MY REFLECTIONS

     

Short reflection about VLE and PLN










First of all, we have to define these two acronyms: 

VLE: Virtual Learning Environment

PLN: Personal Learning Network


Both of them are essential for teachers; both provide great benefits to the ones who create them effectively.


Most of the applications that we use everyday fall into both categories, but we still can categorize them into the first or the second one. 

Examples of VLE:
In the following link you will find a list of them.

VLE EXAMPLES

Examples of PLN:
 Before I post the list, I would like you to know that anything that can help you out with your personal learning, falls into this category. 

Let´s see the following ones:
PLN EXAMPLES






Reflection #2

Technology—“Just” Playing Games? A Look at the Use of Digital Games for Language Learning

Julie M. Sykes

Games have become in an essential part of our children´s life. I don´t know a kid who is far away from the technological games. It is amazing how they can manage using those even though when they don´t even know how to read. I guess it comes included “in the package” when they are delivered into this modern world.

For many people, especially the old generations, this is an addiction. They claim and complain that our kids don´t know how to interact with real people since they spend most of their time looking at a screen, PLAYING. Maybe, the ones who can´t stand this idea of our kids being immersed into this fantastic online games have to do some research about the benefits this can bring to the little ones.

Now, it is good to say that games are not only designed for kids. There is a wide array where you can choose from without confusing the gamers. This possibility of choosing also gives us the opportunity to select the category of game we want to play, as well as to establish the purpose of the chosen game.

Without any doubt, we as teachers have seen our pupils playing games and talking about them. It is important that we can recognize the kind of game they play, the level they do it and how much they have achieved through the game. In this way, we can correlate our classes with games, incorporating technology into our classrooms.

At the moment of choosing the right game to our students, we face several questions as: Is it going to be effective? Are they going to like it? Is it going to motivate them? Will they be able to understand it? And many others. That is why it is important to review our material to make sure we address the most suitable game to our learners.

Sometimes, teachers are also confused by the challenge of designing or playing a game. Both cases are very productive for the students, since the later will encourage them to keep focused on creating somethings that goes according to the topic they are currently dealing with it; as well as reinforcing the knowledge they have about certain tools that are useful in all the classes. If teachers decide just to play, there are thousands available on the web, and other thousands available in the commercial market; they only have to see their needs, to analyze them carefully and finally make a decision if it is the correct one or not.

 In general, games influence our students´ minds powerfully; that is why we have to take advantage of that. Besides, they love and enjoy playing online, so why don´t we benefit from that at the same time that we address knowledge to them in a non-conventional way that they will be more motivated with. Online games can be used in different ways: as pr-activities, main activity or as homework. So, why don´t we try it?

Reflection #1

Blogging

Teaching is one of the greatest things that has happened to me. It has been my dream since I was a little kid, and I always dreamed to do it correctly, funny and interesting, but sometimes it becomes harder and harder to keep up with the enthusiasm. Fortunately, last week´s class revived my willingness to maintain the innovation in my classroom.

Several topics were developed during the two sessions we spent in the university, and everything was extremely interesting; from the Google apps to the powtoon application, but the blogging issue really captivated me. It is a very useful and dynamic tool that can be used in our classrooms. Therefore, it seems impossible to ignore all the advantages that it offers to both: teachers and students.

According to what I believe, blogging is like a system that allows you to share information in a very personalized way; a channel to spread news and opinions; a funny way to learn, and a cybernetic cave to have a lot of fun. There are several types of it, all with different purposes and readers. Moreover, blogs´s mainly function is to share and discuss content about an specific subject.

I have to say that since I started experiencing the Internet about 8 years ago, I´ve seen hundreds of blogs about a variety of topics. I appreciated some, read others and criticized a few, but what I, honestly, never thought was that one day they will become part of my tools as a teacher. I regret about all the misconceptions I had about blogs, because I underestimate them several times, considering them as a “not-formal thing”, where people trough their feelings.

Now, that I had the opportunity to know blogs more deeply, I feel connected to them, because I´ve seen their potential to improve and impact my classes. Blogging can make the difference between a boring session with nothing else to offer than talking and a fully engaged class with students whom are willing to express themselves using technology.

It is incredible that through blogs, shy learners can express themselves without feeling the pressure to talk in from of a whole class; students improve their reading and writing skills since they feel the need to express their ideas in a correct way due to the “audience” they have on the web. Apart from these, all teachers know what their students love the most at this time: fame, influence and good social position, and I consider that if we teachers motivate them enough, enhancing the concept of “public person”, the pupils will engage with their blog, since they want to be known by others and blogging is a great opportunity to do that.

Finally, good guidance, motivation and positive feedback about your students´ publications in their blog will make the difference in our classrooms today. We will finally stop having a group of listeners to have a team of doers. Fortunately, blogging can overcome the barriers between the teacher and the student.

Blogging is a wonderful tool for Language teachers!!!