Journal Reflection Entry - Unit Two

Journal Reflection Entry - Unit Two
TCHNOLOGY INTEGRATION AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Technology integration tools and strategies for my subject matter content to improve my student achievement is the topic that interests me much as we do not learn about technology for the purpose of technology itself but for many other educational purposes among them to raise the students’ achievement. In that context technology is not an end but a means to an end. Through my experience in teaching in middle and high schools either here in the U.S.A or my country Egypt, I found out using technology in the appropriate way improves learning process and come with higher grades at the end of each semester test. Some students, in one of the schools I taught in my country said “It is exciting to use computer as a teaching aid and we are impressed when we go to the lab computer to practice the English language activities” (The first month computer lab was build in that school was in March, 2001)
As I teach Arabic as a second language I will focus in my journal reflection on technology integration in teaching Arabic language and the strategies used to improve the learners’ achievement.
1-Is it mandatory for the Arabic learners to use technology?
I can modify that question and ask directly” Why students should use technology in general and in teaching Arabic in Particular”?
There are many reasons for using technology to improve students’ achievement in Arabic Language;
Students should have convenient tools rather than the traditional old fashioned tools to fulfill the goals from their learning, it is using technology. Schactez john in his research the impact of using technology 1999 said “ Students learn more in less time when they receive computer- based instructions and those who use technology score higher percentage”. In my opinion, technology can make learning easier, more efficient, and more motivating as well.
“Using technology in teaching excludes the option of a reading portfolio based on an extensive reading syllabus to develop improve acquisition of language without teacher interference” as proposed by:Chun and Plass(1997); Brandal (2002).
I see that Arabic language learners are part of the society and they should have equal opportunity and access to learn that language such as other languages “Digital equity”. They should get rid of boredom the previous generation expressed through using just the book and the chalks in teaching, especially students, as studies proved, achieve big improvement in their achievement when they use technology. DLI Students have a variety of skills to express themselves by using audio, video, animation, design software and pen and papers as well and that variety achieve successfully the digital equity as all the students find access to the materials they want at any time through many sources at any place. Students choose from the information available on Web-based and other electronic formats.
2-What effects come to the instructors from using technology in teaching?
Chun (1997) sees Technology also changes the way teachers teach, offering educators effective ways to reach different types of learners and assess student understanding through multiple means. It also enhances the relationship between teacher and student. When technology is effectively integrated into subject areas, teachers grow into roles of adviser, content expert, and coach. Technology helps make teaching and learning more meaningful and fun.
I see Chun is right in his outcomes as technology is not for students only but it increases the teachers’ performance and make them feel confident , well managed and well planned. It saves teacher’s time and effort as well.
3- How can the value of technology for DLI students be realized?
Collaborative activities and formative feedback are key components of instructional strategies that accompany effective technology implementation.
Instructors in DLI can realize the value of technology through;
a) The better grades students get,
b) The fluency in their speech, the accuracy in their writing,
c) The good quality of their cultural and curriculum presentations and their integration in real life situations.
d) “After student completion of the first multimedia project, teachers reported increased student knowledge in: • research skills, • ability to apply learning to real-world situations, • organizational skills, and • interest in the content” (Cradler & Cradler, 1999).
e) The big awareness among students of what is going on in the world in general and the Middle East especially through using live TV in Target language and the updated authentic materials on the websites.
3-What tools can be used in teaching Arabic Lessons and the strategies used?
DLI enjoys variety of effective tools;
1- Word-processing Software
As students have a computer each, teacher can ask them to write stories in target language on word-Processing. Then they can download it on their own blog or wiki for the teacher to correct
2-Multimedia software such as PowerPoint, HyperStudio, or Web pages
Students in DLI can create stories or reports about cultural topics using multimedia in a program like HyperStudio. Or have them publish their writing on the World Wide Web.
Students can create a multimedia story on their own experiences in previous work, as an example.
Students can create video presenting persuasive information like why America in Iraq.
Students can present reports, curriculum materials and other presentations through the course using PowerPoint to improve their presentation.
Each student In the class also can create a story in HyperStudio and share his peers.
Use video and TV commercials to analyze persuasion and the difference between fact and opinion.
Have students pick up a literature that best depicts conditions of an era (Industrial Revolution, World War II, etc.) and defend choice in a multimedia presentation to create the way of debate among them.
The Arabic curriculum enjoys of variety of topics. Therefore, it is required speaking presentations in different topics, each select the topic of his interest and present it through using Multimedia.
Video students' oral presentations as an assessment and improvement tool. Have them assess their own performance by writing a reaction paper to their speech.
3- DLI Blackboard and shareholders:-
As DLI also enjoys the big size of the share folders and the recent and amazing blackboard, teachers can use both effectively if they follow the following strategies;
Have student download their homework on them for correction and giving feedback.
Have the teachers download the materials in a well organized form and more clarity to help students can access them easily.
Have the students do their writing and their own required recordings on these two tools.
Have students contact each other through the addresses and share the information together.
Teachers should update their locations with current authentic materials.
Make students have fun through using the blackboard by adding a joke in target language or a funny situation.
References:-
Al-Batal, M. (1992). Diglossia proficiency: The need for an alternative approach to teaching. In A.Rouchdy (Ed.), The Arabic language in America, (pp. 284–304). Detroit, MI: Wayne State University Press
John Cradler, Mary McNabb, Molly Freeman, and Richard Burchett- LEARNING AND LEADING WITH TECHNOLOGY, 2002 - dixiesd.marin.k12.ca.us/ http://dixiesd.marin.k12.ca.us/dixieschool/Dixie%20Tech%20Plan/ResearchCradler.pdf
Shoffner, M. (2007). Preservice english teachers and technology: A consideration of weblogs for the english classroom. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 7(4). Retrieved from http://www.citejournal.org/vol7/iss4/languagearts/article1.cfm
http://www.citejournal.org/vol7/iss4/languagearts/article1.cfm
http://www18.georgetown.edu/data/people/anm4/publication-6490.pdf
http://ttix.org/archives/2008-sessions/technology-in-the-arabic-classroom-an-integrated-approach-to-develop-intermediate-learners-cultural-awareness-and-language-acquisition/

