Are You Ready To Integrate Technology[1]

TEIS AR Newsletter

Spring Issue 3

7 Are you ready to Integrate Technology?

Teaching has changed dramatically in the 21st century with the advent of Web 2.01 tools like wikis, blogs and podcasts just to name a few. New technologies have changed the landscape of information and knowledge. Learning in this scenario poses new questions for us teachers. Anyone with access to Internet has the ability to create videos, text and audio that can be shared with a global audience. How can teachers be inspired to gradually start incorporating Technology in their daily teaching? Internet has become a big challenge for teachers and if used correctly is an empowering phenomenon. But most teachers internally ask themselves why should I start using technology. My only answer to this interrogation is that Technology is here to stay. Integrating technology is not putting computers in the classroom without teacher training. Technology should be used effectively and efficiently to allow students to learn how to apply computer skills in meaningful ways. Consider the power you have as a teacher to start sharing students work with a real audience that is considered to be any student from the world. Below you can observe how teaching methods gradually started changing.

Traditional Approach

Digital Alternative

Note Taking Formal writing Formal Communications. e.g. Letters

Word processors and voice recording Word processing, emails, blogs, wikis, etc. Email, Mobile phones, Blackberries, Chats and Forums

Research from Newspapers, journals etc.

Online newspapers, Search Engines (eg. Google, Yahoo etc.) Search engines and directories, webquests Youtube, Multimedia Player, etc.

General research Watching videos

When I finished my Teacher training studies some years ago I would have never thought that my students could learn from other students worldwide. Teachers were the only holder of knowledge and the center of the classroom. Technology has broken down the four walls of my classroom and has allowed my student to learn English in a real context. There is no greater rewarding experience than to see student´s motivation grow to levels one would have never thought. If we want to integrate technology we must be aware of our “digital natives” students. Teachers must be opened to sharing, connectedness and Networking. The other question I heard many teachers asking me is how can they start integrating Technology. Recently ARCALL (Argentine Computer Assisted Language Learning) has been launched with the clear goal to help teacher integrate technology. We know that 1

Web 2.0 is a living term describing changing trends in the use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aims to enhance creativity, information sharing, collaboration and functionality of the web. Web 2.0 concepts have led to the development and evolution of web-based communities and its hosted services, such as social-networking sites, video sharing sites, wikis, blogs, and folksonomies. Source Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0

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TEIS AR Newsletter

Spring Issue 3

there are many compelling reasons to start incorporating technology and that many brilliant teachers are doing this. ARCALL is a group of innovative language teaching professionals from Argentina which aims to: • • • • •

increase the use of educational technology in EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teaching, collaborate in the integration of ICT in Argentina in ways that are effective and appropriate, assist teachers in integrating ICT into their daily practices and as a means of developing themselves professionally, train teachers on using computers and the Internet in English language teaching, develop a Research Area to further apply new ideas into the classroom.

I also suggest exploring other possibilities like teaching in a virtual world. Second Life is one of the many virtual worlds where students arrive to a virtual island where they have the chance to practice English in different places of this island for example near the ocean, at the theatre, at the disco or even in the supermarket. Everything is based on a communicative approach where voice communication, chat and instant messages are used. The teacher and the student create their own avatar. There is a huge variety of clothes you can choose from. You can also be teletransported from once place to another. Possibilities are endless and as a teacher your imagination is at full swing. Classes are really visual and dynamic and students have the great benefit of being able to practice 24 hours. Another possibility is to create your own blog and share your experience with other colleagues. As head of a blog, I should say that the journey on how to incorporate technology in your classes is full of obstacles and rewards. If you are about to create one, I’d like to invite all teachers who have not already incorporated technology in their classrooms, to give it a try. I hope you enjoy the ride. Trad.Prof. Jennifer Verschoor ARCALL ( Argentine Computer Assisted Language Learning) President References Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0 Any bibliography? No, I created the chart Biodata

Jennifer Verschoor graduated from St.Andrews Scot´s School in Argentina. Holds degrees as Bachelor in Educational Management (UCA), English University Professor (UMSA) and English Public Translator (UMSA). Studied Business English at University of California Irvine. She is the Director of Teachnet a company specialized in the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in language teaching. Founder member of ARCALL (Argentine Computer Assisted Language Learning). She is also a proud Webhead and has been granted a scholarship to attend WorldCall in Fukuoka, Japan. She is also an Intel Senior Teacher Trainer. Her emphasis in training teachers to integrate technology into the classroom started five years ago. Since then has given numerous workshops on

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TEIS AR Newsletter

Spring Issue 3

ICT in Argentina, Japan and Germany. Currently she is introducing New Technologies for the Teaching of English in several learning commercial and educational organizations.

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