Week-10: Reflections

I am shocked to see that my course has come to an end but I'm very elated as I am now equipped with many webskills applicable for teaching English language skills. Before this course, I only knew how to browse google for some particular topics and check emails and send back replies. In addition to this, I learnt many new techniques of using the internet for multiple purposes. The most effective were creating a blog, adding links to delicious page, making rubrics from rubistar, preparing a technology enhanced lesson plan, making interactive powerpoint slides, creating a nicenet class, preparing online survey or needs analysis questionnaires, one computer class techniques, knowing about learner autonomy and addressing them accordingly. The fusion of ideas and discussions every week guided by the topics was like sharing innumerable practical problems and solutions from teachers worldwide. The purpose of all these is to equip ourselves with new interactive ways of providing better teaching to our students so that it fosters more learner autonomy and less teacher authority. I'm going to apply as many of them as possible in my future classes. In fact, among the techniques I applied so far in my classes during this course period, creating a blog and sharing ideas through it, interactive powerpoint slides, rubrics for presentation etc. have proved to be more successful and learners liked them very much.
I suggest future participants also to work regularly online and integrate these techniques at home and schools and pave a very smooth way for learners so that they can meet online for any type of solution of any problem or difficulty that arises. Moreover, a teacher should guide students by linking some important website addresses in the delicious page so that they can browse at home and work on their own.

The LoTI framework given in Week-10 is very interesting to me. I cannot but claim that I've found myself in level-4a:-Integration: Mechanical stage as I engage my students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources. I desire to reach level-5: expansion stage by the next year though it may take a long time to reach the final stage of level-5: refinement. I am gonna create collaborations extending beyond the classroom for authentic student problem-solving and issues resolution. Emphasis will be placed on learner-centered strategies that promote personal goal setting and self-monitoring, student action, and collaborations with other diverse groups (e.g., another school, different cultures, business establishments, governmental agencies) using the available digital assets. It is very much possible here in Bangladesh and the diverse groups will accept it very warmly. In fact, our teaching context requires a person who can guide the way towards the optimum use of technology for language learning.

I'll end my discussion with a hope for creating a better teaching context for my learners in future and expect the same from each and every present and future participant of this course.

Finally, I cannot but thank the instructor Robert for his well-guided outlines and resources he has given us all throughout the course time.

A 'big thank you' to Robert and my dear course-mates. See you online in near future. So, no 'goodbye' or farewell but always warm welcome for you all.