Using New Technologies in Education

New  technologies  bring in a completely  new dimension of teaching and learning opportunities.Technology has changed the way students are educated. The effective use of  these technologies can enhance achievement and participation, as well as can increase motivation and engagement.  It  is every teacher’s friend and should be utilized in as many creative and effective ways as  it is possible.  Methods and tools that teachers use to educate evolve constantly. Teachers can make their lessons more beneficial for their students by engaging various technologies in their schedule. New software, programs and communication platforms have made  it possible for students and teachers to communicate better, have direct access to information, materials and procedures.       However using technologies in education is not admitted all over  the world because of the lack of financial support and some other reasons. Every country , including Armenia, should do its best to change that and make education available for every child with modern technology involved in it.

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Online and Distance Education

    Online education is becoming more and more popular in the 21st century. Today due to  technology it is possible to get an education from your home using your computer.There are even online universities that can help you become a good specialist in your field and get a degree at a distance. Technologies like skype, blogging, moodle  should be applied in distance courses for  offering valuable education ( White, 2004). For me face-to-face learning is the best way of getting education. Nevertheless many people prefer distance education for some reasons. It is suggested  that the quality and the amount of distance education can be the same as compared with face to face learning if it is well prepared and provided. According to Russell (2001) and numerous research reports and studies there is "no significant difference in student outcomes based on the mode of education delivery (face to face or at a distance)." The course work will be the same, just delivered in a different manner. In other words, the emphasis is on what students learn and not on how they learn.

I think it also depends on the personality type and learning style.  Distance learning is certainly not for everybody. Getting a degree by distance learning can be really challenging for some people. If you are not able to work well independently then online learnig  is definitely not for you. Moreover it is not appropriate for those who can’t stick to a schedule and avoid  postponing. Distance learning programs carry personalized, engaging lessons, but it still depends on a student to follow a study schedule, meet their course deadlines and do work autonomously (White, 2003).         
    As for me I wouldn't like to take a distance course in spite of  many advantages, such as flexibility of learning at a location of your choice, convenience of working at your pace and schedule, etc.,as I have never taken any distance course  and it will be  challenging for me to be self motivated. Besides I think  I won't feel comfortable with the interaction via skype. However my perception might change  if I take an online course in the future. 
   So  for some students online learning courses correspond with their learning style and routine, while others think that they need a structured course provided by a classroom.

image1:http://salamacademy.org/resources/distance-learning-program.jpg

image 2: http://roveracademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Benefits_Of_Online_Education-300x273.jpg

VLE vs PLE

     In this  blog post  I am going to compare the characteristics of VLEs (virtual language environment) with those of PLEs(personal language environment). PLE is a notion that portrays how learners construct and maintain their study through individualized tools and resources. Its purpose is to link formal and informal learning and to acquire the goals of lifelong learning, based on the new forms of social software and the new patterns of the web as platform. It is a notion that portrays how learners construct and maintain their study through individualized tools and resources.

PLE  is unique by its character and each person can select his/her own ideal approaches. PLEs are not constrained to web based tools, but can involve private experiences, conversations and other resources such as newspapers, television and radio. Unlike the VLE, the PLE shares resources for collaborative knowledge production. The resources assembled and accessed in the PLE are more typically blog postings, reviews, comments, etc . The VLE  works within an organizational scope while the PLE  functions at a personal level in that it coordinates information and services related directly to the user.

 

                                                                         

IMAGE 1: http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/beyond-distance-research alliance/projects/p2.0ple/collaborativelearning1.gif

OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES (OER)

        This time I'm going to touch upon OER (open educational resources) which  are digital teaching materials that can be applied by anyone over the Web freely. It is a society where knowledge and learning are public goods, freely created and shared, not hoarded or withheld in order to extract wealth or influence (Downes, 2007). This  term  was officially identified and adopted by UNESCO in 2002, regarding teaching, learning or research materials that are in the public domain. They are available under creative commons licenses which doesn’t  permit materials published under traditional copyrights. As free digital teaching resources, many schools, districts, colleges, universities, and some states are starting to use and implement them instead of textbooks.

