Assignment 6: Online CMS

Lesson review/analysis

My Google sites site:

https://sites.google.com/site/6611wiki/

Lesson review/analysis

How will you use this resource to meet the needs of your instructional purposes?

Well, the content of the lesson didn't change from last week so that part would stay the same. I guess in bringing this over to a CMS I would be able to have the students work more independently, possibly even doing it at home for a weekend or vacation project. The format would also allow for me to have a discussion board where students could answer each others questions or I could jump on and do so.

What directions or tech support will you provide students before the lesson (or before accessing the CMS) to focus learning?

Honestly, the CMS was so simple to use that I don't think there would be too many issues. I did run into a couple small problems the first time I used the resources namely, students have to be logged in to a Google account to make the site work, and students accessing the site via a phone have to click "View the desktop version" or whatever it says at the bottom of the page if they want the ability to edit things. The site scales well though so this is not a big deal.

Why is this medium appropriate for the students you teach/plan to teach?

I'll refer to the Google sites site as the medium here because I discussed the phone app in the last lessons review. The Google sites site is fantastic and would probably work well for most students. Mine are all very tech savvy and all have smartphones so the more I can use these things with my students the better. I have found that students are very enthusiastic about using these technologies for class if they're done right. That usually means keeping things simple and making sure the students are aware of the language focus.

What technical problems did you encounter while preparing the A/V?

There were a number of issues that came up during the initial stop motion video lesson and the original Google sites lesson. Beyond those though, I had none. I don't want to say that there wouldn't be issues when running through the lesson with students but I think this goes to show that if you plan well and take the time to work things out the first time, they can go quite a bit smoother when you try them a second time.

Assignment 5: Creating video

Lesson topic:
Going Places

Lesson time:
60 minutes - In order to stay within the time allotted, this will be a part of a multi-day lesson. While trying to teach myself how to use the app I was able to make my materials and make my video in just under an hour so with my instructions and being able to split up the work, it should be possible.

Target:
The target is a conversation class made up of Korean University Freshman. The class is taught at the high-beginner level though there is quite a bit of variety within the class.

Materials

               

• iPhone App:
  https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stop-motion-cafe/id492389084?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4 (Write name of app, Stop Motion Cafe, on board.)
• Sample video:
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuKt3K6QGRg
• Student stories (completed in previous class)
• Storyboard sketch containing plan for video (completed in previous class)
• Paper
• Pens/pencils/markers/etc. (students were told to bring these)

Procedures

Introduction (3-5 minutes)

1. Get in your groups from the last class. (3-4 students per group; groups assigned so that at least one person has an iPhone or iPad)
2. Watch the sample video I created. (see materials)
3. You are going to create a video just like this (or hopefully better).

Preparing to make the video (10 minutes)

1. You need to use the paper I give you to:
1. draw characters and cut them out
2. draw backgrounds for each scene
3. write dialogue cards
4. download the app
2. Assign tasks above to each group member.
3. Create materials.

Prepare tech requirements (3-5 minutes)

1. Clear your table.
2. Stack some books or a chair to act as a tripod. (demonstrate)
3. Follow my example (using app on projector) to make a short video of a pencil moving. (demonstrate using the app)
1. Open the app.
2. Click on Capture Frames.
3. Place the phone on the books so that the paper is facing the right way and in the shot.
4. Click the box in the center of the screen to take a frame.
5. Make sure to only move the objects a little each time.
6. When doing text, take about 20-30 frames for each line of text to make sure that there is enough time to read it.
7. When finished, press Done.
8. Press the button labeled Elaborate Movie.
9. The video should now be in your photos.
10. Upload the video to the class Dropbox folder.
    (Students know how to do this already.)

Make videos (30 minutes)

1. Make your videos.
2. Ask me if you need help or have any questions.
3. The app has some more advanced editing features but only play around with those if you finish making your video early.

Review (10 minutes)

1. Watch videos from Dropbox on projector as a class.

Lesson review/analysis

How will you use this resource to meet the needs of your instructional purposes?

The content of this lesson, worked on before this particular class, can involve anything being studied in class. I chose directions for this example because it is something I will cover but it doesn't have to be. This lesson could be very flexible in this way.

Why is this medium appropriate for the lesson you plan to create (e.g., relevance to the target language, interest level, and motivation)?

Honestly, I thought that this seemed a bit childish for my students but upon thinking about it further, I decided it wasn't. Korean adults read comic books and watch animated videos so the medium is quite familiar, even to university students. Also, I could encourage them to write their stories about something that they find relevant to their lives. For example, rather than going on a picnic as in my (rather lame) example, they could go to a bar or to a nightclub or whatever it is that they do on the weekends with their friends.

