Short online course description for EAL learners

We as teachers have golden opportunity to help our students succeed in ways we have never had before. As educators it is important that we use educational technologies to help our students to become independent learners and even more importantly independent thinkers. Richardson (2009) claims that web applications may enhance learning in language settings as today’s students are naturally attracted to technology (in Mohamad Ali and Jabar, 2016, p.160). According to Attwell (2010) “technology-enhanced…learning can help foster learner-centeredness and collaboration” (as cited in Mohamad Ali and Jabar, 2016, p.158). Therefore, using various LMSs and other educational platforms both for online and offline teaching enhance students’ learning opportunities by making lessons more creative, interactive and engaging. One of these amazing free Learning Management Systems is Google Classroom. The easy-to-use interface, opportunity to integrate with other apps and tools, ability to customize assignments, smooth document sharing and collecting functions, grading and group or private feedback features distinguish Google Classroom from other LMSs.

Considering above stated benefits, six-hour online course was created for Year 5A EAL students in Google Classroom Learning Management System. It is designed for ten-year-old students and consists multiple SPAG lessons (SPAG stands for Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar). The aim of the course is to provide to EAL students age and level appropriate support with English grammar, spelling and punctuation to enhance their phonics, reading and writing skills. Course starts with the short introduction followed by various interesting assignments, which were designed using different learning tools and by integrating them with Google Classroom:

1.     First assignment: Spelling – Vowel Diagraph ‘ea’

In this task students must watch the provided video to learn about vowel digraph 'ea'. Then they have to play a game related to the topic on Blooket gamified platform. Their job is to choose the correct word with 'ea' digraph, which makes short /e/ sound or long /ee/ sound to fill in the missing word in the quiz game. While choosing answers learners required to pay attention to the meaning of the words.

 ScreenPal video capturing tool was used to create above-mentioned video for explanation of this topic. It allowed to record my screen and share detailed explanatory lesson with rich visual content, where students can see, listen and understand the instructions clearly. Number of examples were given by using drawing tool and enabling clear explanation utilizing the screen directly as a white board. Moreover, the Blooket web-based quiz game was designed related to the same topic and assigned as a solo study homework option to cement learners’ knowledge. It has multiple-choice format question sets and they can be used in a variety of game options. In the classroom, it can be used as a starter group activity to charge students, where each student may work on his/her own pace. Besides of that formative assessment can be obtained through reviewing students’ results.

 The use of visual aids in learning has been linked to the Cognitivism theory (Ertmer and Newby, 2013). According to this theory, mental processes such as attention, memory, and problem-solving play an important role in learning. The ScreenPal video tool and Blooket gamified platform used in the task can help students to better understand the instructions and retain the information in their memory (Mayer, 2014). The Blooket quiz game allows learners to apply their learning and problem-solving skills (Huang, Liaw and Lai, 2018). The multiple-choice format of the quiz allows learners to think critically and choose the correct answer by analyzing the meaning of the words (Shute and Wang, 2016). The formative assessment feature of the game provides learners with feedback on their performance, which can help them to identify their strengths and weaknesses and improve their learning outcomes (Black, 1998).

                                                                  

2.     Second assignment: Identifying and sorting nouns

The following assigned task distinguishes the common, abstract and proper nouns. "Identifying and sorting nouns" Power Point Presentation is attached for students to make learning easy and accessible. Balloon pop game was designed on Wordwall.net based on sorting nouns theme to recall the students’ gained knowledge from PPT. Students have to pop the balloons to drop each keyword onto its matching definition. Wordwall.net offers visual reinforcement through interactive educational games, where students learn with fun and pleasure.

