Second Critical Review of Technology

Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab


This ESL language Web is one of the largest ESL listening practice basis on the Web with diverse interesting topics for three different levels. Listeners can choose from a variety of conversations, sorted as easy, medium or difficult .It was created by Randall Davis that helps ESL/EFL students improve their listening understandability through listening practice with self-evaluating quiz links, audio and video materials, which learners of all levels can use to listen to English, view how to write it in accordance with the script and answer comprehension questions. The lesson consists, first, of listening to a dialogue and answering multiple-choice questions. Then, the student listens again while in accordance with the script. Finally, the student listens to the conversation and fills the blanks with the words on a test. There are also before and after activities as an introduction to a conversation activity, and boxes explaining figures of speech.
The opening page of the Listening Lab includes several alternatives, but these are the most useful for learners listed under the four main groups: Short Listening Exercises, General Listening Quizzes with RealAudio, Listening. The themes included are quite sorted. The section of Short Listening Exercises, for example, touches on basic pronunciation topics, grammar points and vocabulary items. The General Listening Quizzes with RealAudio is like chapters in a book, with conversations appropriate for several situations and contexts. The Listening Quizzes for Academic Purposes touches on more serious themes. Randall tries to respond to the needs of all learners, whether they are at the elementary or at the advanced level.
The site’s basic approach is to help learners listen to a context and to let them do some activity based on what they have listened to. As an example, if you click on "Directions 2" in the Difficult section of the Short Exercises, you'll get a screen with a top frame and a bottom frame. In the bottom frame, you'll see a street map in colors with buildings and street names. In the top frame, you'll get instructions as to how to go on, and a set of comprehension questions regarding the information given at the bottom frame. These are the instructions you get:

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Each question covers a PLAY link and four choices. Following the instructions, first you have to go through the map and then click on the PLAY link at the top frame. Then, a recorded script is played; after listening, you have to choose the correct answer. You may play the recorded script how many times you want. Also, if you find it too hard to make out even one or two words, you may click on the link Quiz Script. This link presents the script as it is spoken. However, since the script and questions are on different pages, you can answer the questions only while hearing the script, not while viewing it. It is a disadvantage of it. You may input your response by selecting it from the box, which shows the message, "Choose one number here." When you click on this box, you'll be able to see the four choices.


You can solve all the questions without looking up the correct answers, and then have your result evaluated. Or, if you prefer, you may also look up the answer to each question any time, by clicking on "Answer." Thus Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab makes it possible for learners to determine their own strategy. There's no tension or time pressure while answering the questions.
Randall’s site is the most interesting and useful website I've ever seen on the web. It's devoted to listening skills, from elementary to academic level; it's well organized. It’s site clearly superior in many ways. First, his pages are free from confusion. Randall offers clean, quick-loading pages which every visitor will appreciate. Second, as listening sites go, Randall's site is quite comprehensive. It has many listening exercises with audio and video clips. Third, it’s friendly and very easy to use. Furthermore, it's accompanied by useful exercises. Try it! You'll improve your listening skills.

Vocabulay Teaching
It is a language learning network for free that provides a variety kind of source to practice the language you learn. By entering the website you can use the already prepared ones to practice vocabulary or else you can create flashcards. A good feature of the website is its Web Reader. It allows you to read foreign language websites and texts. You just select a website or text to read and it provides you with the definitions of the vocabulary you do not know. Also, with this flashcards is that they can be recorded as MP3 music files and you can listen to them whenever and wherever you want I think this tool is the best tool of WordChamp. Also you can chat with other language learners and tutors all over the world online. Absolute Recall is another source offered by the website. It records the vocabulary you practiced with flashcards or Web Reader, so you can keep a list of words you are learning. Both teachers and learners can log in the web site. For teachers, it offers a Course Management system. They can create online classes for their students. They can prepare online assignments, activities such as fill-in-the-blanks and multiple choice exercises and give feedback to their learners. WordChamp is really a useful and easy-to-use tool for both teachers and learners.


Gerry’s Vocabulary Teacher : This software includes vocabulary items and sample sentences for students and teachers. It covers more than 2.500 words and 35.000 sentences. A language learner can learn new words with their use in sentences. S/he can also add new sentences or edit/delete the existing ones. To test her/his vocabulary s/he can create random word gap exercise. A language teacher can also make use of this vocabulary database. S/he can design web-based and paper-based vocabulary exercises by selecting sentences from the list of the software. The limitation of the software is that it is not free and its trial version does not provide its all features for users.


