LEARNER AUTONOMY AND INVOLVEMENT THROUGH A TEACHERDESIGNED ONLINE CLASS

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LEARNER AUTONOMY AND INVOLVEMENT THROUGH A
TEACHER-DESIGNED ONLINE CLASS

• NATIONAL ELT CONFERENCE
• APRIL, 2007
• Yamith José Fandiño

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CONTENTS

• Introduction
• Theoretical framework
• The Internet Classroom Assistant
• My online-class
• Web-based resources
• Conclusion
• Bibliography

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INTRODUCTION

• We think too much about effective methods of
  teaching and not enough about effective methods
  of learning - John Carolus S.J.
• One mark of a great educator is the ability to
  lead students out to new places where even the
  educator has never been - Thomas Groome

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THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

• CONSTRUCTIVISM
• A philosophy of learning founded on the premise
  that, by reflecting on our experiences, we
  construct our own understanding of the world we
  live in.
• Learning, therefore, is simply the process of
  adjusting our mental models to accommodate new
  experiences.
• (Funderstanding)

• LEARNER-CENTEREDNESS
• A learning model that places the student
  (learner) in the center of the learning process.
• In student-centered learning, students are active
  participants in their learning they learn at
  their own pace and use their own strategies
• (National Center for Research on Teacher
  Learning. 1999).

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INTERNET CLASSROOM ASSISTANT

• The Internet Classroom Assistant (ICA) is a free
  online communications and class management tool.
• ICA is designed to provide World Wide Web-based
  messaging, document, link and scheduling sharing
  to various learning environments.
• ICA brings together a number of useful tools that
  may be used by language educators to facilitate
  online learning.

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SETTING UP A CLASS

• Go to www.nicenet.org
• Click on create a class
• Choose a username and password
• Write a name for your class
• Write some contact information
• Click on create a class
• You will be assigned a unique 'key' for your
  class
• Give that key to your students so they can create
  user accounts and access your class.

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CREATING CONFERENCING TOPICS

• Click on add new topic
• Name the topic (the area or issue you want this
  section to be about)
• Post a new message. Choose a subject and write
  the message. Give a short introduction and give
  some details about the information your students
  can find and what you want them to do
• Click on post new message
• Check conferencing topic. You can edit or delete
  it. Students can reply if you want them to.

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CREATING LINK SHARING

• Add a single link or add a link topic (a group of
  links about the same topic based on your
  objectives or students interests.)
• Click on Add a Link Topic
• Name the link topic and click on Create Link
  Topic
• Add a link. Write the name, its URL, and a
  simple description. Click on Add Link
• Check the link you just created. You can edit or
  delete it.
• Add any other links you want or need.

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CREATING DOCUMENTS

• Add a title
• Add text one of two ways
• --Copy and paste from an existing Word document
• --Type text directly into the box (html tags are
  not necessary but can help format)
• Click on add document button
• Check the document you just created. You can
  edit or delete it.

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SENDING MESSAGES

• Go to Personal Messages and click on Send
• Select recipient (s) or send Message to All
• Write Subject and Message
• Check spelling, grammar and coherence.
• When satisfied with the message, click on send
  message.
• You can use these functions Reply Archive
  Delete Forward

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REGISTERING YOUR STUDENTS

• Ask your students to go to www.nicenet.org
• Tell them to click on Join a class
• Tell them to enter the class key for the class
  you created
• Ask them to fill out the form (username /
  password / first name / last name / email). Ask
  them to write their real names and
  easy-to-remember passwords.
• Remind them to write their username and password.
• They will be added to the list.
• Finally, students have to write their username
  and password to Log In to the ICA

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MY ONLINE CLASS

• WHAT I DO
• I post messages, links, and documents.
• I assign some exercises for students to do out of
  class.
• I send messages to my students with class
  assignments or suggested links.

• WHAT MY STUDENTS SAY
• They feel it is interesting and useful.
• They find it unusual and different to have this
  resource.
• They regret their lack of time to use it better.

WHAT I PLAN TO DO Include tasks for students to
explore links. Publish students best
work. Invite other co-workers and get their
comments.
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WEB-BASED RESOURCES

• For teaching
• http//www.nicenet.org/
• http//eduspaces.net/
• http//members.freewebs.com/
• For courses
• http//a4esl.org/
• http//www.rong-chang.com/
• http//esl.about.com/
• www.eslpartyland.com
• www.manythings.org
• www.eslgold.com
• http//www.eslflow.com/

• For teachers
• http//iteslj.org/
• http//www.tefl.net/
• http//www.eslteachersboard.com/
• http//www.esl-lounge.com/
• For students
• http//www.englishclub.com/
• http//www.1-language.com/
• http//www.englishpage.com/
• http//www.english4u.net.tc/

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CONCLUSION
I never try to teach my students anything, I
only try to create an environment in which they
can learn - Albert Einstein
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BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Constructivism at http//www.funderstanding.com/co
  nstructivism.cfm
• Dean A. McManus (2001). Active or Passive
  learning. Retrieved from http//lpc1.clpccd.cc.ca
  .us/lpc/hanna/learning/activevspassive.htm on
  March 17, 2007.
• Gerald Fox (1998). The Internet Making it Work
  in the ESL Classroom. Retrieved from
  http//iteslj.org/Articles/Fox-Internet.html on
  March 17, 2007.
• Learner-centeredness at http//www.intime.uni.edu/
  model/center_of_learning_files/definition.html
• The Internet Classroom Assistant at
  http//tesl-ej.org/ej19/m2.html
• Meena Singhal (1997). The Internet and Foreign
  Language Education Benefits and Challenges.
  Retrieved from http//iteslj.org/Articles/Singhal-
  Internet.html on March 17, 2007.
• Kuang-wu Lee (2000). Energizing the ESL/EFL
  Classroom through Internet Activities. Retrieved
  from http//iteslj.org/Articles/Lee-InternetActivi
  ties.html on March 17, 2007.