Dear EFL Blogging School teacher trainers,
Teaching in the online environment is quite different from teaching in the classroom and as such has a number of unique characteristics and limitations. This week we will learn a few practical tips and techniques necessary for a successful online teaching experience.
Task 2: Online teaching strategies. Which of the 10 strategies listed below are you planning to use when you moderate your modules as part of the EFL Blogging School Project and why? Give examples following similar online models included in the list below:
| Learning Contracts | Small Group Work |
| Discussion | Project |
| Lecture | Collaborative Learning |
| Self-Directed Learning | Case Study |
| Mentorship | Forum |
- Mentoring was used HERE and HERE to connect Moldovan educators to American educators online, through Skype and Google Hangouts.
- Collaborative learning was used HERE to offer American students the opportunity to comment on the projects created by Moldovan students from ASEM.
- Case studies were used in Assignment 13, Task 2 (this method was used to provide participants with practical examples necessary to understand what a final project result would look like)
- Peer to peer learning was used in Assignment 8 (Sample projects created by your colleagues section) and in Assignment 4, Task 3 (this method aimed to encourage participants to learn with and from each other)
- Self-directed learning was used in Assignment 2, Task 3 (this method was used to help participants become autonomous learners)
Task 3: Tools for screen recordings. As our EFL Blogging School participants work on their blogs, they often need technical advice on how to build, organize and publish their online portfolios. We can use Google Hangouts and the Screenshare option to demonstrate in practice how to accomplish a series of technical tasks, like adding a video to a blog post, embedding a picture slideshow or inserting hyperlinks for example. In addition to Google Hangouts, there are other online tools which allow us to record our screens as we work on a blog, save the recording and share it with participants, so that they can use it as a tutorial. Explore the free platforms listed below, record a short tutorial while you work on your blog for example and post the link in the ”Comments” section below. For example, I made this tutorial for one of the educators from the Institute of Education Sciences using Screencast, saved it on YouTube and then shared it by email:
b) SCREENCAST (Tutorial)
c) JING (Tutorial)
Task 4: Let's explore all the possibilities of Google Hangouts. In order for us to connect to our EFL Blogging School participants and record our online meetings, we used Google Hangouts on Air. Explore the resources below and write 10 things that Moldovan educators could do using this amazing online tool.
- Teacher Tips: Using Hangouts and Google + to communicate
- Google Hangouts for Teachers
- How Educators and Schools Can Make the Most of Google Hangouts
- 6 Ways Teachers Can Use Google Hangouts
- 18 WAYS TEACHERS CAN USE GOOGLE+ HANGOUTS
Task 1
ReplyDeleteIt is difficult to decide the most important tips for moderating an online course. All of them find place and use in working online. As for me, probably more important are:
1. HELP STUDENTS TRACK THEIR PROGRESS.
2. HIGH-QUALITY COURSE MATERIALS COUNT EVEN MORE ONLINE.
3. ENSURE THAT COURSE EXPECTATIONS ARE VERY CLEARLY DEFINED.
4. BE WILLING TO USE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT LEARNING METHODS AND TOOLS.
5. KNOW THE ONLINE LEARNING PLATFORM IN AND OUT.
Task 2
The strategy is good when it has its place and purpose. It’s up to us when and how to change the way of teaching. I think that collaborative learning as a process of getting two or more students to work together to learn, will help the students to understand better. Sometimes the process of understanding needs time and variation. That’s why, small groups' participants of differing ability levels can use a variety of learning activities to master material initially developed by the instructor, or construct knowledge on substantive issues. Each member of the team is responsible for learning what is taught and for helping teammates learn.Online learning models are natural environments for collaborative learning, but they are not collaborative learning environments by definition. Learners may interact with other participants without collaborating, for example when receiving on-line tutorial help. Design learning activities for collaboration the best effect.
Task 3
Moldovan educators need time to understand the usefulness of Hangouts while teaching. They can hardly imagine how easy it is to do it and how powerful this tool is. To my mind, it can be used in the following easiest ways:
1. Connect experts with students all over the world.
2. Connect classrooms.
3. Share experience.
4. Record discussion for reviewing or sharing experience.
5. Create collaborative presentations.
6. Develop rich online portfolios.
7. Facilitate group projects.
8. Grade groups.
9. Record sessions for later.
10. Collaborate on teaching experiments.
Corina, great job with exploring online teaching tips and identifying useful ways to use Google Hangouts. For Task 2, I would like to see specific examples, such as:
DeleteLet's imagine that you will teach a module about integrating online dictionaries in EFL blogs. Which strategies would you use from the list presented in Task 2? Or when, let's say, you will teach online tools to create video slideshows - which strategies would fit best?
Good luck learning new tools which can record your screen and then share it with your online students. I hope you will enjoy CAMSTUDIO, SCREENCAST or JING.
