From flashcards to blackboard/moodle:
A journey into technology
A journey into technology
By Zarela Cruz
Flashcards, cassettes, DVDs, overhead projectors,
chalk, blackboards, posters, wall chart papers, magazines, newspapers…. Are you
familiar with them all? And what about these ones: Hotmail, Yahoo, SMART Board,
YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp? The shift from the first
series to the second one has not taken very long. But you don’t have to get overly anxious: before we have mastered most
of the procedures, there will be new ones at hand. So, it is better to begin getting prepared. We are about
to start a journey into technology.
The old days
The key component in the
old days was a brilliant imagination. Teachers did not have many resources
available and had to make use of their own creativity to make the most attractive
and eye-catching flashcards ever, buy or design their unique posters, get the
most colourful magnets, clips and stationary. Sharing materials with their
colleagues was a must, otherwise it would have been impossible to cover
all the angles.
Technology in the classroom
Schools embarked on
investing a lot of money on modern overhead projectors and personal PCs for
classroom use, projectors and even SMART Boards. The transition has not been
that easy since teachers were not familiar with technology. Schools also
incorporated the use of institutional emails and little by little a platform of
their own. They began training their instructors in the use of the new devices.
Language schools, on the
other hand, invested on modern laboratories, PCs, and software for their
students to enhance their language practice. Then, they adopted the newest
technology available provided by Cambridge. Some went further and started to
make use of other platforms such as Blackboard or Moodle. At the language
center where I work, we use digital textbooks as well, which allow more
interactive classes since there are activities that come across quite different
when presented on a digital format. Something students really appreciate is
having access to written feedback on exercises on the board, so they can make
sure they have grasped it.
Class environment nowadays
In language centers
students are eager to use their gadgets in class, so the BYOD (bring
your own device) approach works well. Besides, they usually have unlimited
access to Wi-Fi and love to unearth the requested information. Many times they
do contribute with interesting, complementary details. What we need to remind
them is that their sources should be reliable and valid, but all in all it is
worth to give it a try.
How has education changed?
It is not only a matter of
technology. We all are now very conscious of multiple intelligences and
dissimilar learning styles. To be assertive teachers, we should include
activities for all of the pupils, although not necessarily at the same time. We
instructors are expected to get to know our students gradually but swiftly, and
tailor our class to their needs, no matter how long our courses last: a month,
a semester or a school year.
We should keep in mind that
education is not restricted to within the classroom walls any more. Students
can work on their own at home, or from any place for that matter, by means of
the existing technological devices.
That is not all. We know
classes are no longer supposed to be teacher-centered. Conversely, they ought
to be student-centered. We, teachers, have switched roles to be facilitators,
among other responsibilities we take. Easier said than done, right? In the
Latin American Congress of Teaching English for Specific Purposes, held at the
Language Center of Universidad del Pacifico for the 9th time,
some attending teachers did not agree with this approach. They believed their
class management would be at risk. Not truth at all. When we say
student-centered we mean that students’ interests need to be taken into account
when designing our classes; their participation and contribution should be
overtly welcome since they shall be capable to get genuinely and personally
involved in the matter and will not be necessarily expected to tag along with
whatever the teacher says. In a word: this change should be reflected in a more
personal manner of learning.
Online Course Limitations
and Solutions
Regarding online courses,
some might argue that they are flawed, lacking. For example, a fixed schedule
for students to meet the teacher and ask questions regarding the topics covered
in class. Another common complaint arises whenever the platform malfunctions
preventing students to upload assignments or post comments on forums in due
time.
These problems can be
easily avoided through brief, clear and short recommendations given to learners
at the very beginning of the course. For example, reminding them that even if
they have a week to upload a piece of homework, it is advisable to take the
time to have it ready at least a day or two before the deadline just in case
something goes wrong with the platform. The same applies to material downloaded
to study, or the above mentioned comments on forums, even when they are not
graded. These simple steps have proved to be very useful to ensure
quality standards.
Regarding time to meet the
teacher, and enquire about any doubts, tools such as BlackBoard collaborate
easily to allow it. With a user-friendly interface and even a “raise hand”
button, this and other similar software provide real–time interaction between
teacher and students.
In the end, the superiority
or inferiority of online courses relies heavily on every students’ and
teachers’ opinion. If they find them appealing, their attitude will most likely
lead to better results than those from unmotivated students. However, disliking
virtual platforms should not be a reason not to take advantage of the benefits
technology offers.
Teaching languages online
The practice of teaching
languages online is expanding quickly. This summer some
language centers are offering 100% online courses for teachers as
well as blended courses, with about 75% of the course face-to-face and 25%
online sessions. Some institutions have even started offering such
online courses beyond their own countries, making it an international
experience to learn with teachers and other students from around the globe.
To go
deeper into the matter, it would be great to know what you reader think and/or
what you have experienced yourself either as a teacher or a
student. Leave a comment and share your experience with us! It is very easy.
You just need to have a gmail account. If you don’t, creating one will take you
only a few minutes!
References
21st Century Education vs. 20th Century Education
The Four C's: Making 21st Century Education Happen
20th vs. 21st century
teachers
Biodata
Zarela
Cruz graduated from Ricardo Palma University
as a translator. She also finished her master’s studies in
Linguistics and took some specialization diplomas in English and Spanish: Higher Education, Virtual Courses Design, and
Spanish for Foreigners. She has also completed a number of certificates: Teaching
the Working Adult, Online, Hybrid and Blended Education, among other self-study
courses. During her more than 20 years’ teaching
experience, she has been a teacher trainer in Huaraz and Ayacucho and lectured
in some Congresses for EFL teachers in Lima. This article is a summary of her
workshop at the 2015 Annual Congress at CIDUP.