Inspired by her cell phone of ninetology, nadnology is designed to become a tool in discussing the technological implications in language classroom. Brace yourself and enjoy the outcomes of each of her entry. It surely will excite you!
Hello people ! I am so overwhelmed, yet a bit sad as I have to an end of my semester. I must say that this is the last and the final entry for my course, Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL). Time flies so fast! I wish I could have a class with my beloved lecturer, Dr Izaham, a bit longer. Or perhaps, extra credit hours should be allocated for this course? Truly, I never feel burdened with the assessments of this course as every single assessment is incorporated with the use of technology. It is fast, feasible and ... (the word just does not come out).
So, this time's entry is about establishing my own website. I decided to create my own website since I intend to have my own professional website later. This website only looks at the short story selected from secondary school syllabus entitled "One is One and All Alone". It is a simple website, but I hope it is useful and beneficial to English teachers and students.
Below is the link of my website and you may have a look at it;
Hello people ! As usual, my CALL class never fails to overwhelm me. I had so much fun creating my own podcast in my class. I really really want to share with you how my podcats looks like. Yet, I have a trouble in saving and publishing it on my blog. Well, I guess I am too novice to put this into practice. Maybe later, once I have developed my skill and expertise in using this podcats, I will surely use it. Whoooppss ! It is a podcast, not a podcats. Haha, see you later, folks !
Dolphins are regarded as the friendliest creatures in the sea and stories of them helping drowning sailors have been common since Roman times. The more we learn about dolphins, the more we realize that their society is more complex than people previously imagined. They look after other dolphins when they are ill, care for pregnant mothers and protect the weakest in the community, as we do. Some scientist have suggested that dolphins have a language but it is much more probable that they communicate with each other without needing words. Could any of these mammals be more intelligent than man? Certainly the most common argument in favor of man's superiority over them that we can kill them more easily than they can kill us is the least satisfactory. On the contrary, the more we discover about these remarkable creatures, the less we appear superior when we destroy them.
A journey of my degree years is approaching its ending. I am currently in week 12, still struggling with my other assignments, presentations, mini-debate and few more tests/quizzes. This semester has been so hectic, I must say. However, this is not the main issue that I am going to discuss. Instead, I am going to explain my web-based lesson plan as the third assessment of this course. (It is time for Task 3, readers!)
As required, I need to create a web based lesson plan, incorporating any website as a tool to teach my students. Therefore, I have uploaded one video and two documents onto this blog, consisting of my web based lesson plan and the worksheet. I hope it will be beneficial to all English teachers out there. Enjoy !
I believe your students will be so much overwhelmed by the use of Air Asia's website. It is authentic and promotes experiential learning to the students. Hopefully. Alright, that is all for now. Till we meet again! See ya !
Teaching English with Technology, 14(1), 9-22, http://www.tewtjournal.org
THE INTEGRATION OF A COMPUTER-BASED EARLY READING PROGRAM TO INCREASE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS' LITERACY SKILLS
by Laurie James
Western Washington University,
Bellingham, USA
OVERVIEW
Due to the education reformation through Race to the Top program, the incorporation of technology in English classroom was called to fulfill the need of improving the classroom pedagogical implications. This is because the implementation of high-quality instruction would allow opportunities to close the achievement gap between privileged and underprivileged children. Besides, other significant legislative acts, for instance, War on Poverty, A Nation at Risk and No Child Left Behind, were employed in this study as to support the notion of incorporating technology in an English language classroom. However, instead of focusing on the English classroom instructions at large, this study explored how literacy instruction could be diversified to enable students to show gains in literacy by using high-level of academic assessment methods. Therefore, Waterford Early Reading program was designed to improve reading fluency of the Third Grade English Language Learners.
In other words, the purpose of this study could be presented in a form of formula as below:
Computer Reading Program/Waterford Early Reading + Third Grade English Language Learner
=
The Reading Literacy
The Waterford Early Reading Program was a supplemental program, designed as an intervention curriculum that constituted an alternative to worksheets or workbooks. This program was believed of capable to provide a rich contextual environment allowing students to be constantly engaged in literacy activities and eventually to tailor learning to each student's unique needs. Thus, this program attempted to maximize computer instruction by motivating students to read while providing visual and auditory feedback. Computer could provide immediate feedback to the students in nature made it compatible and feasible for this study to employ it as a mechanism to reach literacy.
Methodology: Research Design, Sample, Instrument.
This study was an experimental study, conducted at two Title I elementary schools in United States. These students were divided into two different groups; treatment and control group based on their results of Grade Level Expectations (GLEs) in which they had to sit for the pretest of Victory 1000 Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) design. In this test, students must demonstrate word recognition strategies to read fluently and proficiently. Hence, students not meeting the expectations in reading would enrol into the computer emphasized reading program and vice versa. It is reported that 36 students were enrolled into this program and 105 students did not enroll the program. After the results of the pretest had been recorded, then, the reading software program were ready to use.
Waterford Early Reading Program was incorporated into their educational day and was implemented for approximately 20 minutes, five days a week. Students used a designated computer and put on headphones to hear the directions. Students would have access to a keyboard, mouse, microphone, printer and computer camera mounted on the monitor as these components were vital to the success of this program. Academic areas displayed for each student on the summary report include the current lesson, fluency speed score, skill builder activity and comprehension activities. At the end of the research, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software randomly selected scores from the research groups (20 test score selected from treatment group and 80 test score from the control group), tested data with Analysis of Variance, and used Pearson Chi-Square to determine how well a sample distribution fits the hypothesized distribution.