Task 1
ReplyDeleteIt is rather challenging to choose just 5 useful tips for better moderating the on-line teaching course, as all of them seem to be important and used due to a certain and appropriate time and stage. Most of them go in synergie with each other. However, I would emphasize the following:
1. Ensure that course expectations are very clearly defined. -- This is an important element, as soon as the objectives and modalities are well-structured,elaborated and clearly formulates, the work and progress is much easier to be achieved for both learners and instructors.
2. Be willing to use a variety of different learning methods and tools. -- The experience proves that in teaching the variety of techniques and approaches, tools and methods are used and allow both synchronous and asynchronous activites be applied, as well as it keeps the process to be advanced.
3. Get to know your student population and their needs.-- The key importance here might serve the quotation for college teachers: "You don't teach a class, you teach a student". As soon as the instructor understands the environment, he can avoid misconseptions and set more understandable and attainable goals, due to the needs and context of learners.
4. What studetns can teach each other is just as important as what the professor teaches. -- This is what we usually call "peer education" -- an issue that implies sharing the experience and instructing each other in terms of difficult moments with on-line tools, understanding assignment or applying different new methods; and simple helping each other with ideas and practical use from their own teaching and learning life.
5. Keep students motivated and engaged. -- If we talk about the teacher as being an instructor and facilitator, than it is his crucial and key role to help and motivate his sudents, especially when we speak about adult learners, when the entire process helps in learning, collaboration and reflective thinking approach.
Task 2
ReplyDeleteAs the experience shows, at different stages of teaching, a certain strategy can serve an important instrument to implement. Among the listed above I would utilize the following:
-- Lecture. -- This classical way of presenting theoretical topics can be refreshed with a combination of modern instructional elements in terms of on-line teaching. We can transform it into a lecture with other segments of audio-video-discussion class.
-- Mentorship -- From the experience of the EFL Blogging School such type of Guiding Teaching approach is beneficial for both sides: Instructors and learners. Here we can talk about support, instruction,communication, "on-going dioalogue", touching the neccesary and needed topics, maintaining of relations, following the progress and constant feedback.
-- Projects. -- This startegy might be brightfully applied at various stages of the course, be it preliminary, middle or as a follow-up as well, implying literally all the skills that students had acquired by this moment. Both collaboration within the group and with the other colleagues can be a good soil for problem-solving activities, debates, simulation and discussions. Moreover, it can help touch important global issues and promote peaceful values both implicitly and explicitly.
--Case Study. -- Although it seems to echo with Project strategy, it can be observed from a little bit another perspective. Instructor can facilitate the process by giving the right direction. Important issue here is that the learners can collaborate or do it independantly, find a problem, environmental context, characters, experience, solution. What is inspiring is that such work implies more than just theoretical basis and develops practical thinking. What is more important is that such experience and knowledge can be applied for both professional growth and future teaching work.
-- Self-directed Learning. -- In terms of on-ine teaching, such strategy can be very helpful for learners to be self-guided on their time and space format. Moreover, if we take into account the fact that they are Adult Learners, than it is important for them to take this responsibility over and become proactive learners. it looks pretty the same with differentiated instruction. It will maintain their dedication and might bring good results in terms of developping and studing at their own pace within the time frame. Here all the tools can be applyed and combined-- those traditional and modern ones.
Emma, wonderful job with Task 1. For Task 2 I would like you to match the strategies you chose to the online modules you will be teaching. Just like in Corina's situation: let's imagine that you will teach a module about integrating online dictionaries in EFL blogs. Which strategies would you use from the list presented in Task 2? Or when, let's say, you will teach online tools to create video slideshows - which strategies would fit best? Good luck learning new tools which can record your screen and then share it with your online students. I hope you will enjoy CAMSTUDIO, SCREENCAST or JING.
DeleteEmma, Great job with your answer. I do consider that the online project might be brightfully applied at various stages of the course, be it preliminary, middle or as a follow-up as well, implying literally all the skills that students had acquired by this moment. Both collaboration within the group and with the other colleagues can be a good soil for problem-solving activities, debates, simulation and discussions. Moreover, it can help touch important global issues and promote peaceful values both implicitly and explicitly.Thank you.
DeleteDear Daniela, thank you for focusing my attention on the specific issue. I tries to thisnk differently and look for an apporach.
ReplyDeleteIf taking these 10 startegies from Task 2, and if using them for specific purpose, as for example, integrating on-line dictionaries, I would stop on:
--Lectures in combination with Discussion-- because it needs a short introduction on What are the dictionaries, what purpose do they have, how we practice them in our teaching experience, how they serve students and in what situations. And this strategy should look like both giving a new information and looking for the previous and current experience of teachers who already used dictionaries. Than we can transform our on-line class into a vivid example on how beneficial and quick in teaching -learning process can be the use of on-line dictionalry, especially if it is posted on Teacher's Blog.