What are the potential problems, either language based or technical, that you may need to troubleshoot or prepare for?

Students might have a hard time with the app though I got the simplest one I could find that works so hopefully it'll be ok. There may also be issues with the filming. I had a bit of trouble at first orienting everything and making the camera steady. Hopefully I'll avoid both of those issues by demonstrating everything for the students. I have an adapter to hook my phone up to the projector so I will use this while demonstrating.

One other issue that comes up is the story. In our readings for the week there was a quote about how we are trying to tell stories rather than bad movies. I'm afraid that mine falls in the later category but I think my students will be able to do better, especially since they'll be given more time to write their stories in an earlier class.

What technical problems did you encounter while preparing the A/V?

Like last time, there were a number of issues that came up:

• I initially wanted to use a different, simpler app that was available on the iTunes store as well as the Android store. It was very easy to use--there was only one button to take shots and one button to save the video--but it kept crashing when I used it so I went with something else instead.
• I noticed when I was done that my video was oriented the wrong way. I had missed the this way up instructions in the app. I fixed this on Youtube but will make sure to tell my students about it beforehand so they don't run into the same problem.

Assignment 2 Follow-Up

Assignment 2 Follow-Up

I tried out a slightly modified version of assignment 2 in class so I thought I'd post a few quick thoughts...

The wiki went over very well. One downside was that in order to edit, you needed to be logged in with a Google account. This may have been how I set the permissions but I haven't been able to figure out for sure. I had prepared for this by bringing paper with me so that students could do it the old fashioned way but as it turned out, enough students actually did have Google accounts already so we were able to proceed as planned. There were a few other very minor hitches but overall it exceeded my expectations.

Things to consider in the future:

• need to have a Google account (it appears)
• only one person can edit the page at a time (no problem for my class but could cause potential problems depending on how the wiki is going to be utilized
• students need to SAVE the page when they're done!

I used the CDLP site as well but I didn't have the students read the articles; they only read the titles. It wasn't really necessary because they only needed to generate a few ideas quickly and the titles were sufficient to do that.

Assignment 4: Using video

Lesson topic: Leadership and responsibility

Lesson time: 60 minutes

Target: The target is a small group of Korean university faculty whom I tutor twice a week, we primarily focus on conversation and discussion skills.

Materials

               

• Edited Video on Dropbox (downloaded and clipped shorter using Virtualdub)
• Script with blanks
• Discussion questions with complete script
• Original, full length source video at Washington Post

Procedures

Pre-viewing warm-up (5 minutes)

1. Introduce the video using the description on the handout. (link above)
2. Discuss the following questions: (also on handout)

• What advice would you give to a person entering college? What advice did you receive?
• How would you describe a great leader?
• What do you feel is your responsibility to society?

Initial viewing and comprehension check (5-10 minutes)

1. Play the video without the script.
2. Discuss the following questions: (also on handout)

• What is Jim Young Kim's job according to the video? What work has he done in the past?
• In your opinion, what kind of a person is he? How would you describe his attitude?
• In the clip, Mr. Kim mentions that in Haiti, he and Paul farmer, a Caucasian man, were mistaken for brothers. Why was this?

Second viewing and vocabulary check (10 minutes)

1. Play the video with the script containing blanks.
2. Pause after the blanked out words are spoken.
3. Students attempt to fill in the blanks.
4. Confirm answers.

Third viewing (0-5 minutes)

1. Play video a third time to show vocabulary in context. (optional)

Discussion (30 minutes)

1. Discuss the following questions: (also on handout)

• In the clip, Mr. Kim’s father says that before he can study philosophy, he needs to get a skill. Why does he say this? Do you agree? On what factors did you base your decisions about what to study?
• Mr. Kim says that he is extremely privileged because of his education. Why is this? How has your education helped you?
• Mr. Kim also says that you can almost smell a good leader. What does he mean by this? In your opinion, what makes a good leader? Have you met anyone that you consider to be a great leader? Why do you think this?

Lesson review/analysis

How will you use this resource to meet the needs of your instructional purposes?

This lesson will continue a discussion on the topic of leadership. The video will be used to teach some vocabulary and listening skills as well as to inspire discussion.

Why is this topic, information or content appropriate for the lesson you to create? (e.g., level of authenticity, relevance to target language, interest level, and motivation)?

The target group are professors and administrators who are in a position similar to that of the video subject and hopefully can relate to what he is saying. I think they will be motivated also, by the fact that the subject is Korean-American and by the fact that he is a very well-known individual as the current president of the World Bank. I tried to choose language that I thought would be unknown yet possibly able to get from context and that the professors could use.

