tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12985588336845058392024-02-19T08:48:23.119-08:00Jhon Quiñones - My ICT ELT personal experienceJhon Quiñones - EFL specialisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884975349045454709noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298558833684505839.post-41330973889140744372010-02-04T16:30:00.000-08:002010-02-18T03:14:24.906-08:00Jhon Quiñones´ ICTinELT final project<span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Title of the project</strong></span><br />Integrating blogs and other web tools to English teaching-learning process.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Introduction </strong></span><br />The purpose of this project is to make a proposal for the ICT in ELT course to be developed with my students of English IV who study to become English teachers at Universidad Nacional Experimental Simón Rodríguez, in Palo Verde industrial area, Caracas, Venezuela.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Aim</strong></span><br />By the end of the course students will develop their English communicative competence appealing to blogging and other web tools.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Objectives</strong></span><br />Students will...<br />1. learn how to use blogs and other web tools to develop their English communicative competence.<br />2. be able to integrate blogs and other web tools in their English learning process.<br />3. do complementary activities outside the classroom applying blogs and other web tools.<br /><div align="justify">4. learn how to work with their classmates in a cooperative way.</div><div align="justify">5. promote the benefits of blogs and other web tools in English learning.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Theoretical framework</strong></span></div><div align="justify">A blog is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentaries, descriptions of events, or other materials such as graphics or videos.Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order.</div><div align="justify">In the language teaching field, Campbell (2003) distinguishes three types of blogs:</div><div align="justify">- the tutor blog</div><div align="justify">-the class blog</div><div align="justify">-the learner blog</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Participants</strong></span></div><div align="justify">The sample will be composed by sixteen (16) undergraduate students that study to become English teachers at Universidad Nacional Experimental Simón Rodríguez, in Palo Verde Industrial zone, Caracas, Venezuela.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Level</strong></span></div><div align="justify">English IV, (the 4th semester of a 5 year career)</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Grouping</strong></span></div><div align="justify">Students will work in pairs giving as result 8 groups of 2 students.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Lenght of activities</strong></span></div><div align="justify">6 weeks</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Activities.</strong></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Week No. 1</strong></span></div><div align="justify">An introductory class related to blogs and other useful web tools for English learning will be taught to the students.</div><div align="justify">-Students will be motivated by their English teacher to become creators ands participants of a class blog.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Week No. 2</strong></span></div><div align="justify">- Each group will create an account in blogger and write their welcome post indicating their personal data, expectations about the class blog among other important aspects.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Week No. 3</strong></span></div><div align="justify">- Each group will create an account on Snapvine tool and record an "about us" message in which they will introduce themselves giving personal information.</div><div align="justify">-Each group will post their voice messages on the class blog.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Week No.4</strong></span></div><div align="justify">- Different written texts included in the program of English IV will be assigned to each group in order to be read, summarized and posted in the class blog. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Week No.5</strong></span></div><div align="justify">-The summaries posted on the previous week will be recorded on Snapvine tool and then posted on the class blog.</div><div align="justify">-Students will be asked to include to their summaries images and videos associated to the topics of the texts.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Week No. 6</strong></span></div><div align="justify">- Each group of students and the teacher will organized a showroom about blogs and other web tools.</div><div align="justify">- Each group will have 10 minutes to speak about their experiences related to blogs and other web tools used in this project.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>References</strong></span></div><div align="justify"><a href="http://enblog.stevious.com/?p=1039">http://enblog.stevious.com/?p=1039</a></div><div align="justify"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog</a></div><div align="justify"><a href="http://en.escrapbooking.com/blogging/ti.htm">http://en.escrapbooking.com/blogging/ti.htm</a></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><span style="font-size:180%;"></span>Jhon Quiñones - EFL specialisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884975349045454709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298558833684505839.post-80019860099136160922010-02-04T16:17:00.001-08:002010-02-18T00:23:19.029-08:00Week No. 11: E- assessment<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5w9nGjmp_6v3apfxhRArGjh-dN_CcXLYyUH5fYiajw-lm0Gm47T0BpZ20yr2OCQXTYiDd8iIVp_AtDli8fuVnkI0hRUWULpc5Th1agIIa5tWjjAunJQK_bGZ9Tr3DRaNxarx4dA-yg0g/s1600-h/untitled+5.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435272838968251762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 125px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 119px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5w9nGjmp_6v3apfxhRArGjh-dN_CcXLYyUH5fYiajw-lm0Gm47T0BpZ20yr2OCQXTYiDd8iIVp_AtDli8fuVnkI0hRUWULpc5Th1agIIa5tWjjAunJQK_bGZ9Tr3DRaNxarx4dA-yg0g/s320/untitled+5.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><br /><div align="justify">On this week of our ICTs in ELT course, our facilitator, Professor Evelyn Izquierdo, taught us how to evaluate our students´online tasks. In addition, she stated the differences between assessment and evaluation defining each term.