Thank You

Dear Donna and Classmates

This course can not end. No course ends. Learning is a continuous process. We won't be together, but it doesn't mean we'll be away from the course. Whenever I use the tools to teach the topics, I will remember your comments. I will remember Donna's compliments. You will continue motivating me all through my life. What I really enjoyed in this course is the way we encouraged our classmates. That is what really matters. If there is not motivation, there is no learning. 

Technology tools! Well, I like blogging and interactive PowerPoint. These two tools will definitely help me keep my students engaged with meaningful activities. Blogging is one of those tools which can help us cross-fertilize our ideas. Interactive PowerPoint can help us make learning more enjoyable. There are lots of tools. I don't know what to say. I'll be using some other tools as well. 

I'll miss you all. 

All the best!

Dev

Eyes Smile No More...

Dear Donna and Classmates

This is the ninth week of our course, and next week will be the tenth and last week of this course - a journey that has enriched my bank of experiences. I am no more what I was. It is a new birth. I have a smile on my lips, but not in my eyes. I have not seen you in person, but my eyes are going to miss you all. 

Well, the ninth week introduced me to the concept of learning styles and how different tools can help me address the needs of students with different learning styles. The concept was not new, but the articles provided substantiated the concept in an easy-to-follow manner, and, therefore, I could learn some new things about this subject which I had not explored in great detail. Moreover, the posts written by my classmates also added to my knowledge about the use of tools. Nicenet is a sea where all rivers contribute their richness and do not allow to get this sea salty. When I look back and think how much I have learned from participating in Nicenet discussions, I feel an irrepressible urge to coin a special adjective to praise the quality learning that has taken place on this platform. 

Working on my project was easy, and I must thank Donna for that. She had, from the very beginning, familiarized us with the format and style used in project writing. Had she not told us to describe our learners and the setting in the beginning, this task of project writing would not have materialized so easily as it did. Friends, I forgot to tell you that I have come across some very good samples of sales letters written by some well-renowned organizations. I am going to share them with my students and have thought of a game which they will be playing to  learn certain catchy phrases used in the letters. I will be sharing more on this next week. 

Dev

Week 8 - A New Challange

Dear Donna and Classmates

This week has been very tough. I was busy with my students and could not spare time for our course. I am happy that the event my class organized was a hit. But the success we achieved was something for which I had to pay a heavy price. I am lucky that the webskills classmates have been very supportive. But I missed a lot. I could have learned to use the tools to prepare an online course for the students of Bhavnagar University to enhance their sociolinguistic competence. It's no use being sorry now. Next week is waiting for me. And I am sure I'll do my best in last two weeks. If the present disappointment motivates me to give my best shot, then this disappointment is desirable. 

 

The thing I liked most about this week is Jeff's visit. I thank him for his visit and sharing his ideas with us. Thanks, Jeff. I also shared my project with Ayman and Rana. Ayman went through my project and said that the project was up to his expectation. I am happy that at least one thing went right. I also want to say sorry, because this time I could not share my ideas on Nicenet in time. Right now I am working on material production (PhD). As soon as I am ready with my plan to use this material, I am planning to share the material and plan with Donna. 

 

All the best with your project.

 

Dev

A Boon in Disguise

Dear Donna and Classmates

This week has brought to me the most coveted gift. My class is organizing an event called 'AdvertoMania - 2013'. It is an inter-class event. There are four different competitions. The first is 'Witty Wits' in which the  participants write taglines for the products given to them. The second is 'ADrama' in which the participants role-play the ads making changes to those ads which they find lacking in one or two aspects. The third is 'My Product and My Ad' in which the participants come up with new ideas  and ways to sell these ideas. The fourth and the last is 'Quizo Quizzo' in which the participants are required to identify which logo represents which brand or company. They are also required to identify the jingles and the products they market.

This is something I had not expected. I was discussing the AIDA formula with the students. Suddenly a group of students stood up with the idea of organizing an event on their lips. This was a song that could not have found words if these students had not taken up the responsibility. I am luckier than I think I am. This event is going to teach a lot to my students as far as sales letters are concerned. In one of my lectures, I asked a boy to write a tagline for a company that sells mineral water. He wrote:

AS PURE AS HEART

Isn't this simply a winner? I looked at him with my mouth wide open. I could not believe my ears. If a teacher can link creativity with teaching, I think he or she can easily promote learner autonomy. As far as the project is concerned, there were some hiccups in the beginning. Now it's sailing smoothly. I have already shared the links to the videos on A-Z of Business Writing Blunders. The response, in the beginning, was not as expected. Some of the students, being busy with the assignments, could not find time to Facebook. I did not force them to Facebook. Instead I sent them to our computer lab where they could see these videos on YouTube during the 30 minute break. They did it. 

