Course reflection

Actually, I am keen on online courses. The more courses I am taking, the more I feel I am contributing to my professional development. It is a way to help my students to find means of involvment and learning better along the implementation of the project. I am sure that whenever I take the adventure of participating in a course, I am likely to meet very special elite of educators around the glob. Before engaging in this course, I was concerned on how much I should spend carrying out the courses requirements and socializing with my moderators and international colleagues. This time, I am very fortunate to meet some dearest friends with whom I have met during the Ifrane conference in Morocco. We had pictures together and we went on excursions. It is a plus in the course to keep that contact and push it forwards. What’s more is meeting our moderator, Barry, who has kept supporting us along the course. Minno was caring and sharing all what she could do as well.

I have learned much from the course and beyond the course. I have learned that prompts would facilitate the learning and teaching of writing. I have put them into practice. I have integrated my technology tools to get my students more implicated in their own learning. I have used blogs, iEARN sites, Nings, skypes, wikis, yahoo groups, effectively and let my students feel that there is not only one way to communicate and brush one’s skills and knowledge… I have felt that students need someone to think about their learning styles and strategies. I have involved their parents in the learning process by making them helping their children to find the suitable information...

The project I have chosen to integrate in my classroom was “Modern technology tool uses. I was empowered by the tremandous suggestions of my moderators. They have provided the necessary tips to realize our projects. In fact, my project idea is part of the syllabus of second year baccalaureate. The students were very interested in the idea of iERAN projects. I am pretty sure that they are still waiting for their participation certificates. Some other of my students have contributed in Oman topic about the importance of English, Kenyan's project about "Music", and about south Africa's project concerning "the computer safety".

Some of the challenges I have met would be the interruption of the holidays. As sometimes, you have to travel for a long distance. While travelling you cannot concenrate on the course and after returning, you need at least a wwek to adjust not only to the course, but also the school and family requirements. Fortunatly, there are always colleagues to support us along the learning progression. Especially this year, I am elected as a member of the national board of English teachers, besides being the president of Làayoune local brach.

I think I am still eager to take more iEARN courses if possible. I would like that iEARN provides us with more support to study for doctorate and contribute in the teaching and learning process of research.

From Kenya 2

From Kenya: Friday, 16 April 2010, 07:16 PM

• Mobile phone, Computer, Fax, photocopier, digital camera,
• Mobile -I can communicate with my friends from where I am
• Computer -It is handy for my homework and I can play games and watch movies
• Phone Ipod It helps people access information faster. It makes life to be efficient
• They fail, my computer crashed with a very important assignment I had to do it all again and the deadline was close
• Well the ones which fail fast and hinder progress such as a flash disk.
• When I got a phone a could not believe it that I could sleep in my bed and take a call. Before we had to go all the way to the sitting room and when our phone was broken, we had to go all the way to a phone booth. The booths were few and most of the time they were not working. Imagine when I got my phone I played with it the whole night. I played the ring tones, I wished someone could call me but no one had my number.
• A tablet where you write or talk and it types the nots
• Yes, sometimes there are sparks or some sounds when you are using some items and it is scaring. E.g. when the a.c. sparks it creates fear in me.
• Yes people text until their thumbs become sore, they text under the desk under the blanket it is very disturbing at times
• Yes staying without my mobile phone was an obsession until my parents took it.
• Phone, calling friends
• Camera, taking pictures
• When the teachers used computer they show movies or pictures and you understand what they are saying.
• Copying, Copy and past people cheat in assignments. In addition, people take more time on the toys hence they do not revise enough
• It has brought hate; during our post election, people used technology to pass messages. They will send a text and say our tribe is being killed let us arm ourselves and that was bad many people died. Now we are using technology to bring in peace. Both ways it can be dangerous or good.

From Oman

From Oman Thursday, 8 April 2010, 07:34 AM

Dear Abdelsalam;

My sts are very interested ur project and they have different responses. I have put here some here.

Wish you the best.

For many years and not a long time something very important shines in the world sky to make it brighter. It is the technology. Everything in our life has items, tools, steps and reasons to appear. Technology comes in different things like computers, tvs, radios, mobiles and other machines for houses and companies.

Inventions and it is my way to go through the world to contact others from man parts of the world at the same time. Moreover, it is my tool to do my homework, improve my skills, learn, share and get information about all of you. I use technology to understand what is it and why do we have such tool so here I can learn something new and refresh my mind with new ideas.

I think technology is also has some disadvantages Technology needs a lot of time and some of the tools are complicated and sensitive. Also, some of technology tools affect our healthy like eyes coz it needs to focus on screen like the computer. Some people use these tools in a way that is not appropriate which make the tools useless or sometime a way to destroy others.

On the other hand, technology tools are useful in some points where people know when and how to use effectively. Technology makes our world as one family where they communicate and exchange their ideas and thoughts although they are far from each other and differ in some ways. Also, technology is the way that assists us to do many things fast and get information from different resources.

Finally, technology depends on people who use it and how do they use it. It is the way that makes all people be a like in some points and share their work together. Technology is the main way that is help me to contact you in this project and collaborate with you to know more about it.

Aneesa AL Maamari and Haya AL Brekie Grdae 12

Atika for Basic Education School

Teacher: Fatma AL Maamari

http://englishoman.weebly.com/index.html

From Kenya

Teacher from Kenya:

Wednesday, 7 April 2010, 07:27 AM

Thank you for sharing your work with the students. It is very good to see the intergration of technology in your class.

Here we have some activities, which use the Technology as a platform. For example, I have a wiki for my physics, reserach, and technology session where I put up resources, notes, practicals, and presentation for my students. We also have blogs for assignments and posting announcements. We use group mail for communication and sometimes for assignment handing in or issuing. Whenever I post something on the blog, my students are alerted. We also have sms (short message service) which is made through an offer with our mobile providers. Here you group upto 10 students in one group. You then send one message, they all get, and you are only charged for one message. For the older children also use the SMS but for the younder ones I use only the blogs, Wikis, and mailing lists. Also We work with IERN project depending on the units. When I was teaching Publich information system, I used Feeding Mind fighting Hunger as my studendt desiged a model to track the food reserves and statistics including distribuition. When I was teaching Web Design, I based my strand on cultures and hence my students used My Identity your Identity project to explore their cultures and share with others through the Web they designed. When we open, I will be teaching Modeling and I am looking for a businness oriented project in IEARN. I have found two and I have written to teh facilitators once they achknowledge that we shall join. That is how we intergarte technology in my classes. I also gave my research class to a mini reserach on how the students utilize technology in there leraning in the school and the findings were very impressive.

What I have given is the teachers perspective. I am waiting for my studenst to respond to your project. We went for Easter Break hence please bear with the delay.

Gioko Anthony

Aga Khan Academy, MombasaIEARN KENYA