Week 8- Phew!!!

This week has come to an end... I must admit it was exhausting, at least for me... We had to submit our first project draft, create a teaching resource and...attend a webinar about ANVILL. The last one is what I enjoyed the most! Apart from getting to meet its developer, Jeff Magoto, I had the chance to see how it works, as well be in "class" with teachers from all over the world. It was a unique experience. Unfortunately, I didn't have the chance to create a tool based on the resources we were provided with, but it is my intention to "delicious" them and start using them as soon as possible. I mostly prefer the sites which allow you to make exercises which can be printed and used in the class, as I am afraid that I won't have always Internet access.
 Since you seem to like the aricles I upload, I must "reveal" my source: http://www.scoop.it/t/learning-technology. It's a summary of articles concerning teaching with technology, re-uploaded by Nik Peachy. It's a great site and I suggest you "follow" it.
 Well, I guess we must rest a bit... Week 9 will be (as it is actually the end) the hardest and most demanding one!
  Bye for now...

Week 8- Something for you...

This is a "full" week... I must finish my project draft by midnight Oregon time and I am so worried about the outcome... But...among all this, I've read a very interesting article for teachers which is closely related to what we are doing in this course! I thought that you would like it as well. So, here it is! Enjoy!
http://www.teachhub.com/teacher-reflections

Week 7- Bye-bye

This week has made me really happy as it has shown to me (once more) that teachers cannot be substituted. They are, and always be, responsible for a child's learning. What I WILL definitely remember from this week's readings is the fact that learner autonomy goes hand-in-hand with teacher autonomy. So, we, teachers NEED to change our course of teaching so as to autonomize our learners. It may be hard but it's certainly worth the effort as it will produce the best for us (professional development) and our students (taking on a more active role in their education).
 I, also, enjoyed reading the ideas provided by my colleagues for a one-computer classroom. Since funds are really low in Greece nowadays, I believe I can still work miracles! I, also, "remembered" the idea of "learning stations" (I got familiar with it in another course with UMBC) and I find it a great tool to promote learner autonomy. My only wish: my OWN classroom where I would have my computer, my projector and my learning station...
 Next week will be really difficult as I have to a lot of work with my draft... Let's hope for the best.
I would like to finish my post with a great video about "learning stations" ("literacy centers" here). Feel free to get and implement some of its great suggestions!

Week 7- Autonomy:a student's/teacher's need

This week has been really difficult for me (for personal reasons) that's why I am late in posting my first comment. Anyway! Here I am now, ready to "think" of what I have done so far!

 Week 7 has proved really fruitful in terms of reading, discussions and "homework" (athough mine is not completed yet!). Today I would like to comment on Sheu's article (http://coyote.miyazaki-mu.ac.jp/learnerdev/LLE/8.1/sheuE.html). To begin with, learning autonomy of learner or teacher depends more on the teaching system as a whole rather than on an individual teaching situation in terms of readiness and practicability. I couldn't find better words to describe the existing situation in Greece. The Greek Ministry of Education has provided us teachers of English with coursebooks which have to be finished (at least 80% of them) by the end of the school year, leaving us no "room" to move freely. Sheu, also, refers to the compulsive situation with examinations in order to get a certificate of English which has made every learner of English gasp for breath. Learners see English as something coercive, as a means to an end: a certificate. Teachers, on the other hand, are pressed for good results as this will give them and the institution they work at extra "respect" and prestige, and more and more "clients" will keep coming. This ends in a vicious circle: Nobody sees the "magic" of learning a foreign language, which implies learning a new civilization, listening to a foreign accent etc. Both students and teachers work towards this end... That's why autonomy is desirable and necessary. Learners need to be taught how to work alone, how to do research. They need to be aware of their leaning styles and weaknesses, so as to improve them and learn faster and more efficiently.  However, teachers (including myself) do not fear: "...learner autonomy does not mean that the teacher becomes redundant, abdicating his/her control over what is transpiring in the language learning process" (Thanasoulas, http://iteslj.org/Articles/Thanasoulas-Autonomy.html).  The teacher's role gains even more importance, as it is s/he who will lead the learner towards autonomy. It is the teacher first who must become autonomous in order to facilitate his/her learners "autonomization". 

 Autonomy is an ongoing process. We are not born with it but rather learn how to achieve it. Teachers have to abdicate the role of the simple instructor and adopt that of the facilitator. This does not mean in any way that they become redundant. On the contrary, their role becomes more important in the learning process. Times change. Why should we stay still??    

Week 6- Time to...breathe!!

I must admit that this week has been really stressful for me in terms of reading (there were so many different websites and each one of them had different "branches" that I was lost on the way!!) and in therms of "homework" as I had never created an interactive PPT before. However, after watching the tutorial video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgPO-agnnMk) and did some reading I managed to create something which I really enjoyed and I guess my students would feel the same!
 As for the dicussion on Nicenet, I couldn't but feel amazed at how often my e-classmates use the PPT to either instruct, or revise or interact with their students. I guess I must start using my knowledge on technological tools a bit more often. My only obstacle: not all schools and classrooms are equipped with even the necessary: a projector and a computer. So, it all boils down to where I will be teaching next year to see what I will be able to use!! I will just go on grabbing any opportunity I have in order to learn, to advance professionally and to improve my teaching!

Week 6- OMG!!!

I still can't fully realize the amount and the wealth of information which exists in this week. I must "delicious" so many interesting and helpful websites... So, Interactive PPTs for this week... Another way to keep your students' eyes and ears on you and your topic. As I've already said in one of my comments to a blog, I don't know whether a class with 25 students (the maximum) can be considered as "large". "Large classes" brings to my mind University lectures... Still, I enjoyed and found particularly useful the Additional resources on teaching large classes, namely the summary of 36 formats (http://www.thiagi.com/interactive-lectures.html) and how to give interactive lectures (http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/interactive/howto.html). Great tips... The second website offers a very good definition of the term "interactive lecture" as well: "Interactive lectures are classes in which the instructor incorporates engagement triggers and breaks the lecture at least once per class to have students participate in an activity that lets them work directly with the material. The engagement triggers capture and maintain student attention and the interactive lecture techniques allow students to apply what they have learned or give them a context for upcoming lecture material". 

Now comes the challenge for me... I've NEVER created an interactive PPT... And that's why I am late in uploading it... I am reading how to do it step by step and I hope I will have mede it by tomorrow... Until then... well, good luck!!!

Week 5- To conclude...

Here's the end of week 5... For me, it was quite stressful as new tools have appeared and explained to us. Creating a rubric was easy after all, but at the beginning I couldn't NOT panic as it was my first one and I didn't really know what to assess.
 As for the Webquest, I must admit that I haven't been a good student as I haven't created one, yet... You see, I want to think of an interesting and motivating topic for my students and since I am on maternity leaveI cannot just got to school and ask them!! Anyway! I am sure I will come up with something really interesting!
I must admit that no matter how "terrified" I am for the coming weeks, I can't wait to see what's next for us!!
  To conclude this weeks' posts, I would like to wish to all mothers of this course....
                 HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!
This video is dedicated to us... It's a funny song, but summarizes a mum's life!! (By the way, I am a proud mother of 3 lovely kids!!!)   Enjoy!!!