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">Assessment occurs when gathering of evidences of students´ performance is carried out over a period of time to measure their learning and understanding. The evidences of learning can be dialogues, journals, written works, portfolios, exams along with many other learning activities.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">On the other hand, evaluation takes place when a grade is stated after the conclusion of a task, exam, quiz, lesson or learning activity. A grade on a speech will determine if the student can command and transfer a specific content, command language and use appropriate audio-visual aids and this would be considered as an evaluation.<br /><br />E-assessment is becoming widely used. It has many advantages over traditional (paper-based) assessment. The advantages include:<br />- lower long-term costs<br />- instant feedback to students<br />- greater flexibility with respect to location and timing<br />- improved reliability (machine marking is much more reliable than human marking)<br />- greater storage efficiency - tens of thousands of answer scripts can be stored on a server compared to the physical space required for paper scripts<br />- enhanced question styles which incorporate interactivity and multimedia. </div><div align="justify"><br />There are also disadvantages. E-assessment systems are expensive to establish and not suitable for every type of assessment (such as extended response questions). The main expense is not technical; it is the cost of producing high quality assessment items - although this cost is identical when using paper-based assessment. <br /><br />References </div><div><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-assessment">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-assessment</a></div><div> </div><div><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/EvelynIzquierdo/e-assessment">http://www.slideshare.net/EvelynIzquierdo/e-assessment</a>.</div><div> </div>Jhon Quiñones - EFL specialisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884975349045454709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298558833684505839.post-22449784952841289302010-02-04T16:16:00.001-08:002010-02-18T00:51:10.726-08:00Week No.10: Web based lessons<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU8RVDdXZAUiIW2dvBO9mCHVNDk-1nwGzSe26-wFtD_ND71iy_tMMjlpIs3Gqo7H-4gm1KsLMXCZVMoqZR_LLpOtbZikzNSopRQzzgHGURfyw3JwPwMoFGf93upOKPuGKGkuE7it6plgQ/s1600-h/webl+based+lesson.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435271469162947842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 126px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 71px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU8RVDdXZAUiIW2dvBO9mCHVNDk-1nwGzSe26-wFtD_ND71iy_tMMjlpIs3Gqo7H-4gm1KsLMXCZVMoqZR_LLpOtbZikzNSopRQzzgHGURfyw3JwPwMoFGf93upOKPuGKGkuE7it6plgQ/s320/webl+based+lesson.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"></span><br />Our ICTs in ELT course is almost over, but in this fascinating experience we have learning diverse positive and interesting aspects related to information and communication technologies and all the alternatives to apply them in the educational area and more particularly in our English Language Teaching contexts. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">One of the most effective tool to be used and integrated into language classroom is the Web. On this tenth week of the course, our facilitator, Professor Evelyn Izquierdo, explained us about the Web- based lessons and thei usefulness for English teaching and learning.<span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><br />Paraphrasing Professor Izquierdo, a web- based lesson is a lesson that in certain way includes a website or a group of websites. A web-based lesson can be taught completely on line or can be a traditional classroom lesson complemented with an online element. It has different uses.It can be used for research, reading, writing, publishing, communication and cooperation with teachers and learners. </div><div align="justify"><br />Among the advantages of web-based lessons, we can mention the following:<br />- They are more interactive, dynamic and interesting.<br />- They develop creativity.<br />- They promote authentic activities, critical thinking, digital skills progress, cooperation.<br />- They offer opportunities for all types of learning.<br />- They are adaptable to any target language level and students´age.<br />- They improve teacher-student and student-student interaction and communication.<br />- They are interesting and attractive for learners since they include a variety of formats, images, videos and sounds.<br />- They are useful tools for teachers since they allow them to share their course works easily.<br />- They can be used for multicultural exchange purposes.<br /></div><div align="justify">If we want to integrate Web-based lessons into our English teaching classrooms, the first thing we should do is a Web-based lesson plan that includes the following items:<br />- Period of time (Date)<br />- Teacher<br />- Class level </div><div align="justify">- Lesson length<br />- Topic<br />- Learning objectives </div><div align="justify">- Materials</div><div align="justify">- Description of the learning activities<br />- Web site(s) used </div><div align="justify">- Description of follow up activities </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">I will put into practice the previous recommendation regarding Universidad Nacional Experimental Simón Rodriguez (UNESR) teaching context in order to illustrate how to do a Web-based lesson plan.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">- Period of time (Date): 1 class of 90 minutes</div><div align="justify">- Teacher: Jhon Quiñones</div><div align="justify">- Class level: 16 students of the fourth semester of English Teaching career.</div><div align="justify">- Lesson lenght: 90 minutes</div><div align="justify">- Topic: The current seven wonders of the world</div><div align="justify">- Aim: Students will identify the main aspects related to the topic analyzing an oral English text.</div><div align="justify">-Objectives:</div><div align="justify">1. to develop listening comprehension skills applying audio-video tools on the internet.</div><div align="justify">2. to associate visual aids with spoken English language.</div><div align="justify">3. to put into practice speaking skills</div><div align="justify">-Material resources: 16 computers with internet acces and headsets</div><div align="justify">-Description of the activities: students will be asked to access internet in order to watch a video about the current seven wonders of the world in English. They will associate the spoken production with the images of the video and then they will determine the main points concerning to the topic such as: ubication, creators, creation date, main characteristics, etc.