Reflection on the flexibility of E-tasks

Drawing on your experience at your university, where do the language learning tasks (ideally that involve IT) fall on the flexibility continuum? Give one or more examples to illustrate. Can tasks that are "liberated" or "free" be easily incorporated into your teaching?

Chapter 6 argues that the design and production of digital language learning tasks should not just simply reproduce those that have been done in the textbooks. Those tasks should be closely related to language classroom and be flexible and open enough to get students involved in learning activities.
I agree with the writers on the ideas above. But the key point is not the importance of the flexibility of the tasks, but how to achieve such flexibility in actual task design. Apparently, there is no universal way to meet the needs of students and teachers.
In my university, the online English listening course may be a restricted one on the flexibility continuum. Students are arranged to study intranet- assisted listening in the internet language labs 10 class hours of their English listening courses in one semester and 10 hours in traditional classrooms with one teacher-controlled multimedia computer. Most tasks are just the reproductions of the textbook tasks. Some audio and visual elements appear here and there in the tasks, but mainly for relaxation and enjoyment, such as English songs, video clips.
I don’t think that tasks that are "liberated" or "free" be easily incorporated into your teaching. "Liberated" or "free" means students control their own learning efforts with as fewest teacher involvement as possible. If the tasks are free, how to monitor the feedback of those tasks, especially those poor learners? Are they independent and knowledgeable enough to handle their learning? What are the teachers’ roles in the “free” tasks?