Journal Response

Journal Response
I began working on computer in 1995 when I received my 1st course on how to use Microsoft words. In 1996 I traveled to UMBC “University of Merry land Baltimore County” to study more about Microsoft office and other computer programs available in that time.
In DLI since I got my job in 2004 I took many workshops and trainings on smart board, PowerPoint, Excel, Publisher, Ulead, Movie Maker ...etc. In 2004 I joined MPC and studied in details all about Microsoft Office.

In 551 Course in Chapman University, I studied about how to design a website theoretically and the goals of my website. I also learned how to design a web quest.
In 552 I studied about I research and how to apply that by using technology tools. I will add the artifacts from these courses to my website

Then in 563 I learned how to design a lesson plan and a unit of study on the website. I began to create an account in a very short time as it is easy, free and simple. I used Google site on which I discovered many helpful tools that help to download audio, video, word documents, images...etc. When you explore Google site you will find many tools like you tube on which you can download your videos, add images, find maps to add, add link to the current news, add links to other relevant movies from Google movies, and have a blog as well. There are a lot of other products that you can use as calendar, share your photo, news, chat..etc

The available Open sources today will give all the ability to create their own portfolios, especially most of the websites are free resources like Google and Yahoo and others; I think it would be great if the educational world would use such free sources to improve education system and share information. Open sources make the students’ access to materials they want easy and quick especially after the availability of the free software, free WebPages like www.free-webhosts.com , free email, and free wiki as in Pbiwiki.com or seedwiki.com

My web site and the updating:-
I created my website on Google it is called “Technology for all” on which I planned my lesson and some of the unit of study. You can access it on this link;

http://sites.google.com/site/technologyforallsite/

I will use the same website on Google to add my electronic portfolio for the great valuable features I discovered in this web site. I think to create a website used for teaching I should add multimedia which enable me to mix more tools to make my website and presentations more exciting and more fruitful to the audience. I should use, Microsoft Office, Ulead program, Movie maker, Microsoft photo Plus, Hyperstudio ...etc.

I, of course, will post the following items on this web site;
1- Index for the whole items posted
2- Unit of study
3- Objectives of the materials on the web site
4- Other authentic listening and reading relevant materials
5- Previous course materials
6- Technology lessons
7- Power Points presentations
8- Lesson Plans
9- Rubrics used for test evaluation, presentations and daily homework assessment.
10-Culture topics that serve the students to have deep understanding for other countries cultures.
11- Reflections
12-Activities and publications
13- Articles about teaching
14- Links to other websites, blogs and wikis

tools for communicationPage history last edited by eid.istfanos

DLI is lucky to have the most updated technology tools like tablet PC, blackboard, Ipods...I will talk about one of them, The blackboard as an effective tool used now and more workshops are available in DLI.

First, let;s define the blackboard

Blackboard is like the sharefolder found in DLI, designed to make online teaching and learning more effective and acessible. It is available to all students and instructors in DLI and is used primarily to support their face-to-face classroom activities or two way communications.

