Week-8-Treasure Trove of Technology

My proposing the analogy of Treasure Trove with the words 'Open Sesame' as its key, for the assortment of sites and tools of technology, met with some opposition from Marisol who looks at technology as an organic substance and would rather compare it with clouds and the universe in general. Every week brings in a fresh assortement of technological tools. So did this one. ANVILL was the most popular choice what with its creator Jeff on the Nicenet site extending support to the new architects in the fray. I determined to venture into it at a later date while I experimented with hot potatoes and crosswordpuzzlegames and easytestmakers and all the others. It is amazing to discover the resources teachers have at their disposal. I now have a blog, a wiki page, a sidewiki and a nicenet site to interact with trainees. 

And this brings me to a vital observation:

When I did MA TEFL in 1990, I told my professors that there were so many theories on teaching language but not much material for students to learn from. The last 2 decades saw the market get flooded with customized material. I have myself contributed to it with a dozen odd titles.

Then came the time, 10 years back, when everyone began to speak of ICT-based learning. And I would say, 'but where are the materials?' ... Now Robert has shown us there is no dearth of Online teaching/learning tools. I once again want to pose a question to my professors and colleagues, 'But where are the course designers-syllabus planners-material organizers?'

Adopt, adapt, create, refine. There's plenty to do. Learning will never be the same again if we learn to plan things for students.

The project work was a bigger obsession. I felt happy to work with Hala and Nagwa. It also felt getting close to the two girls, a great feeling of bonding. The feeling that this would be a long term association. That we would continue our professional association. That I would meet them in Egypt when i went there for a holiday and that they could visit me in India. 

Well, I need exactly 3-4 days to finalize my paper. My trainees loved all the technology we used. From video voice (new speech training technology) to video recording. They just love me for bringing it to them. They are a motivated lot and my hypothesis has stood the test. 

I have divided the classroom work into three sections:

1. Needs Analysis (Survey on and Sensitization to Prosodic Features)

2. Lessons

3. Assessment and Evaluation

And all this involves the trainees in planning, selecting, using and reflecting.

So Robert and all my classmates, we will meet each other with our Artifacts towards the weekend. Until then let me get back to the project.

Sharda

PS: I am learning to be brief.