Webography-The Pros and Cons of Integrating IT into Listening Course

Webography 1
http://esl.about.com/od/englishlistening/English_Listening_Skills_and_ActivitiesEffective_Listening_Practice.htmI strongly advise those who are interested in online listening instruction to take a look at these rich resources and you can get much more than what you want. This is a good website for ESL Learners and Teachers to practice English Listening Skills online free of charge. There are many listening resources from beginners to intermediate to advanced levels which the potential users may find appropriate listening materials to practice online. Some other subsections are Listening Lesson Plan, Listening Quizzes and Podcasts. All the listening materials are authentic and accessible online. Learners can do the listening quiz online and check the answer immediately after they finish and nobody will blame for your wrong answer and you can choose whatever is interesting to you. Besides, both teachers and students may find a lot of other English resources in this web, such as grammar, writing skills, reading skills, even TOFEL and EILTS. One may marvel at the information bomb when examining the links one by one.
Webography 2
http://www.cal.org/resources/digest/0212morrison.htmlThis web is the digest of an article, “Interactive Language Learning on the Web”, published on the official website of CAL (Center of Applied Linguistics) in December 2002. The writer argues that IT has enable teachers and students to do interactive teaching and learning that never happened before as the resource for language teaching and learning. This digest begins with the discussion of the pros and cons of web-based language teaching activities or the teachers who want to teach language online. The web is very useful because the writer illustrates some activities produced by language teachers that are free to access online and provides some guidelines and resources to help language teachers directly to create web-based lessons of their own. Some listening activities are also mentioned. Although some of them seemed to be a little preliminary from today’s point of view, this web is still a good starting point to know about online language teaching both theoretically and practically.
Webography 3
http://llt.msu.edu/vol3num1/hoven/index.htmlThis article entitled A Model for Listening and Viewing Comprehension in Multimedia Environments was published on Language Learning and Technology journal (Vol. 3, No. 1, July 1999, pp. 88-103) and is free to access on the web. The writer, Debra Hoven, has a strong research interest in learner-centered CALL, learning styles and strategies, particularly in multimedia language learning applications, innovative teaching practices, collaborative and cooperative learning. This article proposes an instructional design model for multimedia Computer-Enhanced Language Learning (CELL) in a self-access environment for second language learning through listening and viewing comprehension. The paper also provides some basic theories about the complexities of listening and viewing and characteristics of self-directed and autonomous learning. This article is useful for some beginners who want to integrate multimedia technologies into language classroom. It may be new for the writer to consider a lot about the motivations of learners and build up her model on the learner-centered theories.
Webography 4
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/curriculum_literacy/tree/speaklisten/ This web is specially designed for adult learners who want to improve their skills in speaking and listening in their workplace. This web is built on the belief that “Many adults will not have received explicit teaching in speaking and listening before. But they will have a lot of implicit knowledge and experience - in some cases in quite specialized fields. Improving skills in speaking and listening can be about getting better at what you do, and also learning to extend what you do to other contexts”. There are 15 curriculum designs divided into 3 subsections for the adults who may have no time to attend real classes but have strong motivation to improve their working skills in listening and speaking. The three subsections are Listen and Respond, Speak to Communicate and Engage in Discussion. Every curriculum provides several Entries with course objectives and sample activities. The potential users may get into one of the activities and follow the sample activities easily without username, passwords and pay. It is useful for those strongly motivated learners who can find other partners to finish those courses. Language teacher may also learn from those carefully designed sample activities into their own curriculum designs.
Webography 5
http://www.educause.edu/apps/eq/eqm06/eqm0644.aspThis web is an article entitled “The Future of Online Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: The Survey Says...” It was published on Volume 29, Number 4, 2006 of the journal of EQ (Educause Quarterly) by Kyong-Jee Kim (Senior Instructional Designer, Center for Academic Excellence, at Portland State University) and Professor Curtis J. Bonk (Department of Instructional Systems Technology, in the School of Education at Indiana University). This article is a survey study with statistical data from instructors and administrators in postsecondary institutions, mainly in the United States, to explore future trends of online education. In particular, the study makes predictions regarding the changing roles of online instructors, student expectations and needs related to online learning, pedagogical innovation, and projected technology use in online teaching and learning. More importantly, there are many useful links in the following references to other free online resources that are related to this topic. It is very convenient for the readers to find more about what they want. Besides, EQ is a good website to find some useful resources about education and technology.
Webography 6
http://www.iatefl.org.pl/call/j_article26.htm#article1This is the official website of the journal of Teaching English with Technology which is hosted by the computer special interest group for IATEFL (International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language) Poland. There are two journal articles on this web published Vol. 6, Issue 4 (November 2006): “Utopia or Chaos? The Impact of Technology on Language Teaching.” and “Guidelines for Internet-based Teaching.” In the first survey study, the writer admit that the Internet has become a conduit where people can learn, share, and collaborate in ways not possible years before. But he also points that it is harmful to make the assumption that students know what they are doing because there is a huge difference between computer know-how and critical thinking. He also warns that if teachers focus on simple basic ideas as presented in this article, our new, refocused approach to teaching will propel us a long way to making technology and the Internet a more rewarding partner in the teaching and learning process. The second article provides some guidelines for online teaching which are worth reading and considering. I think both articles illustrate the latest reflections about online teaching, especially breaking some mischievous believes about online teaching.
Webography 7
http://e-flt.nus.edu.sg/v2n12005/wong.pdf
This is a journal article entitled “English Listening Courses: A Case of Pedagogy Lagging behind” in the Technology Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching written by John Wong from City University of Hong Kong in 2005. The writer argues that web is mature and perfect medium to be an alternative mode for listening instruction in an autonomous way. It discusses issues that make teachers lag behind the advances in web technologies which actually can be integrated into the teaching of listening. Some approaches to encourage teachers and learners to use web technologies to teach and learn listening are also provided. It may be sound to believe that some professors in universities are not convinced by the effectiveness of web in listening instruction and the high cost and effort involved in the development of web listening courses.