What are the potential problems, either language based or technical, that you may need to troubleshoot or prepare for?

I never like to trust online video in class. I have no wired internet connection in my classroom and the wifi can be spotty so I will make sure to have the video saved locally in case there are any issues. I will also have two devices to play the video on (notebook computer and phone) in case any issues come up.

What technical problems did you encounter while preparing the A/V?

There were a number of issues that came up.

1. I had trouble downloading the video from the Washington Post site. I tried a few sites without success but in the end I was able to use an open source program called Stream Transport to do it.
2. I had a bit of trouble editing the video because of some codec issues. I thought about just keeping it full length but I wanted it to be on the short end of 3-5 minutes so I used a program called Virtualdub to cut the video shorter but had to download plugins to make it work. (This may have contributed to my next issue.)
3. I had trouble (and failed in) uploading the video to the BlackBoard site. In the end I used Dropbox to host the video instead because I've used it before and know how to do it. (In the end I was able to post the video straight to blogger!)

Assignment 3: Google Apps Lesson

Lesson topic: Making recipes

Lesson time: 30-60 minutes

Target: high beginner students in a Korean university conversation class

N.B. This lesson will serve as the culmination of a unit on cooking in a conversation class. The vocabulary focus has been on food and verbs associated with cooking and the grammar has focused on imperatives.

Procedures

Warm-up (3-5 minutes)

1.       Groups discuss the following questions.

o    "What is your favorite home-cooked food?"

o    "What ingredients are in it?"

o    "How do you make it?"

Preparation Activity (5-10 minutes)

1.       Teacher elicits list of cooking verbs (previously studied) and writes them on the board and confirms understanding.

2.      Teacher elicits students' favorite ingredients and writes them on the board.

3.      One at a time, groups choose an ingredient they like.

4.      Continue until each group has 3 ingredients.

Main Activity (20 -30 minutes)

1.       As a group, students go to http://goo.gl/YnzycH (Cookin' With Google custom search) on their phone or tablet and enter their ingredients into the search.

2.      Group decides upon a recipe they would like to make and writes the necessary ingredients, equipment, and procedures on a piece of note paper.

3.      As a group, students go to http://goo.gl/Um4G48 (Google Docs form) on a phone or tablet and write their recipe into the form.

If Time Remains/Homework

1.       Students follow link to view other responses.

2.      Browse other groups' recipes and choose the most delicious sounding one.

Possible Follow-up

1.       Since there are no cooking facilities available, student or volunteer teacher could make the food and bring it to class next time.

Lesson review/analysis

How will you use this resource to meet the needs of your instructional purposes?

The aims of my lesson are to have students use vocabulary related to food and cooking and to form imperative sentences. They will do this first, by brainstorming what they already know and then by using Google to search for authentic materials related to this. They will then use Google Docs to recreate their ideas in sentence form using correct verb inflections.

Why is this topic, information or content appropriate for the lesson you to create? (e.g., level of authenticity, relevance to target language, interest level, and motivation)?

This topic is in the textbook and so is very relevant to the class. It uses authentic recipes written by people on cooking websites. I believe the authenticity will motivate students as will the topic itself. Cooking is very trendy in Korea recently and cooking shows are very popular on television.

What directions or tech support will you provide students before the lesson to focus learning and adapt this resource for your instructional resources?

I will instruct the students to bring notebooks or tablets with them to class in order to make reading in a group easier though phones will suffice as well. I will teach them to use the Google Docs form interface, perhaps by showing it to them before class or printing a sample for them to work with during class if they need help outlining their ideas.

What are the potential problems, either language based or technical, that you may need to troubleshoot or prepare for?

It may be difficult for groups to work together using a small interface like on a phone. I will encourage them to bring computers or tablets if they have them. (We don't have a computer lab available to us or I would use that instead.) The students could potentially also run into difficult language on the cooking websites that they are not able to understand. In that case, I will either help explain things in class, or encourage them to use a dictionary for help, or I'll help them choose another recipe.

Assignment 1: Website Review Revisited

This summer I'll be teaching a new class in our Premium English program. There is no course description or fixed aims for the course but the general idea, as explained to me, is that we are providing motivated students the opportunity to hone their skills through writing and debate on controversial issues… whatever that means.

So one thing that will definitely be necessary for the course is a place for students to find content. One of the links on the resources page, the California Distance Learning Project's Adult Learning Activities site, looks like it may be quite a good place for this to happen.

The site is organized by category on the first page and each category contains a large number of articles on each topic but there is more to the site than that--there are also built in vocabulary and comprehension checking activities for the students to use.