Text-to-speech technology: With the help of this software, you just type the word or sentence and then the program reads it aloud for you. It has the voices of different people and you can select whichever you want to listen. The negative side of this technology is that it can not add any intonation or emotion. But you can learn how the words pronounced correctly at all. By using this technology, a teacher can improve the pronunciation skills of her/his students. They can compare their pronunciations with the correct ones and improve themselves. Another good side of the program is that it has different accents of English and you can listen to them to differentiate them.

Content Management Systems
In this summary the main focus is on content management systems and to understand it better. We will benefit from three content management systems as following: Dokeos (www.dokeos.com), Nicenet (www.nicenet.org), and Moodle (www.moodle.org).
First of all, Dokeos is one of the largest and most famous content management systems. SCORM open source learning environment is the main product of this system which is used many users all over the world. The products of Dokeos supply learning management that includes “SCORM import, edit and export, social interaction, sophisticated test and surveys”, Oogie Rapid Learning that “build SCORM courses online from templates, from PowerPoint...”, Accurate reporting which is for you to “export to Excel, Business Objects...”, and Videoconferencing which helps “virtual meeting and virtual classroom for live training sessions”. It has version for free for the users but it is composed of just Learning Management System and SCORM and surveys reporting. In order to use the other qualitative features we should pay required money.
Second, Nicenet is a web based classroom. The members of the groups can share information and ask questions to provide further assistance. It is kind of computer mediated conferencing system and in that way is resembles combination e-mail and bulletin board. If we want to have or attend a special for us and our group members we need to have a private password or code. There is a part for new-comers and it helps the students join a new class and the teachers to create a new class. It is a kind of internet classroom assistant and the features of it are as following: Conferencing which helps us create our own conference between us and our students, scheduling that helps us be able to schedule our class and assignments i.e. so that people can see upcoming events, document sharing which is for students and instructors to publish their work in HTML format without knowing what it is, personal messaging which resemble classical email apart from the other featured characteristics, and lastly link sharing which enables us to share links among our class. However, Nicenet has some disadvantages. For example, you can share images or files which are already on internet; that is you cannot attach and post the files that is on your PC. I think, one of the good sides of this tool is its being free to use.
Last one is Moodle which is a content management system and freely available open source software package and it has been designed according to pedagogical principles in education. It helps the teachers create effective online learning environments and new online rich contented courses. There are so many users all over the world, because it is systematical and well-organized. Moreover, we can participate in international discussions, and it has featured plug-ins: Activities, resource types, question types, data field types (for the database activity), graphical themes, authentication methods, enrollment methods, and content filters. It provides both students and teachers with adjustable learning environment. Furthermore, we can adapt Moodle in accord with our educational needs.

CREATING BLOGS AND WIKIS

This text was written by Robert Godwin-Jones from Virginia Comonwealth University. He classifies as First-Generation web and Second-Generation Web. First, there is an introduction part which mentions the opportunities that internet provides for people. First-Generation Web includes asynchronous and synchronous tools, and Second-Generation Web includes blogs, wikis, and RSS. Asynchronous tools are no longer used but e-mails are still used in classroom environment. As e-mail programs have formatted text and graphics, they are more attractive. Also, the features of e-mails are described and how they work is explained. In synchronous tools part, chat is seen as an effective communication tool. Instant messaging and its benefits in education are explained.
In the Second-Generation Web, firstly blogs are introduced in a detailed way. They can be created both by individually or by groups. We can say it is an online journal in some way. You can publish your writings, pictures or videos. So it can be used for educational purposes by publishing journals, articles, essays, etc. However, blogs are more limited than RSS and Wiki. They can be organized chronologically but they can not be organized according to their content. RSS provides much information from more different sources. Wikis also provide a collaborative environment because you can reach more people. Blogs are created by one person or a group but the content can be modified by everyone on Wikis. Wikis are free of charge, so everyone can create by just signing up. I think Wikipedia is one of the most known Wikis. Everybody can share his knowledge and can make changes on Wikis. In conclusion, it provides more interaction and collaboration between people while using or sharing the knowledge.

FIRST CRITICAL REWIEW OF ‘Gerry's Vocabulary Teacher’

PART 1:

WHAT IS ‘Gerry's Vocabulary Teacher’?

Gerry's Vocabulary Teacher is an educational source which makes instructions more explicit for teachers who teach English as a Second or Foreign Language. In a short time, teachers can create all kinds of vocabulary activities. ‘Gerry's Vocabulary Teacher’ allows a teacher to reach all ranges of vocabulary items. It has lists of keywords and headwords that are the base forms of words. It has also a huge collection of sentences in context; so teachers choose the words to study among various sentences using the target word and its various derivations in context. These sentences show how the words are used in many forms. Gerry's Vocabulary Teacher focuses on lists of vocabulary items, too. The lists are the list of words which appear continually in English. In fact, the list was compiled to help students provide opportunities to practice target vocabulary lists. As a whole, ‘Gerry's Vocabulary Teacher’ was created by a teacher of ESL Gerry Luton, and Martin Holmes, formerly a teacher of English as Second Language. At first, the aim was to help Gerry in his teaching tasks to provide his students with lots of vocabulary exercise and review. Then he continued to use the program to strengthen the usage of the words learned in his ESL classes. In the fastness of use and the benefits for learning, the students were impressed.

