Google Site-a brand new look!

I am amazed by the new version of Google Site, fantastic! My first encounter was in Spring 2009 where it was introduced in a technology class. And I had build everything from scratch and it was very time consuming putting in those html commands/codes. It's all history now. Upon preparation for the CI201 class, I discovered the new look and features of Google Site, which is fantastic.

To begin with, it is provided a number of different templates for different purposes, among which some are great for classroom use, such as project wiki and classroom templates. With the preset templates, teachers and students will not have to spend as much time in page layout. Moreover, the improved tool bar makes it a lot easier to embed images, videos, and tables and the ready set links to Google Docs features makes it really easy to insert document and powerpoint presentation onto your Google site. One really cool feature is Google Forms, which you can use to create a test, have it inserted on the Google Site and collect testing results sorted.

What is Google Site good for in classrooms?

For Teachers
It can be used as a class management tool. Unlike WebCT or Moodle, Google site are free and you can easily build a literacy lesson with this new version that promotes and encourages interactive and collaborative learning. In fact, that's one tool that I have included for my Technology Lesson Plan. Moreover, like WebCT and Moodle, Google Site can be set as a private and secured environment where only people invited are allowed access to.

Here's one simple lesson plan that I have created for my CI201 lab on Google applications.
https://sites.google.com/site/ci201section8fall2009/Google-Application-Lab

For Students
It can also be a good tool for students to build their class portfolio upon. I know we are currently using iWeb for CI201 students to build up their portfolio, which is easy to use. However, with Google Site, students will have more flexibility to incorporate their creativity and build up high quality portfolio website for their credentials.

I'll continue exploring further how Google Site can be integrated into classrooms and put it to practice for my Listening and Speaking class in Spring 2010.

Etherpad-perfect for collaborative writing

Etherpad is awesome! I have been using Google Docs and Wiki for collaboration writing for my classes and my own studies, however, there are some limitations, including problematic same time multiple editing as well as tracking of individual works. With Etherpad, these two problems no longer exist. One more advantage is that each collaborator is color coded, which makes it easy to identify the collaboration among peers in the group. The activity we have done in class was a great example. In addition to demonstrating individual's writing, it gives students to learn from peers. Having the group to complete the story together allows not only construction and creativity of writing but also peer editing to occur in the production process. Etherpad definitely is one great tools for teachers of all levels to incorporate into their classrooms in literacy developing process. The only concern is that it's not a secured or private environment. Anyone can join or intrude the collaboration as long as he has the url. Teachers have to be extra cautious while working with young learners. Other than that, I'm confident that it will work well into all literacy classroom.

TPACK Lesson Plan Project Helps Me See Clearer...

This assignment has given me the great opportunity to go back and revisit the classes that I have taught and those that I have planned within the TPACK framework. I realized how some technology advancement has made the use of technology more accessible and feasible in classrooms. I am speaking from personal experience.

The first class I taught integrating technology was a reading and discussion class where the Blogger was incorporated in my class for students to share their thoughts. I created a blog for this class. At the same time, each student also had to create his own blog. The biggest challenge I had was to track every student's blog and for each student to track others' blogs, which would have been solved with Google Reader as what we have been using for our blogging assignments.

Another class was a reading class where it is designed for students to enhance their listening and speaking English through American Cultures, which was hosted on the university customized class management platform. However, it didn't allow me to upload listening materials nor did it let student to upload their recordings. By the way, it was a lot of work for students to record their speech and for me to get hold of the recordings. Moreover, students were left with not much choice but PowerPoint for the final presentation they were required to deliver. This class would have been taught completely different should I teach it again now knowing what I have known. There will be more alternative tools that can be incorporated into my classroom that will facilitate my teaching and enhance studnets' learning, which is what technology is all about. In other words, it is critical for teachers to keep themselves up to date about what's available at all times so that technology can be incorporated nicely into the content and pedagogy of their classrooms. This is in fact a big help for me in the write up for this technology lesson plan assignment. :-)!

Kiss the Cow

While I was reading the book this morning, it just came to me that I should be able to use children books like Kiss The Cow with my adults students who are L2 learners. This book in particular focuses on past tense verbs as well as comparative and superlative adjectives. A lot of children books tend to have one particular theme or lesson to learn with specific focus on sentence structures or certain genre of vocabulary, which might fit perfectly for L2 language learners. I would like to start exploring this possibility of using children books for adult L2 learners.

On the subject of children books, I would like to say that I'm happy that I have learned about all the resources about online books. I had an opportunity to teach one particular class where all my students were mothers who would like to learn how to read English story books to their children, which is by the way a fascinating teaching experience for me. Back then, I wasn't aware of all the resources that we have. In fact, maybe there were not as many back then. However, I'll be able to plan and teach the class with a brand new pedagogy should I be given the opportunity to teach the same class again. I actually would love to teach again knowing what I have known now. :-)