Topic 5 !! - CMC -

Hey there~~
Haha, I finally change to a new type of greetings this time! 



Moving to a new topic, CMC!
Hm? Felt like I've seen this alphabets before...? Hmmmm...

YES!!

Back in entry for Topic 2, we met with guy, right?
CMC = Computer Mediated Communication !

'It is any form of communication or interaction between two or more people via separate computers through network connection.'

Basically!
It is what we use nowadays to communicate!
WhatsApp, WeChat, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Messenger, Yahoo, Gmail, anything!







Before in previous posts, I shared about the CMC used in CALL for language learning. And there is also Asynchronous and Synchronous types for CMC.

Back when CMC first started to be introduced as a new way to communicate, it only just for communication among family, friends, relatives or co-workers.
Nowadays!!
People/Universities are using CMC as a medium for unlimited learning.

With CMC, we have LDL (Long Distance Learning) and Collaborative Learning.

Long Distance Learning or LDL is something that we can achieve nowadays as you can learn whatever, wherever and whenever you want just by joining a class handled through video conferencing or E-tutoring.
Seriously! I never knew this kind of thing existed, and my lecturer introduced to us some sites that we can do such thing!


1. Massive Open Online Courses (http://mooc.org/)

   

2. Open Learning (https://www.openlearning.com/)

Collaborative Learning is something already existed, but it is getting more convenient and for sure, it gonna helps A LOT in studies!
Before we only have offline Microsoft Office, like Word, Excel, PowerPoint. Now, we can view and edit it ONLINE!! Isn't that amazing??

This was....!  

So, I hope this post gives you many many new information that even I just know from the class.
That's all for now, adios!  

Topic 4 !! - Search Engines & Online Databases -

Greetings to all! << Ok, you must feel annoyed by now, right? I'll try to change it later.



Move on with the new topic, Topic 4! We learnt about search engines.

Search Engines is a web tool that allows users to enter keywords and find information on websites contained in its database, in a simple way, your daily routine of typing in keyword(s) at this white square with 'Google' or 'Yahoo' or whatever you usually used to search for anything you want.

                

In each search engines, they have their own databases. The more databases a search engine have, the more faster and a lot of choices based on the keywords that you can choose.

        

There are also specific search engines that are designed to search for related topic/keywords.
I'm very sure you know the most common one, Google Scholar!

well, I also just know ONLY this! Haha, poor me! 

I learnt more new specialized search engines, such as

Pipl.com

Artcyclopedia.com

There is also 'Meta Search Engines' , if you want to search something from many search engines.
We have;

Metacrawler.com

Dogpile.com

Savvysearch.com

Of course, there a lot more search engines you can found. I had a lot of fun looking through this new sites I encountered! You can try it too!

The most interesting part that I learnt from this topic was the Deep Web and Dark Web. All the things we went through from the top of this post is just a Surface Web, where it is very basic and easily reachable.

But for Deep Web and Dark Web, it is where all important and confidential thingy that not everyone can look through it. Usually, only hackers or those specialized in this kind of network know how to go into this kind of web. (Don't do it if you don't know!!)
It also called as 'Onion Sites'. I searched for the meaning behind the naming,

'Such addresses are not actual DNS names, and the .onion TLD is not in the Internet DNS root, but with the appropriate proxy software installed, Internet programs such as web browsers can access sites with .onion addresse by sending the request through the network of Tor servers.'

I also asked my lecturer why is it called that way, and apparently the graph(?) for such sites are shaped like onion, so....'Onion Sites'..... 
well....I searched for some pictures, but nope, I couldn't find any.

This is the last picture before I end this post for today...

TOR sites search engines

So that's it!
That was very interesting and tiring topic! LOL!
See you later! 

Topic 3 !! - Evolution of CALL -

Greetings to all !
  

Here I am, once again, reflecting on this week's topic for ESP6013.

So, let's start!

Topic 3 is related to the previous topic, about CALL.
Last post, I just shared about what is CALL, so this time it is about how this CALL revolve into something more...useful to be used in learning language. That is quite confusing isn't it?

Well, before CALL is more on the types and where people can get CALL in daily lives, but in this topic, CALL progressed into something more practical. There are 3 types of progression based on CALL, which are Behaviouristic CALL, Communicative CALL, and Integrated CALL.

