Week 7-Reflection

Hello everyone,

Sorry for late posting this week. I am busy with travelling other cities in Turkey for educational purposes and taking visa process to move another country for teaching. So I missed some points in this week, but I tried to read the articles about learner autonomy, the one-computer classroom and mobile device use language classrooms. These three topics are interrelated to each other and learner autonomy comprises of the others. Language learning means active participation of learner. The participation is not simply an in class activity, it also include extra-curricular ones. At that time, directing students to learn and motivating to study gain importance for long-term language success. One of the best way of fostering motivation and active participation is increasing learner autonomy by encouraging them take part in their own learning. Sometimes, teaching hours are limited to accomplish all learning short and long term goals. So directing students outside the class helps us to accomplish these goals. In todays’ education World, almost all classes have at least one computer or a Tv unit. This week has given some ideas how to set such an one-computer classroom and help our students. Also most of us are familiar with the some of the suggestions mentioned in Linda (1999)’s strategies about one computer classroom (http://www.lburkhart.com/elem/strat.htm). Another point of this week was, mobile-assisted language learning. Two weeks ago, a friend of mine asked me some ideas about the use of mobile phones in the class and we talked a little bit. At that time, I said some drawbacks about using mobile phones, as it easily distracts students’ awareness and interest to other sides. To be honest, I was not a big fan of mobile phones, thought that we could find some more productive ways to help our students. But it worthes trying, as all learners have cell phones specifically smart phones. Also, I recommended my students to download apple applications TED, TEDICT, Busuu, mono lingual and bilingual dictionary apps or other ones. My colleagues’ posts about the mobile phones and twenty ideas of Reinders (2010) (please visit http://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/48_3_4_reinders.pdf) and the article about the mobile apps changed some of my negative deas about the phones. In face to face classes, all idea worth trying.

See you soon.

Ali-TURKEY