I won't write everything here. Wait for my next post. All the best with your projects. 

Dev

I, ME and PowerPoint

Dear Donna and Classmates

I can't believe it's the sixth week of this beautiful journey we've embarked on. Time never stands still. But when we look back, we find it frozen into the frames of joy and sorrow. I am going to miss these days. I am so lucky. I have Donna, Sonia, Ayman, Vinay, Sitaram, Basu, Livia, Pam and so on. This course is a beautiful snap I am going to preserve for years. Look at the way it has transformed us all into what we dreamed to be. It feels great to see your dream materialized. What is greater is to see the dreams of your classmates turning into reality along with your dream in the process of transformation. Still what is greater is to know that it became possible through the course which this course has taken. Active participation, cross-fertilization of ideas, motivation, experiments, permission to share feelings and thoughts, and Donna. What not! This course has everything one needs to be a good learner. I wish I could meet you all personally and have a cup of coffee. Coffee with Dev! 

Well, let me discuss something about my project. I have started it. I started with distributing several copies of A to Z Bloopers of Business English Writing. I also distributed some samples of errors Indians commit when they write applications or letters. 

Examples

- Please allow me to go to village because I am going there to sell my land along with my wife. 

- I am going home. My mother-in-law is off. I am responsible. I am leaving.   

I showed them a video clip and we roared with laughter. Isn't that a great way to start your project? I explained the theory of the topic with the help of a linear PowerPoint presentation.  Next week I'll have a quiz competition in my class. Then I'll be sharing links to the videos on how to write sales letters. I may modify my project. I am planning to add two more things in my project. Let's see how it goes. I'll leave you with the video I showed to my students.

Dev

I AM JUST A FACILITATOR...

Dear Donna and Classmates

The question that has been haunting my mind since I read the articles is - do we really teach when we teach? Can we really teach? I do not doubt our efficiency. What usually happens in our classroom is that students come and listen to us marginally. Sometimes they fake it. When the results are out, the game of blame begins. Students say that some lectures are big yawns. Lecturers say that students are not serious about their studies. And teaching is lost in the clouds of blame. Of course, it is impossible to deliver all your lectures with the same level of enthusiasm every time. Certain topics can not be taught through the traditional method. In my case, letter writing is one of those topics. The most popular technique here in Bhavnagar is dictating letters so that students can reproduce the same stuff in their answerbooks. Isn't that a wow? Poor students. But I teach in a different way. I don't teach. I talk. I show them a sample, and they study it carefully. Now since I have learned to create a rubric, I'll provide them with a rubric for assessing their performances. I think the best way to teach is not to teach, but to create an atmosphere for self-learning. My students should be aware of their progress - how far they have gone. Once they know their progress, they try to find out ways to do better. They approach with a request to guide them. That's where you get a chance to help them. Help them. Be their friend. I strongly believe introducing a rubric can help my students measure their their progress objectively and promote learner autonomy. I'd like to share a video with you. Hope it will help.

PBL helps us to see whether the students can put the theories into practice. It makes learning a fun. But what is more important is they build a team and work together and share knowledge. By introducing PBL we encourage our students to exhibit their skills in diverse ways. In Communicative Language Teaching, the focus is usually on real life communication. That is what is happening here. Building a community is a good exercise. Because there you find motivation and the spirit to work positively. With this I shall fall silent. I'll leave you with one more video this time. Watch it. Hope you will find it helpful.

Dev

The Ladder

Dear Donna and Classmates

I am sure you had a great week. Mine was fantastic, though I am not sure if I did well in all the tasks or not. I was really very busy this week. I was invited to deliver a lecture on Sense and Sensibility by Department of English, M. K. Bhavanagar University. Let me tell you that I was not at all prepared for this. But the students said that they enjoyed my lecture. 