The use of the Power Point Presentation and the Balloon pop game in the above-mentioned task can be linked to the Behaviorism theory as a form of drilling (Woolfolk and Margetts, 2019). Behaviorism as drilling involves the repetition of a task or information until it is learned and can be performed automatically (Gagné, 1985). The Power Point Presentation and the Balloon pop game provide a structured and repetitive way for students to learn and practice identifying and sorting nouns. The use of visual aids and interactive games can help to reinforce the learning through repetition and positive feedback (Cooper, Heron and Heward, 2020). By repeatedly sorting the nouns into their appropriate categories, students can develop automaticity in recognizing and categorizing different types of nouns (Mayer, 2008). This approach aligns with the principles of behaviorism as drilling, which emphasize the importance of repetition and reinforcement in learning. 

3.       Third assignment: Punctuation

In this assignment pupils must get familiar with the words with apostrophes for contraction from shared Word document, then complete the Multiple-choice quiz which was designed in Google Forms. They must choose the correct answer from available multiple options to complete the sentences.

The task of punctuation, which involves the use of a shared Word document and a multiple-choice quiz designed in Google Forms, can be linked to the concept of learner autonomy. Learner autonomy is the ability of learners to take control of their own learning and make decisions about their learning goals and strategies (Benson, 2011). In this task, students are given the responsibility to learn about apostrophes for contraction by exploring a shared Word document. They then apply their learning by completing a multiple-choice quiz, where they have to analyze the sentence structure and choose the correct answer. By engaging in this task, students are encouraged to take ownership of their learning process and develop their problem-solving and decision-making skills.     

                                        

4.      Fourth assignment: To Form and use the Regular Past Tense     

This task is formulated using IXL online educational platform using one of the Grammar skills from Language arts section. IXL offers hundreds of skills, lessons and games to explore, and it is best tool for teachers to build student’s fluency and proficiency in English and in other subjects as well. System gives learners written or video explanation and feedback for incorrect answers while working independently. It also adjusts the type of questions depending on the level of child’s knowledge. If question is answered incorrectly the system will ease the next question, vice versa by challenging with harder one if correct answer is submitted. That is why, this tool was chosen while planning the lesson for students to learn independently about the topic before the IXL group jam activity.

Direct link to IXL platform is given to students to complete the following assignment. They must complete the sentences with the verbs in past tense by adding past tense ending to the base form of the verb. Revision material is provided to learn before starting the IXL activity on Google Classroom.

The use of IXL online educational platform in this assignment can be linked to the Self-Determination Theory of motivation. This theory emphasizes the importance of learners' autonomy, competence, and relatedness in fostering intrinsic motivation (Ryan and Deci, 2000). IXL provides learners with a sense of autonomy as they are given the opportunity to work independently and receive immediate feedback on their progress. The system's adaptive nature also enhances learners' competence by adjusting the level of difficulty to match their individual needs. Additionally, the provision of revision material prior to starting the activity can increase learners' sense of relatedness by connecting the learning task to their prior knowledge and experiences.

5.      Fifth assignment: Group Jam activity on IXL about the Verb tense

In this group jam activity, all the students are required to login into IXL learning platform to work together with peers to revise and strengthen their knowledge about Verb tenses. Before joining in each student must watch the YouTube video independently and review the provided explanation material about the topic on Google Classroom. Students are instructed to join the IXL at the same allocated time using shared login details from their emails. IXL group jam activity will be hosted by the teacher and students will receive pop up notification about pre-selected skill on their screen when they login to IXL. Students’ names who are joined will be visible on teacher’s screen and once all students have joined the Jam and the question is live, mentor will be able to see which students have submitted their answers and which students are still working.

IXL Group Jam is a fun way for students to collaborate on an any skill. Every student in a Group Jam will see the same question at the same time and complete it on their own pace. It allows educators to gauge entire class’s understanding of the topic in real time and make decisions to plan next steps accordingly. Moreover, teacher can ask the students questions directly on IXL and based on students’ response, teachers may decide to continue working on the concept as a class, break into smaller groups, or move on to an easier or harder questions.

The IXL Group Jam activity on Verb tenses is linked to the graduate attribute of teamwork and collaboration. This activity provides an opportunity for students to work collaboratively and support each other in learning the skill. It also helps them to develop their communication and interpersonal skills as they work together to solve the problem. According to Komarraju et al. (2010), group work can enhance motivation, self-esteem, and critical thinking skills, which are important graduate attributes.

