WEEK 10: REFLECTIONS

This is the final week: Week 10. I take this opportunity to express my sincerest gratitude to our encouraging and inspiring instructor Donna Shaw, who left no stone unturned in sailing us through the exciting journey of WebSkills. I am equally thankful to the US Department of State for the opportunity to enhance my learning horizons and come closer to wonderful learning community (Yellow Group: 2014).

This journey has been quite insightful learning experience for a teacher like me willing to bring more effectiveness in traditional teaching learning classroom contexts. I have really learnt a lot of things. The different reading materials and discussion topics are worthy to mention. I have learnt a lot from the brilliant ideas discussed in the Nicenet from my colleagues and I am thankful to them.

Every week has left a memorable impression in me. I learnt different useful technological tools like Nicenet, BlackBoard, Wiki, Blogs, Padlet, Delicious and ANVILL. I have been able to learn different effective and useful websites. One of the most important websites I would like to mention is www.noodletools.org . Frankly speaking almost all the tools and websites were new to me and I really worked hard to learn them.

I have started following ABCD model in order to plan and present my lessons. I have used blog to ask my students’ homework. Now I invite my students at audio visual hall to make INTERACTIVE PowerPoint presentations. I am planning to use Padlet to enhance all the skills of language learning. My school management and the parents are positively taking my endeavors and I am with a belief that my colleagues will definitely start using technological tools in the class in near future. Lack of resources and willing hearts are challenges. I am optimistic that time will heal them.

Looking forward to learning from my instructor and colleagues and expecting more opportunities in the future,

Kiran

Nepal  

WEEK 9: REFLECTION

We are left with few days in this course but we have “miles to go”. The course has been truly insightful in my case and I have learnt various useful technological tools from our instructor Donna and the wonderful learning community in Yellow Group.

Week 9 remained another milestone in our learning experience. After going through the articles “Learning styles and strategies” by Richard M. Felder and Barbara A. Soloman at http://www4.ncsu.edu/  I learnt that it is a must to know different learning styles of our students At traditional classrooms like mine, many of the classes go through lecture methods with an emphasis on rote learning and memorization only. So it’s an urgent to think what as teachers we are doing and failing to do. It is a must to identify individual differences, put ourselves in students’ places and plan our instruction, choose the materials and tools in the way our students learn.

One of the most important and interesting tools I am getting familiar with is ANVILL.  It’s a “container” where you can store all other technological tools. I created a teacher's account at ANVILL and wish to use it for effective teaching/learning. Unfortunately, I couldn’t join the webinar at 8:00 pm Saturday (Oregon time) due to load shedding problem in my area because of thunder and heavy rain. I am planning to watch the recorded one. I heartily thank Jeff for making us realise the importance of ANVILL for effective learning experience.

Another very important task we had this week was to submit our final project report. I submitted it on time. I would like to thank my partner Loma for his suggestions to improve my project report and I am equally grateful to our respected instructor Donna Shaw.

Last not but the least, joining Facebook group (WEBSKILLS – Yellow Group) is another great opportunity to get to know the colleagues. We are keeping in touch and shall continue ever.

Kiran

Nepal

WEEK 8: REFLECTION

Week 8 has been another milestone for learning experience. I went through quite a busy schedule this week. Preparing a draft project report on the basis of project template obtained from https://sites.google.com/site/webskillsuo/home/projectsand sharing it with my partner Loma from Cote d’Ivoire was another wonderful learning experience. I am eagerly waiting for the comments and suggestion in my project report draft from my colleague Loma which I’ll incorporate in my final report. I also made my sincerest efforts to go through my colleague Loma’s project report draft and made comments and suggestions to the best of my knowledge. I have emailed the checklist to Loma and our instructor Donna as well.

Going through different technological tools like Nicenet, Blog, Padlet, Google etc., I realized that how wonderful these tools are to enhance real learning environment promoting learner autonomy. I created Padlethttp://padlet.com/kiransapkota197 and uploaded a paragraph about Hugh Lewin and his poem “Touch!” which is included in our Grade IX English textbook.I am planning to use it for my students to submit their homework and ask for their creative writings with a view to publishing school’s annual magazine. It is a “paperless wall’ and a platform for promoting all kinds of learning skills.

