Creating a DLLM Interface

        Today’s task is also related to Digital Language Learning Materials (DLLM) where we are needed to sketch out a DLLM interface and include the explanations about our DLLM by referring to the informations that we already read. When I started doing this task with other members, I (we) a bit confused whether the material or the activity that we should focused on? Because by the reading the instruction, our understanding is we are required to create an activity that will involves digital materials. After attending the tutorial class yesterday, I (we) actually realize where the misconception begins in our group. At first, I thought DLLM is any materials that related to the technology such as the laptop, camera, blog, twitter and so on. Thus, after the class and self “research”, I finally understand. Learning materials are something that teachers or educators use to facilitate the learning, for example: the textbook while learning tools are something that used to facilitate the learning materials. After a while thinking miserablely, I kind of relate it back when I was writing my lab report back then (if I don’t lost my way ), materials are all the chemicals that we used to conduct the experiment, while tools or apparatus is the tools that being used to handle the materials. For example: the beaker, test tube, tripod stand and so on. Therefore, I conclude that tools are catering the materials so that it would be more appropriate to fit the students need. In our case, our learning material is our activity and the tool that we used to facilitate the learning process is the blog because through the blog learners can communicate not only within their peers but also with the teachers.  Now, everything seems clear and I can see how important to detect or diagnose students problems because when we know what is the problems are then we know what to teach, what to correct and there will be a communication and negotiation of meaning will happen which is good in the language learning process as claimed by the SLA researchers, just as what happened yesterday. Thank you!

Digital Language Learning Material

        Class today will be e-fied. We have to watch and answer the questions in the prezi based the nokelain’s article. For me, to integrate technology in the classroom has black and white side. Using technology in classroom is better since it will prevent boredom to the teacher as well as to the students, besides, it will saves time because traditional teaching will be about copying the notes on the whiteboard so it’s quite wasting time. Thus, using digital language learning materials quite fundamental.

        In my opinion, integrating technology in teaching and learning process should be done carefully and with consideration. Yes, digital materials contribute many advantages not only to the students but to the teachers as well because compared to the traditional approaches that have been used back then as I mentioned earlier, it is not only cause boredom, but also demotivate  the teacher and students because same things to be repeated everyday. What I meant about should be done carefully is that how far can the digital materials can facilitate and will be able to enhance student performances in academic and not destroying their future, instead. Based on my experience, to integrate technology in learning need high self-control and a clear purpose and goal in what you are doing. For example, university life is full with integrating technology in learning such as using blog, tumblr and the most common one is Facebook. Everytime I start to online with the intention to search for information for my assignment, I will always get distracted to log in to my FB. What happen is that, where there is an interesting discussion with my friends (non-academic one), I’ll start to comments over and over again until I forgot and finally neglecting my assignment. When I’m done with my commenting, I am tired and demotivated to do what I am supposed to do which result to procrastination. That is why self-determination is very fundamental. But, when we are intrinsicly motivated to complete our assignments, it feel like there is a force inside that create a feeling that I should complete this!  Therefore,   self –control is very important! After all, it depends on the students itself. If you know what you want in your life then technology is small matter and you won’t get distract easily. Thus, to have a goal  in life is very helping as the goal(s) will keep you are always in track towards your desire. Regarding the technology thingy, not to be “pampered” by all those technology, remember not all school will provide a facilities regarding the implementing the technology. How about the rural area that even electricity is not available??? I think that we shouldn’t abandon the traditional teaching also because this will harm the rural students. Materials might available such as the laptops but is they any used of the computer without any electric sources??? Or the smartphone without any coverage?  Therefore, teacher should always come with a plan b!

Evaluating International Textbook

From Theory to Practice!!!

The task for this week is to use the littlejohn’s checklist to evaluate the international textbook given. What can I say is that the checklist proposed is very detailed so it’s quite time consuming since there are many details that we should really focus on when evaluating the textbook.