6.      Sixth assignment: Reading activity

Last assignment is created by combining all the above learned materials. First, children need to read the book called "By the Stream" from the Google Jamboard and complete the assigned group tasks in teams. Various questions related to previous lessons assigned to each group, where students expected to work together by remembering and revising all the materials taught since the start of the course. Then they have to take part in the Padlet group discussion by answering the comprehension questions from the story and leave their comments to other peers' posts.

Utilizing Padlet in language learning sessions has been shown to improve student engagement and may raise learner’ motivation. It supports active and social learning, provides opportunities for student publication, effective feedback, as well as opportunities to scaffold learning towards student’s development (Hartshorne and Ajjan, 2009). The Google Jamboard and Padlet activity is linked to the Social Constructivism theory which emphasizes the importance of collaboration and interaction among learners to construct knowledge and understanding (Vygotsky, 1978). In this activity, students work together in teams to complete group tasks and participate in group discussions to construct meaning from the story. Through collaboration and peer assessment, learners can develop critical thinking skills, build their knowledge and understanding, and enhance their social skills (Dillenbourg, 1999).

In conclusion, educational technologies offer a wealth of opportunities for teachers to enhance their students’ learning and thinking skills. Learning Management Systems such as Google Classroom can help teachers to organize courses, monitor students’ progress, and provide timely and effective feedback. Additionally, the use and integration of various learning technologies can promote independent learning and critical thinking skills among students by engaging them in meaningful and challenging tasks that require them to use their prior knowledge, analyze information, make decisions, and reflect on their learning outcomes. Therefore, Google Classroom can be an effective platform for designing and delivering online courses that cater to the needs and interests of EAL students.

Reference list

Benson, P. (2011). Teaching and researching autonomy. Harlow, England ; New York.: Longman/Pearson.

Black, P. (1998). Inside the black box : raising standards through classroom assessment. Phi Delta Kappan, 80(2), pp.139-148.

Cooper, J.O., Heron, T.E. and Heward, W.L. (2020). Applied Behavior Analysis. 3rd ed. Pearson UK.

Dillenbourg, P. (1999). What do you mean by collaborative learning? In P. Dillenbourg (Ed.), Collaborative learning: Cognitive and computational approaches, pp. 1-19.

Ertmer, P.A. and Newby, T.J. (2013). Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism: Comparing Critical Features From an Instructional Design Perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 26(2), pp.43–71.

Gagné, R. M. (1985). The conditions of learning and theory of instruction (4th ed.). Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Hartshorne, R. and Ajjan, H. (2009). Examining student decisions to adopt Web 2.0 technologies: theory and empirical tests. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 21(3), pp.183–198. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s12528-009-9023-6.

Huang, Y. M., Liaw, S. S. and Lai, C. M. (2018). Exploring the learning effectiveness and behavioral patterns of a gamified quiz instructional approach. Interactive Learning Environments, 26(1), pp. 115-127.

Komarraju, M., Musulkin, S. and Bhattacharya, G. (2010). Role of Student–Faculty Interactions in Developing College Students’ Academic Self-Concept, Motivation, and Achievement. Journal of College Student Development, 51(3), pp.332–342. doi:https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.0.0137.

Mayer, R. E. (2008). Learning and instruction (2nd ed.). Pearson.

Mayer, R.E. (2014). Cognitive theory of multimedia learning. The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning. Cambridge University Press, pp.43-71.

Mohamad Ali, A. and Jabar, N. (2016). Cultural Video Project Assignment (VPA) through the Eyes of Young ESL Learners: A Multi-Modal Vocabulary Learning Approach. Indonesian Journal of EFL and Linguistics, 1(2). doi:https://doi.org/10.21462/ijefll.v1i2.11.

Ryan, R.M. and Deci, E.L. (2000). Self-Determination Theory and the Facilitation of Intrinsic Motivation, Social Development, and Well-Being. American Psychologist, 55(1), pp.68–78.