Well, the articles we read acquainted us with the possible webtools that can be used to enhance our classroom teaching. The article by Krajka was exhaustive. And the article by Liang helped me understand how the use of e-books can help us teach reading skills to our learners. At the same time I must mention that the articles were really meant for me. I am going to include some of the activities suggested by Krajka in my research work. Then I participated in Week 4: Discussion - Reading, Writing, and Vocabulary. Next day I read Donna's comment and it infused confidence in me. After a successful completion of the first task, I had a 2 day break. Then I shared the problem to be addressed on  Week 4: Project Task # 3. Unfortunately I didn't receive Donna's comment on that, and therefore have no idea whether I did well or not. The third task was to prepare a lesson plan. To prepare a lesson a plan is to prepare a ladder with every rung helping us and our learners to achieve the objectives. Even a slightly broken rung will not allow you to achieve the desired goal. I was very luck to get a chance to look at some of the best lesson plans prepared by my classmates. But the lesson plan I prepared is quite different from theirs as far as the structure is concerned. I am waiting for Donna's comment so that I can repair the ladder if it is not well-constructed. Moreover Sonia's comment made it clear that the questions I had asked in my previous blog also confuse her and she finds it equally difficult to express her thoughts lucidly in her blog. 

I thank you all for being very good classmates. I need your suggestions. At last I am leaving you with a video on lesson planning. Hope you'll enjoy it. 

Dev
 

The Most Coveted Gem

Hello Donna and Classmates

This week brought the things I had been waiting for. Before I came to know that I had been admitted to this course, I had written to AIE DE UO to seek their help for my thesis. Friends, I am working on the use of webtools to enhance the sociolinguistic competence of U.G. and P.G. students. Dr Dilip Barad encouraged me to deal with the topic; and he has always been there to help me. But you know one can not make others do what they can do themselves. However rich your language is, you cannot convey some innermost ideas which can only be explained through actions. I was dying to be a proud user of the webtools with which I could bring about the desired changes in my learners' linguistic proficiency. Since my focus is on appropriacy of language, I was looking for the sites where I could find authentic language and various expressions used in everyday conversations. The two articles which I read at the beginning of the week broadened my horizon to a great extent. And the sites? The sites I visited will prove to be a good source for preparing materials for the try-out. I also had a good discussion with Alicja. I think it is one of the most interesting discussions I have had till now in this course. Alicja, thanks for your question. It gave me a chance to share the idea which I had dropped when I was writing my post.

I had never imagined in my dreams that I would learn how to create a Delicious page. Let me admit very frankly that I didn't know that there was a site called Delicious.com where I could save and share the links to my most coveted treasure caves. The toughest task was to read a project report prepared by an ex-course participant and prepare a post on it. The reason for selecting this project report by Joanna Zubel was the researcher's ability to deal with the problem/situation with the few sources available. Moreover reviewing of the project familiarized me with the structure and sequence of the points to be presented in a report which I'll be submitting at the end of the course. 

Friends, I have two questions this time. Every week when I look at the tasks to be done, I feel that blogging is the easiest. But when I start writing my post, I fail to cohere my ideas well. What's the reason? Do you face the same problem? Whatever be the reason, it can't stop me. The sure way to good blogging is blogging.

Now I'll leave you  with a video on CLT. It'll help you understand what Communicative Language Teaching is all about and how to design such lesson plans as can prompt students to use the target language in different contexts and enable them to use it in real life situations.

Dev

Lost in the Jungle (Week 2)

Dear Donna and Classmates

Here I go again with a new melody. This week has been tougher than the previous one. That's what has made it more exciting and enjoyable. The title of the post may sound like a chapter in a novel. But the novels which begin with the protagonist being lost in the jungle and end with him or her finding the way out are always interesting. I am sure this course is going to be more exciting than those novels. How wonderful it is to share your ideas with your classmates and receive their constructive feedback! Last week I was  an inexperienced blogger. A week has transformed me into an experienced blogger. And the course will turn us into successful bloggers. I could never imagine that blogging could be incorporated in traditional teaching, and now I see that it's a place where I can invite my friends and colleagues to share their views with me.

Week 2 was full of surprise packages. It started with being introduced to different search engines. To be honest, I never knew there are so many search engines which can help me locate the topic I'm looking for. 

I can't measure the pleasure I have in the treasure at leisure!

Sorry! I couldn't think of any other expression to best express my feeling after this treasure hunt. Reading the classmates' posts was good, because it made me think over my comments and decisions. I also logged on to the search engines they had recommended. After reading Livia's reply to my comment, I realized that I had misinterpreted her views. It was so nice of her to rephrase her words to make me understand her point. I think this is the best place to thank her for her care and share. Getting to know these search engines was like learning where to look for what. You can save time and get authentic materials for your purpose. Then we learned how to write the learning objectives clearly. The reading material was explanatory, and there was no confusion. I could easily and unhesitatingly write my objective clearly. Donna commented that some of the text was redundant. I thought it's not quantity, but quality that matters. Websearching, posting your comment on it, replying to one of the classmates' comments, writing the learning objectives clearly and now it was describing the students and setting (Project - Task 1). Thank God! I first read Donna's post. I described the population and setting in my words. I had thought of using jargon, but dropped the idea. After all I was writing to be understood.