As I move on evaluating from one task to another, it’s suddenly reminds me the hardship of my teacher in order to make sure the exercises are really fit with our needs and how did I responded to each of the extra exercises. How disappointed was my teacher when some of the exercise papers were laying or flying on the ground. The feeling of unappreciated. After all the hardship of evaluating the appropriate materials, the students did not appreciate.. I understand the feeling now. Deep inside my heart I feel like “I am sorry teacher…” From day to day as I grow older in taking this course, I realized much that being a teacher is not easy and start to understand the feeling of my teachers back then and keep saying that THANK YOU TEACHERS!

Presentation of Littlejohn's article...

For this week tutorial, our task is about presenting our article based on our group understanding. Our article is about the analysis of language teaching materials: inside the Trojan horse, by Andrew Littlejohn. In the process of comprehending what is the article all about, I felt quite difficult to understand what Littlejohn’s trying to convey, until I feel like what am I doing?? Why did I keep reading the similar article over and over again for about 4-5 times but I still couldn’t get the overview about the article.  But, everything is getting better when we start to discuss within members until we came up into an agreement about littlejohn’s article. The process of getting into point of agreement is not something easy instead with some arguments and conflicting understanding, yet we still manage to do it. At least, at that time I feel a bit secure because now I know my way and what I suppose to do which when compare to the situation before, I was totally lost!

As I go through reading the article, something hits my mind. What is it?  I have an insight about what kind of materials I should use in the future. I found out that the materials that being used in the future should really fit with the students proficiency level. It should not be too easy neither too hard for them and is it the materials or task should be handle or should be done individually or in group. Since, there are some tasks that students are not able to complete it alone instead they need scaffold from other who are more expert which means they are doing the task under the zone of proximal development. As for an example, the littlejohn’s article, I don’t think I can do it by myself, but when it’s done in group where discussion and arguments can happen since each of us has different interpretation of particular parts in that article, everything become a bit easier, therefore, discussion is very fundamental in order for us to come out with a presentation. Besides, the material given should be based on careful consideration by the teacher before introducing the material into the classroom, whether the materials will aid the learning as claimed, or otherwise. Does it will motivate or demotivates them to learn a particular lesson. Because if it is too easy they might feel boring or if it is too difficult, it will makes them easier to give up to learn. But, after all it depends with the student attitudes toward their own learning, because some students might be demotivated when come to difficult task especially someone with extrinsic motivation but some might be motivated to learn as they are very eager to learn something new when they know that something new is beneficial, this case usually for someone who is intrinsicly motivated. As for this situation, teacher should know what to do as only teacher will knows their students well. That is why evaluating a material is very crucial before we can use that particular materials in the classroom. For my opinion, materials should be able to scaffolding students so that they will be able to reach and it should starts with something easier and step by step the level of difficulties will increase. Because students need time to understand and internalize knowledge especially the one that it’s their first time being exposed to.

Yes!  Littlejohn’s checklist quite time consuming but if it is worth why not teacher spend some time and put some effort to evaluate the material so that the materials would be able to create a positive classroom management.( it is beneficial to both group in the learning and teaching progress).

As like me, the article really demotivated me to continue reading but since we have to come out with a presentation, I try my best to put some “love” on what I am doing…is it extrinsic or intrinsic motivation??

DIGITAL LANGUAGE LEARNING MATERIAL

CHECKPOINT 1: THE EXAMPLE OF DIGITAL LANGUAGE LEARNING MATERIALS

• Laptop
• computer
• power-point
• schoology 
• edmodo
• twitter 
• blog
• facebook

CHECKPOINT 2:LIST DOWN SLA THEORIES  AND PRINCIPLES THAT SUPPORT THE DLLM.