Shute, V. J. and Wang, L. (2016). Measuring problem-solving skills via stealth assessment in an engaging video game. Computers in Human Behavior, 63, pp.106-117.

Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind in Society. The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. The American Journal of Psychology, 92(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.2307/1421493.

Woolfolk, A. and Margetts, K. (2019). Educational psychology. 14th ed. Ny, Ny: Pearson.

Link to the course:

 https://classroom.google.com/c/NTkzMTMwNjA4Njk5?cjc=cynbie3

 

An Article Review

Literature Review on a Critical Understanding of Learning Management System

Technology has changed the way people throughout the world obtain education. Old type of formal learning which take place in a single physical location is losing relevance. The introduction of advanced communication technologies has enabled a new generation of information consumers to meet their knowledge demands without having to meet in person. LMS is one of these advanced systems, which currently is being used widely by educational institutions. This paper will review the article about “A Critical Understanding of Learning Management System” written by Solomon Arulraj David, which thoroughly discusses insights of it. 

The article provides an in-depth analysis of the Learning Management System (LMS) and its impact on education. The author presents a critical review of LMS, highlighting both its benefits and limitations. The article begins with an overview of LMS, explaining its features and functionalities. Author states that “LMS mainly used to manage, track and report the interaction between the learner and the content, as well as the learner and the instructor (David,2013)”. He also highlights how educators can assess the performance of the students through tracking their progress, recording test scores and checking the task completions in the system. 

 

The author then provides the detailed explanation about advantages of using LMS, such as improved access to educational resources, personalized learning, distance learning and enhanced communication between teachers and students. Following examples proves author’s points. Firstly, article states that LMS has reusable materials which can be easily adapted, as well as offering more options for curriculum creators to design materials and to choose the method of delivery. Secondly, it says that “Self-paced learning modules allow students to work at their own pace from anywhere they have access to computer and Internet by reducing travel time and costs (David,2013)”. It is fact that distance learning makes education accessible to students who may not be able to attend traditional classroom settings. Finally, it mentions about the discussion areas, such as chat rooms where learners have flexibility to join the discussions with classmates and instructor remotely. 

 I agree with above point of view, because the platforms which facilitate group work promote more engaged interaction amongst students and teachers by building social constructivism where various learning styles can be met through variety of activities. According to Issacs (2013) social networks have created the possibilities for extending the learning environment for collaborative learning by expanding the learning environment, increasing participation and enriching the learning experiences. Bullen & Thorpe (1998) in Stacey, (1999) states that open access to social networks allows students to learn in groups although they are geographically dispersed. Consequently, students can share information and learn collaboratively through emerging technologies such as blogs, wikis, podcasts and social networks spontaneously and in an informal manner. Collaborative learning in the social networks also reduces the feeling of isolation and gives a sense of belonging to peers resulting in strengthened relationships with others. 

On the other hand, the author also discusses the limitations of LMS, such as its potential to depersonalize education and reduce the role of the teacher to that of a mere facilitator. The article also highlights how LMS can lead to an overreliance on technology, which may have negative consequences for students' learning outcomes. David argues that educators must critically evaluate the use of LMS in education to ensure that it is not used as a substitute for face-to-face interactions between teachers and students. He also stresses the importance of ensuring that the use of LMS is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but rather is tailored to the unique needs and contexts of individual students.

Overall, "A critical understanding of learning management system" is a well-written and insightful article that provides a comprehensive analysis of LMS and its role in education. The author presents a balanced view of the benefits and limitations of LMS and provides practical suggestions for educators to ensure that its use is optimized for student learning. 

 Reference list: 

1.David, S. A. (2013). A critical understanding of learning management system. A Quarterly Refereed Journal of Dialogues on Education, 2(4), pp.4-12. 

2. Isaacs, L. A. (2013). Social constructivism and collaborative learning in social Networks: The case of an online masters programme in adult learning (Doctoral dissertation, University of the Western Cape).

