Week 3

Week3

 The use of Multimedia in English Teaching

The Definition of Multimedia

         Multimedia: the use of computers to present text, graphics, video, animation, and sound in an integrated way.

Component of Multimedia

         Multimedia is composed of various components: text, graphics, animation, sound, and video. These components can contribute differentially to the learning of material.

         Text. It is fundamental element in all multimedia applications. It convey most information. We can use ordinary text or various typographic effect for emphasis or clarification in English teaching.

         Graphics. It refer to images and pictures, such as chart, diagram, and photograph, which contain on movement.

          Animation. Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of image of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement.

          Sound. It is speech, music, or any other sound that is stored and produced by computers.

           Video. It is the visible part of a television transmission and broadcasts visual image of stationary or moving objects.

The Setting of Multimedia Classroom

           To ensure that reader can obtain a better understanding of multimedia English teaching, an illustration of a typical one-multimedia-PC classroom setting is vital and necessary.

1. MPC— multimedia personal computer
2. VCD/DVD player — video compound disk/digital video disk
3. Amplifier and Hi-Fi acoustic system
4. Overhead/ slide projector
5. Screen/curtain
6. Projecting apparatus
7. The Internet access
8. Cassette tape recorder
9. Camera recorder 

         The Necessity of Multimedia in English Teaching

The Necessity of Development of Modern Education Technology

          We can say that modern education technology must lead to development of multi-media teaching. Only multimedia teaching can develop and improve the modern education technology well.

The Need of Quality Education

         Multimedia English teaching provides a good educational platform and adds vigor for quality education, enabling students to change and update their thinking from the traditional teaching, thereby enhancing the quality of all aspects.

The Need of Students’ Cognitive Mental

        Cognitive psychology studies have shown that 94% of the information learned through the visual and auditory access, of which 88% is obtained through the vision 12% through hearing.

                 The Multimedia Teaching

Advantages

         Arousing the students’ interest. Multimedia is this kind of media which can show a variety of sounds, image, animation, and other effects, firmly grasping the student’s interest. It also can stimulate the students’ interest strong desire to study English actively.

         Improving students’ self-learning ability. The most important thing is teaching students how ti learn and making students change from “ want me to study “ to “ I want to learn “ in thinking, from passive learning to active learning. 

         Improving students’ innovative ability. Multi-media teaching can also develop student’s ability to innovate. In teaching, the teachers should pay attention to tap the imagination of students. To use multimedia can achieve the desired results and find unlimited resources in textbooks.

         Cultivating students’ communication skills. Chinese students learning English often lack a certain language environment and opportunities for practicing language, but the actual language teaching is often to focus only on words and sentence structures of learning, ignoring its specific application. We can create real-life scenes in the classroom. It is not only to shorten the distance between teaching and practice and give students the opportunity to use English to communicate.

Problem

            Multimedia breaks the original traditional model— “blackboard+chalk” model for us to create new modernized teaching methods to overcome the drawbacks of traditional teaching.

            Confusion. Some English classes are totally dependent on multi-media, ignoring the role of teachers.

             Performance on behalf of the lead. Students only pay attention to appreciating the picture, and do not pay attention to what they should really master in the classroom. 

             Lack of special skill. There are many multimedia teachers who just have half-baked knowledge. It is a challenge for teachers to use multimedia equipments sometime.

             Over-use of multimedia. They turn the multimedia classroom into a show stage and what they act in class is nothing but a new generation of button-pusher. Because of the teacher’s lack of enthusiasm and creation and his or her dependence on the multimedia technology, the teachers act as sole information-giver to the students.

             Lack of interaction between teachers and students. In the English class it is found the interaction and busy with machine operation—computer, DVD player, overhead projector, courseware—whic might even get the proficient teachers busy, let alone those unskilled. The teachers will pay much attention to machine rather than students.

              Strategies for Using Multimedia

Combining Modern Teaching Method With Traditional Teaching Methods 

               Teachers should combine their strong points with modern teaching methods, which not only raise classroom teaching quality and efficiency, but also improve teaching and learning environment between teachers and students.

Viewing Multimedia as the Assistance to Teaching

               That mean not every class need multimedia teaching. One important principle is: When simple is best, keep it simple. Therefore, multimedia can only be used as a supplement to classroom English teaching.

Strengthening Teacher Training 

               It is a challenge for teachers using multimedia because of heavy preparation work and increasing workload. In the light of the  problems the teachers should be trained with the use of modern equipment.

The Principles of Multimedia-Assisted Teaching

1.Scientific principles. Namely, courseware design cannot appear any error.

2.Subsidiary principles. We must always adhere to: Although multi-media teaching has many advantages, it is only a supplementary means, and does not substitute for the role of people.

3.Interactivity principle. More interactivity between teachers and students, students and multimedia, more effective results we will have.

4.Combination principle. Combine the advantages of modern teaching and the traditional teaching organically. 