I am working over my final project report with fullest sincerity and hope to submit it on time.

I am truly enjoying the course and wish for the further opportunities!

Kiran

Nepal

WEEK 7: REFLECTION

Hello Everyone,

This week I learnt about learner autonomy, it is again a new concept in my context. I read two articles “What Is Learner Autonomy and How Can It Be Fostered” by Dimitrious Thanasoulas and EduTech Wiki. According to Henri Holec learner autonomy is “the ability to take charge of one’s learning”. It maximizes learner’s choices and they have self- responsibility towards their learning. What I realized is that the teachers are not the center of everything. Their roles get changed into a ‘helping hand” or a facilitator who has to monitor students’ learning. It really enhances “learning to learn” and explores learner’s capacities and the field of interest. It guarantees learner’s freedom of choice and fosters the self-esteem of learners. 

I’m using a technological tool i.e. class blog in order to solve an issue or problem “My students are not interested or motivated in doing their homework assignment.” Dear colleague Liat from Israel has invited me to be his partner but I’m confused as I haven’t used the technological tool that he is using to solve his issue. I hope, our teacher Donna will find the solution and we could help each other.

Another interesting thing that I learnt this week is Padlet.  It’s completely new for me but it is quite easy to handle. It’s a wall where students can display their creative works. Similarly, it can be used for posting homework assignment and to upload large content materials including videos. I posted “Helping Students Become Autonomous Learners: Can Technology Help? by Rubena St. Louis, Universidad Simon Bolivar, Caracas, Venezuela. I smiled at the wonderful wall of our teacher Donna. Thank you Donna for introducing this wonderful tool.

As for the implementation of technology tool, my students are enjoying doing their homework assignment in our class blog. This time they were asked to write a letter. They have done excellent job with the homework assignment. I have good news to share. After I started using technological tool in classroom teaching, my school Principal really appreciated and encouraged me to go on. My school is planning to manage internet access in the departments and school audio visual hall. Isn't it a good gesture? The credit must go to this course.

I look forward to learning more!

Kiran

Nepal

WEEK 6: Reflection

“Where there is a will, there is a way”

The large number of students has been an easy excuse for many of the “teachers” in my context when they fail to show desired performance and bring expected outcomes in the teaching learning process. 

Week 6 is another milestone in my learning and has been indeed insightful. I’m feeling blessed and renewed. There are tools, there are technologies to help you combat with all the frustrations you have been living with what we call “Chalk and Talk” methods. After reading “Teaching Large Classes II – Enhancing Learning by Engaging Students “ by Rick Finnan and Donna Shaw, (http://oregonstate.edu/dept/eli/osu-hedp/large-classes-engaging-students.html  I have been familiar with Think-Pair-Share, Concep Test, Quick- thinks, Minute paper, Scripted Cooperative Learning and Concept Maps  and will certainly experiment them in my classes for students’ motivation and critical thinking as I do believe and agree “The more you vary your methods, the more interesting the class tends to be” (Beating the Numbers Game: Effective Teaching in Large Classes by Richard M. Felder). I know I will be learning with my students side by side.

Something unexpected has happened this week! I had never thought of INTERACTIVE PowerPoint presentation. I really worked harder going through the articles and finally I was able to make interactive PowerPoint slides for the lesson “Arati and Neelalm’s Plans” from Grade IX textbook. I have used brainstorming activity, Think – Pair- Share to get the students involved. These are my first PowerPoint slides where students not only listen and read but also involve themselves more. The use of hyperlinks and the actions buttons to make quizzes based on the text was an amazing experience for me to enhance real learning.  I really liked it and wish to learn more in the days to come.

So far the implementation of the technology is concerned, after the introductory sessions and discussions with Grade IX students, I have created a blog learnenglishsos.blogspot.com and my students have started submitting their homework assignments through the comments and some of them have been doing wonderful jobs with great excitement.  I have been continuously encouraging them and convincing some the parents as well. It has brought a wave at my school and my colleagues have started talking about the pros and cons of using blogs for the homework assignments. I strongly hope that I will be able to convince them all.

Looking forward to experiencing more learning next week,

Kiran

Nepal