12.04.2007
CALL Research Journal #9 - Magnificent Interconnected underground temples in Italy
This piece of news caught my eyes when I skimmed through a pile of old newspaper yesterday. Falco, a successful insurance broker, claims that he could see visions of a past life when he was a child. Since then, he made up his mind that he will recreate the visions one day. Falco's ambition doesn't wane with the time. He carefully picked a hillside in northen Italy where the rock is hard enough to support the underground construction he had in mind. With few friends sharing his vision, they started the project in sceret in 1978 and name it the "Temples of Damanhur". However, the Italian goverment found out what they were working on and threatened to blew it up if they don't reveal their secret. Falco and his friend had no choice but to bring the police officers down to the chambers buried 100ft underground. The police officers were astonished by the scale and rich ornate of the temples. They hardly believed that all these stunning constructions were built by only several people with hammers and picks!! The goverment finally decided to dub it "the Eighth Wonder of the World". I hope one day I can see the marvel with my own eyes. @o@
11.20.2007
CALL Research Journal Entry #8
Time flies. I hardly believe that it has been nearly three months since the beginning of this semester. Well, it might be a good time to examine what I’ve learned about CALL during this period. There are many dimensions that designers should take into consideration while designing CALL materials, such as learners’ individual differences, the goal of the course, the arrangement of syllabus, the applicable teaching methodologies and principles, available facilities and whether the design scheme at local level accords with wider environment. Using computer to assist teaching seems to be an unavoidable trend. This emerging field requires experts to cultivate and to make better integration between computer technology and pedagogy reality. Meanwhile, the drawbacks of computer technology shall be clearly identified before a efficient language learning course and environment can be created.
Besides, many web sites and e-tools presented by the classmates are practical and interesting. I am particularly impressed with Tony’s “Puzzle Maker” and Sharon’s “Yahoo! Pipes” presentation. Puzzle Maker can be used to generate quite a few fascinating vocabulary-spelling puzzles that undoubtedly enhance students’ interest and motivation in learning. Yahoo! Pipes, on the other hand, is a marvelous and revolutionary new tool with the power of customizing one’s own homepage. Users can design the pipe map and draw preferred feeds to render a tailored webpage that contains only the information of interest. Wow, it really made me eyes wide open!!
Besides, many web sites and e-tools presented by the classmates are practical and interesting. I am particularly impressed with Tony’s “Puzzle Maker” and Sharon’s “Yahoo! Pipes” presentation. Puzzle Maker can be used to generate quite a few fascinating vocabulary-spelling puzzles that undoubtedly enhance students’ interest and motivation in learning. Yahoo! Pipes, on the other hand, is a marvelous and revolutionary new tool with the power of customizing one’s own homepage. Users can design the pipe map and draw preferred feeds to render a tailored webpage that contains only the information of interest. Wow, it really made me eyes wide open!!
CALL Research Journal Entry #7
My Experience of Using Blackboard System
I have to admit that I don’t log in Blackboard very often due to the following reasons. First, few teachers are using it as an assistant course tool. The phenomenon makes Blackboard detached to its expected purpose, to manage various kinds of materials related to the subjects we take. Furthermore, the design of its user interface is confusing. For example, the icons “Communication” and “Tools” are duplicated in the left-hand side column. Besides, there is a “Calendar” function in Blackboard system. In my point of view, “Calendar” should function as a “Reminder”. After all, it is why we count on a Calendar application, to remind us beforehand in case we inadvertently forget the pre-scheduled event. So it seems ridiculous to me that the “Calendar” in Blackboard System has no such function. The edit function of Blackboard is even a greater disappointment. The format can’t get right each time I tried to copy the content from Word into our Blackboard. The item symbols are either missing or misplaced. In the end, you have to waste a lot of time modifying the layout of the copied content. Deficient though Blackboard may be, its value and intention of trying to integrate institutional-wide learning resources shouldn’t be disdained. To ensure the life-span of Blackboard, I think it is very important that the school could arrange periodic evaluation as soon as possible. No design is born to be perfect, it is crucial to have a good and sound evaluation system to detect the potential and existing problems so that the designers could tweak the design bit by bit. Here I’d like to point out several things that might be useful in improving our Blackboard System. The “Calendar” feature should allow users to set the reminding function. For instance, I could ask the system to remind me 3 days before a pre-scheduled event by sending me a notice to my email box. When teachers post important announcements or require students to join a discussion, the system could check in every few days and automatically send a reminding message to those students who haven’t logged in to respond. In addition, I think it is a good idea that Blackboard could integrate with our library system. All the books I borrowed are listed in my blackboard account with deadline beside. Whenever there are new coming books related to the ones I ever borrowed, Blackboard system could show such information which, I believe, would be quite beneficial to graduate students in conducting their researches. Blackboard should strive to accommodate and manage various aspects of the school learning environment to truly become a dominant LMS on campus.
