SmartBuilder

Hi guys...

Today I will talk about another software and this software is another software that is really suitable for teachers to make their class interesting, especially for elementary school students.

Okay guys, the software I'm talking about is SmartBuilder. As usual, if any of you do not know what it is, let me explain it to you.

SmartBuilder or SB is a tool where you can create a course ware. It is also suitable if you want to create slide for your presentation. However, it might be complicated and time consuming. So, if you are not good with time management, you better stick to Power Point.

By the way, this is my group first ever course ware.

https://lrs.smartbuilder.com/lrs/lesson/858504342/index.htm

Design With Canva

Salute guys...

Do you guys know or ever heard about Canva? I just learnt about this in class and I was like, WOW. How come I never heard about this before? It is very interesting, easy to use but unfortunately, you need to purchase some of the items.

By the way, let me tell you more about Canva. Basically, Canva is like designing tools where you can design things like a Facebook cover photo, Twitter header,  and maybe your blog background. 

So, if you like designing or maybe you need to design something for whatever it is, I think Canva can help you. Maybe not much but trust me it is helpful.

Okay, enough about Canva. Now let me show you what I have designed using Canva. Oh, I'm not really creative when it comes to designing. So, whatever you see below might not impress you.

So, what do you guys think about it?

Educational Video Maker (Powtoons)

Salute everyone.

For this entry, I will tell about Powtoon. So, if any of you doesn't know what Powtoon is, let me explain it to you in the simplest way. 

Ok guys, basically Powtoon is a software that enables you to create an animated video so that you will look extra professional. Truth be told, it can be complicated for first-timer but don't worry it won't take much time for you to be good at using Powtoon.

If I'm not mistaken, there's an advertisement on the television that uses Powtoon. The advertisement was an explanation about 'hak milik strata'.Try to watch the advertisement and you will get the idea about what Powtoon is.

So guys, why not next time for your presentation, instead of using Power Point, why don't you use Powtoon as your material. And if you're a practicum teacher, you can use this too. I believe your supervisor and mentor will be more than just impress.

By the way, my friends and I need to create our own Powtoon. So, for this assignment, we decided to create a Powtoon titled 'How to Save Money'.

Enjoy, HAHAHA 😅😅

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLYjEa-vtJg

Podcasting and Digital Storytelling

Salute everyone.

So, today we will be discussing about podcast and digital storytelling. I bet most of you are familiar with  podcast especially if you are Spotify user.

For those who don't, I hope my little explanation can help you improve your understanding about podcast.

So, let's start.

Basically, a podcast is audio and/or video file, broadcast via internet and can be downloaded to a mobile device or computer.

Best thing is, you can create your own podcast. Yes, you can. So, let's talk about steps to have your own podcast.

First, tools for podcasting. Here, you need three things. An audio or recording tools, online voice recorder, smartphone.

Second, we need audio editing tools such as Audacity. Also, you can use any audio editing tools available on the internet. Just Google it.

Then, you can upload your podcast to channel like Youtube, Soundcloud, and iTunes.

For your information, a podcast can be storytelling, audiobooks, it can be a topic about anything even comedy. Maybe most of us are familiar with music podcast.

So here's my podcast; a little bit about myself.

https://soundcloud.com/iqhwan-azhary/podcast

Instructional Courseware Design

Salute everyone. What's up?

So, today's entry will be discussing about Instructional Courseware Design. In a simple words, it is something that we need to design when we create a software. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

To begin with, it consist of three things. First, the needs of the learner. Second, achieving the learner objectives and third, creating some intervention to strive the goals or objectives.

It also includes two learning theories; Behaviorist and Constructivist Learning Theory.

Behaviorist learning theory is human reaction to a situation according to his sense.

Constructivist learning theory means how people learn and gain knowledge and it has direct application to education.

Let's discuss about what is instructional design as a whole? It is kind of similar with the lesson plan made by teachers except instructional design courseware made automatically by computer.

ISD involves creation of syllabus, planning of lesson, material selection and adaptation and planning of implementation and intervention.

So basically, ISD is made automatically by the technology of computers. It is also not a complete replacement of a lesson but only as a support. 

No, that's not a touchscreen computer. That was the picture when PLATO was introduced for the first time for the Science studies.

By the way, PLATO stands for Programmed Logic for Automated Teaching Operations. Not to forget, it was also expensive. 

Do guys know anything about ADDIE? Well, ADDIE is not a name of a person. So, what is ADDIE?

Well, it stands for Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation. See?

Now, let me explain more. ADDIE is the processes of a framework for the development of the project. Remember, it's not a person but a process.

Now let's see what does every letter of the word ADDIE means. Let's start with A.

A stands for analysis. Analyse who are the learners, what is the desired behavior of achievement, what are the delivery options.

