Going Mobile with Nicky Hokly

Recently, we have been invited to attend a dissertation about a book called “Going Mobile”, delivered by the Director of Pedagogy, specialized in the area of online teacher training and online course design, Nicky Hockly. As advanced learners of the teacher training programme and owners of this blog, we couldn’t reject the invitation!

To understand what this talk meant to us, you should watch this video. In a nutshell, Nicky talks about Digital Immigrants, web 2.0 resources, keeping a regular blog and blended learning, among other points that we have been dealing with along this year. So, now that you have a clearer idea of why we instantly decided to go to the meeting, let’s focus on it.

As we have said, the meeting was about “Going Mobile”. Nicky started by asking us some questions regarding where we used our mobile phones, and made her point by saying that we never think of using it in educational contexts.

After that, she made us consider the pros and cons of using them, and made some useful and down-to-earth connections between different tasks and the SAMR model (see "Dispelling Myths" post).

Immediately the “hands on” section started which, of course, was what we enjoyed the most. She suggested very simple activities, such as looking up in the pictures gallery of our phones a list of pictures, and talk to our partner about them; or using new apps that work with geographical information. The good thing about the activities suggested was that all of them were easy to apply, and that she always suggested some alternatives to work with different groups according to their access to connectivity, inside or outside the school.

At the end of the meeting we all took a picture with her, she was very nice and put a big smile!

Can "teacher robots" replace human teachers?

Definitely NOT.

That would be the answer if we considered the article published by the BBC in commemoration of the teacher's day. Which factors do they take into account?

It is impossible to deny the impact that technology has on the educational field: test that are marked automatically, educational games, tutorial videos, are only some of the vast enumeration we can make. However, it is difficult to think about education without teachers.

The first factor introduced in the BBC's article is that "teachers can support students in ways that computers can't". These include how to understand, interpret and apply the amount of information available to fit their needs, as well as acting as guidance counselors.

Furthermore, and expanding on the idea of "guidance counselor", the article exposes that "face-to-face experiences convey linguistic and emotional complexity". We have all seen news of innovative robots that can imitate human facial expressions and tone of voice. Still, the feeling of empathy is so human that no robot could be programmed to "imitate". It is undeniable that great part of learner's success should be associated with teachers understanding of their needs and feeling of empathy.


Nevertheless, we can mix face-to-face education with online working so as to enhance learner's motivation and contribute to an updated form of education. This is generally called Blended Learning. 

What does Blended learning exactly is? It is a term used to describe the way e-learning is being combined with traditional classroom methods and independent study to create a new, hybrid teaching methodology (retrieved from https://www.mindflash.com/what-is-blended-learning).

Teachers that use this method assure that some of the benefits are:

• that students get individual instructions 
• that it is more engaging 
• that it is relevant for the 21th century 
• that expands learning beyond the classroom 
• that it optimize time 
• that personalize learning.

In order to use this method, teachers must decide on a platform to use with their students, and upload videos explaining the theory that is going to be dealt with the following lesson. Students, on their part, are expected to study before entering the classroom. What is more, teachers can make a test of the theory using the virtual classroom so as to have an overall view of how their learners have learned the theory, and what to focus on during the lesson. In this way, personalization and a more effective use of time in the classroom are guaranteed.

You may ask, "What is the difference with regular homework?" This question is asked in the video "Blended learning in 2minutes and 38 seconds", and a very funny answer is given:


"...imagine you have a pot of ice cream and some strawberries. Both of these things are really good on their own, but when you mix them together you get something even better [...] (Even more,) the online world is a lot more interesting and attractive than most textbooks"


Perhaps, the best way of understanding what the role of technology and teachers in education is, is by quoting a Greek historian, biographer and essayist, Plutarch, who said that "the mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled". We can add that with the resources available and the creativity of the teachers, we can found a lot of innovative ways of creating and maintaining motivation o "to kindle the fire", and that is what teaching is about.

How web 2.0 changed classical lessons

The main difference between the Web we all know with Web 2.0 is that it is not longer used only for reading, but for creating and uploading content as well, i.e. there is a strongly user participation. Networking sites (Facebook, Instagram), Blogs, MySpace, are some examples of Web 2.0 sites. In their article Teaching with Web 2.0 Technologies: Benefits, Barriers and Best Practices, Yun-Jo An, Bosede Aworuwa, Glenda Ballard & Kevin Williams point out that the major benefits of using Web 2.0 technologies in teaching include interaction, communication and collaboration; knowledge creation; ease of use and flexibility; and writing and technology skills.

We have decided to make a project in which students will learn about the story of rock and roll in general, and the biography of the most long-lasting bands. In order to do so, we selected two web 2.0 pages: Mindomo and Timetoast. 