-- Self-directed learning -- The strategy to be used in a more difficult task. That consists in the next difficult part of starting to work with on-line dictionaries with the help of Embedding the code, have it on the Teacher's Blog, where we will need additional tutorials.
-- Mentorship -- However this strategy looks more as guiding and developping the knowledge and novelties, I concider, that in teaching how to work with on-line dictionaries, Mentoring would be also a good startegy, as here we can see, how well the suggested type of learning and usiing dictionaries, can be beneficial for students, how it works as being posted on the Teacher's Blog, and not just on-line.
Did I understood correctly the task, Daniela? This is a quick perspective through which I see this topic to be tought in on-line module. I assume, that some other topics would need integratiing other strategies.
Emma, you did understand correctly the task. I like the fact that you stress on the importance of mentorship as a strategy to develop the knowledge and novelties. Thank you.
DeleteTask 3
ReplyDeleteMoldovan teachers will definetely benefit from using Google hangouts right at the moment it will be realised how fruitful the work might be, how easy it becomes to keep in touch with both students,colleagues and administration and how challenging and interesting the entire process of teaching becomes.
1. Professional growth and development through coonferences and Google Hangout trainings;
2. Organizing a Book Club or Discussion Club on Air with the students;
3. Teacher can have "Office hours" = "Virtual office hours" once a week for students who need extra help or missed the class;
4. Invite remote guest to speak. -- It is always a vital issue--students want and need a native speaker to talk to and to leverage their skills. Thus Google Hangout here is a great oppportunity;
5. Teachers from one district or country can share their experience, curriculum activities,plans and materials, resources and ideas. This is used to be done by all of us, but with Google Hangouts it is easier and quicker, more sufficient and is ready-to-use;
6. Teachers can make their classes more engaging for students by recording On-line sessions on certain topics and providing with this materials those who missed the class;
7. Teachers together with students can create and record their school achievements, and to have video portfolio;
8. Connection with Mentors. -- This might be beneficial for both teachers and students. If a sutdent is writing a research or poject, teacher can redirect him to a specialist on a certain domain, so that their communication be done on-line and help advance the knowledge;
9. Teachers can use rubrics and special ways of assesment through google hangouts and make a sort of analyses along with the follow-up discussions;
10. Make "Connective Learning" possible for all categories of students.-- The "Digital Era" that we are living in, has its own demands and we can collaborate with our students on that issue. They live in their world of technology and teachers can introduce teaching elements with Google hangout work.
11. Personal Remark: Using Google hangouts work helps integrate Students with disabilities or special needs to be a part of learning process.
Dera Emma, your answer is brilliant-yvery clear and concise. You offered so many useful tips for our specific target group. Especially I like, "Connective Learning" as it is possible for all categories of students. The "Digital Era" that we are living in, has its own demands and we can collaborate with our students on that issue. They live in their world of technology and teachers can introduce teaching elements with Google hangout work.Thank you.
DeletePrevious was Task 4
ReplyDeleteGreat list of ideas on how to use Google Hangouts, Emma! Looking forward to your screencast. Enjoy experimenting with a new online teacher tool.
DeleteTeachers from one district or country can share their experience, curriculum activities,plans and materials, resources and ideas. This is used to be done by all of us, but with Google Hangouts it is easier and quicker, more sufficient and is ready-to-use;
ReplyDelete6. Teachers can make their classes more engaging for students by recording On-line sessions on certain topics and providing with this materials those who missed the class;
Teachers together with students can create and record their school achievements, and to have video portfolio;
Connection with Mentors. This might be beneficial for both teachers and students. If a sutdent is writing a research or poject, teacher can redirect him to a specialist on a certain domain, so that their communication be done on-line and help advance the knowledge.
Svetlana, you are right when you state that "tTeachers can make their classes more engaging for students by recording On-line sessions on certain topics and providing with this materials those who missed the class". Thank you for this tip.
DeleteOne of the strategies is the case study, as it can facilitate the process by giving the right direction. Important issue here is that the learners can collaborate or do it independantly, find a problem, environmental context, characters, experience, solution. What is inspiring is that such work implies more than just theoretical basis and develops practical thinking. What is more important is that such experience and knowledge can be applied for both professional growth and future teaching work.
ReplyDeleteYou are right , Diana, that the case study is one of the best solutions for E-learning. Since students are able to get some answers to their questions from other examples. As the saying quotes, "learning from others' mistakes":)).
DeleteYou are right , Diana, that the case study is one of the best solutions for E-learning. Since students are able to get some answers to their questions from other examples. As the saying quotes, "learning from others' mistakes":)).
Delete