2- What is the philosophy beyond using it?

Blackboard allows instructors or teaching team to use and teach online learning materials, provides interactive assessment and assignment opportunities, promote instructor and student collaborative activities and assist in the management of the curriculum.

3- How can that be done?

Instructors establish one Blackboard course site for each of the courses they teach. At the end of the semester all of the content posted on their course sites is saved and the course site can be re-used the next time the course is offered, That is the same work like the local web sites in DLI from which you can teach, access, download, communicate with the students. Teachers on the blackboard have web access to all of their Blackboard course sites and can edit them at any time and from any location. course . Teachers now in DLI who use the blackboard feel convenient in communication from the office with the students to check their homework trquired day by day. They can evaluate them sending them the score they got in the subject they had homework on.,

For more information access:-

http://www.blackboard.com/us/index.bbb

http://www.uoregon.edu/~tep/technology/blackboard/blackboard.html

Unit 6 Homework

One of the exciting persentations students who study Arabic has to make is about Iraq. Students perform that through survey, articles in target language and their books. Hope you like it Thanks Eid Istfanos

Technology is the least integrated fields for Women!

Technology is the least integrated fields for Women!
By: Raymond R. McCarthy and Joseph Berger
Journal of technology Education, vol.19No.2.Spring 2008
One of the exciting articles that I have read lately is about the role of women in technology. It focuses on solutions to make women have an effective role as a technology instructor. Of course he addresses women and educators. The purpose of the article is to shed the light on how to encourage female in general to join technology education not only as learner but to be an educator for technology. The study based on interviews with 10 female technology teachers. When I continue reading I asked myself why the author did not interview males to know how they learn technology and what strategies they follow, may, if he had taken the males opinions, he would have had more variable solutions for that issue.
He gave some reasons for lack of women in the field of technology, depending on the 10 women’s’ interview only. I find here he limited his study on women only. Of these reasons; the family has an influence in forming the women’s future. One of the reasons also is the cultural barriers that make female away from becoming technology education teacher If the sample women had been taken from a country that prohibit women to do that, I could have believed the writer or the 10 women’s opinion. What I see now, especially in the advanced countries women have the same rights and equally treated as men.
The remedies the author provided are many such as; provide the women with support especially the close people around them like the father, the brothers. Extend more activities that involve girls with boys for positive interaction. He also focuses in the remedies to create understanding of how women move beyond the cultural barriers.
However, I see the issue itself is useful and make us think of the serious steps that can be taken to put women equally with men in the field of technology.

Resources:-
Kandaswamy,D(2003).Talibanism in Technology.Data Quest,February 2003,from http://dqinda.cid.com/content/special//03022602

Rymond R.McCardy and Joseph Berger, Journal of technology education,vol19No.2,spring2008http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v19n2/pdf/mccarthy.pdf

Preservice English Teachers and Technology

Preservice English Teachers and Technology:
A Consideration of Weblogs for the English Classroom
By: Shoffener, M.(2007)

This article focuses on how to prepare preservice English teachers to use technology effectively in class, especially blopg. That is a very important issue as preservice teachers possess the technical skills to use technology like of how to make power points, access a blog or open the white board, but at the same time they may not know how to apply these tools in English classroom.
To give solution of how preservice teachers use technology Mishra&Koehler,2006.P.1045, said “Work with technology in the methods course provides preservice teachers with the opportunity to explore a specific technology’s “relationship to subject matter in authentic contexts”
The author also mention the role of the preservice teachers is to be able to choose the tool that meets the students’ needs and the goals. Then he gave the blog as an effective example of how teachers use it. He does not illustrate how to set up a blog but he focused on the strategy the teachers can follow to reach the goals behind using it. I really like the method he presented using blog through questions and questions to make the teachers ask themselves these questions and find by themselves the answers. That sample can work with any other technology tools.
Despite the usefulness of the article in the advices given to such teachers, It focuses only on the preservice English teachers, as did that as he is an English teacher educator. He put limitations on using weblogs in teaching English only. I see there are many other subject matters’ preservice teachers in need to know how they can use technology in their classrooms. I see, despite he addresses teachers of English, the advices he discusses are beneficial to all subject matter teachers.


References
Doering, A. (2002). PRESERVICE ENGLISH TEACHERS ACQUIRING LITERACY PRACTICES THROUGH
http://www.citejournal.org/vol7/iss4/languagearts/article1.cfm

Beach, R., & Myers, J. (2001). Inquiry-based English instruction: Engaging students in life and literature. New York: Teachers College Press