Comment on "Distractions in the Wireless Classroom"

I am lucky that only a few students can afford laptops and wireless system is not available in any classroom in our university. So I don’t have to warn my students to shut off their laptops. However, the continuous sound of IM is really a headache for me. To be frank, I can not control IM and there is no rule for me to follow when students check and send IM in class. The only way I can do is to try my best to attract their attention to my lectures.
But when I am on the supervisor duty to help students to study online course in the computer lab, I do come across all the problems mentioned in the article. It seems to be a habit to surf on the internet with QQ for Chinese students. We try to stop them when we find they are chatting on QQ, but completely failed. Even the top students always challenge teachers’ attention to find a single chance to chat with their friends about some trivial on QQ. The final solution is that we cut off the internet signal and only provide our students with intranet information when studying online English course in the computer lab. I agree that appropriate use of IT should be a very important lesson for our students in the future. To quote an old saying, students should be the master of technology rather than the slave of it. To adapt to IT does not necessarily mean that we have to do everything the technology facilitates. We should be selective in terms of what IT should be utilized, how to make them to facilitate our learning and teaching and when to make use of them.

Webography 1

http://www.educ.ttu.edu/edit/resources/ejournals.htm
This website provides the URL links to some free online journal about Instructional Technology. It could be your guide to Educational Technology Journals on the Web. I hope our classmates could find some useful information here.

week 3 assignemnt

Country: Singapore
1. Values given to education and IT:
“Education is about opening doors for our children, and giving them hope and opportunities. It is more than filling a vessel with knowledge - it is to light a fire in our young people.”
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, 12 August 2004
( http://www.moe.gov.sg/corporate/edu_info_booklet/pdf/edu-booklet-english.pdf )
“An educated person is one responsible to himself, his family, and his friends.” /“An educated person is also someone who is responsible to his community and country.”
( http://www.moe.gov.sg/corporate/desired_outcomes.htm )
Under the Masterplans for IT in Education, schools are empowered to experiment, contextualise and integrate the use of IT to enhance school processes. IT planning helps to leverage on IT as a tool to enhance teaching and learning processes to meet the needs and abilities of pupils. (http://www.moe.gov.sg/edumall/tpm/doc/Technology_Planning_Guide.pdf )

2. Roles of teachers:
The role of the teacher is crucial in our efforts to develop an innovative and creative mindset in our young. As teachers, you hold the important responsibility of encouraging your pupils to be more innovative. As teachers, you must question accepted techniques, and see if there is a better way of achieving your objectives. As teachers you could also exercise initiative in customising the curriculum and method of instruction to fit the unique profile and learning styles of your pupils, so long as you work towards MOE's broad policy goals.
( http://www.moe.gov.sg/speeches/2001/sp29092001.htm )
The teachers are able to design and conduct engaging lessons and stimulating activities for their pupils.
( http://www.moe.gov.sg/parliamentary_replies/2007/pq20070124.htm#Pre-school%20Education )

3. Roles of students:
We want to nurture young Singaporeans who ask questions and look for answers, and who are willing to think in new ways, solve new problems and create new opportunities for the future. And, equally important, we want to help our young to build up a set of sound values so that they have the strength of character and resilience to deal with life’s inevitable setbacks without being unduly discouraged, and so that they have the willingness to work hard to achieve their dreams.
( http://www.moe.gov.sg/corporate/edu_info_booklet/pdf/edu-booklet-english.pdf )

4. Roles of language and language learning:
There should be a balance between EL and MTL. Our fundamental premise as we go forward is that we need varied approaches to implementing bilingualism. We must look, first and foremost, at the needs of our students, assess what it is that would benefit them, and give them choices.
We have to keep our EL capability because it is, together with our MTLs, a source of real advantage to us as a global city in Asia. We have to keep nurturing enough Singaporeans in each generation with a flair for the language, and give the majority of students a good, working competence in the English language.
( http://www.moe.gov.sg/speeches/2004/sp20041126.htm )

By Dong Hongliang, Han Wei, Yang Xiaobin

Comment on Gates

Similarities:
1. Network is popular. Teacher can communicate with teachers and students online.
2. Most classrooms are equippd with internet comupters with multimedia technologies.
3. Teachers remain important.
4. Mutlimedia technologies become necessary and important tools for teaching and learning.

Differences:
1. Communication between teachers and students or teachers and parents via internet doesn't become more frequent than before.
2. Students can access a wealth of information, but not so efficiently and strategically.
3. Digital White Board doesn't replace blackboard.
4. Information Highway is not fast enough for transmitting live classroom teaching.