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Week 2

Weblogs enhancing EFL students' English language learning

Abstract This study investigated the potential value of Weblog use on English language learning in the context of a university in Thailand. It examined students’ perception of and attitudes towards using Weblogs. A content analysis was used to analyses the data that derived from short questionnaires, interview questionnaires and student Blogs. Weblog as giving an opportunity and freedom for self-expression in English, writing for both a local and global audience, fostering creative, analytical and critical thinking skill. These findings suggest that Weblogs can provide learning motivation and opportunities for authorship and readership, as well as the development of writing and learning strategies, including critical thinking. 1.Introduction Three types of weblog used in the language classroom are the tutor Blog, the learner Blog, and the class Blog. Weblogs have been asserted to have potential values in English language education for several reason. Weblogs provide opportunities for real communication in an authentic learning environment. Weblogs raise an awareness of having an authorship and readership. Weblogs also offer an online alternative to learning logs. Weblog enhance student analytical and critical thinking skills. 2.The study 2.1 The setting and the participant The participants of this research were twenty undergraduate English major female students in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Science, Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University. Their ages ranged from 22to24 years and they were in the fifth-year of their studies. These students undertook eight semesters of coursework and two semesters of teaching practicum in secondary school. 2.2 Method The research was conducted in the second semester of academic year 2008. The students were enrolled in the Reading and Writing for Academic Purpose 2 course. This course aimed to enable students to develop reading skill in understand a variety of written texts including academic resources and develop thinking skills and skills in writing different genres of text. Short questionnaires which aimed to elicit students’ profile, experience of Internet and Weblog use, and perception of advantages and disadvantage of Weblogs were administered to the students prior to the requirement of Blogging. The students read academic texts in class and performed related activities including exercises, summarising, discussion. They were required to create individual Blogs using a popular, free and easy-to-use Weblog provider Blogger.

3.Findings

3.1 Extent of Knowledge and Experience with Weblogs

Many students commented that they gained extensive knowledge and experiences from Weblog use. For example, they had opportunities to create and decorate their Blogs, create and share their profiles, express their ideas, record their memories and experiences, and exchange idea and opinions.

3.2 Potential values of Weblogs

Weblogs as a medium of self expression online and a tool to enhance English language development. Weblogs offered opportunities for writing and reading practice and communication with other people. Some students claimed that by using Weblogs, they could write more freely. All students claimed that Weblogs enhanced their writing and reading skill, and vocabulary development. Weblogs increased motivation for and confidence in writing and learning English.

3.3 Student reactions to Weblog use

Weblogs provided another modern mode of communication. Most students indicated their intention to continue using Weblogs if they had time. Many students liked their free choice of topics in writing Weblogs. They commend that they could write more freely, without pressures and anxieties in the comparison with their classmates. They noted that writing under the topics set by the teacher might be uninteresting, less motivating and difficult.

3.4 The Blogs

In the first and seventh Blog entries the students recorded their teaching practicum experiences. In Blog entries 2,3,4,5,6,8 and 9, the students expressed their ideas and opinion about what they had read. They reflected on the benefit of the course, their attitudes and feeling towards the course and the instructor.

The students created their profile, published text messages, added comments, decorated the layouts, and added photos of themselves, their family and friends, and downloaded pictures from different websites.

4. Discussion and Conclusion

In conclusion, Weblogs can provide an exciting and motivating learning environment where students have a sense of ownership and readership. They can be used to enhance student analytical and critical thinking skills, created social interactions between students and the instructor, students and their peers, and students and a global audience. If used in English classes, the issue of students' free choices of topics for Blogging, plagiarism, and neglect of teacher correction and feedback should be taken into consideration.

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Week 1

Week 1

When I say about learning log, every one is well known. In my opinion learning log is diaries student keep that record their reflections about what they are learning. For this week I can learn many things from my teacher such as what is weblogs, acronyms word about computer and technology and different word between synchronous tools and asynchronous tools.

In my opinion wablogs is literally a log of the web a diary style site, in which the author links to other web pages he or she finds interesting using entries posted in reverse chonological or me I like weblogs so much because it can design or decorate my weblogs by myself.

I also learn about acronyms word about computer and technology. I'm interesting about that so much because it is new thing for me. In this week I learn about the acronyms such as IT (InformationTechnology), ICT Information and Communication Technology), CAI (Computer Assisted Instruction), CALL (Computer-Assisted Language Learning), CMC (Computer-Mediated Communication) so, it makes me more knowledge about this

And this week I learn about differrent words between synchonous tools and asynchronous tools. I think two words are different. Synchronous tools enable real-time communication and collaboration in a same time different place mode but asynchronous tools collaboration over a period of time through a different time different place

So, in this week I can learn about weblogs, acronyms word about computer and technology and different word between synchronous tools and asynchronous tools. It makes me more knowledge better than ever. I’m happy about this week because I can do everything and learn everything that I like.

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