Hello once again Langualoggers!

I don't know if you checked my Gamification post but if you did, you must have seen the coursera link. Yes, you're right, today I will be telling about these kind of Massive Open Online Courses where you can enroll courses with various content and which fits best to your interests, of course. 

Coursera, Udemy, EdX and Udacity are some of the most common online course websites. They are usually free, otherwise require a small fee for the certificate but even if you do not pay the required amount, you still have access to course materials and video lectures but you cannot have the certificate. -although sometimes it is possible 

I have also taken course from Coursera "Learning How to Learn" from instructors Barbara Oakley and Terry Sejnowski and learned many useful things that I can make use both in my future career and personal life. The course have lasted for 4 weeks but there are many other options and courses who have shorter duration for completion.

I liked very much the idea of taking online courses on different topics that I am interested in, therefore I will definitely habitualize it!

Since I haven't paid any fee, I do not have a concrete certificate but I have received email from my course instructors that you can see below:

Hello once again dear language enthusiasts,

Today I'd like to suggest another useful website MindMeister which you or your students can create mind maps on whatever topic they wish or a complex concepts that they challange to understand to reduce the incomprehenbility.

Mind maps are always useful and rather than drawing them on the paper, creating these maps digitally and adding colorful details on them are much more beneficial and helpful for one's learning and even teaching process, I guess. Creating these maps also enables learner to remember topics easier.

You can go to the link and may be think of a concept that you hardly understand and create a useful mind map involving certain key concepts about the idea you're trying to grasp. Then check if you get the idea better...
  https://www.mindmeister.com/folders?gclid=Cj0KCQjwla7nBRDxARIsADll0kB1hBhdzUsfhP6fFG9_Ce_rmYW05LyWs96qATjiuiH8h3VyUyPI8WIaAiW2EALw_wcB&utm_campaign=world_en_search&utm_content=mm&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google

I've prepared a basic map which belongs to Kachru's identification of World Englishes:

https://mm.tt/1273753195?t=NJTpjSqyw5

Hello dear "colleagues",

Today I will be talking about Thinglink which  is one of the most useful tools among the ones I have shared so far. It has a great potential to make creative things depending on the one who use it.

But what is Thinglink?
It is a free, digital tool that provides users with the ability to turn any image into integrative graphic. You can multiple tags on specific parts of  an image and turn that image into a multimedia launcher. You can also include video, record audio or provide a link to any website with the click of a button. Then, easily embed your Thinglink graphic into any website.

How can you use Thinglink?

A I already stated above, you can use it as a multimedia curriculum launcher, to introduca a technological tool, for professional development and to publish student work ( which is what I did).

I have created a student work for beginner English Literature class introducing four of the well-known tragedies of William Shakespeare: https://www.thinglink.com/scene/1189450554472923139?editor-closed

Additional Tips in the Field of ELT

As most of us are future teachers of English, we have to be aware of the recent changes, innovations that are taking place in our field. To check constantly whats is going around the world,  what new techniques and approaches are emerged in our sector is crucial. One helpful tool for that is using Google Alert where you enter some key words that you want to be informed about on a daily basis. These key words might be related to your interests, your profession and so on.

Second thin that are integral to stay alert is following webinars around the world. Webinars are really important, they are free to watch and you do not need necessarily to go the place where seminars have taken place. It is cheap and easy access to the information, innovation and new ideas about the topics you concern with.

You can reach such webinars from the link below, but especially "Bridging the Authenticity Gap" from Philip Warwick is highly recommended from me.
https://www.pearson.com/english/catalogue/secondary/wider-world/webinars.html

Hello once again fellow langualoggers!

I have already informed you that I'll be sharing plenty of apps which can be used for educational purposes.

Today's app is Flipgrid. I was not aware of it until our course instructor Mr. Tuncer Can send us a code and password via Facebook to join a group where we can record our voices, or even take videos and tell about ourselves and our favorite activity in school in 90 seconds. He simply wanted to increase our familiarity with the app -actually the purpose of the whole blog is this- and wanted us to grasp the idea of the application.