After successfully describing the population and setting, I am blogging. Writing my reflections on Week 2. Week 1 turned us into creators. We created our blogs. Week 2 turned us into analysts. We analyzed the population and setting. Websearching also developed our analytical skill. 

First it was creation. Then it was analysis. Next??? 

Dev

Week 1 in Webskills

Dear Classmates,

I am Dev. It's been nice being with you on Nicenet. Here I would like to share my reflections about this week and what I have done. 

It took me a day or two to believe that I had been admitted to this course. I had always been technophobic. What this course did was providing confidence to use technology. The reason why I was technophobic was the conference I attended 2 years ago in Vidyanagar. I attended some sessions of the conference and concluded that using technology was not my cup of tea. I thought that there was no chance now. The world was quite ahead of me, and I belonged nowhere. 

Well, you may think that the beginning is very dramatic. Yes, it is. And the change that came after the commencement of this course, too. Let me begin from the beginning. 

I received Donna's email telling me what I was supposed to do during the first week of this course. I was bubbling with joy and enthusiasm. At the same time I was nervous too. Question after question cropped up in my mind. Poor me!  The questions were:

• Would I able to understand the instructions?

• What would my classmates think of me if I failed to complete the tasks?

• Would Donna be supportive?

• Would our cross-cultural differences create misunderstandings?

• Would the course be addressing only the issues related to use of technology in teaching?

I think some of you may have had the same questions. And I know you too have found answers to our questions. 

The first week of the course has been very exciting. It started with introductions. I met my classmates on Nicenet. After reading their posts, I thought that I had been unnecessarily informal in my post. But then I felt that my introduction was different.  Unique. It was as it should have been. Commenting on my classmates' posts was interesting. I learned that this platform could be used for meaningful discussions. Moreover, Donna's comments were a constant source of motivation. What else did I need? I jumped into the water, and to my surprise I could swim. Needless to say that Donna was there with a life-ring. After completing the first task (Week 1: Topic 1 - Introductions), I moved on to the second task (Week 1: Topic 2 - Ground Rules for Discussions). Writing on Ground Rules and Rubric was not a child's play. The reason is that it's always easy to comment or criticize as laymen do. But when it comes to explaining the idea in detail or stating a specific reason behind what you believe, you find it hard to verbalize your thoughts. That's what happened to me. My fingers froze. The mouth went dry. Can you believe I read Donna's message five times? This is where I found my answer.

"What do you think of the Ground Rules?"

This question caught my attention. We were free to share our ideas. What really made me participate enthusiastically in this discussion was the word 'you' in the question. My typing knew no hesitation. So comfortably could I share my thoughts with you all. Moreover I was propelled by Sonia's comment - "Dev's thought is also enlightening." I also came across Sitaram's comment - "It lures the participants for good grades and makes the participants marks oriented. Furthermore,It might raise the question,are we posting messages for good grades?" Here was a comment that was different. A comment that made me think. To be honest, I did not know if I agreed with him. If I did not, what reason did I have to differ? I could have googled out the solution. But then it would not have been my solution. After these initial hiccups, I set myself drafting a reply to his post. After 15 years of writing tailor-made answers, I found the task difficult, but not impossible. To put my feeling figuratively, I must say that my creativity flowered. Vinay wrote in his post,

"...we are not only going to share our knowledge but also our culture, beliefs, values and religion..."

This comment is a gem. A seed that grew into my thought tree. An idea flashed in my mind. I learned that I could use this platform to design tasks for my learners to enhance their inter-cultural competence. 

As soon as I was done with the second task, a more interesting task was awaiting me. Blogging. I am sure I am going to enjoy blogging. The instruction reads - Write a first blog post—your reflections about this week and what you’ve done... Every mail comes with a surprise. 

This course has rekindled my curiosity. The first week has provided me with an opportunity to mix with my classmates and know their ideas. I really feel happy when people quote my ideas. It's so nice to form a community and learn by doing things and helping each other. In a wink of an eye, technology turned into teach + nology.

Thanks for reading my blog. Happy learning.