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">- Website to be used: <a href="http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/">http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/</a></div><div align="justify">- Follow up activities: students will practice speaking by discussing their information and comments about the video watched in class.<br /><br />Some Web-based lesson samples<br />- <a href="http://blogbasedlessonssample.blogspot.com/">http://blogbasedlessonssample.blogspot.com/</a><br />- <a href="http://tech.worlded.org/docs/gailmohl.htm">http://tech.worlded.org/docs/gailmohl.htm</a><br />- <a href="http://www..alri.org/pubs/lessonplans.html">http://www..alri.org/pubs/lessonplans.html</a><br /><br />References<br />- <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/evelynizquierdo/webbased-lessons-and-eportfolios">http://www.slideshare.net/evelynizquierdo/webbased-lessons-and-eportfolios</a>.</div>- <a href="http://ww.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/webbased-lessons/">http://ww.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/webbased-lessons/</a>Jhon Quiñones - EFL specialisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884975349045454709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298558833684505839.post-29320346674908275142010-02-04T16:15:00.000-08:002010-02-18T00:33:31.887-08:00Week No. 9: Exploring Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs)<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4xb295T6VQrGcdCpvGWPGV4UnsL5KFfbKVXGP9cpe6SdA-y9EwMDLHdAL9fxWHMEF3BrHbu2DxYoozsyyH590nuQjyml-Cx0TtHtIyZRi8lXSngVA0pCC3DkvnZZt8l0rXNowTPq2hl4/s1600-h/virtual+learning+2.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435268399270747250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 130px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 115px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4xb295T6VQrGcdCpvGWPGV4UnsL5KFfbKVXGP9cpe6SdA-y9EwMDLHdAL9fxWHMEF3BrHbu2DxYoozsyyH590nuQjyml-Cx0TtHtIyZRi8lXSngVA0pCC3DkvnZZt8l0rXNowTPq2hl4/s320/virtual+learning+2.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div>On this week, our facilitator, Professor Evelyn Izquierdo, taught us different aspects related to Virtual Learning Environments (VLTs) and their importance for English Language Teaching (ELT).</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">A virtual learning environment (VLE) is a virtual environment (VE) that supports learning activities. Furthermore, it inherits general VE features like social space, social presence, awareness tools among others, and that can and should be exploited by pedagogic strategies<a title="Pedagogic strategy" href="http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/Pedagogic_strategy"> </a>and according instructional design models. <a class="image" title="image:virtual_environment_activity_community.gif" href="http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/File:Virtual_environment_activity_community.gif"></a><a id="Alternative_views" name="Alternative_views"></a></div><div align="justify"><br />A virtual learning environment is any sort of environment that supports teaching and/or learning with Computer-mediated communication, e.g. a LMS, a C3MS, a Website + Forum.</div><span style="font-size:180%;"><div align="justify"><br /></span>A virtual learning environment is characterized by being:<br />- a designed information space.<br />- a social space where educational interactions occur turning spaces into places.<br />- explicitly represented since the representation of this information/social space can vary from text to 3D immersive worlds.<br />- environments in which students are not only active, but also actors: they co-construct the virtual space.<br />- non-restricted to distance education since they also enrich classroom activities.<br />-virtual environment that integrate heterogeneous technologies and multiple pedagogical approaches. </div><div align="justify">-environments that overlap with physical environments. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><a id="VLEs_and_collaborative_learning" name="VLEs_and_collaborative_learning"></a></div><div align="justify">Virtual Learning Environment can offer the following benefits:<br />- they can provide obvious affordances for collaborative learning.<br />- members of a community tend to make better progress (peer intellectual & emotional help and mutual stimulation)<br />- some goals can't be reached alone (distributed cognition)<br />- a group can develop special language and practice adapted to specific problems<br />- They can promote knowledge through enculturation (collective memory)<br />- cognition is tied to experience (grounded)<br />- communities can extend beyond formal groups of learners<br /><br />References </div><div align="justify"><a href="http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/virtuallearningenvironment">http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/virtuallearningenvironment</a></div><div align="justify"><a href="http://www.utechwiki.unige.ch/en/Virtual_learning_environment">http://www.utechwiki.unige.ch/en/Virtual_learning_environment</a></div>Jhon Quiñones - EFL specialisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884975349045454709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298558833684505839.post-81627235597660243892010-02-04T13:29:00.000-08:002010-02-18T00:27:41.325-08:00Week no.8: Social net working - AVEALMEC and ARCALL Web conferences<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRC7dnqyeAR7rOilxquY3gpbwzWi9zY65gdngEBGFoO2analRCEXA5MFKSqC0duN8qb73U414hKLK8VQ91YzbxY66_tt39tjNNcZgzvYAWHeH_iQoxmaSnPM9f81I_dL-Px-_S0XATtag/s1600-h/images%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439436586594015330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 143px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 89px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRC7dnqyeAR7rOilxquY3gpbwzWi9zY65gdngEBGFoO2analRCEXA5MFKSqC0duN8qb73U414hKLK8VQ91YzbxY66_tt39tjNNcZgzvYAWHeH_iQoxmaSnPM9f81I_dL-Px-_S0XATtag/s320/images%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a> On this eighth week of our ICTs in ELT course, our facilitator, Professor Evelyn Izquierdo, introduced us into the topic of networking. One of the most important advantages of the Web 2.0 is that it allows to build up and spawn communication channels on the web that are called social networks. These networks offer people connections that permit them to share their likes or deep their knowledge on a specific area. In the educational contexts, social networks can be useful as tools for producing and sharing new knowledge and information and also for developing students´preferences in a specific theme. To put it in other words, networks can represent appropiate and effective resources for language teaching and more particularly for English teaching.