D stands for design. Well, just like the index in a textbook except this one you just need to click to access the content instead of looking for a particular page.

Another D stands for development. Developers create content based on the blueprint. 

I is implementation and it trains learners and facilitators using the courseware.

E stands for evaluate which means evaluating the impact of the course ware. Evaluation can be done in two ways, Formative and Summative Evaluation. Formative means evaluate from the aspects such as effectiveness, usefulness and relevancy. Summative means evaluate as a whole. Can it be continued? Can it be modified?

Well, I guess that's for now. 

See you next time. 😪

Computer Mediated Communication

Topic: Computer Mediated Communication

Salute everyone.

Another entry means another topic. So, today we are going to cover about Computer Mediated Communication.

WHAT IS CMC

Any form of communication or interaction between two or more people through different computers and of course, with internet connection is called Computer Mediated Communication or CMC. In other words, any communication mediated through a computer is called CMC. Nowadays, we use a lot of CMC in our daily life such as, Facebook, WhatsApp and Skype.

CMC IN EDUCATION

It started in 1980s and 1990s with the introduction of Communicative CALL. It then became widespread with the use of Email and Forums. In the mid of the 90s, Internet Chat Rooms allowed direct communications and today, CMC has implemented for a long-distance teaching and learning which is a very beneficial for the human race. Today, there's a lot of e-tutoring through forums and video conferencing.

ASYNCHRONOUS CMC

Asynchronous CMC is a communication that is not synchronised which means messages are not expected to be replied immidiately. E-mails, and most social media are forms of asynchronous CMC.

SYNCHRONOUS CMC

If messages can be exchanged and replied immediately, it means the communication between the participants is synchronized and it is called synchronous CMC. Synchronous CMC allows for direct communication and most of internet chat rooms, messenger or audio/video conferencing are examples of synchronous CMC.

CMC & LONG DISTANCE LEARNING

CMC was applied for distance learning during the late 2000 where teacher and learner are no longer have to be at the same location to start their teaching and learning session. Since that, e-lectures has become popular and a lot of short courses are also available over the internet.

COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

It is a system where computers work as a helper for the learner and also an enhancer for peer interaction and group work. Google Doc, Google Drive and Blogs are the example of collaborative learning. Interestingly, collaborative learning is not just focusing on discussions but it also includes things like problem solving and collaborative production of works.

AUTHENTIC COMMUNICATION

CMC offers easy access for learners to communicate with other learners as well as native speakers. The best part is, context and material of communication is not simulated which means it is authentic.

Well, I hope now we all know what is CMC and if you notice nowadays there's a lot of social media can work as a CMC. So, why don't we use them as a tool for education but remember what we talk in our first topic? Too much of everything is not good.

So, if you think you want to use social media or maybe GMail as your part of your teaching process, feel free to do so but make sure you know when to stop.

See you next time.

Search Engines & Online Database

Salute guys.

Since we are on the internet I would like to ask you about what do you know about Search Engines & Online Database.

Well, that will be our topic for this entry.

To begin with, I think most of us know what search engines is even without looking for its definition. Just by the word ‘search’ we automatically relate it with Google, right? So yeah, Google is one of the best search engines today, if not the best and to illustrate how great Google is as a search engine, nowadays people don’t ‘search’ for things on the internet but they just ‘Google’ it.

Now let’s go deeper.

There are four parts of a search engines. Database, Web-crawlers, User Interface, and Information Retrieval Information System.

Database is a storage where all information are stored. Bigger database means bigger storage.

Next, Web-Crawlers. By looking at its name, we can already know its function. Web-Crawlers works like a spider; they crawl around the webpage and they collect information like keywords, titles and access frequency.

User Interface is a site where users enter a keyword and search result will be presented.

Information Retrieval System is a system that match users' query with information found in database. Any results found are sort by relevancy.

Not to forget there are also things like Specialized Search Engines and Meta Search Engine on the internet

Specialized search engines means the search engine is use to do search on a specific area and its database only contains information that are relevant. Example of specialized search engines are Google Scholar, Education World, Art Encyclopedia and Pipl.com.

It is a search engine that matches users' query with multiple search engines. MetaCrawler, SavvySearch, and Dogpile are the examples of Meta Search Engine.

Now we know several things about the web and I believe after this we will have a better usage of the web. Instead of depending on Google to find something for us, we also can use things like specialized search engines and Meta search engine in the future as long as we have internet connection because no matter how much we know about the web, without internet connection it means nothing.

I guess that's it for today. I hope we all are not misusing the internet.

See you next time.

Evolution of CALL

Salute everyone.

We meet again and this time I will tell you about another topic which we have covered and it is about Evolution of CALL. Yeah, you read it right. Just like us human, CALL also has its own version of evolution.