Findings: Data Collection and Data Analysis
Research Question 1:
Did the Computerized Waterford Early Reading Program improve oral reading fluency of English Language Learners?
Table 1 Comparison of the oral reading fluency scores
Third Grade Students
Pretest
Posttest
Mean
SD
Mean
SD
Treatment (n=20)
55
38.12
89.6
35.06
Control (n=80)
102.8
40.81
130.4
41.47
F=2.004, p=.160
The English language students in the treatment group increased their average oral reading fluency scores more than the students in control group.
Research Question 2:
Did the Computerized Waterford Early Reading Program result in oral reading fluency scores for English Language LEarners closer to those of native English speakers by closing the achievement gap?
Table 2 Mean number of words read correctly for third grade students
Third Grade Students
Pretest September
Posttest
May
Treatment Group
55
89.6
School District Average
109
144
National
Target
99
113
The treatment group increased their mean oral reading fluency scores 30.8% more than the district average and 48.8% more than the national target scores.
EVALUATION
This research study successfully captures my interest as it provides insights how incorporation of technology can blend together with classroom instructions and its significances. I like the idea how the researcher employs legislative acts in this study as its basis and later develops a problem that occur in the nation of United States.
In relation to our Malaysian context, this study is helpful for education field to devise high-skill mechanism of teaching and learning language particularly when Malaysian learners are second language learners in majority. In fact, the revolution of technology nowadays has become phenomenal and it is a powerful tool to attract young generations' interest when it is implemented in a classroom. Below is an example of video that explains literacy can also be best promoted by incorporating technology instead of chalk and talk conventional way of teaching.
In line with Vision 2020, Malaysia has planned and executed a smart school programme, employing technology in teaching and learning. In this context, smart schools uphold the concept of change in the learning culture based on memory and examination-orientation to that of creative thinking and problem-solving. On top of that, smart schools also call for holistic and integrated development of individual's potential in order to produce individuals who are physically, emotionally, spiritually and intellectually well-balanced whilst being technology savvy and globally and internationally-inclined (Pengendali, 2010).
However, this smart school programme is still at its early stage, involving 90 selected schools that are categorized into three levels (Malaysian Smart School Implementation Plan, 1997):
i. Level A : 9 schools equipped with modern technology
ii. Level B+: 2 smart schools equipped with computers in 15 science laboratories, classroom and offices
iii. Level C: 79 smart schools equipped with a laboratory and computers in the Resource Center in addition to computers for teachers
Therefore, this programme is yet to be implemented in every Malaysian school due to several problems, for example, budget implication at ministry's level in providing computers to every school, the capacity of each school is different from one to another, the maintenance of the computers and many others. Again, it is still a good step taken by Malaysian Education Ministry in incorporating technology in a classroom. I believe, we are one step ready to employ technology in language classroom particularly. In fact, Malay's idiom does say "sikit-sikit lama-lama jadi bukit". If this effort continues, it is not impossible for us to realize the Vision 2020, producing technology savvy generations in future. Indeed, teachers must be trained how to integrate computers in their teaching and students must be taught the proper use of technology as it may be disastrous upon the its misuse.
Improvements can be done upon the research in terms of the organization and structure of the paper. The researcher should be able to distinguish which item belongs to which component to make the facts identification process on behalf of readers easier. For instance, the researcher explained the findings in the subtopic designs and procedures when they are supposed to be explained in the subtopic findings and discussion. Besides, the researcher does not emphasize on the parallelism or uniformity of some points in the study. This is apparent when I check the purpose of the study that is explained in abstract is not as similar to what in the component of the study purpose. I do admit that I had a bit difficulties in understanding this study's aim and direction at first and it caused me to recheck the paper for several times. All in all, the study provides valuable insights for language teachers of how important technology has become.
REFERENCES
Kheru. (2006). Current Education. Retrieved from Kheru website:
http://www.kheru2006.webs.com/a_development_of_education_system_in_malaysia_current.pdf
Smart School Project Team. (1997). The Malaysian Smart School; Implementation Plan. Retrieved from the MOE website:
http://web.moe.gov.my/btp/wp-content/doc_pap/pemantapan88sb/Smart%20School%20Implementation%20Plan.pdf
Hello readers! I am back with new entry. Last week, I was taught how to use MS Excel to construct multiple choice questions and now, I need to come up with my own activity. You may check the link below for more details, and you are really welcomed to do the activity! :)
The use of MS Excel is widely known complicated and I have never tried to utilize this tool in my life. In fact, there is some fear within me that hinders me from using MS Excel. However, the previous class had changed my mind that MS Excel can be interactive and fun. I am happy to see how MS Excel helps me to give immediate feedback, showing the correct or wrong answers and thus, the total score at the end of the activity. In other word, it is not time-consuming and it is, definitely, practical.
On top of that, I also learnt the use of Hot Potatoes 6, a software that allows teachers (in particular) to create online language activities. My classmates and I were taught about how to construct language learning by using JCloze; a gap-filled exercise. As instructed, I have made my own Jcloze which you can simply click on the link provided below:
I pretty much enjoy myself creating my first online language exercise. Tell me who does not? At last, I have found another tool of learning and teaching English in a classroom. Instead of having chalk and talk style as part of my teaching, now, I definitely have reason to bring my students to computer laboratory and get them enjoy learning English. God's willing.
