and learn English as a foreign language,  I will encourage students to make the best use of the program. For example, ask students to establish learning collaboration with students from the US. They can send email with American students through the product of ePals SchoolMail, and also discuss with them in the LearningSpace. By communicating with target language people, students are exposed to English frequently. As a result, their four skills (reading, speaking, listening and writing) will be improved dramatically.

How to use digital story to teach

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Applying a digital story in our teaching class can motivate students' learning interest.I can use it as an introduction of my lesson. For example, if I want to talk about the topic of how to beat exam stress,I can show the video first, and then introduce today's topic. This tool make students' learning process more visualized. Besides, I can also ask students to make their own digital stories. As last post has mentioned, creating a digital story contributes to cultivation of critical thinking of students as well as an increase communication with their classmates. Thus, this tool can activate classroom learning atmosphere to a large extent.

A Digital story: Healthy Foon and Junk Food

Made by 12, 9, 105, 108 & 104

The story that I would my students to create is based on their own interests. For example, if some of my students like doing sports, they can create a story about different kinds of sports; if some of my students are fond of travelling, they can make a digital story about his/her trip. I prefer the story they choose is related to their daily lives. There are three objectives for the lesson: firstly, to offer students the opportunities to express themselves; secondly, to provide students with the chance to reflect on their interests and lives; thirdly, to let students know more about each other by sharing their own stories.

Digital Storytelling

     Digital Storytelling is one of the computer-based tools that can be integrated into classroom. According to the article 7 Things You Should Know About Digital Storytelling, the author defines it as "the practice of combining narrative with digital content, including images, sound, and video, to create a short movie, typically with a strong emotional component". Anyone can use it to record their lives and share with others. For students who want to create a digital story might need a recording device and microphone, hardware and software to manipulate images and video, or tools to take pictures and video. As for topics, students can choose the topic related to the subject he/she is learning or any he/she is interested in. Just as the article Education Uses of Digital Storytelling describes, "The topics that are used in Digital Storytelling range from personal tales to the recounting of historical events, from exploring life in one's own community to the search for life in other corners of the universe, and literally, everything in between". The purpose of making a digital story is to teach values and beliefs to others. When student is creating a digital story, not only can he/she express his/her emotions but also he/she go through a critical thinking process. 

      As a language teacher, I will ask my students to make their own digital story and each week ask one students to share his/her story with the whole class. Students' speaking skill as well as writing skill can be improved since the story needs to be organized well. More importantly, students learn how to assemble their collections in a way that can achieve a desired effect. I cannot agree more with the view presented in the article of 7 Things You Should Know About Digital Storytelling which is "digital stories give students an opportunity to experiment with self-representation—telling a story that highlights specific characteristics or events—a key part of establishing their identity, a process that for many is an important aspect of the college years". In my opinion, this is what a college student should acquire through college studies.

Using Twitter to connect the world

      In this day and age, there are a host of technological tools applied in education area. These Internet tools undoubtly enhance teaching and learning efficiency. Twitter is one of these tools that plays an increasing significant role in education. First, Twitter has numerous functions that can be used in our teaching process. From the article 28 Creative Ways Teachers Are Using Twitters, we find that Twitter functions in a multitude of ways, including asking questions, following world events,taking notes and so on. With so many fantastic features, there is no doubt that Twitter will exert beneficial influence upon our teaching. 


From another article Twitter-Expanding our Classroom-Shrinking the World, we also can find the specific illustation of how does Twitter help in teaching process. In the article, the author shared his experience of getting benefits from Twitter. For example, Twitter helps his students have collaboration with students from another states. What's more, Twitter brings the world to his classroom, in which his students can follow the world events and discuss them with their classmates. Just as he has mentioned in the article, " Twitter provides opportunities for connection, communication and collaboration to help make the students’ learning experiences better. Twitter has made me a better teacher. Twitter has expanded our classroom and shrunk the world in exciting ways for my students." Technology is changing the world, so is the Twitter changing our lives.

A great group: Learning with computers

I found the group which is Learning with computers from yahoo very useful. All the language teachers can get together to learn how to start integrating computers into teaching. We can learn from each other by asking and answering questions. Users can ask any questions related to technological education area, and can get abundant resources shared by others. Through the discussion, we can build network with others.I like asking questions and getting opinions from different people. I think this group will be very helpful to my future teaching.