Students will use Mindomo to create a mind map about the story of rock; they will read some sources and select the facts that are relevant to create the mind map. Then, they will share it with their partners by copying the URL on Edmodo. After that, the rest of the class will be assigned some specific bands to create a timeline using Timetoast.

The pictures below are sample activities we have created using the webpages suggested, so that students will be able to see how both the mind map and the timeline look like:

Mind Map

Timeline

Web 2.0 allows teachers and students to be connected beyond the barriers of the classroom. Thus, if you are a teacher, or you are about to become one, you need to accept that web 2.0 tools are here to stay, and as fast as we employ them we will be able to see how learning comes alive in the classroom.

Tips for designing your own teaching materials

We all have sometimes listened to English teachers complaining about their groups of students at school: 'these kids just do not behave', 'this group is out of control', 'they do not and will not care about the subject', among other things. But, have these teachers ever thought that they may need to do something about the way they teach and the resources they use so as to change these problems?

Nowadays, it is very common that the majority of teachers rely heavily on coursebooks. In their work Guidelines for Designing Effective English Language Teaching Materials, Jocelyn Howard and Jae Major point out that "most coursebooks remain organised around grammar elements and the PPP (presentation, practice, production) model of teaching, often with an 'unrelenting format' which can be 'deeply unengaging'".

Thus, what teachers may find useful would be the creation of their own teaching materials; nevertheless, they are likely to find some difficulties in doing so. Howard and Major describe some disadvantages when designing materials; they name the fact of organisation (which they say coursebooks fulfill greatly), quality (in the sense that teachers' designs "seem ragged and unprofessional next to those produced by professionals" (Block, 1991, p.212, emphasis in original) and time (labeling this activity as a time consuming one)

We will pay close attention to guideline number 1 and guideline number 4, which we consider extremely important when deciding to use yor own materials:

The first one exposes that materials should be contextualized, taking into account three specific areas: the curriculum they are intended to address, the experiences, realities and first languages of the learners, and the topics and themes that provide meaningful, purposeful uses for the target language. In short, they state that both the institution where we teach and the learner's specific culture will determine the techniques we may decide to use so as to ensure engagement and provide motivation.

Guideline number four, which states that language teaching materials should allow for a focus on form as well as function, puts emphasis on the importance of seeing languages as something to be manipulated. Thus, as well as providing instances for real communication, materials should allow students to form and test their own hypotheses, within the frame of an analytical approach.

In conclusion, if we follow what these guidelines suggest, we are likely to produce a change in learners' moods, getting them to a "state of 'expectancy' (What will happen this time?) rather than 'expectation' (Oh, not that again!)" (Marley, 2003, p.2)

                           Some issues to think about when deciding to design...

http://www.eslteachersnotebook.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Custom-Designed-ESL-Resources-2.png

Dispelling Myths

Since nowadays the majority of teachers are Digital Immigrants, term defined in our first entry, the inclusion of technology in the classroom is usually neglected. This is so because they do not seem to see a connection between what is pedagogical and what is technological.

Nevertheless, we have been introduced to two models that state the opposite: The Substitution, Augmentation, Modification and Redefinition Model (SAMR) and the Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge Model (TPACK).

According to Dr. Ruben Puentedura, SAMR not only offers a method of seeing how computer technology might impact teaching and learning, but it also focuses on the level of student engagement.

So as to make it clearer, we chose a picture and a video which we think explains SAMR in a concise way:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CBn_SauVIAE7WTE.jpg

                                         

http://es.slideshare.net/kdgeorge1969/samr-model-27507779?from_action=save

As regards TPACK, it is said to be the combination of subject matter knowledge and technology, which is more than simply adding Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to traditional approaches. This mixture depends upon deep knowledge of how ICT can be used to access and process subject matter (Technology Content Knowledge) and understanding how ICT can support and enhance learning (Technology Pedagogical Knowledge) in combination with Pedagogical Content Knowledge, which is the subject matter knowledge with profound understanding of what is good for learning. 

                              An image, and a video, count more than a thousand words...

  https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoNEYJVJiAM_jSsRmU51VFMRcrCZrtnnheOLPV_AxqXGEYv3ZO6qNQ_lZU3Devgbyh9ExStVCG2Lc1Y_jM0x7KA18XwxqOOpibUxPnqQjuRxl8Z18yuwJDAv5rUuR7XXvrsFgBlWFKkwo/s1600/tpack+label.JPG

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQtwC5bJ-yo

In order to show that the so mentioned “gap” between pedagogy and technology does not actually exist, we planned a didactic unit for teaching the Present Simple tense related to daily routines, based on the models previously mentioned.

Aiming to reach our objectives, we decided that the final task was that students create a comic that would show a daily routine. So as to do so, we selected a website called Pixton, in which they could choose among different settings, characters and tools for the creation of the comic. The final step of this unit was to present the comic to the class by using power point, and then share it on the Facebook group they have for English lessons. 

