Implementing CALL in the Malaysian Secondary Classroom

If you had the chance would you utilize ICT (CALL) in your teaching?
Definitely. I would utilize ICT in my teaching because it makes the lesson more interesting. We could see how students today are very IT savvy. Most students spend their leisure time sitting in front of the computer rather than the TV. Hence, to use the implement ICT is a advantage. During my teaching practicum, I did not use the computer lab or media room to carry out my lessons. This is because the facilities are not sufficient to accommodate the number of students I had. It wasn't only the quantity of the facility but also the size of the lab/room.

Another thing why I didn't have my students into the computer lab/media room was because of their behaviour. In the classroom alone was hard enough for me to handle them, what more in the lab/room? However, if there were any activities that requires the use of the Internet or any other source of media, I had my students to do online researches, find related articles/pictures and have them bring their work to class. From there the discussions were done.

And lastly, the computer labs/media room was so hard to get it booked! Either it was already booked or was not open for use at the specific time when I had my teaching period!



How do you think it would help (or would not help) your students to learn English?
I believe that it would help students learn English. Having a lesson implemented with ICT out beats the traditional way of the learning process. You will not only have chalks and the blackboard, but also a coloured picture, animations, and sounds. One thing, it attracts students' interest to learn.

As i mentioned earlier, most students are born to sit in front of the computer for hours! If they can do this at home or at the Internet cafes, they should be able to do this is class to. In relation to that, students will definitely learn English when they use the computer for educational purposes or even for games.


What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages implementing CALL in the Malaysian schools?
Advantages:
1. Boosts students' interest in learning.
2. The lesson is more 'lively'(with the use of media - sounds and pictures)
3. The lesson is beyond books (with the use of the Internet).
4. Saves a lot of time for the lesson, which enables more activities to be done in the classroom.

Disadvantages:
1. Instructions fail to go across the classroom , especially once students are put in front of the computer.
2. Distractions - Internet, window games (e.g. Solitaire)
3. Insufficient equipment - computers, speakers


What are the barriers in implementing CALL in the Malaysian classroom?
There are several points to reflect on. Firstly, the financial constraints the government has provided to support the implementing of CALL in the Malaysian classrooms. Billions of Ringgits is spent to equip schools with complete facilities, even having built the Smart School around the country.

Secondly, most teachers are not IT savvy. Thus, they refuse to learn and upgrade themselves by going to courses and workshops. They are reluctant. It could be they have the perception of having their lessons successful without the use of computers before this.

Next, will be the maintenance of the computers.


Other comments/ideas
In my opinion, implementing CALL in the Malaysian classroom is a good idea. It had been years since the Smart Schools started and also having each school equipped with computers. But, the overall observation can be concluded as not successful. There are still a lot of causes and effects to consider.

The government and schools really have to work together to come out with a secured plan when implementing CALL in the classrooms. The considerations that are to be looked into will be:
1. maintenance - how, who and when
2. the credibility of the teachers - qualified or not qualified?
3. will the implementation improve as years of time and energy contributed?

Lesson Plan

Level: Form 4

Time: 30 minutes

Aims:

To find specific information on a Website about the endangered species in Malaysia; knowledge acquisition: using the blurb from the website.

Technical Requirements:

Students will form groups of five. One computer will be used per group with an Internet connection and a Web Browser.

Websites: www.wwf.org.my , www.wikepedia.org , www.animalinfo.org

Preparation:

1. Locate sites related to the endangered animals in Malaysia.

2. Work in groups, discuss and brainstorm on the facts.

3. Using the information on the website, complete the task on the worksheet.

Procedure:

1. Ask student for the names of various kinds of animals found in Malaysia.

2. Among the listed animals stated, ask students to identify animals which are endangered.

3. Ask students to form groups of five.

4. Give out the worksheet prepared for students. Ask them to read and understand the task of the worksheet.

5. Tell students that they need to go online to do a research for the task.

6. Ask students to use the headlines given in the worksheet as a guideline.

7. Send students to the sites chosen, ask them to list down, discuss and brainstorm the information they found.

8. As they do this, students are able to extend their knowledge on the endangered animals in Malaysia.

9. Assist students when they have difficulties or questions.

10. Check on the progress of students’ work. Ask students to proceed with writing their bulletin when their work is approved.