I have to admit that I don’t log in Blackboard very often due to the following reasons. First, few teachers are using it as an assistant course tool. The phenomenon makes Blackboard detached to its expected purpose, to manage various kinds of materials related to the subjects we take. Furthermore, the design of its user interface is confusing. For example, the icons “Communication” and “Tools” are duplicated in the left-hand side column. Besides, there is a “Calendar” function in Blackboard system. In my point of view, “Calendar” should function as a “Reminder”. After all, it is why we count on a Calendar application, to remind us beforehand in case we inadvertently forget the pre-scheduled event. So it seems ridiculous to me that the “Calendar” in Blackboard System has no such function. The edit function of Blackboard is even a greater disappointment. The format can’t get right each time I tried to copy the content from Word into our Blackboard. The item symbols are either missing or misplaced. In the end, you have to waste a lot of time modifying the layout of the copied content. Deficient though Blackboard may be, its value and intention of trying to integrate institutional-wide learning resources shouldn’t be disdained. To ensure the life-span of Blackboard, I think it is very important that the school could arrange periodic evaluation as soon as possible. No design is born to be perfect, it is crucial to have a good and sound evaluation system to detect the potential and existing problems so that the designers could tweak the design bit by bit. Here I’d like to point out several things that might be useful in improving our Blackboard System. The “Calendar” feature should allow users to set the reminding function. For instance, I could ask the system to remind me 3 days before a pre-scheduled event by sending me a notice to my email box. When teachers post important announcements or require students to join a discussion, the system could check in every few days and automatically send a reminding message to those students who haven’t logged in to respond. In addition, I think it is a good idea that Blackboard could integrate with our library system. All the books I borrowed are listed in my blackboard account with deadline beside. Whenever there are new coming books related to the ones I ever borrowed, Blackboard system could show such information which, I believe, would be quite beneficial to graduate students in conducting their researches. Blackboard should strive to accommodate and manage various aspects of the school learning environment to truly become a dominant LMS on campus.
11.05.2007
E-tool (200 best Web sites) - Only 2 Clicks
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Use this fascinating tool, and you will see how easy it can be!
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Do you have trouble finding where in hell you put your favorite web sites??
Use this fascinating tool, and you will see how easy it can be!
1. Create an account
2. Add a link
3. Edit Category
4. That's it!!
CALL Research Journal Entry #6
From page 22-26 of Chapter2, the authors explain how the CALL tutors are different from the CALL tools. A CALL tutor would analyze, evaluate the learner’s response and give feedback based on its analysis result. ILTS (Intelligent language tutoring systems) can be seen as a breakthrough of this technology. This kind of system is capable of analyzing the grammar errors made by the learners and generating individualized feedback. Tutor Assistant is an authoring system that could aid the designers in creating ILTS materials. However, unlike other simple authoring tools (Hot Potatoes), which can be used to produce exercises very quickly, designing CALL materials with ILTS is a time consuming task. According to the study done by Toole and Heift, it shows that time-efficient authoring of ILTS can be achieved if the design is well planed ahead. On the other hand, a CALL tool is a device that facilitates the use of computer technology. The authors particularly bring up an electronic tandem resources (ETR) Web site, a CMC-based CALL, designed by Appel and Mullen. Through this tool, the authors present the importance of how the language-learning effects of a CALL tool can be enhanced by properly modifying it both pedagogically and technically.
From page 27-35, the authors reveal the improvements of the design of CALL materials over the last few years. Designers become more aware of the multifaceted nature of CALL and therefore accommodate different theories, pedagogies, and best practices in their design. Two important integrations – Horizontal and Vertical integration, are then discussed in three different perspectives. First in the perspective of the Language Teacher, the integration of CALL and curriculum is the first concern. The authors suggest that the language teachers see a curriculum as a guide or template rather than a prescription. In this way, the curriculum could provide the teachers with flexible room to adjust the activities introduced in the classroom while not deviating from the main learning goal. As for the Language Learner’s perspective, teachers, also as designers, shall keep an eye on the learners’ individual differences so that the appropriate technologies and supplementary training can be leveraged. Employing CALL materials with concerns for the learner’s individual differences in the technical background and expectations of using technologies can be referred to as horizontal integration. Yet, to view from the Institution’s perspective, the integration expands in a vertical direction. It means that designers should examine the compatibility between the technology used in the local side and the wider environment. The congruence between both contexts could greatly lengthen the life span of the CALL materials. At last, the authors call our attention to the trend toward a narrow consistency in hardware and software applications. It brings about the problem that the resources available for CALL designers are more and more limited. What’s more important for designers is to fully understand the drawbacks of the application or system in use and then to design effectively within the limitations.
