Web Skills Course Week 4
AGENDA
1. Task: Technology Enhanced Lesson Plan
2. Discussion: Reading,Writing and Vocabulary Skills
3. Project Step 3: Class Issues,Needs or Problems
I visited
e-how.com
for instructions as to how to write a
Technology Enhanced Lesson Plan(TELP)
Technology Enhanced Lesson Plan and learnt the essentials of writing a TELP.
Next I visited Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Instructional Technology to view some Sample Lesson Plans
In
the light of these two sources I wrote my own lesson plan to be implemented in
my class at Govt. Degree College (Boys) Havelian. The title of the Lesson Plan
is Rustam's Technology Enhanced Lesson Plan
Template
of this lesson plan is a bit different from the traditional one we are used to.
A traditional Plan has the format of 4Ps: Preparation, Presentation, Practice
and Production.
Since
technology has been introduced into TELP (Technology Enhanced Lesson Plan), it
presents a slightly different look. Still, we can see much similarity to the
traditional one.
Articles on CALL
We can use computers to enhance ways to teach reading and
writing. For this week I read the following two articles about
using CALL in writing and reading
activities.
Multi-Skill Websites
I then visited the following
websites. Each website contains useful WebPages detailing the activities to use
CALL Tools in teaching reading, writing and other language skills. Here is the
list of multi-skill websites that I explored as an assignment for Week 4 of Web
Skills Course:
One thing that needs to be taken account of is that all the
activities cannot be introduced in all the contexts. The teacher needs to be selective
keeping in view his/her teaching setting. Also we can’t rely only on technology
to teach language skills. Technology should be used as an aid or at the most it
may be integrated into usual classroom teaching. In my particular setting I use
technology only once or twice in a fortnight just to pique students’ interest.
There are many problems attended upon technology.
Project Step # 3: Class issue, need, or problem
For this thread we were required
to briefly describe the class we are teaching and then discuss some of the
problems we are facing in our classrooms. I read NiceNet posts of some of my course
mates and was surprised to see that they were afflicted with the same problems
as was I. In a post on the NiceNet I discussed some of my classroom issues. As
a wrap-up I decided to focus on three major issues which are:
(a) Poor reading and writing
skills (I don't mention listening and speaking because we don't teach them and
Education Board doesn't asses them).
(b) An apathy towards English
Language Learning
(c) Low motivation on the part
of students.
For this course I plan to
specifically focus on the development of writing skills. As for low motivation
and apathy to English Language Learning, these can be addressed through the use
of technology. I hope when technology will be brought to the classroom
frequently, students will be attracted to language learning. The use of
technology will boost their morale.
I am happy with the smooth progress
of the course. All the course mates are cooperative. Some have expertise in
CALL. I am privileged to be part of this highly learned community. I couldn’t
continue my academic studies after matriculation as a regular student in a
college or university. I did my masters in English literature as a private
candidate. There are many learning gaps that I am trying to bridge with more
hard work. I am lucky to be on this prestigious course where I am doing peer
learning along with facilitator’s well thought teaching plan. Technology interests
me much. I know I can motivate my students back into the classroom with
technology. 21st century learners are more technology savvy than my
generation. I know I can’t turn my classrooms fully technology dependent but I
am sure that I can, as a bare minimum, integrate technology as a useful aid in
our pedagogy.
Stay connected to my
Reflections. I’ll be returning soon with fresh dispersed meditations.
Rustam