(The worksheet has been sent to your email, Sir)

Hypertexting and Hyperlinking

Gandhi was born in Porbandar, India, on October 2nd 1869. His father died when he was still a teenager. At the age of 13 he married Kasturba Gandhi who was three years younger and the marriage lasts for 62 years until her death in 1944.

As a young man Gandhi left India to study law in London. Then he spent two decades working in South Africa securing rights for Indian expatriates. It was during this time that his political reform through non-violence which he called Satyagraha was born. This movement meant resistance of tyranny through mass civil disobedience, firmly founded upon ahimsa, total non violence, which led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. This way, when he returned to India, Mohandas Gandhi emerged as a political and religious leader in the fight for independence from Great Britain and was accorded the country's Father of the Nation. India freed itself from Britain on August 15th, 1947. Five months later, on January 25th, 1948 Gandhi was shot by a conservative Hindu.

Website Evaluation

website: Activities for ESL/EFL Students
http://a4esl.org


Question 1
The targeted users for this website would range from the beginner level, intermediate level and also advanced level. In my opinion, this website would be suitable for lower secondary students (Form 1, 2 and 3). The website has three different difficulty levels which the users can choose from according to their proficiency.

Question 2
This website is very simple. All the users have to do is just to select and click on the preferred link that suits their level of proficiency. This website is mainly exercises and quizzes. What the users can do with this website is to test their understanding towards what they have learned e.g. grammar. The questions and answers are in simple form where users are required to fill in the blanks or choose the correct answers from a grid list. There's also the 'Podcast' section where users can watch online or even download it in mp4 form.

Question 3
There is no need for any special or specific skills that the users need to have to learn or use this application. Yet, users will need basic computer skills to be able to explore this website. There are also crossword puzzles that focuses on grammar. This is similar to what I've learned in the previous class when using the Hot Potato program.

Question 4
Actually, yes. It does remind me of some activities I've done in school. However, I wished my former school was well equipped with such technology so that I could have done online exercises like these. In fact, I used to have exercises like filling in the blanks and a couple of crosswords and grammar games too. However, I find this website interesting but not 'fun'. The good feature about this website is that by the end of every exercise or quiz, the scores of your performance will be stated.

Question 5
My opinion is that the website will be best be held in a lab associated with a class and also a teacher-led class with one or a few computers. Since the website does not require anything 'big' from the users to be able to manipulate the website, it can also be done independently at home. But it is best that there is someone present for guidance and as a facilitator to the users.

Question 6
Well, this website is mainly focusing on the usage of the language (grammar, vocabulary and listening). Therefore, there are communicative and listening (pronunciation) features found in the exercises. The learning theories for communicative (grammar) is where users figure out the structure of language or also known as a sentence (syntax). The parts of speech actually helps users to identify and decide the correct sentence structure and semantically correct. Vocabulary is important to expand the choice of words in the spoken language. And as for the listening (Podcast), users can learn pronunciation of words. By doing the exercises and quizzes in the website as a drill, users will improve in the language.

Question 7
Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences theory, there are no signs of it whereby this website is mostly exercise and quizzes and there are no inclusions of problem solving like mathematics and such.

Vygotsky's constructivist theory of learning associates with the user's social constructivism which encourages the learner to arrive at his or her own version of the truth, influenced by his or her background, culture or embedded worldview. So to say, this theory does not really imply in the website as well.

Question 8
The computer was rising fast in the two past decades. It is said that the computer does multiple tasks that humans can't do and that the computer was a slave. Whereby on the other hand, humans are depending so much on computers that it was referred to as a master. However, when it comes to the learning process, the computer is never a replacement for teachers. This is because learners of today and of the future will still need a facilitator and guidance from a teacher. The computer may provide guidance to learners but it is limited comparing to a teacher, whose guidance is unlimited. Therefore, the computer is merely an obedient servant to students. There still has to be interaction with both human and technology, but the most important one is the communication between two individuals and not a machine.