• Innatist
• Behaviourist
• Interactionist
• Principles of teaching and learning

CHECKPOINT 3: SKETCH OUT A ROUGH OUTLINE OF YOUR DLLM.
Emphasize on writing skills 
Choose a poem or short story – read and summarize the poem / short story – students upload their work at blogger.com

Emphasize on speaking skills (focusing on pronunciation)
Students get into group – each group choose one short stories (restriction: each group must choose different short story) – each group will act the climax part of the short story and record it using camera, smartphone etc – transfer the video into disk/CD-ROM
CHECKPOINT 4: CRITERIA FOR TECHNICAL USABILITY

1. LEARNABILITY
• Depends on how long a beginner use a system before they could learn a particular skills that needed them to complete a particular task.
2. EFFICIENCY
• Measuring how well an experienced user handling an application after they have mastered it.
3. MEMORABILITY
• The ability of an experienced user who has learned the particular system and are able to remember its operational principles.
4. ERRORS
• Divided into two, which are:
-less serious error= disturb the work of the user, and
-serious error=endanger the preservability of the users’ outputs.

SUMMARIZATION OF THE EXPLANATION FOR EACH CRITERION IN THE PEDAGOGICAL USABILITY BASED ON THE NOKELIANEN’S ARTICLE.
Learner control 

• break down the materials to be learned into meaningful unit so that the students able to accept and memorize the knowledg

.Learner activity 

• Teacher stays in the background as a ‘facilitator’, facilitator means a person who help somebody do something more easily by discussing problems, giving advice and so on, rather than telling them what to do. It is more to scaffolding them.

Cooperative / collaborative learning 

• studying with other learners to reach a common learning goal.
• It is crucial for the system or learning material offer to the learner a tool that can be used to communicate, negotiate, discussing regarding a particular assignment or learning problem with each other over a distance.
• cooperative learning more structured (teacher has the control) than collaborative learning

Goal orientation 

• should be clear to the learner
• best results are attained when the goals of the learning material, teacher and student are closely aligned

Applicability

• the approach taken in learning material should correspond to the skills that the learner will later need in everyday and working life

Added value

• usually in the form of creative use of the possibilities that the computer offers for example voice, image, video files
• induce creativity in learners when using the learning materials.

Motivation

• consciously / subconsciously goal-oriented
• support the direction of an individual’s general behavior
• key concepts of motivation include incentives, self-regulation, expectations, attributions of failure and success, performance or learning goals, intrinsic and extrinsic goal orientation.Intrinsic goal orientation strives to reach learning goal for they own purpose. (self-desire for self satisfaction)
• Extrinsic goal orientation strives to be better than other; it is either to achieve reward or to avoid punishment.

Valuation of previous knowledge

• learning material used associates with previous learning

Flexibility

• suite the learner’s individual differences
• contents of the learning material should contains diverse assignments that more adaptable and so that it will easier to combine them to fit the student’s individual needs.

Feedback

• System or learning material should provide immediate feedback to increases learning motivation as well as helps the student to understand the problematic parts in their learning.

Integrating technology in ESL writing

With the rapid development of science and technology, the emerging and developing of multimedia technology and its application to teaching, featuring audio, visual, animation effects comes into full play in English class teaching .It's also sets a favorable platform for exploration on English teaching in new era.

There are many advantages not only to students but also to the teachers itself. From the students’ perspective, there are some advantages that will benefit them. Firstly, using technology can cultivates students’ interest and motivation in their study and their involvement in class activities. Other than that, through technology students may widen their knowledge to gain an insightful understanding to western culture because technology can provide students abundant information more than what the textbook can provide. They can also learn about western culture/ other country culture just by using internet as not everyone is afford to go abroad to really see other country culture. When they had learnt about others country, they will able to come out with an essay that involving describing the places that they want to visit the most.

In contrast, using technology can also 'harm' students in several ways. In order to complete some assignments students were required to online using internet, so for some students it is easy for them to get distracted to log in to facebook, twitter and so on. This situation will makes them forget about their assignments and keep delaying to complete their work. As a result, they will only manage to complete their assignments the day before the submission date, well the last minute things won’t be able to give best result and this will affect the students mark and indirectly will affect their academic achievement.

In conclusion, it is depends on us students on how to cope with the development of technology. If we use it for the right purpose then technology will really benefits us but if we use it for other purposes than study then technology will be the one that will ‘destroy’ us.