TE(a)CH – NOLOGY FOR LISTENING AND SPEAKING

                Firstly acquiring language, children tend to listen then try to imitate, produce sound and finally they speak. Related to the statement, it has found two approaches to the teaching of listening skills that supported by Krashen’s Monitor Model of second language acquisition. They are the natural approach and total physical response, usually called TPR. Actually, I have learned about these approaches in Language teaching and methodology. Lucky I, in this course the approaches usages are discussed specifically. In using technology for teaching , we have to remember that pedagogy is first. Technology is used for the supporting media.

                The natural approach strengthen in comprehensible input and the optimum affective state of students. Input can be reached from listening and reading. There are some website that can use in teaching of listening. They are :

·         Interactive Audio  - Picture English Lessons

·         John’s ESL Community – Listening Activities

In other hand, Total physical response says that by giving response it will activate the psycho-motor association, the usage of right brain. It assumptive that when children can response it means they understand what they listen to. Here are the examples :

·         Live Action English Interactive

·         Learning Oral English

·         American English Pronunciation Practice

·         WII ( Game )

After students get input, the next step to do is speak up. The most important thing in acquiring language is actually practice. By speaking, what the students have achieved can be measured and corrected. Remember, in speaking accurate is second because the first is fluently. Students have to feel comfort when they are speaking. Here are some website that help teacher to conduct  the class for speaking

·         ScMOOze University

·         Kalinago.blogspot.com

·         Voice thread

Actually by using technology in learning process can make it more interactive and easily engage to students. For me, the most important thing learning process is students feel comfort then everything is easy to do. Also it will give impact to students’ achievement.

Pedagogy first is a must

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Teaching Through Technology

                In this occasion I would like to talk about designing web for teaching. Website can help teacher in grabbing students’ attention. The thing is we need teachers’ ability in designing an attractive and interactive website. Even though technology is important in teaching, we can not put technology as the priority. The Principe is pedagogy first and technology second. For instance, computer can not give a feedback, unless what it has programmed.

                In designing web, there are some aspects that must be remembered ; content, design and navigation. 

Content

·         Brevity                                  : because people read 25% slower from computer than paper, so we used to write 50 % less text.

·         Comprehensibility                  :  the material provided should be appropriate to students’ need.

·         Accuracy                               :  Check and re – check to the content.

·         Interesting                             : can make students interest.

·         Organization                          : the contents are well – structured.

Visual design

·         Consistency                           : the elements of each screen must be consistence such as background, font and language.

·         Good use of space                 : fit onto one screen.

·         Legibility                              : readable

·         Careful use of color                : Combining and matching color is important.

·         Contrast, repetition alignmnet and proximity.

Navigation Design

·         Good design should provide navigation button that help viewer back to the home page.

Multimedia Design

·         High – quality playback                  : using video and audio should be high quality.

·         Media file size                              : anykind of video or audio, it is better to compress it first before uploaded. 

Moreover, teaching is about to serve students. Knowing what the students need is very important. Once, we realize that teachers do not only teaching but also advising, directing and  helping students.

        How sophisticated the technology is, only teacher can give the students love through learning

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Teacher candidate is learning

                Last meeting, me and my friends had a discussion about models of instruction. At first, what I have known is about teaching method. I considered that models of instruction and teaching method are different. In the end of the session my lecturer told me that they are similar. Let me share about what I have got from this lesson. There are four models. 

1.       Lecturer – Discussion.

In this models, the students` time talking is bigger than the teacher`s time talking. In this model students should be more active. Through discussion, teacher delivers the course. While delivering, teacher asks students some questions, relate to the topic. It is done to check students understanding. So, Q and A is one method to involve students in the discussion. That is why the models called Lecturer Discussion. 

2.       Direct – instruction

Teacher need to exist in this model, because in this model there is a phase that teacher is a guide. Still, in this model the students should be active. They need to explore what the teacher has delivered through the course in order to increase their understanding. 

3.       Group interaction

This is complex models. Same like the other models, it also makes students active. The students will be grouped and then they have to work with their peers. It will train their collaborating skill, leadership, interacting skill and also creativity. Teacher is the guide. Even though this is good model, teacher needs to be smart to arrange the time. This model need more time than the others because of the complex activity included.

4.       Guided discovery

Teachers’ role and students’ role will change. Teacher is not information provider but a coach. Students are not receiver information but explorer. In this model, students will be more active. They must be responsive for themselves, in term of looking information relate to the topic. The unique one from this model is teachers’ scaffolding students’.

The thing that is good from the whole instruction is students should be more active. In teaching and learning, being curious is important. That is why students have to ask and never feel shy to ask. As a teacher, he/she has to be willing to answer or give guidance to the answer relate to the question.

Everything is good based on the context

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Internet VS Language Laboratory

          By the time am being, I will become a teacher. A teacher who has ICT basic. So that, this course Technology in teaching and learning is very useful for my friends and I. In the last meeting we had a debate. It was about preferences of using internet to language laboratory. I have no experience of using language laboratory in my senior high school. Instead of that, I am so familiar with internet.

Why it should be internet?

Why it should be language laboratory?

I can not choose which one is better and which one is worse. Everything depends on the context. It should be better if a school the two things. I know everything has its good and bad.

Internet usage

Safe/unsafe

http://bayoekmex.blogspot.com/2010/09/internet.html

Many people will say that using internet for children is not safe, because many bad things exist there include cyber-crime. The thing is how we use the internet is. In teaching and learning, teacher will have her/his role to conduct students. Teacher should be smart and selective through the material or site that must be visited by students to support the learning process. Sometimes, we may think that it is possible to control the whole internet usage in school. No need to worry, we still have an alternative. By blocking some sites that regarded as unsafe for children may help us in controlling our students.

Economic

Actually, using internet will spent more money than language laboratory. We have to spent fund each month. When we see the impact of this, it will not be useless, because the internet is very helpful in learning process.

Language Laboratory

Safe/unsafe

http://bedrebhashe.blogspot.com/2008/09/language-laboratory-for-learning-spoken.html

Using laboratory is safe, because the teacher will control the students’ computer.

Some of us may think that there is no kind of activity can be held in Laboratory. It is caused by the limited place. We cannot take this for granted. Somehow, as a teacher we have to be creative to think in using the unlimited resources while we are teaching include the place. Language laboratory can help students in integrating the four skill of language learning; reading, writing, listening and speaking. By using computer as the media of language learning, it will make the learning process can be more fun.

Economic

The budget for language laboratory is relatively cheaper that internet, because it is only for the first time build it.

That is all what is in my mind relate to the issue  “internet usage and Language laboratory”.

         

Being Teacher should be smart and selective

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