Week9: Let's Make a Difference!

Hello friends,

This week has brought us almost close to submission segment of our project work.

I will not call it the end but a fresh new start because my previously handled techniques are definitely going to be enriched by the precious knowledge i received during this course. Last two weeks i remained engaged working on the project plan and submitted it today.

What i learnt out of project plan is not limited to this course. A good planning may take sometime but it helps us reaching the desired results. Sometimes we end up giving more tries saying, 'it wont make much difference.' but actually its all these small differences that makes a big difference in the end.

In last discussions I observed that many English teachers have expressed the limitations of proper hardware availability. Most of us have one or the other issue related to hardware, be it one computer, no computer lab, no internet, large class, lack of internet connection, and many.

I would like to share an experience here. The management at our campus decided to develop a customized interactive application 'Zoomi' and make it available on windows, mac, java, and android platforms. We suggested the students to use it last year but it did not work the way it was expected due to varied hardwares. Hence recently, we provided android (4.0.3. ICS) based tablets to all students with 'zoomi' application preinstalled.

On 'zoomi' the registered students can interact with faculty members on messenger, send them mails, can download notes and reference material, view notices, notifications, and results. They can also view the list of recommended educative android based applications and download them. Just to name a few there are dictionaries, pronunciation dictionaries, tongue twisters, language learning games, puzzles, quizzes, Oxford audio podcasts and much more.

I have been a part of the think-tank in our campus and we have witnessed a change among the students. They are more confident, happier, and have started learning on their own. Due to large classrooms and inadequate time, they could not previously take part in to discussions at al.

Secondly, with the help of my learning from this course,  I started an online class on facebook network. It is a very small group of 12 students as it is a pilot plan now. They are also the part of nicenet class now. I aim at working on limitations during this pilot plan. Once it is done, I wish to apply it to 'Zoomi' also where all 5000 students will be the part.

Learning through technology definitely brings more freedom, confidence, and customized preferences for the students. I look forward to one step ahead of starting an international class by all of us introducing atleast two students from our sides. That i think will be the real online teaching experience. What do you say?

Regards,

Tushar

Week 8: Views before reviews on Project Plan

Hello Dear friends,

The last weekend was little bit upset with shut down of Nicenet classroom but back up plan B helped us at the crucial time. It establishes the fact that technology can make wonders but it also has limitations. A good teacher should not make complaints about it but be ready with a back up plan to over come technological limitations. Robert proved it.

I found project planning quite interesting and has submitted for review. I also have tried to create my website . It was quite easy to do that but i wish to learn more about it. I wish i knew something about html coding. But i am happy that i started now i will make sure i keep moving.

We are coming close to the submission time and i try to recall the learnt tools and techniques. Oh.. a long list; nicenet, blogger, jupiter, wiki, wallwisher, popplet, vocaroo, hangman, webquest, google drive, and still more to add.

I believe that we should keep it in practice otherwise the thrill we feel today  will vanish soon with lapse of memory. Hence i have kept my virtual classroom ready and the plan up to date to implement once the college reopens. I have however shared it with my students and they have not only liked but have welcomed it so much that they are eagerly waiting for it to start. I wish to orient them about this virtual experience in the real classroom first si that they have a better hand on it.

I am glad i have learnt a big bunch of learning and teaching techniques.

Regards,
Tushar

Week 7: Time to recollect ideas!

Dear friends,

A true teacher is a student for life time!!

While doing my schooling, graduation, and post graduation under quite unfavourable study conditions, I always used to complain to my parents about disastrous situation in the field of education. My father, a vernacular language teacher, used to say, "thats why you should work hard, be a commited teacher and change it what you dont like now."

It gave me a spark and I decided to bring the CHANGE!!

I keep learning new things and immediately implement put them in practice otherwise chances of missing it remains quite high. Thanks to University of Oregon for extending this scholarship which has opened up new avenues for exploring new teahing tools and multiplying the benefit by expanding it to the students.

It hurts so much when no student in the class of 180 raises hand on being asked, "Who wants to be a teacher?"

I am not much aware about the world but in my setup teacher is no more idealised. Why its always a doctor, engineer, chartered accountant, and not a professor? Other professions may earn you better money but can they provide directions to innocent minds? can they build the foundation of the nation? I doubt. I wish your responses here.

Week 7: Recollection of Rare Rubrics!!

This week, i spent most of the time pondering over the treasure of learning received all these seven weeks. Acquaintance of Wallwisher turned out to be a blessing in disguise. There was a rich discussion on how a single computer can be used effectively in a large class. Number of games and quiz from hangman, manythings, monopoly etc were discussed as quite impressive tools.

The discussion on "the autonomy of a learner" was flooded on classrooms wall at wallwisher. Saffa, Csilla, Robert, and Tania gave very impressive suggestions in the development of discussion thread.

A true pressure has started building up with development of project planning now because students are not available due to Diwali vacation, India's biggest festival of the year. However i am contacting and bringing students from social community sites to a common place where i can try my project plan. I am sure something better will come out from this challenging situation.

My Warm greetings to all class-friends on the festive season of Diwali!!!

 

Thanks & Regards,
Tushar

 

Week 6: HAPPY DIWALI

A very very Happy Diwali to all dear friends!!!

May this Festival of light and colors bring lots of happiness and prosperity to your lives!

Week 6: Entering the third level of our project, EXECUTION!!

This week turned out to be more challenging than before as it was all about rearranging the previously done mindstorming and trying it. We at Ahmedabad, India had exams last week and now celebrating biggest festival of the year, DIWALI- A new year.

No students, no teaching made it quite tough for me to execute my project plan on the students but i found it more interesting. i gathered all my students from facebook and started involving them in my work. By doing survey of my students about their proficiency of English language, i found a sharper directin to move towards my project work.

Survey Monkey became a great source to collect responses from them and then Wikispace became a meeting place. To be true, i developed each step keeping in mind responses of the students. I am happy that my students found it very interesting and they are motivated towards self learning (task-based). The best par of learning for them was more visual education through videos and presentation. I introduced to them to my webquest on zunal and they liked it very much. Its a good learning for me as well. The only trouble i face was that zunal doesnt permit us to open a new webquest, and surveymonkey doesnt allow us to putin more than ten questions in single survey. I would be happy to get advices on whichare the authentic teaching resources with unlimited scope of execution.

Powerpoint, though it appears to be simple tool, is a very effective and a smart tool of teaching. I have been using it since quite long but this time i added more hyperlinks, videos, pictures, sound, and maded it a self-sufficient, self-explanatory tool to study simple present tense. I took students' feedback on it. Vernacular students who have problems with basic english grammar found it very useful....

Regards,
Tushar Raval
India

Week 5: Don't just let it happen; make it happen!!

Hello Friends,

'Sandy strikes United States' was the most painful thing to happen this week. I have my relatives there though unafffected. A true teacher is a global citizen and i have equal pain for those who lost their lives, houses, and are affected.

Fifth Week of the course has brought another awakening towards the unexplored side of knowledge.
Another tightly associated programme with the previous week.

This week i enjoyed working out the technology based solution to my project issue.
Robert has been a great help at every move. Jenine's arrival to the discussion room added a valuable insight. Her advice of using wikispace turned out tobe a a great help in taking technological help in PBL.

PBL concept gave a concrete shape to what we had just been discussing so far. I tried creating my web-class on zunal. I am still working on it and will possibly use it in my final project.

Regards,
Tushar
India