After... quite a long time of absence (almost 2 years since my last post) I AM BACK!!! Having finished my military service, the actual reason why I was away, I have started this year working as a teacher in the lovely vilage of Massari, Rhodes and as a part time tutor at the University of the Aegean.
Massari lies close to the East side of the island. It is a village of about 300(?) inhabitants. Full of both modern and traditional houses... and interesting sites, including the chapel of St John, outside the village, about ... no more than a km from the village cenral square. It was there where the festival was oragnised.
So...the orange festival.. most villages in Rhodes, if not all, tend to have a concept for their festivals. These concepts are mostly fruits, other "gifts of nature" or even, local delicacies. So, every year, in a different part of the island, there is the strawberry festival, the olive festival, the water-melon festival.
Massari, proud to cultivate, the islands' best oranges would of course host the Orange festival. A combination of the classical festival with dances, music, lots of meals , surrounded by kiosks selling orange products, as marmelades, fresh orange juice and other souvenirs from the village.
The school took part in the festival by selling lovely drawings and other pieces of art, inspired by the pupils.
It was nice.... as we say in Greece "και του χρόνου" (looking forward to the next years')
As with many things, the Internet is not risk free. We always need to remember that it is humans who use it. Any good or bad thing humans can do otherwise, can probably be done or helped through internet. Its’ use has a lot of traps that need to be known and dealt with by anyone. Education is charged with the task to qualify learners with the necessary skills to do that. Of course activities involving the use of the Net, such as CALL, are maybe the most appropriate opportunities for such issues to be negotiated and taught (Loveless & Ellis, 2001; Fisher, Higgins & Loveless, 2006).
In short, the internet brings people together and provides information of any kind. Things that matter in intra-human relationships matter when using the Internet as well. SELF-PROTECTION is of major importance: a) we must keep our personal information, private. This may include passwords, accounts etc, b) we should avoid chatting and keeping contact with suspicious users and try not to answer questions of them that make us feel uncomfortable, c) we must be careful when downloading files and d) we must always be wiling to talk to others about anything suspicious we noticed.
Similarly it is important to show RESPECT when using the internet: a) We must always respect other users and never try to make them feel uncomfortable, b) We must not try to breach their personal information and c) We must not try to steal other peoples work or intellectual property.
Continuous concern is required (Cybernetics for Kids).
(FROM: http://www.glasbergen.com/images/g690.gif)
References:
Ellis, V. & Loveless, A., (2001). ICT, Pedagogy and the Curriculum. London: Routledge / Falmer, Taylor & Francis Group.
Fisher, T., Higgins, C. & Loveless, A. (2006) Teachers Learning with Digital Technologies: A review of research and projectsBristol: Futurelab, Available online: www.futurelab.org
The blog “CALL A FRIEND” by Konstantinos Karampelas, PhD
The blog “CALL A FRIEND” found at the URL: http://callkostas.blogspot.com/ focuses on some basic aspects of Computer Assisted Language Learning, known also abbreviated as CALL, which is a major field concerning present educators particularly they ones specialized in Language and Computer Education.
A variety of information on CALL is given in this website. After a brief introduction, the main historical information on the development of CALL over the last decades is contained. This is then accompanied by a list of recommended sites for more information on CALL generally.
Then some sites about English language, generally, are presented. The focus then moves to sites specifically about learning English and maybe other languages online. Supplement to these, is a list of webpages of on-line dictionaries and translations.
As an opportunity to escape from the theoretical parts and create a rather more cheerful atmosphere a poetry activity is suggested. A poem is shown, and then left to the readers’ imagination to change the last words of each line and create lyrics of his or her own.
Finally, a selection of sites providing material for English classes is uploaded. These sites are of various fields and address to learners of different ages, level and interests. They have one thing in common though. They present the English language as it is used online by multiple natives or not speakers. Each of these sites is shown along with a description and guidelines of use.
Proposed activities:
Through these sites some common activities can be introduced, as application and assessment of the knowledge or information provided.