<br /><br />AVEALMEC and ARCALL are two Latin - American associations that promote the use of ICTs in the language teaching field. These two associations have organized a first regional event to promote the importance of ICTs use in language classrooms. This event includes twelve video-conferences that deal with social networks, web tools and their positive points to organize Communities of Practice to communicate and share results of teaching - learning experiences in language classrooms.<br /><br />I could attend some of these AVEALMEC and ARCALL conferences. In my opinion, I think that they can be relevant and useful particularly for those teachers that are developing, using and integrating ICTs into their teaching contexts. Here, I present the summaries of three of those webconferences.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Web conference on Communities of practice: a social discipline of learning, by Etienne Wenger.</span><br />In this webconference, Wenger pointed out the need to consider the social aspects of learning. According to the presenter, this can be achieved by communities of practice and the attendant learning theory. These communities represent a model of learning that is extraordinarily adaptable to the new geographies of connectivity and identity emerging at these times. The presenter of this web conference referred to the communities of practice as a social discipline of learning and their usefulness to increase social learning potential in business, government, education and world progress.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Web conference on Edmodo and the wired classroom, by Nicky Hocky from The Consultants - E.<br /></span>This web conference took a look at how the social networking tool Edmodo can be applied to create a wired, paperless classroom in face-to-face teaching contexts. Hocky showed some cases how Edmodo was used in a recent face-to-face teacher training course to link participants in the classroom, and to dsitribute information, as well as to conduct short activities.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Web conference on Wiki Educator: A community of Educators, by Nellie Müller from the Deustch University of Phoenix.<br /></span>The presenter discussed Wiki Educator as a powerful collaborative community that connects and engages learners and teachers in the process of sharing contents. This web conference included a tour of Wiki Educator as a community of educators and learners with a passion for sharing and collaborating on ways to improve instruction and learning to make e-learning free and available worldwide. The presenter also elaborated on the method of workgroups and a council of elected and nominated members used to ensure a democratic and collaborative working environment in a wiki system. The presenter also highlighted the importance to understand how a collaborative editing environment could benefit the community and promote lifelong learning.<br /><br />References<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/socialnetworking">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/socialnetworking</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.avealmecandalcallwebconferences/">http://www.avealmecandalcallwebconferences/</a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0rxr0qtEcmvMR7xa19PjvDif1VVm3dYviip1_kpF6g2wuE1xtJTOC5nPRSPv39STqlipJymprCs72YOa34Tuu0xpmbGzF-ApydwtKbQg4pmJTsRl5hKJIbB3GpLvY5YwlJr1glMFeZeo/s1600-h/untitled.bmp"></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"></span>Jhon Quiñones - EFL specialisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884975349045454709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298558833684505839.post-75104679942503817802010-02-04T13:03:00.001-08:002010-02-18T00:52:05.717-08:00Week No. 7: Web 3.0: Virtual worlds - Tour to Second Life<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jdhMLGtQqkbVPrsZR8TuhHxRqiib3sAqTUMFkaWTXyX2qelM_cETRqTUMAXIRm27IzN-eT3LpvPBKfRT2hLlFKvgLbp4_WjChKD0g6Ah_0aBuYEdxabvIbNvtmaqW9PDBDC-pA8lwXQ/s1600-h/CAKTJHNLCAWPP3CLCA7IYVX6CA1JWLOVCAKEGPSPCAOBDNYWCA8ZH429CABMITMXCAR767IZCAQVZRXJCA166M4XCA1MS61RCAUKJ3JUCAWYGPOBCA4A4OMACA3Y6EATCAZD45OICA1Y7JPM.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434503528703332018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 137px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 103px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jdhMLGtQqkbVPrsZR8TuhHxRqiib3sAqTUMFkaWTXyX2qelM_cETRqTUMAXIRm27IzN-eT3LpvPBKfRT2hLlFKvgLbp4_WjChKD0g6Ah_0aBuYEdxabvIbNvtmaqW9PDBDC-pA8lwXQ/s320/CAKTJHNLCAWPP3CLCA7IYVX6CA1JWLOVCAKEGPSPCAOBDNYWCA8ZH429CABMITMXCAR767IZCAQVZRXJCA166M4XCA1MS61RCAUKJ3JUCAWYGPOBCA4A4OMACA3Y6EATCAZD45OICA1Y7JPM.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><br /><div align="justify">During this week of the ICTs in ELT course, our facilitator, Professor Evelyn Izquierdo, taught us about Second Life (SL) that is a virtual world developed and launched by Linden Lab on June 23, 2003 and it is accessible via the Internet. A free client program called the Second Life Viewer enables its users, called residents, to interact with each other through avatars. Residents can explore, meet other residents, socialize, participate in individual and group activities, and create and trade <a title="Virtual property" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_property"><span style="color:#000000;">virtual property</span></a> and services with one another, or travel throughout the world (which residents refer to as "the grid"). Second Life is for people aged 18 and over, while Teen Second Life is for people aged 13 to 17.</div><div align="justify"><br />Second Life is a three-dimensional modeling tool based around simple geometric shapes that allows a resident to build virtual objects. It can be used in combination with the Linden Scripting Language in order to add functionality to objects. More complex three-dimensional sculpted prims (colloquially known as sculpties), textures for clothing or other objects, and animations and gestures can be created using external software. The Second Life terms of service ensure that users retain copyright for any content they create, and the server and client provide simple digital rights management functions.<br /></div><div align="justify">There is no charge to create a Second Life account or for making use of the world for any period of time. Linden Lab reserves the right to charge for the creation of large numbers of multiple accounts for a single person.