Needless to say, Flipgrid is a quite beneficial tool for learners of any age. It enables them to find their voices, share their voices , and respect the diverse voices of others.Teachers spark discussion by posting topics and questions to a class, school andprofessional learning community. Students record, upload, view, react and respond to eacher other's short recordings/videos. 

Here you can find my link but I am not sure if you can reach my record since it is accessible by a special code and password. Try it anyway: https://flipgrid.com/s/04fdd057b44d

Hello it's me again, I hope you're doing good.

I'd like to announce that this week I'll be sharing various applications/websites that you can create presentations, games, surveys and animations (I've already shared some; Animoto, Padlet, Seesaw) that can be effectively used in language education.

If you are a student or a teacher, you definitely know what Kahoot is. But I will make it clear for people who still do not know about it. Kahoot is a free game-based learning platform where teachers can create games, multiple choice quizzes and surveys on any subject, in any language and for any age group.

I have created a mini multiple choice quiz on Animals just as an example:https://create.kahoot.it/share/animals/050ceb35-3748-4b51-9d84-9922759f7bb1

You can go to the website and discover from the link: https://kahoot.com/

Hello  langualoggers!

Today I will be talking about Gamification. You may have heard of it or you may not but it is not something very new although I met it about 3-4 weeks ago and not surprisingly in Instructional Technologies and Materials Design course (IT&MD) Anyway, in this post I'l be tapping on what gamification refers to, why its use is important in educational context and whether it is helpful or harmful in learning and teaching process.

Firstly, as the name itself kind of suggests, it is basically the application of game-design elements and game principles in non-game contexts. It can also be defined as a set of activities and processes to solve problems by using or applying the characteristics of game elements in order to increase the motivation of the participants in a specific context.

Why Use Gamification in Education?

Gaming has become a culture both in virtual or real world environments. It is not something we should avoid despite the common belief which states that games are time-wasting activities and provide nothing useful for one's development. Totally wrong. Even I can say that my brother has learned two thirds of his English via games and this is only a single dimension that I' ve observed. Many skills can be added such as analytical, strategical skills besides language skills. So, if learning is facilitated by gaming faster than learning in a traditional classroom setting which sounds quite boring, why are we still insisting on the latter?

Is Gamification Harmful?

I'd like to answer this question by referring to BBC's documentary that we watched in the last week's lesson https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x38qzq8 "Are Video Games Really That Bad"

Briefly, the researchers and pyschologists have tried to find out if there is a meaningful correlation between one's level of aggresiveness, video game addiction and playing video games. As a result of the study, they haven't found a significant correlation between these. In fact, it has found out that video-game playing increases players' cognitive abilities such as memory skills, multitasking skills and even avoiding dementia and alzheimer. It of course applies to not only children but any age group.

How Games Can Be Used in Education?

Games' role in raising curiosity and increasing motivation is indisputable.Gaming allows for going beyond the 'stimulus-response-reinforcement' linear approach that we have in the traditional classrooms which encourage habit formation. Unlike this, integrating games into lessons seems encouraging groupwork&pairwork, tasks with a  meaningful purpose, and cooperation over competition. Because we are talking on a classroom basis, I'll be referring to mostly children's education. Why children love games might be simply because of their need for autonomy (being able to make choices about their learning), need for relationship and a need for sense of accomplishment. As teachers (or future teachers) we need to design our classes to fulfill these needs to realize the best learning experience of our students. Gamifying lessons, creating communicative tasks with authentic purposes, giving students a chance to take control of their learning process and  providing space for collaborative work might be the good ways of doing it.