1. Find the words or lyrics of a song you like and: a) Try to translate it in English (not necessarily all, say about 5-10 lines) on a translation-website. b) Take notes of the whole process to mention if the instructions were clear. c) Take notes of cases where the translation given was not good and ‘human-manual work’ was needed. 2. Write a brief comment online in one of the following cases and site of your choice. a) On a video you like, on youtube. b) On a hotel, place or site you have visited, on tripadvisor. c) On a topic, which interests you, in the Have your Say section of BBC
This site contains a collection of simple English songs for children or even young learners or beginners. It combines audio, visual and typed material, which can be used in different ways.
Songs can be a very usefully material for language learning. They can be used in teaching vocabulary, grammar and cultural elements in an interesting and amusing way.
In fact, especially for adult learners, it can also be useful in other ways too, such as integrating activities. For example, it can familiarize them with buying material on-line too, which itself might have to do with English learning too. This happens as it introduces relevant vocabulary among with other social issues.
This site refers to young learners or beginners too. It is mainly about English Geography, which again can be combined with English language and culture. Moreover, by studying texts, grammar and vocabulary can be enhanced too.
Assessment might include writing about our country or maybe text analysis.
The particular website addresses mainly to English language teachers who can find here a variety of material for lesson planning.
The lesson plans available may have to do with English or even integrating English with other subjects. The learners may be of a variety of users, as far as their age, level of English proficiency or interests are concerned.
What makes the particular webpage very useful is its popularity, which increases its practicability.
The learners who can benefit from such a webpage may be of intermediate or upper level. The teachers who use youtube as material can find audio or video material of various areas of interest, which can make the lesson plan and activities more flexible.
Teachers might show a video of news, music, TV show and focus on grammar, vocabulary, cultural elements and many other things. This website can also familiarize the learners with the process and vocabulary ofdownloading or uploading.
Assessment might focus on analysis or discussion around a piece of video or audio or even publishing a comment in the target language.
Another popular website. It mostly refers to people of intermediate level or higher and interested in journeys and meeting new places.
As with Youtube, teachers can find in this website can come up find audio or video material or typed material.
Teachers might show the learners description of sights, hotels, places. These can be opportunities to learn about grammar, vocabulary, writing and other things. It may also familiarize them with the process and vocabulary of booking a hotel online, a very popular activity nowadays.
Assessment might include analysis or discussion around a comment or description or even publishing a comment or description of a particular hotel, place or sight in the target language.
6)British Broadcasting Corporation – BBC. Available on the URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk
As with youtube and tripadvisor, BBC is a very popular website. It contains articles, information and materials around many different topics, presented in texts, audio or video material.
Teachers might take articles to teach grammar, vocabulary, writing and other things..
Assessment again can involve analysis or discussion around a comment or description or even publishing a comment or personal experience in the ‘have your say’ section.
In short, there are many websites, popular or not, that can be used as material resources for English classes. The teacher has to be flexible and creative enough to come up with different resources in order to benefit in lesson planning and effective teaching (Loveless & Ellis, 2001; Fisher, Higgins & Loveless, 2006).
References:
Ellis, V. & Loveless, A., (2001). ICT, Pedagogy and the Curriculum. London: Routledge / Falmer, Taylor & Francis Group.
Fisher, T., Higgins, C. & Loveless, A. (2006) Teachers Learning with Digital Technologies: A review of research and projectsBristol: Futurelab, Available online: www.futurelab.org
The web includes sites for on-line translation, offering translation opportunities to a wide range of languages. Such are: 1) Systran:http://www.systranet.com/
Undoubtedly, these sites can help a lot in translation. However, when translating, long complicated texts, there is still work required from the actual user of the site.
Lets see an example:
We can translate from Greek
“Καλημέρα, πώς είστε; “
And we get
“hello, how are you?”
Or even:
“Good morning, how you are?”
The latter requires some intervention from the user. At the end of the day, we all know that technology does not fully relieve from mental work. CALL cannot be of course an exception.
