How Blog Can Be Used in Teaching!

A blog (short for weblog) is a frequently updated website that often resembles an online journal. It's so easy to create and update a blog - it requires only basic access to the Internet, and a minimum of technical know-how. Because of this, it is one of the easiest ways to publish student writing on the WWW.

Nowadays, blogs can also display photos and some people are using them with audio and even video, but this article will concentrate on the basics, showing how a simple text-based blog can be used to great effect with the English language learners.

                             

According to Huffaker (2005), the role of weblogs in promoting literacy in classroom settings. Literacy remains paramount in learning, not only for language development, but also as the foundation of all academic disciplines including science and mathematics. Storytelling ignites literacy and remains an important part of life from childhood through adulthood. Weblogs resemble personal journals or diaries and provide an online venue where self-expression and creativity is encouraged and online communities are built. Therefore weblogs provide an excellent tool where storytelling and literacy advance for both individual expressions and collaborative learning. Furthermore, weblogs can be used across academic disciplines, making it a viable tool for educational technologists. 

Blogs can promote open dialogue and encourage bloggers and comment-givers to exchange their opinions. Teacher can let students set up their own blogs for several subjects and then assign tasks to them. Teachers can create a specific section just for website links and references to other interesting content online. Teacher can use blogs for classroom projects where students can include videos, clips, audio, text and images which can make lessons more interesting. Teacher easily can use activities, games, puzzles to enrich students learning experiences. Teacher can also encourage students to post their views, personal experiences on language learning, make interactions and post their comments on each others postings.

Teacher should provide his/her own blog as a communicative tool for all students. Teacher should publish a list of objectives with general goals, should post interesting things daily on blog and give relevant feedback, and it will be helpful and motivational for students to keep their attention towards class and also online activities.

There are several free blogging platforms for teachers and students:

A- Edublogs

The world's most popular educational blogging service, Edublogs lets easily create and manage student and teacher blogs, quickly customize and include videos.

B- Blogger

This is a free weblog publishing tool from Google, for sharing text, photos and video.

C- Wordpress

This is another great blogging platform for students and teachers and very easy to use and completely free.

                                                    

Neptune

Neptune is a website for development of writing skills and communicative competence. https://neptunez.wordpress.com/

Objective:

• Improvement of English proficiency in writing, listening, reading and pronunciation.
• It works on accuracy.
• It also works for specific purposes. 

Effectiveness:
There are many students from several regions and any student can get different kind of writing skills and knowledge. They can learn from different levels of students and they can practice by themselves.

Strengthen:
 Online ongoing process that's why students can easily get feedback and they can avoid their silly mistakes and errors in writing.

Sometimes all you need is a little splash of  color!!!

Review on 'Vocabulary'

Hello everyone! It's me Nabisa, 'A bluebird' from bluebird's house! ^_^

      Though it's too late to welcome cause I've already given my first post! :P But I'm too excited about it because it's my first experience in blog site. Though at the beginning we had much problems to open it but our instructor made it easy.

      I opened this blog account on May 18 with a biggest help of my course Instructor Zohur Ahmed, who is teaching us Eng 451; Computer Assisted Language Learning.   The course is designed to be practical rather than theoretical, which is covering techniques of using software, CD-ROM, World Wide Web and mobile, computer as tools resources of language learning for both language teachers and students.

     Internet resources can be of great usage to all of us. Our faculty has already provided some website addresses and also provided some tricks in class which are not only funning but also fundamental.

     Let's begin with the first task which is the review on "Vocabulary Resources" from the handout 'Vocabulary'.

• Vocabulary and grammar are called the building blocks of language.  Generally learners acquire vocabulary by guessing the meanings of words from context.                                             

• To find out 3 resources which are free of cost, I had to explore all of these resources. But I've found some difficulties with the procedures in several resources. Some of them needed sign up act. I would like to prefer to talk about the most easygoing, funny and interactive resources.

The Compleat Lexical Tutor :

       Compleat Lexical Tutor is considered as the matchless English grammar checker in today's web-based era. This web based tool can be implemented in the role of a tutor and learners get instant feedback on any produced writing.

Anyone having the facility of internet can simply paste their writings on the text box provided on the home page for checking content. After that, click on the word and get 16 sentences with the uses and examples of this word. In this website, there are three options for learners, researchers and teachers. Not only vocabulary or use of dictionary but also all grammatical aspects are there in several parts and levels. It is a inductive process.

WordSmart :

      It is like multiple choices and for advanced level learners. Student's level is derived from the number correct and the time spent. For less proficient learners, there is also an ESL level including frequent English words.

Instant feedback like Correct or incorrect and most fun part is emoticon's expressions are visible towards correct or incorrect answers. There are other options beside multiple choice which are flash cards, matching, sentence completion and game review. It has the option to watch the own and other's scores and the percentage of performers score. It has inductive distinction.


Crossword Puzzles :

Though it is for beginning learners but the range in level from easy to difficult. It is easy to explore and fun to do. But it is time consuming and not much helpful or worthy for vocabulary learning. Student can complete their quizzes in pairs.

       Finally we can say, this learning aids can be considered as an authentic material for the learners,

where they can explore by themselves by following the directions and easily can improve their proficiency in vocabulary. This learning tools are made up of some exercises which bears communicative value. The prompt feedback that it provides can motivate the learners to take the test for several times until they have achieved their expected level of proficiency. Repeated drill and practices can help the learners to sharpen their vocabulary proficiency in using English in the real-life context.

                                     

                                    Thank You :)

I will not be another flower,
picked for my beauty and left to die.
I will be wild, difficult to find,
and impossible to forget...... ^_^