SECOND LIFE

Virtual world  is  really entertaining and before being introduced to Second Life during our Technology Class I was a little familiar with it. However I had n’t  thought of using this technological tool at EFL classes with others such as gaming, blogging and so on. Seems  interesting.  Form a group, include your learners  into it and simply enjoy teaching English. During our class discussions we came up with really interesting ideas how to integrate SL in EFL classes. Most  of all I liked the idea of interacting with different communities all over the world and also having  classes  in  different settings such as : 

                                                                                  OR

BUT NOT ALL THE TIME 

                     
                                                                              OR

The learners can learn words by touching them, watching them and using them. I was personally   very exited about opening my account and using the Second Life chance to communicate and create my Second World. I still encourage my peers to form a group together and build our lives. However my  view is optimistic from the point of view of a student. But I would hardly risk integrating my own students into the  SL as a teacher. First of all it’s  public-access  and  as  mentioned in Welche’s article the designer s don’t know what you’re doing there as they want  you  to be creative http://moodle.aua.am/file.php/28/Course_Materials/Virtual_World_/VirtualWorlds_InterviewWelch_2008.pdf  

In the same way teachers are not  safe as students can go beyond the limits of the class requirements.  On the other hand,  I consider it useless to forbid pupils to go to certain places and not to do things which they think are more entertaining.It’s like  discouraging your own learners to be creative. So, I will fail to have successful virtual classes because  I lack risk management mentioned in Cinthia M. Calongne’s article as  one of the features  leading to successful  virtual classes . http://moodle.aua.am/file.php/28/Course_Materials/Virtual_World_/VirtualWorlds_Calogne_2008.pdf

Sources of pictures:

http://www.google.am/search?hl=hy&biw=1280&bih=709&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=Photos+of+avatars+in+second+life+who+do+lessons&oq=Photos+of+avatars+in+second+life+who+do+lessons&gs_l=img.3...33862.40054.0.40245.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0...0.0...1c.1.z-wbGa8VCTM

http://www.google.am/#hl=hy&site=&source=hp&q=photo+of+learners+during+the+class&oq=photo+of+learners+during+the+class&gs_l=hp.3...3810.17374.0.18103.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0...0.0...1c.1.GW0jgJ7HbIg&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=7138acffcd4c83&bpcl=35466521&biw=1280&bih=665

COMPUTER AND VIDEO GAMES

Computer and Video Games

Marc Prensky introduces the radical technological growth of our  World in his book “How Learners have Changed” http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Ch2-Digital%20Game-Based%20Learning.pdf

 Following him  I would like to refer to  the Armenian environment and see how this developing country has grown technologically during the recent years and how it is reflected in the TEFL environment. Our younger generation is quite handy with technologies.  During these last two days for example I was watching on TV how Armenian young learners created various computer games http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93_7COJi9sw . All of them were rewarded by Orange Company. Or let me take my own children. They are all the time busy exploring new things on the computer. If I want to play a game on Ipad or any other device I need to know the instructions, read about it, see how it works. It  certainly takes time. But my children  try them out immediately and easily find how to play, how to win and boast. This is one side of the picture. The other side is quite disappointing. Most teachers at Armenian schools are still unable to integrate technologies into  their classes because they are technologically illiterate. Also, I have heard them complaining a lot that technologies, especially games only harm the learners.They say, games are always noisy and disturb their classes.  There is always the tendency to calm the learners down. I agree that children may sometimes try to play threatening games which  makes  them become psychologically depressed or simply very aggressive as  my son usually does when he imagines himself to be the hero of the game he plays. But on the other hand  he learns a lot. These games are quite useful. Learners learn a lot by  playing. They do not have to sit and follow the classes nervously to learn something. I have such students at EEC that become motivated only because they hear  that they are going to use a computer.  For such students especially it is a requirement to offer computer or video games as a learning tool. Our task is to keep our children and learners away from dangerous games but with the same time integrate many other useful games into our reality to make the English Language classes more  and more interesting.  I can hardly create any computer game by myself to introduce it to my learners but I’m quite capable of choosing the games my learners need and use it to meet their requirements.

DIGITAL STORYTELLING AND VIDEO PRODUCTION

Our class of New Technologies in Language Teaching  opened before us other useful technological tools which can make English classes in Armenia more interesting and productive. Because  now with wikis, blogs and podcasts we have also been taught to integrate digital storytelling and video production. Sometimes those materials  that are provided do not match to  our needs in this or that way.  

  And we want to create them by ourselves. Handmade stories would not impact the learners motivation in the same way as it is with digital storytelling because I think it’s not only important what you tell to your learners but equally important how you do it.

I was previously used to doing powerpoint presentations but inserting sounds, animations and designing the presentation made me get interested in it so much that I have decided to teach it to my students  too. Also, I was shocked how my classmates made films with a moviemaker and I’ll certainly try that magic tool too.

Storyboarding seems to me a good idea as it allows to organize images, music, text and the motion in advance. Let me find a tutorial and see how I can make a storyboard in Microsoft office Word.  One of them is http://www.microsoft.com/education/enus/teachers/guides/Pages/digital_storytelling.aspx

This is a PDF document which shows everything step by step. Here is what I got:

1.      Text 2.      Music 3.      Narration 4.      Title slide 5.      Interview
This is my daughter. In this picture she is three  years old. She is playing a game and seems to be  very happyJ

When all the pieces of the story is in front of the creator  he can see everything more vividly and the planning of the story will be more detailed. And I completely agree with the statement that “storyboarding transforms video projects from chaos into order” which was mentioned in Sadun’s book.

The lesson following digital storytelling was about video production. In my life I have shot a lot. But film production was something new to me and I was eager to folow the process. At first it seemed to me easier but then too many  details  made my work more and more challenging and interesting. In our group we created the story tutorial. Technological unawereness made us face a hard time. At first we shot in my Ipad. Then we were wondering how to transfer it to the moviemaker. The solution was that we copied it in PC. The next problem was that the video was  of a different category which couldn’t be read. Then that video was transformed to the Mac  and  the video was made in Imovie. As we hadn’t used Imovie before that so it took us a lot to concentrate and find the necessary steps.

While shooting our video we used Sadun’s book as a guide. I especially referred to the second chapter and was finding out the three main shots and POV variations.

Overall these two tools as the other previous ones will  also serve a great deal to Armenian teachers. They can provide our pupils with lots of authentic information such as we created with our peers. It will introduce just what is needed no more no less. Iideos. It’s also a good idea to involve Armenian learners in the process of creating digital stories or   videos. Let them shoot and write stories, make films. As podcasts, blogs, wikis and other tools, these two also require creativity, engagement in the job and peer interaction. This is where our learners  can put their vivid imagination and soul.