So, let’s start.

First thing first, there are three different types of progression of CALL; Behaviouristic CALL, Communicative CALL, Integrated CALL.

Let’s start with behaviouristic CALL. It was first developed in 1960s based on behaviourist learning theory. Also, it was primarily used for Audio-Lingual method. At that time, computer was seen as the ultimate teachers' aid as it has a perfect pronunciation and can work tirelessly. The aim for Behaviouristic CALL was to transfer textbook and worksheets to computer based application.

Even it brings a lot of advantages to its user, it also received criticism from the experts. To begin with, one of its biggest advantages is the concept of repetition. This concept is one of the best learning concept and still used by students all around the world. Also, Behaviouristic CALL was also able to provide immediate feedback. Also, it allowed students to work at their own pace outside the classroom. One of the criticism that caught people attention is the theory of Behaviourist CALL was based on Operant Conditioning by B.F Skinner which was associated to the training of animals.

Now let’s talk about Communicative CALL. Communicative CALL came after Behaviouristic CALL and it was developed between 1970s and 1980s. One of its niche is it focused on the usage of language rather than perfect grammar. In addition, it allows students to to generate their own original utterance. This has created an environment where the usage of language became natural. At this stage, computer was not only seen as a machine but also as a tutor, stimulus and tool. Advantages of Communicative CALL are programs are often cheap. Not to forget, these programs are also widely available. Also, with this type of CALL, learning experiences become much more interesting and entertaining. Picture below is the example of Communicative CALL.

Last but not least, Integrated CALL. Basically, Integrated CALL is the integration of real-world into CALL. It then became popular with the development of internet. Internet has dominated the advances of CALL. Learners are no longer a recipients but also communicators and creators.

I think it is important for us to know what the critics say about each type of progression of CALL so that we know how to use it and how not to use it.

Well, that’s it for today. Now we know a little background about CALL and its evolution, why don’t you share it with your friend or maybe students? Why? Because why not?

See you next time and if you have any comments feel free to drop it.

Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL)

Hello everyone.

How are you guys doing? Today I will post something about CALL and it will be our first topic this blog. So, let’s start.

If you are a TESL student or if you have someone from your family who works as a teacher, I bet you are familiar with the term CALL. 

So, what is it actually?

CALL is a term referring to the area of technology & second language learning and teaching. You still don’t get it, right? No worries. Just continue reading. Basically, CALL involves material designs, technologies, pedagogical theories and modes of instruction.

Now, I will explain types of CALL. First thing first, there are four types of CALL; Call-Specific Software, Generic Software, Web-based Learning Programs and CMC.

CALL-Specific Software refers to the applications and programs designed specifically to facilitate language learning. It includes web based exercises, ELT-Software and games.

Do you guys ever heard about Pajama Sam? Seriously, no? Well, Pajama Sam is one of the example of CALL-Specific Software.

Generic Software refers to applications designed for general purpose but co-opted for language teaching and learning. This type of CALL includes MS-Word Processor, Power Point, E-Books, MS-Publisher.

I bet you guys are all familiar with Power Point, E-books and MS-Publisher, right? It’s just we don’t know that they are the examples of Generic Software.

Web-based Learning Programs refers to applications and stuff found on the internet and used as tools for language teaching and learning. It includes online dictionary, online encyclopaedias, magazine and news website, and blogs.

CMC or Computer Mediated Communication refers to the applications or websites designed to facilitate online communication. There are two types of CMC; Synchronous such as Instant Messaging and Asynchronous such as email and discussion forum.

So now we know there are four types of CALL and their examples. Do you think CALL is really necessary in today’s education world? Will it make the teaching process any easier?

Everything has its own pro and cons. Just like computers, there’s a lot of things a computer can do but that does not mean it only brings good things to us.

For example, a computer is definitely able to judge predetermined right-or-wrong answer but what it cannot do is judge unexpected input. Also, a computer is not able to provide individual feedback but interestingly a computer is still able to provide immediate feedback and suggestion.

Now, you decide. Is CALL really a good thing or not? Personally, I think CALL is a good thing for teaching and learning process but if we depend too much on it, that’s when it becomes a problem because no matter how good an invention might be, it will not bring us any good if we depend too much on it.

I guess that’s it for now. I hope you guys now have a better understanding about CALL and able to use it in your daily life especially if you are a TESL student.

See you next time.

Salute

Hi, Assalamualaikum.

My name is Iqhwan Azhary bin Badrul Hisham but you guys just can call me Botak. I am from Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. Currently I am doing my degree at Kolej Universiti Poly-Tech MARA in Applied English.

This blog is for one of my Semester 5 subjects; Internet Technologies for Language Learning. Hope you can find any beneficial and interesting things here and feel free to drop some comment.

I think that's it for now. 

Bye.