Week 10 - Recap

Looking back at the course from its end, the only thing left is to wrap it up.  Its highest value lies, in my opinion, in the fact that essentially  it is a methodology course presenting the pedagogical rationale for the use of selected  web  tools as well as modelling  their practical application  in a meaningful and creative way.  All the ones we have been introduced  enhance  English language teaching and each will have its special place in my  future lesson planning and conducting. 

Since people are increasingly  using technology both in their professional and private lives,  in education it  is not a choice any more but  a necessity.  However, it  has  only limited or counter impact if there is no good methodology behind it and a good teacher to apply it.  Smart technologies need smart people.

Week 9 - Reflexion

Looking back at what we have learned and tried during the course,  I can divide the benefits into three categories. 

The first one would be the topics and tools I have already explored, mastered and used more or less successfully  in my teaching like blogs, WebQuests, interactive power points, some online tools and learning styles.  Still, the opportunity to  match how I have put them in practice against the course's goals and standards was invaluable experience because of  the acknowledgment it  received . 

The second one would be the methodologies and tools I have only  heard of  and read about but never had the chance or time to try out like some of the skill  building websites, rubrics  and PBL.  The pedagogical rationale  and motivating tasks provided detailed insight, precise guidance and clear direction how to apply them in  my work and consequently improve it.

And the third one would be the completely new concepts for me like ABCD objectives and  social bookmarking as well as new tools like Nicenet, Snapgrades and especially ANVILL. These opened new doors for me and  provided new sources of inspiration how  to start implementing them  in my lessons and reach a new level of  language teaching.

It is difficult to choose from these and decide which one was most important and precious.  Each of them will find their own way in my teaching, very likely as a combination of more than one. After finishing the course, I will go on carrying out my mission of finding new and  functional  ways how to use computers as effective and creative tools in teaching English as a foreign language and education in general with this course being  a  significant and indispensable part of it.