From page 27-35, the authors reveal the improvements of the design of CALL materials over the last few years. Designers become more aware of the multifaceted nature of CALL and therefore accommodate different theories, pedagogies, and best practices in their design. Two important integrations – Horizontal and Vertical integration, are then discussed in three different perspectives. First in the perspective of the Language Teacher, the integration of CALL and curriculum is the first concern. The authors suggest that the language teachers see a curriculum as a guide or template rather than a prescription. In this way, the curriculum could provide the teachers with flexible room to adjust the activities introduced in the classroom while not deviating from the main learning goal. As for the Language Learner’s perspective, teachers, also as designers, shall keep an eye on the learners’ individual differences so that the appropriate technologies and supplementary training can be leveraged. Employing CALL materials with concerns for the learner’s individual differences in the technical background and expectations of using technologies can be referred to as horizontal integration. Yet, to view from the Institution’s perspective, the integration expands in a vertical direction. It means that designers should examine the compatibility between the technology used in the local side and the wider environment. The congruence between both contexts could greatly lengthen the life span of the CALL materials. At last, the authors call our attention to the trend toward a narrow consistency in hardware and software applications. It brings about the problem that the resources available for CALL designers are more and more limited. What’s more important for designers is to fully understand the drawbacks of the application or system in use and then to design effectively within the limitations.
10.29.2007
CALL Research Journal Entry #5
In Chapter 2 from page 19-22, the authors analyze the design of CALL materials from three aspects – language-learning task, course and syllabus and language learning areas and skills. These different points of departure would drive the design toward different directions. If the design is task-based, teachers, as designers of language teaching tasks, should bear in mind when designing a task, that design is no longer a static concept, but a dynamic process to be continually refined with a greater involvement of the learners. For the course and syllabus-based design, the authors gave an example of combining two components of the course, webCT and CD, to compensate the defect of each tool. With this hybrid solution, the learners can enjoy the rich media content without compromising the interactive environment. As the focus shifts to language-learning areas and skills, the designers would set out by employing the theories and methodologies specific to a language skill or area. It is, however, controversial that whether treating language learning in this discrete manner could really contribute to SLA.
I am gradually convinced by the authors’ perspective about CALL, that technology would hardly be advantageous to the language teaching and learning unless its limitations can be fully recognized. Though process of reading is excruciating ><, I consider it as a good way for me to learn the approach to build a sound ground while writing an academic article.
I am gradually convinced by the authors’ perspective about CALL, that technology would hardly be advantageous to the language teaching and learning unless its limitations can be fully recognized. Though process of reading is excruciating ><, I consider it as a good way for me to learn the approach to build a sound ground while writing an academic article.
10.26.2007
CALL Research Journal Entry #3
“Randall’s EFL Cyber Listening Web”
When I surfed on the internet looking for some EFL-related websites few days ago, I came across a fascinating website called “Randall’s EFL Cyber Listening Web”, which is specifically designed to enhance English listening comprehension. Before long I found that this website is also listed in our e-learning board! Moreover, Professor Johanson happened to use it as sample to demonstrate the e-tool presentation in class. The clean and organized layout of this website is one thing that drew my attention in the first place. I think Mr. Randall put a lot of efforts in setting up this EFL website. Though it doesn’t have much colorful or dynamic design, it is very practical in many ways. For example, it has numerous tips for EFL teachers and students, which shows that Mr. Randall truely thinks in their shoes so that he could collect and create these useful materials. Besides, it amazed me that the download speed of the audio files from the website is relatively fast. When I listened to the downloaded file, there was no sign of lag or interruption. After I completed the quiz, I could simply click the “Final Score” button to see the correct answers and evaluate my performance. There are also the full texts of the audio files available on the website to clarify the content that I missed. To me, this website is just like a free English tutor at home!
When I surfed on the internet looking for some EFL-related websites few days ago, I came across a fascinating website called “Randall’s EFL Cyber Listening Web”, which is specifically designed to enhance English listening comprehension. Before long I found that this website is also listed in our e-learning board! Moreover, Professor Johanson happened to use it as sample to demonstrate the e-tool presentation in class. The clean and organized layout of this website is one thing that drew my attention in the first place. I think Mr. Randall put a lot of efforts in setting up this EFL website. Though it doesn’t have much colorful or dynamic design, it is very practical in many ways. For example, it has numerous tips for EFL teachers and students, which shows that Mr. Randall truely thinks in their shoes so that he could collect and create these useful materials. Besides, it amazed me that the download speed of the audio files from the website is relatively fast. When I listened to the downloaded file, there was no sign of lag or interruption. After I completed the quiz, I could simply click the “Final Score” button to see the correct answers and evaluate my performance. There are also the full texts of the audio files available on the website to clarify the content that I missed. To me, this website is just like a free English tutor at home!
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