    

 I think that OER can be very beneficial for both teachers and students. OER is a great way for evolving social learning ( Brown & Adler, 2008). Students can use OER in  various ways to enlarge and expand their chances  in education. They can freely use valuable materials that they might have no access to, because of access restrictions, copyright, etc. Students and teachers can save time and money. It gives them an opportunity to contribute to quality teaching and learning in a much wider context. It also provides a chance to recognize quality teachers all over the world.

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Mobile Devices in Education

      Mobile devices are great for teaching 21st century skills.  If you want students to learn to collaborate, it is the very  tool that you can be beneficial.   Modern cell phones are more than just devices for making and receiving phone calls. They are designed for communication, organization, and amusement. These newer phones involve tools for taking and modifying pictures and videos, sending texts and emails, streaming video, connecting to others through social networks, and so on. The reality that so many students have access to cell phones makes many teachers think of their use in the classroom.                                                                                                 
    Mobile phones can be used both inside the classroom and outside the classroom (Reinder, 2010). Students can make use of them in many different ways.  For example they can find definitions and  translation, can use as an internet browser to access endless information. Besides they can read new articles, current events and books. Furthermore students can download and use education programs such as Google Maps.              
   Prensky explains to educators that in a Flat World, while U.S. teachers are forbidding to use cell phones at schools, millions of students in China and Japan, the Philippines, and Germany are using their mobile phones to learn English and  to study health and spelling. Prensky claims that the average cell phone nowadays has more computing power than many of the computers of 10 years ago ( Prensky, 2002). 
  So it is obvious that mobile phones can be very helpful in education if teachers are aware how they can coincide and combine it with their lesson and students' needs. Cell phones give students a chance to employ them differently and to make education compelling and motivating for them. 

image 1:http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Environment/Pix/columnists/2012/5/25/1337961374739/MDG--Learning-access-with-008.jpg

Second Life

     Second Life (SL) is a three dimension virtual world imagined and created by its users. In SL, learners communicate through text messages, audio conversations, and their avatar’s non-verbal gestures (e.g., waving, thumbs-up). An avatar is a SL user’s 3D graphic representation through which the SL user interacts with other people in SL (Calongne, 2008) . SL also offers capabilities to record events taking place within SL. This allows language learners to review and reflect on their personal performance and interactions with others by watching their own recorded video clips in SL. 

    At the beginning it may seem a little bit bewildering and odd for students. When I started to use  “ Second Life ” and created avatar I was also confused as I didn’t know where to go and  how to use it. But then after discussion in the classroom and some practice I got used to it and started to enjoy being in this virtual world. It is very essential to provide students with proper instructions concerning the usage of “ Second Life ” to get them engaged in it easily and quickly.  As I already mentioned  " Second life"  gives a chance not only to chat, but also to have a conversation with other users. So students can interact with native speakers and also develop their speaking and listening skills as well. 
    It is a useful tool that teachers can apply and make it proper for their lesson. It will work perfectly if they connect it with their topic for students " to digest " the knowledge better and to get pleasure from the process of learning. For example if their topic is shopping they can be given homework to go and do shopping with their classmates. They will communicate, it will support them  to reinforce the new vocabulary and to have some fun with their friends. Then they will get feedback from their teacher for further improvements. 
     Teaching language with the aid of " Second Life" is very popular in some countries, but not in Armenia. I think this technological tool won't be applicable in my country today. The reason is that many schools as well as families especially in rural areas are not provided with computers. But it would be great to find some ways to include "Second Life" and other digital technologies in Armenia, since for stimulating and having  today's  learners  engaged into the lesson, teachers need to involve them  in the teaching process. 
    Thus it is evident from this reflection and from the previous ones connected with digital technologies  that they not only help students to acquire Second Language with interest and ease but they also make them digitally literate which is very essential nowadays.

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