</div><div align="justify"><br />Avatars may take any form users choose (human, animal, vegetable, mineral, or a combination thereof) or residents may choose to resemble themselves as they are in real life,or they may choose even more abstract forms, given that almost every aspect of an avatar is fully customizable. A single resident account may have only one avatar at a time, although the appearance of this avatar can change between as many different forms as the resident wishes. Avatar forms, like almost everything else in SL, can be either created by the user, or bought pre-made. A single person may also have multiple accounts, and thus appear to be multiple residents (a person's multiple accounts are referred to as alts).</div><div align="justify"><br />Avatars can communicate via local chat or global instant messaging (known as IM). Chatting is used for localized public conversations between two or more avatars, and is visible to any avatar within a given distance. IMs are used for private conversations, either between two avatars, or among the members of a group, or even between objects and avatars. Unlike chatting, IM communication does not depend on the participants being within a certain distance of each other. As of version 1.18.1.2, voice chat, both local and IM, is also available on both the main grid and teen grid, using technology licensed by Vivox - a provider of similar services to other MMO worlds.</div><div align="justify"><br />Instant messages may optionally be sent to a resident's email when the resident is logged off, although message length is limited to 4096 bytes. If a message is sent to an offline resident it will also be saved to be viewed when they log on.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">As a course task, we had to create our avatars and visit some fantastic places where we learned how to communicate, walk and even fly.Personally, I think that Second life virtual world could be an useful tool to be applied to make different English teaching activities more attractive and enjoyable for our students. I would like to study more deeply the educational potentials of this virtual world and use them in my English teaching contexts. </div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div>References:</div><br /><div><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SecondLife">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SecondLife</a></div><br /><div></div>Jhon Quiñones - EFL specialisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884975349045454709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298558833684505839.post-84203798302503994232010-01-30T16:52:00.000-08:002010-02-18T00:52:54.909-08:00Week No. 5: Web 2.0.Wikis<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iSZC-lQgDSn5U7JWZWGZeFJNbrSj0mh25Ngmpgv12LE5sUAELMb5ZIYJlWQvsKoRKUJPpDprApiwRbJM3S86AdqMSfB7HRB8KpHHKLb88Hh0jtEFFIDYlOHtoMDshyphenhyphenUqhpIWTUt3r48/s1600-h/images%5B8%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433278066910506242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 134px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 85px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iSZC-lQgDSn5U7JWZWGZeFJNbrSj0mh25Ngmpgv12LE5sUAELMb5ZIYJlWQvsKoRKUJPpDprApiwRbJM3S86AdqMSfB7HRB8KpHHKLb88Hh0jtEFFIDYlOHtoMDshyphenhyphenUqhpIWTUt3r48/s320/images%5B8%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:180%;"></span><br />In our ICTs in ELT , our facilitator, Professor Evelyn Izquierdo, explained us what a Wiki is and we were assigned a task that consists of developing our personal wiki projects.Mine has to do with the integration of my teaching activities at Universidad Nacional Experimental Simón Rodríguez with blogging as an alternative strategy to make the teaching-learning process more effective, participative, cooperative and interesting.In addition, I would like to present the following important information related to wiki websites.<br /><br />A wiki is a website that allows the easy creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor. Wikis are typically powered by wiki software and are often used to create collaborative websites, to power community websites, for personal note taking, in corporate intranets, and in knowledge management systems.<br /><br />Ward Cunningham, who was the developer of the first wiki software, WikiWikiWeb, originally described it as "the simplest online database that could possibly work. "Wiki" is a Hawaiian word for "fast".<br /><br />Wikis are one of many Web 2.0 components that can be used to enhance the learning process. A<br />wiki is a web communication and collaboration tool that can be used to engage students in learning with others within a collaborative environment.<br /><br />Duffy and Bruns (2006) list several possible educational uses of wikis:<br /><br />• Students can use a wiki to develop research projects, with the wiki serving as ongoing<br />documentation of their work.<br /><br />• Students can add summaries of their thoughts from the prescribed readings, building a<br />collaborative annotated bibliography on a wiki.<br /><br />• A wiki can be used for publishing course resources like syllabi and handouts, and students<br />can edit and comment on these directly for all to see.<br /><br />• Teachers can use wikis as a knowledge base, enabling them to share reflections and<br />thoughts regarding teaching practices, and allowing for versioning and documentation.<br /><br />• Wikis can be used to map concepts. They are useful for brainstorming, and editing a<br />given wiki topic can produce a linked network of resources.<br /><br />• A wiki can be used as a presentation tool in place of conventional software, and students<br />are able to directly comment on and revise the presentation content. Parker & Chao61 .<br /><br />• Wikis are tools for group authoring. Often group members collaborate on a document by<br />emailing to each member of the group a file that each person edits on their computer, and<br />some attempt is then made to coordinate the edits so that everyone’s work is equally represented;using a wiki pulls the group members together and enables them to build and<br />edit the document on a single, central wiki page.