3. Stacey, E. (1999). Collaborative Learning in an Online Environment. Canadian Journal of Distance Education, Volume 14(2), pp.14-33.

IXL Video Introduction

Please check my other posts for more information about IXL.

ILT group discussion about ChatGPT

 

On this post you will find interesting information about GhatGPT with different views about it's positive and negative impact on education.

ChatGPT is a large language model developed by OpenAI as a conversational agent. It can perform high-level cognitive tasks and produce text that is identical to human-generated text. In my opinion ChatGPT has both advantages and drawbacks. Firstly, this tool might be useful for students who want to improve their language skills or learn about a particular topic. It also makes learning convenient for those students who may not have access to a tutor or a teacher, by accessing ChatGPT from anywhere with an internet connection. Moreover, ChatGPT may modify the complexity of the discussions or questions based on the student's level of comprehension. This can help to customise and make the learning experience more effective. Finally, it can save students' time by answering questions quickly, allowing them to move on to other tasks faster than usual. However, the study has found that the emergence of technologies like ChatGPT presents a significant threat to the integrity of online exams, particularly in the context of tertiary education where online exams are becoming increasingly common. These models exhibit a high level of critical thinking and may create very realistic writing with little input, allowing students to cheat on tests.

I think that usage of ChatGPT in the classroom setting might be beneficial, if it is used efficiently with the educators' support by customising the learning resources depending on students' levels (especially with the secondary EAL students, who has the limited language abilities). On the other hand, unsupervised utilization of ChatGPT tool amongst students can decrease learners' critical thinking skills, just relying on it instead of spending more time for researching and learning.

 "It is important for educators and institutions to be aware of the potential of this tool to facilitate cheating and to take steps to combat it, in order to maintain the integrity of online exams and ensure fair and valid assessments for all students" (Susnjak,2022).

The author offers to return to invigilated and oral exams and to use the advanced proctoring tools to combat the complications of ChatGPT tool. Though they are not a perfect solution. Further research is needed to fully understand the implications of these large language models and to develop strategies for addressing the potential for cheating using these tools.

Reference:

Susnjak, T. (2022). ChatGPT: The End of Online Exam Integrity?. arXiv preprint arXiv:2212.09292.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2212.09292

For more ideas, please visit below shared Padlet website. Enjoy reading!

Using technologies in my teaching practice

We have an incredible chance as educators to help our pupils to achieve success in any subject. As professional teachers, we must implement educational technology in our practice to prepare the students to become independent learners and thinkers. I try to embed technology in my teaching practice as much as possible to make teaching and learning more interactive and would like to share with you some of them.

      

-IXL is the most incredible and useful tool which I have found as a mother and a teacher. Our family utilizes it since many years. My youngest child is seven years old now and we use IXL in daily basis to strengthen her knowledge from Maths and English. Recently she started learning Spanish from IXL with great interest too. Also, I use this application with my tutoring ten years old student as well. My point is that you can find various learning activities from Pre-K till 12 grades. System automatically does knowledge diagnostic test before learning Math, English Language Arts, Science, Social Studies and Spanish subjects to reveal exactly what students know and helps educators to take actionable steps to foster growth at every level. It offers hundreds of skills, lessons and games to explore and learn from each subject with visuals and videos, making learning more interactive and fun. Moreover, it provides opportunity to learn with examples to make understanding easier, if child struggles on any task at any stage. Besides of that, it has got a writing tool which allows to write directly on the screen which is really helpful while solving Maths problems. Finally, it motivates users by awarding medals and allowing to reveal and discover virtual prizes, which can be used as an avatar of the users, kids love it!

There are some drawbacks of using this application alongside with many listed advantages. Firstly, IXL application is not free. It has different payment packages depending on the number of the subjects you would like to enroll the child. The cheapest plan is $9.95 per month for a single subject. It limits families with low income to get access to this wonderful educational application because of the expensive price. Even more local parents from Uzbekistan might find hard to make a payment for this application, if they do not have an international bank card. However, it offers 30-day trial period where children can explore it for free. Moreover, learners need a device to use any educational application such as IXL. It can be one of the biggest issues which constraint children from accessing the endless learning opportunities! 