HOW TO USE THE ‘Gerry's Vocabulary Teacher’?


At the left top, there is a part to choose, write, edit, and delete the words. The part below shows the sentence that has been chosen for the activity. This part also gives the user multiple options to create an activity:
A. To make a gap-fill exercise:
In the WORDS column on the left side of the screen, type the word you want to choose. After you have chosen the sentence you find appropriate for your word, click on ‘use’ button to see it on the screen. From the part, below the ‘word part’, choose the options you want to apply to your activity. Don’t forget to click on ‘word’ part every time in order to choose more vocabulary. (But, new word part is not for typing new word for your activity; it is to add a new vocabulary item to ‘Gerry's Vocabulary Teacher’).
B. To produce a hard copy :
Click on RFT button to make your exercise. Give a name and save it. If you want to save it, click on save button.
C. To produce an interactive online:
It is recommended to use HOT PATATOES to create this kind of exercises. Download HOT PATATOES, and then click on a button which works with JMatch or JCloze and give a title, save it.
D. To add a new sentence to the site:
Click on the sentences button at the top. Type the new sentence into the new sentence box, using square brackets for the target word and click OK.
E. To add a new word to the site:
Click on the New Word button below the WORDS column. Type the new word into the box and click OK.
F. To mark used sentences with an asterisk *:
From the sentences button at the top, choose the option Mark used sentences to indicate that you have used that word.


G. To remove the asterisk * from all sentences:
From the sentences button at the top, choose the option remove all stars to start from the beginning or to start again with a new class.
H. To create a random exercise:
From the output button at the top, choose the number of sentences desired in the random exercise.
I. To open a different database file:
If you want to access different database files, click on the file option at the top of the program interface and select Open a database. Click on ‘db’ in order to see the different files available. Finally, choose the database you wish to use.
J. Other buttons:
There are also delete, edit, clear buttons.
K. To find discussion questions, proverbs, quotations:
Move down through the list of sentences by using the scroll button to find all the discussion questions, proverbs.

PART 2:
Now I will go on with the assessment of this tool according to its efficiency as a language learning device, its drawbacks and advantages in using techniques of English Language Teaching with its technological features as a whole.
On the home page, at the top of the page, concise information about the content of the tool is given under the title of ‘What is Gerry's Vocabulary Teacher?’ and also we can see the purpose, why we should use this tool under title of ‘Why use Gerry’s Vocabulary Teacher?’ This introduction part helps the user find whatever they search easier and clear away the probable confusions. Maybe, at first sight, the user can not understand the purpose of this site. But, after reading the introduction part, the user could have an understanding of it. I have also experienced the same thing. At first, I didn’t have any idea about the content of the site. After reading the ‘What is Gerry's Vocabulary Teacher?’ and ‘Why use Gerry’s Vocabulary Teacher?’ parts, I had an idea on that site. In sum, only by browsing through the home page, one can easily understand the format of the tool and its subparts.
Firstly, I think this tool is really convenient in preparing vocabulary activities, since when you decide on words to prepare an exercise, there is a variety of exercise types with which you could use the words that you have selected. It is really convenient for users to make fill-in-the-gap activities, review vocabulary previously learned in class, examine vocabulary understanding, practice target vocabulary in discussion performances through ‘Gerry's Vocabulary Teacher’. As for ‘key words’, the user has the chance to choose the words to work on from among a wide range of sentences using those words and/or their various derivations in context, and with a few clicks, they are able to create a complete vocabulary gap-fill exercise. As for ‘academic word lists’, users could use some common word groups in their school-work environments or daily life. Since some words are encountered more commonly than others and they are useful to those who do not have academic targets .But unfortunately, this is not for free like anything else.You have to order the tool. One has to download ‘Gerry’s Vocabulary Teacher’ to create vocabulary activities by following the steps at least $35.The price changes between $35-$70 which is really high. One single-user registration is appropriate for users which is $ 50.Also, the recommendation of HOT PATATOES is not favorable for the reputation of the site. It should not have advertised any other site even it is for the sake of learners.
I can not commend on the speed of the site since it needs subscription. The high price of the site prevents me from commending. As I understand from the demo, the speed of the tool depends on the speed of the internet connection. When the internet is fast, the connection to the site is also fast. When it is with wireless internet connection, of course it is slower than normal.
I think this website is suitable especially for teachers and students. The ones that want to enhance their vocabulary accumulation can get avail of that site to a great extent. One of the favorable sides of that tool is that it provides the user with examples of the daily speeches besides the academic ones. Usage of daily speech in sentences has the students-teachers be familiar with the lives of native-like speech. Also students can choose the words according to their own interests. Another advantage is that there is a ‘Suggestions for Teachers’ part which guides teachers in using some methods in teaching vocabulary. By this way, teachers can practice vocabulary in a variety of ways; help the students acquire a greater comprehension of words. To sum, with this website, anyone could enhance vocabulary accumulation with a variety of exercises. In fact, there are many other websites on the vocabulary learning. But, this site is much better than others in terms of guiding teachers how to teach vocabulary except for its download price.
Actually, there are many other websites through which we could develop our foreign language. For instance, englishtips.com is a useful site which helps people learn the language effectively. There is much grammatical useful knowledge in that site. Also, this site includes preparations for examinations such as TOEFL. In the literature part; there are articles about a variety of current issues. With audio-video part, one can both hear the pronunciation of natives and see their culture. In the correspondence part, the users from all over the world can share ideas. Finally, one can learn English through internet .S-he can communicate with native speakers, learn the exact grammatical structures, improve her-his ability to write through correspondence or e-mails and listen to the music in that native language. Internet is really essential in foreign language learning!

