EVO 2015: ICT4ELT & more

It's that time of year again: EVO, Electronic Village Online, and their annual online workshops for ESL educators. ICT4ELT replaces the venerable Webheads as an entry level for teaching with technology. Even if you don't teach ESL, it is a good tech refresher as well as authentic English practice

ICT4ELT means Information and communications technology for English language teaching. 

A hands on workshop to learn how to use information and communication technology to connect to educators around the world and transform your teaching. 

Some Blogging English followers teach ESL too. I can't how many or qualify as to few or many. I recommend this and other workshops is them ~ but not just for them. Intermediate through advanced learners will get a lot out of it too. Check out the other workshops too. It's late for registration but the resources are open. 

The pronunciation workshop should be of particular interest as well and helpful for speaking skills.

More about EVO

Here's more about EVO (Electronic Village Online) that I probably should have posted before my last one on the Week 4 Tips and Tricks presentation by Ali Boumoussa.

TESOL and TESOL's CALL- IS = Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) Interest Section are sponsoring EVO. The TESOL CALL Interest Section organizes a computer lab, called the Electronic Village, at each TESOL Convention, where convention participants can explore language software and Internet applications and discuss computer-mediated instruction with colleagues around the world. EV puts on special events at the annual TESOL Convention: EV Fairs, EV Mini-Workshops, Ask the CALL Experts and Developers' Showcase. Webheads put on EVO, which is sponsored by CALL-IS, takes place before and is entirely online.

Webheads are a community of language teachers worldwide, coordinated by Vance Stevens, that explore Web communication tools and share the best ways of using them in teaching practices, engage with students in virtual classes, collaborate on projects, and participate in conferences as audience and presenters. This collaboration takes place online, as Webheads are geographically apart.

So far, the EFI workshop,Tips and Tricks, presented using WiZiQ and Second Life for ESL classes emphasizing speaking. WiZiQ is a online classroom and conferencing platform with features that allow teachers to show power points and video clips on line - and then discuss them live with a class. There is also a whiteboard, a real time collaborative tool. The downside is that WiZiQ does not run well on dial up.

What is Second Life?

Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely created by its Residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by millions of Residents from around the globe.

• SecondLifeEnglish.com Blog
• Second Life English Blogwork
  
• Open Source ESL Book for Second Life | Webheads
• ESL (English) in Second Life - Google Teacher Center
• Second Life & ESL: Learner Autonomy for the Digital Natives
• about English Village in Second Life.
  

If WiZiQ does not run well on dial-up, Second Life does not run at all on it. In my opinion, both reflect a serious blind spot about and indifference to the digital divide. However, both have tremendous potential as teaching tools - especially for speaking and real time speech interaction with other speakers. Superior to audio tapes and videos, it adds real time interaction and approximates spending time with native English speakers. There is are also studies suggesting that over-reliance on real time voice technology interferes with developing strong reading and writing.skills.

EVO Week 4: Teaching oral communication skills online

Hello all

I've been busy preparing material for my online college writing classes that start next week. I should also be working on my EVO presentations for the teaching tips and tricks next, but I've barely spent any time even thinking about it, let alone writing something. When I do get started, I'll probably test my material on you and ask for your suggestions from the learner's perspective. Since our focus is using computer based resources /internet tools for class and course management,

Course management includes: processing applications, enrolling students, record keeping and general course relate email correspondence as well as delivering course materials and moderating discussion,

Our focus is on writing. I added reading because I developed and taught a online reading class for EFI a few years back. Unfortunately,ALL my online reading resources are on an inaccessible computer, so that's something else I will have to work on. But whether or not specifically built into the course, reading is an inescapable part of any web page, internet forum, listserv or email based online class. There are no lectures: student must read study materials. The same holds for writing. Discussion is in writing, so students must write.

The following is from the Week 3 session on teaching oral communication online. Please spend some time visiting and comparing the following websites then answer the following questions:

• http://www.cambridgeenglishonline.com/Phonetics_Focus/
• http://international.ouc.bc.ca/pronunciation/

The first one is certainly an attractive design, but I can't get into the phonetics tests and other resources. The instructions tell me to "click the buttons" but I can't find any buttons that are active links. Anything I can click just takes me in a circle. What about you?  The other is not as attractive but at least works the way it is suppose to.

1. What are the strong points of each website?
2. What are their weak points?
3. If you could add two things to improve one or both pages for your own use, what would these be?

If you have other pronunciation websites to recommend, please post them,

Vanessa

EVO Workshop

Let me tell you more about EVO or Electronic Village Online. EVO is part of TESOL 2008 but is taking place now, before the annual TESOL conference, which is for ESL/EFL/ESOL instructors. EVO, like an online class (this one for example) is an opportunity for instructors to participate in TESOL 20008 even if they can't attend the actual conference.

EFI is hosting a workshop, Tips & Tricks for Teaching and Learning. I am presenting / moderating Week 5, Computing, Writing and the ESL Classroom

• TESOL Convention
• EVO 2008 Wiki
• EVO 2008 Tips & Tricks
  

I'm collaborating with Beyza, who teach English in Turkey - preparing students to take classes in English at the university. Her classes are not online but she uses the internet, in particular wikis and msn messenger for tutorials. They are what is called "blended." She uses Wikis. Our focus is class management, and we will be comparing how we use different internet communication tools to manage classes. There are other workshops in how to use the technology - and there is a lot of it. The one on social networks looks particularly interesting.

I am looking at the workshop schedule trying to decide if I have time to enroll in one on new technology. At the beginning of next month, I start teaching college classes online again and will have prep work before classes start.

So you are wondering now, "what does this have to with us or with this class?"

Well, that's easy. I am presenting on how I use and have used email, groups, text chat and blogging to manage my EFI classes. The less time I spend on administration - processing applications/ orienting new students - the more time I can spend on the course itself. This blog will be my workshop example of using blogs. Don't worry. I won't let strangers join our blog. A private place to write and share writing is more important than the workshop. I'd like to use some screen shots - with your permission.

I would also like to invite you to join the blog, Computing, Writing and the ESL Classroom, that I set up for the workshop - and participate by telling all the esl instructors what you think of blogging in the esl class and how they could use it in the classes they teach.

Reading, New Years and EVO 2008

Hello all

How are you coming along with selecting something to read for your reading project? If you are have a hard time deciding, pick something short. Then you can try something different next time.

If reading in English is hard for you, then you should focus on reading shorter pieces until reading gets easier. Wearing yourself out mentally won't help. With that thought in mind, maybe I should look for "Flash Fiction" links. Flash fiction stories are very short.

Changing the subject, New Years is coming. I'm looking for a New Years writing assignment. Not everyone in the class celebrates Christmas, most every culture has some kind of festival for the New Year and new beginning - or end of the old year. Should we write New Year's Resolutions? Many write them: few keep them. What else would be suitable writing for the season? We could write out lists of the best and worst of 2007. Or we could make predictions for 2008. Hopes and wishes - we need those. Let me know what interests you - or jump right in and write something about New Years and what it means.

I have a piece of news for you: I will be doing part of the EFI workshop at the 2008 TESOL Electronic Village. My topic will be managing the email based online class and using blogs. I set up a blog for the workshop and hope that some of you will decide to join me. I would really like to see you join me there and welcome your comments and suggestions.

Vanessa

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The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges... (Voltaire)