Behaviouristic CALL is widely used to train something (usually it's animal huhu), also called as 'drilling' or 'repetition', where you'll do the same thing over, over, over and over again until you remember it.
Just like training a dog! Wuff Wuff!
 


Next, we have Communicatice CALL, where it trains more on the language rather than something in grammar. So if the software is more on pronounciation, that is all you get to do. You listen and practice on how to pronounce vowels and all phonetics stuff.

Lastly, we have Integrated CALL. This is the most recent, and I'm sure even all the readers have used this kind of CALL before. You use something to learn language, and it included all media we have; like audio, video, animation, graphics, text, EVERYTHING! If you still remember about the CMC I shared about last time, that's also a part of Integrated CALL. You can have video, pictures, gif, text moving here and there,that way is more fun, right? Hehee ;)

I also learnt in my class that for you to learn any language in this technologucal era, nothing is impossible!! You have a lot of choices you can choose from; from traditional way to the modern way, just choose it! And never give up!

So, that's all for now!
See again later! 

Topic 2!! - Introduction to CALL -

Greetings to all !

In this post, I will share my reflection on this week's topic.

This week was about CALL, an abbreviation for Computer Assisted Language Learning.

CALL is famously used in language learning by implementing technology in it.

There are 4 programs under CALL, which are;

1) CALL-Specific Software

2) Generic Software

3) Web-based Learning Programs

4) CMC

CALL-Specific Software usually found in textbook in CD form. Oh how I love that kind of software!!

Generic Software; general applications that commonly used by all computer users - but can act as a tool for language learning too! Very simple example; Microsoft Office!! 

Web-Based Learning Program is applications/stuff that could be found in internet, and also can act as a tool for language learning. You know, wikipedia, blogspot, magazine and news website, online journal. Sooo many of them out there!

      

Lastly, CMC - also know as Computer Mediated Communication. This one is the most popular and could be say as the most used application! Whatsapp, Messenger, WeChat, any kind of instant messaging nowadays are synchronous type of CMC, while Email, Discussion/Message boards are the examples of asynchronous CMC.

I also learnt that computer actually have the role of being a tutor, a tool and a medium for students to be able to learn more on language. 

That's all for now!

To be continued later, so.......!

See ya!

Topic 1 !! - Blog Writing for ELT -

First topic for the subject Internet Technologies for Language Learning/ESP6013 is all about blogging!!
This is mainly the reason this blog was created, you know 😉

Now! In this topic, we would find out about different types of blog that users from all around the world used, specifically in language learning.
So, let's get going!


1. TYPES OF BLOG.

We have some blogs, first is Weblog - Blogger, WordPress, LiveJournal, TypePad. Next is Tutor Blog which is usually run by the teacher of the class. Third is Class Blog, a site shared between class members and both teacher and students can post in the main section and comments section. Lastly, we have Learner Blog which kinda like a student's personal blog
              
Here, I found a simple, yet informative video about blogging in education. You could learn something, so do watch it!

According to the video, you can see some benefits why it is good to use blog in education.

2. BENEFITS OF BLOGS

• It can provide extra reading for students; as buying a solid book could cost students a lot.
• Points the students to online resources related to lesson.
• Encourages passive/shy students to participate; as it only shows someone's word, not face to face interaction.
• Stimulate out-of-class discussion; something they could ask among classmates even out of school time
• Create a sense of community in class, thus build a closer relationship between students.

3. HOW TO KEEP YOUR BLOG INTERESTING?

• Update blog actively with learning materials, references or activities related to lesson.
• Encourage students to write in their blogs, read others' blog and comment appropriately.
• Gives information to students about updating their homework through blogs.
• Prepare an interesting topic actively for the students to participate in the discussions.

       For the conclusion, the existence of blog as a free and reliable platform is helping a lot in spreading information. It is also easier and cheaper, even for a teacher to use it to attract and encourage students to explore more education through it.

You might be interested in creating a blog for yourself, so here's a closing gift for you!

                                                                For Blogger version

For WordPress version

So, that is all for today's post. I hope all of you can learn something through this post.
If you already own a blog, go update it!
If you don't, why not start your blog now?  

Till we meet again~
Bye