The picture below is a sample of a comic which we made in order to show how it looks like when finished:

https://www.pixton.com/comic-strip/f95xu7ua

If you want to know more about our didactic unit, you can find it here.

Relating this unit to SAMR, we Redefined the task in the sense that every student would be able to fulfil it no matter whether they have the ability to draw well, or the chance of affording the materials needed to do a poster presentation, or not. So, in this way it would be impossible to complete the task without the use of technology.

Finally, TPACK is present in the unit when students use their netbooks and internet connection to work on the comic as well as when presenting it to their classmates.

How to become a Digital Literate

The fact that Internet provides us instantaneous information regarding any doubt we have does not mean that as human beings we only have to rely heavily on what is being shown to us. The following picture gives an example of what occurs nowadays in schools: 

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/87/b0/6e/87b06e9ec1bd485c24b25dbbd55b2240.gif

Thus, it is necessary to take into consideration the existence of some crucial criteria when deciding to use information from a web-page, especially if you are a teacher:

• Purpose: What is the purpose of the site or page?
• Authority and Responsibility: Who is the author? What are his/her credentials? Is there any way of contact him? Is the page authentic or is it a hoax? Are the authors up-front about their purpose and content? Is there a way to contact the authors? Do the authors give credit for information used?
• Objectivity: Does the content reflect a bias? Is it explicit or hidden? How does the bias impact the usefulness of the information?
• Appropriateness and Relevance: Is the content appropriate/relevant for your classroom or your assignment? Is the content appropriate for the age or developmental level of your students?
• Clarity: Is the text neat, legible and formatted for easy reading? If there are graphics, do they add to the content or distract? If there are advertisements, do they interfere with your ability to use the page? Are the pages well organized? Are there mistakes in spelling or word usage?
• Accessibility and Currency: Does the site load quickly? Can you move around the site easily? Is the site or page still there next time? Is there a text-only alternative for the visually-impaired? Is the information on the page up-to-date? Can you tell when the page was last updated? Are there dead links?

Some of these criteria have been applied in the analysis of two web pages: BBCLearning English and Tools for Educators, and we concluded that both of them are reliable and trustworthy, since:

• As regards Purpose, BBC's domain (.co.uk) corresponds to country, territory, or other geographic location; while TFE's domain (.com) makes reference to commercial nature.

• Looking at Authority and Responsibility, we have found that you can only reach BBC as a corporation, whereas TFE offers a more direct contact to the author, Mark Cox.

• Regarding Clarity, we can say that both sites are well organized in terms of content and none of them present spelling or word usage mistakes; nevertheless, if we pay attention to the design we may think that, as BBC has a more standard format, it is more authentic than TFE, which uses many different fonts.

• Accessibility and Currency: Both pages are up-to-date, load quickly and you can find them next time you look for them. Also, none of them show dead links.

BBC Learning English

Tools for Educators

If you consider all the criteria mentioned and analyze the web sites you want to use in a similar way as we did, you will probably become a Digital Literate, that is to say you will be able to understand, evaluate and integrate information in multiple formats that the computer can deliver. 

Being a teacher in the era of Digital Natives

Much has been said about the roles that teachers must fulfill in a classroom; nevertheless, nowadays the most important one undoubtedly is adaptability. The new generation of students demands teachers to be open-minded and to find new ways of teaching.

Unfortunately, Marc Prensky showed in his article "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants", that most teachers are what he names “Digital Immigrants", which implies having different perceptions of the teaching and learning processes.

These teachers were born when having a computer at home was very unusual and mobile phones, if existed, were only for phone calls. So, they are used to do one thing at a time, such as to read long texts and work silently, among other things, and this is the way they pretend XXI century students to learn.

But society and learners have changed and the idea of having a “magic recipe” for teachers is not available any more. As Prensky stated, "A really big discontinuity has taken place. One might even call it a "singularity" - an event which changes things so fundamentally that there is absolutely no going back".

However, we think although "there is no going back", Digital Immigrants can use technology as a tool for teaching the new contents as well as the more traditional ones, applying these latter to their students' "new language", as the first picture illustrates. So, what it is required is an adaptation of teachers' methodology and selection of contents in order to fit this new era of students.

On the other hand, a weak point found in Prensky's article is the idea of age as the only factor in labeling a person as Digital Immigrant or Native. We think that, in our country, some other variables might be: access to basic services (such as electricity), family and neighbourhood environment, in other words, their socio - economic context. This particular situation sets a new chanllenge for teachers, and if we keep up to date not only taking courses but also bearing in mind society changes, the results will display long-term benefits for both Digital Immigrant and Digital Natives.

Finally, we have chose two pictures which we think illustrate very well both everything we have just written about, and reality itself.