Here you can find a course which is about Gamification, you can enroll for free and have access to course materials and lessons: https://www.coursera.org/learn/gamification

Hello langualoggers,

Have you heard of the website Canva where you can make graphic designs on posters, birthday cards, and even book covers. I have already used this website last year when I needed to design a book cover as an assignment. This time, I decided to think of an imaginative class and give them a task which they can do via using Canva. What I planned to do is to give a birthday card as an example like the one you see below

and ask them to design a birthday party card for themselves as they wish. I expect it to be a "real-world" task that they can use for their upcoming birthday.

You can also design such tasks for learners to engage them more in the classroom activities.

Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and now: Mixed Reality


Most of us somehow familiar with the term virtual reality but we are still uncertain about how it can be integrated into education and what are the latest developments in the field.

 People who are slightly into technology like I  was before, have met VR with sunglasses about 5-6 years ago but its presence goes back to 1970s with the creation of first VR Game by SEGA. VR divides into two as: Computer-enhanced VR and VR with glassess. For VR glasses, interms of educational applications, immersion is higher than computer screen. Thus, students are more likely to feel much more interested and motivated  in the classroom environment.

2 weeks ago in our Intructional design course, we are given the chance to wear the VR glassess and experience it by using VR game apps and finally determine how it works, whether it is effective or not and etc.

You can see me and my friend Musa having a  true(!) roller coaster experience with simple VR glassess.

(entertained)

(shocked by cutting edge technology)

Secondly, augmented reality is something I've already mentioned in my earlier post with its application video. As you might guess, it is one step further than VR. Whereas virtual reality replaces your vision, augmented reality adds to it. AR devices like the Microsoft HoloLens and various smart glassess are transparent, letting you see everything in front of you as if you are wearing a weak pair of sunglasses.

The latest one, mixed reality is the combination of VR and AR.

Mixed reality video that is shown to us by our course instructor Tuncer Can:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MqGrF6JaOM

While we are still dealing with VR and a bit of AR, technology might have gone too far. We need to catch the train on time in order for implementing it to our education in a better and a more effective way.


                                             

Hola my lovely friends,

Here's another website: Sutori. It might be one of my favorite among other teaching&learning tools.Because I am highly (and should be) interested in learner-centered, constructivist and communicative classroom atmosphere and this website is definitely cut out for these purposes. It encourages integrative and cooperative learning in flipped classrooms. Additionaly, it is beneficial for fostering students' creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking skills (4 Cs).

I have created a student interest inventory for my English classroom and asked students to write mostly about outside the school context in order to make themselves aware of their interests and needs. I have also attached fun GIFs to the questions to keep them motivated in the task.

Here's the link: https://www.sutori.com/story/student-interest-inventory--pcmzkRiYtXeS81oeUjBtimka

Sutori is not limited with student interest inventory of course, you can make use of templates that can help your lessons and presentations, or you can start from scratch. When you go to the website you will see below there are categories for teachers from different disciplines (English, Maths) You can use them as a road map, as well.

https://www.sutori.com/

I'd like to write about a 3D virtual game called "Second Life". I have heard it from my instructor Mr. Tuncer Can and he mentioned in the course that he actually has built the Istanbul University's Beyazıt campus and erasmus office just by using the Second Life. He also touched upon how he has integrated this virtual game into ELT courses.

As you start playing the game, you are able to create your avatar as you wish and build things. In other words, you basically have a second virtual imaginary world outside the real world. It is free to access; however, to buy such things (clothes) and to build, there's a fee you need to pay for.

I have downloaded the game and created my avatar as a start.

Here's my avatar selfie which is not even close to my real look. But as I said, it is my second life and I am allowed to do anything I wish with it.

                                                                                                             

  https://secondlife.com/     

Hellooo Langualoggers,

Today I will be sharing a website/app called Voki which is a fun tool that students can use for homework, classwork or projects. Not only students but also teachers are able to create avatars that are dynamic speaking characters and customize it freely. Via these characters, they can introduce themselves to the class or they can present a topic. It is a quite beneficial tool interms of increasing the classroom engagement and motivation, espeacially establishing a good rapport in student-student and teacher-student relationship.