Using these activities is fairly straightforward. The page is visually quite clean and the directions are clear enough. A user can navigate many of the activities simply by pressing the NEXT button. It's a site designed for independent work and a lot of individual exploring of the material there and I don't see learners having any major issues navigating the site.

The site appears to be designed for learners at about an intermediate level. The articles are somewhat authentic but as far as I can tell they've been edited for length, grammar and vocabulary to facilitate lower-level learners. Many of the texts have accompanying audio tracks to further help the learners. The vocabulary, spelling, comprehension, review, and writing activities following each article seem like they may be challenging but the fact that there are so many of them, and that they mostly all allow a learner to check his/her work lead me to believe than an intermediate user could handle them.

As a whole, it seems like quite a good site. I think it would most effective for helping learners to practice their reading skills, and to learn to vocabulary. It wasn't clear to me how the site was able to evaluate the written responses but these are the last of the activities and perhaps the idea behind them is more of a self-reflection activity than anything else.

I will recommend this site to motivated students who are interested in additional work outside of my class for sure. I also believe it can be used in other ways.

As I mentioned already, the articles are organized by topic and there are quite a lot of them. This means that I could also use it as a sort of research tool either in class or at home. Reading skills activities could also be taught using these articles.

I've used number of news sites designed both for learners and native speakers in the past and many are great for certain things but this site's value comes from its ability to help students research on their own and it's strong organization. It's obvious that a lot of time went into the content on this site and I most definitely plan to use it in the future.

Assignment 2: Opposing arguments practice

Lesson Plan

Lesson topic: Thinking of arguments
Lesson time: 1 hour
Target: high-intermediate university students

Notes: This lesson assumes that I have collected the students' email addresses and shared the wiki with them beforehand.

Warm-up

1. Class brainstorms a list of controversial issues related to schools.

Research

1. Students navigate to the following website and click on school.
   http://www.cdlponline.org/
2. In groups, students read the article titles and decide which may be related to the controversial issues form the warm-up.
3. Groups choose an issue that interests them.
4. Students read the articles on the website related to that topic.

Creating arguments

1. Students navigate to the activity wiki page.
   https://sites.google.com/site/6611wiki/
2. Groups define sides to their issue, label them pro and con, and choose the side that they would like to take.
3. A member of the group writes this information into the wiki.
4. Students use the article sand their own ideas to create arguments supporting their side and write them in their group's wiki.

Further practice

1. Groups switch wikis and attempt to create opposing arguments for each other's topic.

Homework

1. Students fill in any remaining opposing arguments in their own wikis.

Lesson Review/Analysis


How will you use this resource to meet the needs of your instructional purposes?

The aims of my lesson are to have students brainstorm ideas for a debate class and to begin to formulate opinions ideas. I am using two different resources to do this, one to present content, the California Distance Learning Project's (CDLP) Adult Learning Activities page and the other, a Google Sites wiki page, to help students create content.

Why is this application and format appropriate for the lesson you plan to create (e.g., level of authenticity, relevance to target language, register, accuracy, interest level, and motivation)?

These applications are appropriate because they provide a specific platform for the aims of my lesson. To brainstorm ideas, students don't yet need in-depth knowledge of the topics. That's why the CDLP site is so great. The articles are short, edited texts that are already categorized and can be read and understood by high-intermediate learners quickly and efficiently.

The wiki is a very good way to help students formulate and organize ideas. Students will be able to work individually but also to interact with others and get instant feedback all at the same time. Not only should this make them more productive, but they will be motivated by this as well.


What handouts or directions will you provide students to focus learning and adapt this resource for your instructional goals?

The wiki does contain some instructions for completing the activity but beyond that I don't plan to provide handouts to my students at this point. I will be providing them with oral instructions and I'll be writing things on the board though. Both URLs will be written on the board before class begins to save time, as will the list of brainstormed topics for reference.

Additionally, I will demonstrate how to edit the wiki using my phone plugged into a projector. I use this setup on a regular basis to show multimedia and PowerPoint shows so I'm fairly confident it will work well.

What are the potential problems, either language based or technical that you may need to troubleshoot or prepare for?

The biggest problem I'm anticipating is that students can figure out how to use the wiki. Like I mentioned, I will demonstrate this to the students but there is always the chance that the site will be formatted differently on different phones. Editing the wiki could become an issue if it turns out that only one student can edit at a time. (I believe Google allows simultaneous editing from multiple users but I can't test that out myself.) If this becomes an issue, groups will have to share a phone to enter data into the wiki.

I don't anticipate any major language issues as this task shouldn't be too difficult for high-intermediate students but as we are not covering any reading skills or the language necessary to express opinions, there is always a chance that students may struggle with this as well. In this case, I may have to write some examples on the board that students can use as models.