Question 9
I wouldn't be so sure to use this website for my future work. Yet, I do like the activities on the website, but the layout is sort of cluttered everywhere especially the links. It is not categorized properly or in proper order. But still, it is still useable and not too complicated to manipulate the website. Even if I want apply the activities from this website, the best I could do is just to adapt it and do it the traditional way which is pen and paper, and chalk and board.

Question 10
It would be great of the author would brighten up the page/layout as it will be more attractive to users, which will then instill some sort of motivation to explore the website. Referring to Question 9, it would be helpful if the links were put in proper order (perhaps in tables/boxes). Apart from that, everything is okay because it is simple and easy to use. But, one good thing about this website is that it provides other useful/related links regarding ESL websites.


Gwendolyn Gail Yong
2004327554
U8B

Hot Potatoes

The Hot Potatoes software is interesting..
It's a software designed for users to create language games or exercises.
There are six features which are the 'Jmix, Jcross, Jmatch, Jcloze, JQuiz, and The Masher'.
I've tried out 4 types...


Jcloze



Jcross



Jmatch



Jmix


I should say this is a recomended software for those who would like to create language games or exercises. =)

The search for ESL websites for evaluating

so, i was surfing for ESL websites to evaluate..and i found one which i think it's suitable for children of age 10 and above and also for beginners.

http://iteslj.org/v/ei/ OR www.eslcafe.com/grammar.html

these are just options but they're not confirmed yet..will still hunt around for websites.

anyway, here's one interesting ESL website, zurin found this webstite where you can ask questions and they answer you. so i was eager to try..see whether they do answer you correctly...


You: where the hell are you?
Clerk: Not far from here.
YOU: where?
Clerk: Not far from here.
YOU: i don't see you
Clerk: Look harder.
YOU: but i dont want to
Clerk: Please try.
YOU: no
Clerk: Hurrah!


http://www.rong-chang.com/tutorframe.htm


LOL =)

Word Snake

WORD SNAKE

"did you know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day this is because when we sleep, our body goes through hours without food. the moment we wake up our body is already in the state of starvation therefore it is best that breakfast is taken at least thirty minutes after we wake up this will not only keep us going throughout the day but will also prevent us from consuming more than what our body needs but if you do not have time for breakfast there is no harm having some energy bars on the go chilled and carbonated beverages is not suitable to be taken in the morning hence you should avoid it drinking a glass of cold water in between the moment you are awake and breakfast is good start for flushing down you system"



okay, what i've created here is called word snake. word snake is a game where it requires students to identify individual words by spacing them out in this long sentence. there are no punctuations in this short passage. apart from students learning to identify individual words, they would also identify the suitable punctuations to be used at the same time. instead of having this exercise on a plain piece of paper, it would be more motivating and fun for students to have this exercise using Microsoft Words. so, the best way to carry out this lesson would be in the computer lab. so here it is...


A quick way of creating a Wordsnake exercise:

· Type your text in Word (according to the level of your students)
· Select Edit/Replace from the Menu Bar
· In the Find what box enter a space
· Leave the Replace with box empty
· Click on Replace all
· Done!

-adapted from http://tsl641.blogspot.com/2008/07/using-microsoft-words-sample.html-



after having done that, the original short passage will look like this:

didyouknowthatbreakfastisthemostimportantmealoftheday
thisisbecausewhenwesleep,ourbodygoesthroughhourswithoutfoodthemomentwewakeupourbodyis
alreadyinthestateofstarvationthereforeitisbestthatbreakfastistakenatleastthirtyminutes
afterwewakeupthiswillnotonlykeepusgoingthroughoutthedaybutwillalsopreventusfromconsuming
morethanwhatourbodyneedsbutifyoudonothavetimeforbreakfastthereisnoharmhavingsomeenergybars
onthegochilledandcarbonatedbeveragesisnotsuitabletobetakeninthemorninghenceyoushouldavoid
itdrinkingaglassofcoldwaterinbetweenthemomentyouareawakeandbreakfastisgoodforflushingdownyousystem