You can find the character I have designed from the link, not surprisingly he is an English teacher :)
http://tinyurl.com/yxlf9xhb

Hellooooo language enthusiasts, I hope you all doing  well.

I bet you all know what QR Code is, but have you ever tried to create one? 

Honestly, it is my first time... but I assure you I'll definitely use it again for various purposes. 

You can make use of QR Code Generator in brochures, labels&stickers, clothing, newspapers and magazines and so on... In educational context, you can embed a link that you have created for your students and have them more exited and interested in the topic that you will be covering. This innovative activity will surprise students and motivate them not only to scan the Codes, but also to motivate them participating in classroom's subjec matter.

I embedded my animoto link where I have created a short video for young learners of English.

Last week in the IT&MD course we had a guest who is a former student of Hayef ELT and current Research Assistant of Medipol University, Cemil Gökhan Karacan. The reason why he joined us and made a presentation was to increase our familiarity with the new technological developments and augmented reality -which is we were sort of familiar with from the previous lessons- What is more, even augmented reality (with virtual reality of course) will be outdated soon. He has then mentioned the term that will replace these two which  I haven't heard before: Mixed reality. He highlighted the importance of these up-to-date topics as we are future language teachers who will inevitably have to challenge all these innovations. Challenge may not be the correct word, but we have to conform ourselves to these innovations otherwise it may be highly difficult to find a work area in ELT.

Here's a short video from last week's implementation of augmented reality through the app: HP Reveal
We've tested the app with the handouts full of animal figures given by Mr. Karacan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkyiSo8kynk

Dear Lang-loggers, I am so excited to announce my first animation that I have created through Animoto. As a beginning, it is only a trial and a very amateur one. My short video is on a simple grammer topic which is designed to be for 1st graders: Verb "have got". I wanted to make a mini and easy start. You may find the link below:

https://animoto.com/play/vjBMMLM7j6feQIGDgdXhlQ

I really liked Animoto but you can check these websites/apps as well:
Film Flicker, Toondoo, Toontastic, Powtoon, Animatron, Animaker, Storybird,  Flipgrid, VOKI

Helloooo my fellow language enthusiasts and future language teachers.

Here you may find my first attempt to create a padlet post. It is about PPP procedure in language teaching.

But... What is Padlet? Padlet is an online virtual bulletin board, where students and teachers can collaborate, reflect, share links and pictures, in a secure environment. Padlet allows users to create a hidden wall with a custom URL. Padlet creator can also moderate and remove posts and manage their board 24/7. It is also free and easy to use.


Hope you'll find it helpful: https://padlet.com/yelizoztabur/mwm4eouvyiff

and...last but not least, my seesaw activity link for first graders  is also down below:

https://app.seesaw.me/pages/shared_activity?share_token=xhKj_Ks3TSKeKrfvdv5xAQ&prompt_id=prompt.cc94d97e-7700-40ec-88ab-d297bf202d81

What does Seesaw refer to and how can we take advantage of it?
Seesaw is a platform for student engagement. Teachers can empower students to create, reflect, share and collaborate.Students show what they know using photos, videos, drawings, text, PDFs and links. In other words they are student driven digital portfolios. It is simple to get student work in one place and share with families and nothing is shared without teacher approval.

Hello people...
I am here again with my newest post after a long break and a distastrous midterm week. Here is my first podcast on accuracy and fluency activities in language teaching:


https://soundcloud.com/yelizoztabur/podcast1-accuracy-and-fluency-activities-in-elt

and thank you!

Hello everyone this is Yeliz, welcome to my very first blog.  I am studying at İstanbul University-Cerrahpaşa HAYEF ELT  Department. In this blog, I'll be sharing my  lecture notes, experiences and useful content. I hope we'll all enjoy!