<br /><br />References:<br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/wiki">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/wiki</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://enijklo.org/Volume3/IJKLOv3po57-072Parker284.pdf">http://enijklo.org/Volume3/IJKLOv3po57-072Parker284.pdf</a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8MzZak8pIlOox9-1qMoEYGujD5bsk8dtcWU0X41EdFeKWBB-7h9dfGaOcZeMP5OmD9lzB0QEVjhYyLmgsEZqaxRZHkb1ztweT6tBt6sZgWyky7APQKNfcfgUUrNtcU6A-EhKyJJRksTk/s1600-h/060920_dyslexic_wiki_kiwi.gif"></a></div>Jhon Quiñones - EFL specialisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884975349045454709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298558833684505839.post-40436693963370034892010-01-30T15:59:00.000-08:002010-02-18T00:53:40.217-08:00Week No. 4: Web 2.0.Blogging<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4eIMopsyVgv7sBYb2kyJb9_c2to8ZrRfA9iiwFSoFIe0NtUzUi-DfJLEyHUNXzSsQC_XuDAGzv7nqxoQHQ40blLjkIudVKSqVCr6uhLnB43RKo00AlyJiHgZ13-Ghw4KboJ0qIM1XVs/s1600-h/8CA6OPE4ACA8ZK52SCAY2U2D3CAT6VU4HCAC12ITDCATBYJWJCAWEKHJ9CASZM6BICAS7EJ9WCAYRJG90CAYZQY9JCAEWG3G9CAE7D6MACAYHDFTSCA0810T1CAIMWWO9CAB3B840.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433287797148457730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 122px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 141px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4eIMopsyVgv7sBYb2kyJb9_c2to8ZrRfA9iiwFSoFIe0NtUzUi-DfJLEyHUNXzSsQC_XuDAGzv7nqxoQHQ40blLjkIudVKSqVCr6uhLnB43RKo00AlyJiHgZ13-Ghw4KboJ0qIM1XVs/s320/8CA6OPE4ACA8ZK52SCAY2U2D3CAT6VU4HCAC12ITDCATBYJWJCAWEKHJ9CASZM6BICAS7EJ9WCAYRJG90CAYZQY9JCAEWG3G9CAE7D6MACAYHDFTSCA0810T1CAIMWWO9CAB3B840.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />During this week of our course of ICTs in ELT, our facilitator, Professor Evelyn Izquierdo, taught us the most relevant points related to blogging that can be summarized in the following way:<br /><br />A blog (a contraction of the term "web log") is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or videos. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. In other words can be conceived as online diaries."Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.<br /><br />Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, Web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability of readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art (Art blog), photographs (photoblog), videos (Video blogging), music (MP3 blog), and audio (podcasting). Microblogging is another type of blogging, featuring very short posts.<br /><br />A blog entry typically consists of the following:<br />Title – main title of the post,<br />Body – main content of the post,<br />Comments – comments added by readers<br />Category (or tags) – category the post is labeled with (optional, multiple categories possible)<br />Blogroll – other blogs that the blog author reads/affiliates with<br />Permalink – the URL of the full, individual article<br />Post Date – date and time the post was published<br />Trackback – links to other sites that refer to the entry<br /><br />Like the general blogging community, there are many ways to use blogging in teaching and learning. You can use an existing blog to provide information and insights. They can also help you provide examples to increase the quality of your students' blog entries. Or, you can encourage your students to create a blog for others that reflects these ideas.<br /><br />In the area of language teaching, Campbell (2003) distinguishes three types of blogs:<br />- the tutor blog<br />-the class blog<br />-the learner blog<br /><br />References<br /><a href="http://enblog.stevious.com/?p=1039">http://enblog.stevious.com/?p=1039</a>.<br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog</a>.<br /><a href="http://en.escrapbooking.com/blogging/ti.htm">http://en.escrapbooking.com/blogging/ti.htm</a>_Jhon Quiñones - EFL specialisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884975349045454709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298558833684505839.post-7569224876611088602009-11-07T15:17:00.000-08:002010-02-18T00:43:48.670-08:00Week No. 3: Web 1.0 vs. Web 2.0 tools<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5dCvbyJm5bCzFxoI6-0xP8WMGgV5qWycaPlnXp_RY4AZAyvofPvCcS9hwCmvfA6ddTkTXiMjeU0T_vnxj17OKGtbubYacK2EvAflrtQ5P0ruFhLUFT7IEfCtpDXcfdwk9yhaCL23B-A/s1600-h/QCADQ970VCARC11NZCAOFFE2JCAUBVDWVCA1YMG7CCA4SN346CAFPVH9QCA5JDPMZCA5IRPR3CAZU33P9CA6C629YCA32QGXKCAKCHB1GCAJA5JTDCA1WRJXWCARPJTZGCA3FQX70.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433301013198505986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 110px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 125px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5dCvbyJm5bCzFxoI6-0xP8WMGgV5qWycaPlnXp_RY4AZAyvofPvCcS9hwCmvfA6ddTkTXiMjeU0T_vnxj17OKGtbubYacK2EvAflrtQ5P0ruFhLUFT7IEfCtpDXcfdwk9yhaCL23B-A/s320/QCADQ970VCARC11NZCAOFFE2JCAUBVDWVCA1YMG7CCA4SN346CAFPVH9QCA5JDPMZCA5IRPR3CAZU33P9CA6C629YCA32QGXKCAKCHB1GCAJA5JTDCA1WRJXWCARPJTZGCA3FQX70.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />In our third week of our ICTs in ELT course, our professor Evelyn Izquierdo taught the differences between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0.To summarize the content of this section, we can point out the following information:<br /><br /><div>Web 1.0 essentially had to do with data transference to a server where all information was stored to be published mainly on enterprises or institutional web pages, but in all cases.It was too limited, since there was not an interaction between the data or information generator and the final user. In order to design websites,for example,a special language was used, only those users who know HTML could design webpages. The data generator (owner) was not necessarily included in the design process.This person only needed a server to host the site. The only way to communicate with the fianl user was via e-mail, but it was not so easy, that is the reason why websites provided a webmaster email. Web 1.0 was mostly a read-only page view and advertising web.The site owner was only the person who had the power.</div><br /><div>Web 2.0 represented important changes in the way the information and data were produced and transmitted.It brought up new ways to be connected with the audience. Then, the interaction and collaboration came out as key elements to produce, share and transmit information. It is not based on web pages as static sites to offer information, but interconnected with web systems to create and share data in different directions. Under web 2.0 it is not necessary to know HTML to produce data. Its use is easier and simpler and the owner (the information producer) has a direct contact with users who can directly take part in the information production and transmission. Therefore, We 2.0 has converted into a fabulous source for sharing knowledge. Furthermore, a big number of web 2.0 tools have been designed as to promote such sharing, which can be synchronous or asynchronous. In consequence, social networks have appeared as a need to group people with similar interests in communities (Facebook, My Space, Twitter among others). Finally, web 2.0 is then a read-write and collaborative web on which site owners and readers share the power.