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TEIS AR Newsletter Spring Issue 3

7 Are you ready to Integrate Technology?

Teaching has changed dramatically in the 21

century with the advent of Web 2.0

toolslike wikis, blogs and podcasts just to name a few. New technologies have changed thelandscape of information and knowledge. Learning in this scenario poses new questionsfor us teachers. Anyone with access to Internet has the ability to create videos, text andaudio that can be shared with a global audience. How can teachers be inspired togradually start incorporating Technology in their daily teaching? Internet has become a big challenge for teachers and if used correctly is an empowering phenomenon.But most teachers internally ask themselves why should I start using technology. Myonly answer to this interrogation is that

Technology is here to stay

. Integratingtechnology is not putting computers in the classroom without teacher training.Technology should be used effectively and efficiently to allow students to learn how toapply computer skills in meaningful ways. Consider the power you have as a teacher tostart sharing students work with a real audience that is considered to be any studentfrom the world. Below you can observe how teaching methods gradually startedchanging.

Traditional ApproachDigital Alternative

Note TakingWord processors and voice recordingFormal writingWord processing, emails, blogs, wikis, etc.Formal Communications. e.g. LettersEmail, Mobile phones, Blackberries,Chats and Forums Research from Newspapers, journals etc.Online newspapers, Search Engines (eg.Google, Yahoo etc.)General researchSearch engines and directories, webquestsWatching videosYoutube, Multimedia Player, etc.When I finished my Teacher training studies some years ago I would have never thoughtthat my students could learn from other students worldwide. Teachers were the onlyholder of knowledge and the center of the classroom. Technology has broken down thefour walls of my classroom and has allowed my student to learn English in a realcontext. There is no greater rewarding experience than to see student´s motivation growto levels one would have never thought. If we want to integrate technology we must beaware of our “digital natives” students. Teachers must be opened to sharing,connectedness and Networking.The other question I heard many teachers asking me is how can they start integratingTechnology. Recently ARCALL (Argentine Computer Assisted Language Learning) has been launched with the clear goal to help teacher integrate technology. We know that

Web 2.0

is a living term describing changing trends in the use of World Wide Webtechnology and web design that aims to enhancecreativity

, information sharing, collaboration and functionality of the web.Web 2.0 concepts have led to the development and evolution of web-based communities and itshostedservices,such associal-networking sites

, video sharing sites

,wikis, blogs

, andfolksonomies.Source Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0

TEIS AR Newsletter Spring Issue 3there are many compelling reasons to start incorporating technology and that many brilliant teachers are doing this. ARCALL is a group of innovative languageteaching professionals from Argentina which aims to:

•

increase the use of educational technology in EFL (English as a ForeignLanguage) teaching,

•

collaborate in the integration of ICT in Argentina in ways that are effective andappropriate,

•

assist teachers in integrating

ICT

into their daily practices and as a means of developing themselves professionally,

•

train teachers on using computers and the Internet in English language teaching,

•

develop a Research Area to further apply new ideas into the classroom.I also suggest exploring other possibilities like teaching in a virtual world.Second Lifeis one of the many virtual worlds where students arrive to a virtual island where theyhave the chance to practice English in different places of this island for example near the ocean, at the theatre, at the disco or even in the supermarket. Everything is based ona communicative approach where voice communication, chat and instant messages areused. The teacher and the student create their own avatar. There is a huge variety of clothes you can choose from. You can also be teletransported from once place toanother. Possibilities are endless and as a teacher your imagination is at full swing.Classes are really visual and dynamic and students have the great benefit of being ableto practice 24 hours.Another possibility is to create your own blog and share your experience with other colleagues. As head of a blog, I should say that the journey on how to incorporatetechnology in your classes is full of obstacles and rewards. If you are about to createone, I’d like to invite all teachers who have not already incorporated technology in their classrooms, to give it a try. I hope you enjoy the ride.Trad.Prof. Jennifer Verschoor ARCALL ( Argentine Computer Assisted Language Learning) President

References

Wikipediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0

Any bibliography? No, I created the chart

Biodata

Jennifer Verschoor

graduated from St.Andrews Scot´s School in Argentina. Holdsdegrees as Bachelor in Educational Management (UCA), English UniversityProfessor (UMSA) and English Public Translator (UMSA). Studied Business Englishat University of California Irvine. She is the Director of Teachnet a companyspecialized in the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) inlanguage teaching. Founder member of ARCALL (Argentine Computer AssistedLanguage Learning). She is also a proud Webhead and has been granted ascholarship to attend WorldCall in Fukuoka, Japan. She is also an Intel SeniorTeacher Trainer. Her emphasis in training teachers to integrate technology into theclassroom started five years ago. Since then has given numerous workshops on