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 Another great tool is Padlet. Padlet is an online discussion tool, in which users can post their ideas on a certain subject and view others' posts too. It works as a digital notice board, and it is a great tool to embed in teaching practice in order to collaborate with the students. Not only students, but also other teachers and even parents can be involved in Padlet wall discussions. I create exit tickets on Padlet and ask students share what they have learned during the lesson on the discussion wall at the end of the lesson or at the beginning of the next lesson. Learners find this way of revision and learning very engaging and fun. Moreover, this way of assessment gives opportunity to every student express their thoughts and to be heard. Check below shared video for more ideas on how to use Padlet in the classroom.

Furthermore, images, videos, audio files, or any other type of documents can be uploaded onto Padlet. Posts may be shared with a certain group, or can be open to public, either can be kept private. You just need to share the link or QR code with the people who you would like to invite, to provide them easy access to the platform. It can be integrated with Google Classroom or any other LMS.

Padlet's most basic plan is free, however it limits users to three Padlets and limits file size uploads. You can always utilize one of those three, then remove it and start over. Teachers can utilize the Padlet Pro plan, which costs $8 per month. This subscription includes unlimited padlets and 250MB file uploads.

As we can see Padlet platform is less expensive compared to IXL platform, though it is similar to IXL on offering 30-day free trial period to explore the platform.

Who am I?

                                            

                                                           

              Digital Visitor or Resident?

Dear reader, I engage online in a mixture of Visitor and Resident modes depending on my needs. I consider myself mostly as a Visitor on approaching online tools for my personal use, however at my workplace I am mainly a Resident. As I am always very busy, I don't like to spend much of my personal time online. That's why I prefer quickly to check my messages and communicate with my family and friends using only Telegram application. Nevertheless, I am always active online during my working hours at BST. We use Outlook email tool to communicate with colleagues and to complete the assigned tasks from the SLT members. Also, we use Seesaw platform to communicate with parents and share daily learning practice, as well as children's learning photos. 

Another reason for being mostly a Visitor in my personal life is to eliminate the leak of personal information to students and parents. Kuehn L. (2012) states that " Teachers who try to live the duality of Visitor and Resident may find that their Resident personality is found by their students and creates an unintended crossing of professional boundaries." Personal social media accounts may easily become public, so educators should be cautious about what they publish in any capacity to avoid the later misunderstandings. 

Moving to the insights of Global Campus platform, it is a unique online platform for Nord Anglia schools. There are 81 Nord Anglia family schools around the world and this platform connects all of them together as one whole. Students complete different interesting activities through Global Campus and share them with each other. As a Global Campus Lead in BST, my job is tightly connected to this platform as I assign activities to the classes and monitor the students' progress.

Reference: 

Kuehn, L. (2012). No more “digital natives” and “digital immigrants”. Our Schools Our Selves, 129-132, p.21.

Introduction

 

                                         Welcome to Nafisa's blog. 

Dear reader let me introduce myself! I am Nafisa Kholjigitova, who is the mother of three beautiful children and also a primary EAL teacher, as well as Global Campus Lead in The British School of Tashkent. Global Campus is Nord Anglia's exclusive online learning platform which connects all 81 Nord Anglia family schools around the world, where students connect and share their learning practice with each other and develop their problem-solving and creative thinking skills. My job is to ensure the engagement of BST learners in this platform and monitoring their progress. 

I have 6 years of abroad and local teaching experience in the international schools. Currently, I am studying at The Westminster University of Tashkent for PGCE programme. "Blended Learning" is one of the course modules, which I am really enjoying so far and the main reason for creating this blog. I am so excited to share my knowledge with you on using different digital technologies to support teaching and learning. 

Nowadays it is essential to engage with the various electronic technologies during the educational processes to make learning as much as productive and interactive for the learners. In this blog you will find many practical educational activities and valuable information which you might find useful to try in your practice. Please enjoy exploring my blog!