</div><div></div><div></div><div>The task of this section comprised the creation of a static web page using a Web 2.0 application, a blog in <a href="http://www.wordpress.com./">http://www.wordpress.com./</a> We had to design a portfolio in which we had to include our academic data and our profile as an English teacher and as an ELT professional.</div><div></div><div>In my opinion, this activity was interesting and motivating because I had the opportunity to build up my first blog applying different tools and doing different operations such adding, changing and deleting information.</div><div></div><div>If you would like to visit and have a look at my blog, my URL in wordpress is: </div><div><a href="http://jhonquiñones.wordpress.com/">http://jhonquiñones.wordpress.com/</a> </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>References</div><br /><div><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/EvelynIzquierdo/Web1.0,2.0andWeb3.0blogposts">http://www.slideshare.net/EvelynIzquierdo/<span style="font-family:times new roman;">Web1.0,2.0andWeb3.0blogposts</a>.</span></div>Jhon Quiñones - EFL specialisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884975349045454709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298558833684505839.post-35311293425298798312009-11-07T15:16:00.001-08:002010-02-18T00:54:48.957-08:00Week No. 2: Trends in ICTs in ELT<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdAYuU1TnRmobGIEvP80V8gNR6Zu9-AKRyZcsZqGWxZTaw-svWK5ufmv4fOXKPjnai5l3nWxVM3qp8JbOMdgv2ja3HO1F2LpiTlZHzhdPIlrIXjR034VhovaoSldAH0U08m8NJ4S_4A8o/s1600-h/5CA6JH806CA3IEUILCA3BC3BZCACTAOP1CAFR3VPNCAEBEGHZCAGWU3PNCAGGS1DLCAWURD6GCA95MVCRCA58VTFICAAK173SCA5N7472CASYS5AXCA6OJ5P2CACAOR50CA5SEBC8.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433325052156901714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 130px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 117px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdAYuU1TnRmobGIEvP80V8gNR6Zu9-AKRyZcsZqGWxZTaw-svWK5ufmv4fOXKPjnai5l3nWxVM3qp8JbOMdgv2ja3HO1F2LpiTlZHzhdPIlrIXjR034VhovaoSldAH0U08m8NJ4S_4A8o/s320/5CA6JH806CA3IEUILCA3BC3BZCACTAOP1CAFR3VPNCAEBEGHZCAGWU3PNCAGGS1DLCAWURD6GCA95MVCRCA58VTFICAAK173SCA5N7472CASYS5AXCA6OJ5P2CACAOR50CA5SEBC8.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:180%;">Current trends on ICTs in ELT</span><br /><div align="justify"><br />In our second week of the course, we studied the theme of ICTs in the area of English Language Teaching.As we already pointed out the term ICTs means Information and Communication Technologies.<br /><br /></div><div align="justify">Over the last few years, and perhaps even decades, we have witnessed a major breakthrough in ICTs,which has become a condition sine qua non in a vast number of areas of human endeavour, including education. ICTs have been implemented in all the different types of education systems, regardless of how formal or informal they are. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">One of the indisputable benefits of ICTs is its ability to foster the modernization and redefinition of the instruction process in general, as well as facilitate the introduction of innovative elements into the current teaching practice. Bringing in ICTs into education systems has resulted in a new type of learning referred to as distance learning or e-learning.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">Currently, in a majority of countries major steps have been taken towards implementing ICTs in various spheres of life so as to continuously provide the users with reliable and easy access to information contained within such systems. </div><div align="justify"><br />Clearly, ICTs permit powerful access to informational and people resources related to the integration of teaching and technology elements.However, this potential access remains unrealized for a number of reasons including: </div><div align="justify"><br />• lack of teacher preparation to use computers;<br />• lack of integration of computer technology with instructional approaches to teach content standards;<br />• high-stakes testing that virtually forces teachers to teach to the test with the result that computer use is perceived as an add-on activity that is “off-task;”<br />• a focus on drill-and-practice computer use in low-income and inner-city schools. </div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">One of those spheres in which ICTs are meaningfully used for their great benefits is English Language Teaching (ELT) . Within this educational area, the rapid development of ICTs prompts changes in the ways and methods of teaching and preparing students for continuous learning and effective use of the language to communicate with people from various parts of the globe. ICTs providing various types and forms of information-- from sound, video, images and animation-- technology quadruples the possibility of language learning. Nevertheless, this fact will take place in an ideal context. In most of the cases, EFL teachers can not afford the necessary money and facilities to apply ICTs in their teaching contexts.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">In our country, Venezuela, it is very hard (expensive) to use ICTs in the majority of teaching contexts since a big number of educational institutions mainly need financial and material resources. In my case, I teach English at Universidad Nacional Experimental Simón Rodriguez (UNESR) and the level of availability of technological resources is reasonable. There are two Informatics labs with 20 computers with free Internet access. My students have English classes three times a week and can use the labs at any time they want.It is important to point out that, I have never appealed to blogs or wikis to involve them in cooperative and interactive activities.It would be a good idea to integrate teaching and learning activities with blogging, in the UNESR context, for example, in order to promote a more effective, participative,collaborative and interesting teaching-learning process.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />References<br />- Aspect of learning English as a Foreign Language through ICT, available in:<br />A Kovacic, V. Vidacek-Hain, I Balabam_The 18th International...12007-uni-graz-at. </div><div align="justify"><br />- The potencial of ICT to promote academic language learning, available in: Cummings-<br />Proceedings of the 3rd International conference... 2002-etpe.gr. </div><div align="justify"><br />- The <a href="mailto:N-@ble">N-@ble</a> project, available in: <a href="http://www.editlib.org/index.cfm/files/paper_21361.ppt?">http://www.editlib.org/index.cfm/files/paper_21361.ppt?</a><br />fuseaction...id...