SUMMARY

In this writing, firstly, it is mentioned about the meaning of the CALL and it says that CALL is the short version of computer-assisted language learning. Then, it is adverted the ways of conceptualizing field of CALL, and it says that one of the useful ways is dividing computers use in respect of the functional roles of “tutor” and “tool”. According to that discrimination, a vocabulary flashcard program could be regarded as tutor use and email program or web search engine like Google could be regarded as tool use. However, at present CALL is being used as an evolving tool use, unlike most early. Then, in the following parts of the writing, it mentioned about the acronyms and attitudes. Later, we see the history of CALL, and it says that CALL started in the 1960s. Until the early 1980s when the microcomputer into educational settings started to spread, CALL was unimportant thing for language learning outside of a few universities. In the late 1980s and early 90s, the Apple Macintosh became the Apple II and it became favorite among teacher developers and then other developments in the field of computers were experienced. In the course of that period, the importance of the use of computer as a tool went up, and computers started to be used for preparing projects by teachers and their students. Later, two main changes were gone through. The dramatic rise in commercial multimedia for language learning in home computers and the development of the world wide web. Then, the scope of CALL is mentioned and it ends with the table of a framework for CALL education.
The Summary of “Communities of Practice”
At the beginning of this writing, the term of “communities of practice” is explained and mentioned about how they are formed, and it is defined as groups of people sharing a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly. Then, three important characteristics of them are mentioned: (1) The Domain, (2) The Community and (3) The Practice. In the following part, it is adverted about what communities practice are like and the activities by the help of that communities develop their practice are mentioned on the text. The concept has been used primarily in learning theory. This concept is used in a lot of fields: business, organizational design, government, education, professional associations, development projects, and civic life.

SOCIAL BOOKMARKING

Filamentality is a web site that helps its users in educational fields. The users can cover five types of activities on the cite they create. These are scrapbook, subject sampler hot list, multimedia treasure hunt, and webquest. Teachers can easily create activities that are suitable for their subject matter via www.filamentality.com. In order to create a web page, you click the “start your new page” button and select the types of activities you would like to include. After you enter the topic of the page and the necessary contact information, you can start designing your activity immediately. When you are done, your web page is ready to explore.
Del.icio.us is a social bookmarking site which helps free service to its users. Once you join the site, you can create lists of URLs and you can reach your “hot list” from any computer with an internet connection. Moreover, you can share your lists with other users and have a look at their lists. With the help of the “tags” you place in your bookmarks, you can search for related sites and enrich your list. In this way, you can learn more about the things you are interested in.
WebQuest.org is a web site which provides materials for educators. A WebQuest is defined as “an inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most or all the information that learners work with comes from the web” by the creators of the site. Via the web site, you can create your own webquests or use the ones shared by other users. Moreover, you can publish your webquests so that your learners can reach them online. However, WebQuest.org membership is free for only 30 days; your membership and activities expires if you don’t get a subscription.
Podomatic.com enables its users to publish their video or audio files online. Once you create a free account, you can post your podcasts and share them with other people. You can also reach files posted by others and comment on them. In this way, a discussion environment can be created. Educators can use the site to give online lectures and their students can attend the lessons from their home.