<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="justify"></div>Jhon Quiñones - EFL specialisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884975349045454709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298558833684505839.post-6141133495720872722009-11-07T15:13:00.000-08:002010-02-18T00:50:26.455-08:00Digital literacy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhniV_NJHjV_wyoKEXNq3cdqx78-YJ1NCNxPp2XKte2byKAd8L9zrOHWXKPvaZ9TdF3itopEPVC1QMLzxwa0X8B_uhqMc6ikbLNMsNZLHb4X9rPOszch3JjoNy5ivYdtpkc0KdFM2DmhPI/s1600-h/images%5B4%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434496226027835266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 79px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 130px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhniV_NJHjV_wyoKEXNq3cdqx78-YJ1NCNxPp2XKte2byKAd8L9zrOHWXKPvaZ9TdF3itopEPVC1QMLzxwa0X8B_uhqMc6ikbLNMsNZLHb4X9rPOszch3JjoNy5ivYdtpkc0KdFM2DmhPI/s320/images%5B4%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"><a id="apf10" href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1194/1383955080_1cb4b16982.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.flickr.com/photos/nirak/1383955080/&usg=__xT6bGWq_BaWuOvlm0t6CMq_OC9c=&h=500&w=305&sz=84&hl=en&start=11&sig2=dDoToOP1hNsCWeivvGot7g&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=tSUsYJHQDZoEDM:&tbnh=130&tbnw=79&prev=/images%3Fq%3Ddigital%2Bliteracy%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1&ei=SDRrS42qNNO5lQep5PGlBQ"></a></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;">Week No. 1: Digital Literacy</span></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">During our first week of the course, we dealt with the theme of Digital Literacy and its importance in English Language Teaching (ELT).</div><div align="justify"><br />Digital literacy can be defined as the ability to locate, organize, understand, evaluate, create and share information using digital technology. It involves a working knowledge of current high-technology and an understanding of how it can be used. </div><div align="justify"><br />Digital literacy encompasses computer hardware, software (particularly those used most frequently by businesses), the Internet, cellphones, PDAs, and other digital devices devices. A person using these skills to interact with society may be called a digital citizen. </div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">Educational contexts are continually updating their curriculum for digital literacy to keep up with accelerating technological developments. This often includes computers in the classroom, the use of educational software to teach curriculum and course materials being available to students, online. Some classrooms are designed to use smartboards and audience response systems. These techniques are most effective when the teacher and the students are digitally literate.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Teachers and students will be considered digital literate people, once they:</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">-use,appropiately,their cognitive skills such as reading comprehension, writing and critical thinking in combination with the technology.</div><div align="justify">-know how to use a computer and other electronic devices,</div><div align="justify">-know how to apply web tools, </div><div align="justify">-know how to access to the different social networks and communities of practice</div><div align="justify">-are able to search information</div><div align="justify">-are able to share knowledge</div><div align="justify">-are able to work cooperatively</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">To sum up, it is essential that teachers, in our case EFL teachers, learn and apply different ICTs in their teaching contexts in order to promote a more effective and interesting learning and the development of their students´linguistic and communicative skills. </div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">References</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.orgt/wiki/DigitalLiteracy">http://en.wikipedia.orgt/wiki/DigitalLiteracy</a></div><br /><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><br /><div align="justify"></div>Jhon Quiñones - EFL specialisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884975349045454709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1298558833684505839.post-35193297596185954212009-10-13T15:47:00.000-07:002010-02-18T01:09:12.826-08:00Welcome to my ICTinELT Course Blog<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigocgKuzXRSFB4pd_gg6Ej8hB4BZznMlt90EjbDgv843picBc9hyphenhyphenxUcKSKhlzixFeOeXkia9gx7sKGReHsbAVRq4pyZyal6-uK65OYaYB29f1Otm0VBgnqcbBe3mBStZkX1O2VXgL0h3I/s1600-h/DCAZ08DLXCAR1Z15KCA5JPC73CAGB1SHMCAJJPNZZCAOSQBLOCAKVH20LCAJ15JKOCA790KHBCA8XDYNFCAC1PO4MCAXZEJMRCAF4E0OYCAEDX7I6CALICAGFCA271R2DCAYKNF18.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439507817536584594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 88px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 73px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigocgKuzXRSFB4pd_gg6Ej8hB4BZznMlt90EjbDgv843picBc9hyphenhyphenxUcKSKhlzixFeOeXkia9gx7sKGReHsbAVRq4pyZyal6-uK65OYaYB29f1Otm0VBgnqcbBe3mBStZkX1O2VXgL0h3I/s320/DCAZ08DLXCAR1Z15KCA5JPC73CAGB1SHMCAJJPNZZCAOSQBLOCAKVH20LCAJ15JKOCA790KHBCA8XDYNFCAC1PO4MCAXZEJMRCAF4E0OYCAEDX7I6CALICAGFCA271R2DCAYKNF18.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;">Welcome to the wonderful world of ICTs in ELT. </span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"><br /></span>I started this blog in order to communicate aspects related to my future learning experiences that I will have during my Information and Communication Technologies in English Language Teaching (ICTs in ELT) Course facilitated by Professor Evelyn Izquierdo - an ICTs in ELT specialist.</div><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">This course is a subject of the Master´s Degree in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) that I am studying currently at Facultad de Humanidades y Educación, Unidad de Postgrado,Universidad Central de Venezuela.The main reason of creating this blog is to have a space to post my summaries, reflections and tasks related to the main themes discussed in the different classes of the course. </div><div align="justify"><br />If you are interested in joining and taking part in this interesting and fascinating trip around ICTsinELT field, feel free to follow my blog and comment every aspect you think it is important.<br />Opinions and observations related to ICTsinELT will be welcome. </div><div align="justify"><br />Jhon Quiñones</div>Jhon Quiñones - EFL specialisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12884975349045454709noreply@blogger.com1