WEEK 08 (23 – 29 November 2009)

READINGS

TASKS

Readings

Learner Autonomy

• What Is Learner Autonomy and How Can It Be Fostered? by Dimitrios Thanasoulas looks at an essential component of a self-access center: a self-directed learner.
  iteslj.org/Articles/Thanasoulas-Autonomy.html
• Learner Autonomy: Bird-in-the-hand or Bird-in-the-bush? Samuel Sheu looks at the difficulties in encouraging learner autonomy in Taiwan’s highly constrained educational system
  coyote.miyazaki-mu.ac.jp/learnerdev/LLE/8.1/sheuE.html

One-computer Classroom (choose this topic or Setting up a lab)

• ESL Activities for the One Computer Classroom (S. Gaer):
  • Word-Processing Ideas:
    www.susangaer.com/sgaer/onecomputer/wordprocessing.html
  • Internet ideas:
    www.susangaer.com/sgaer/onecomputer/internet.html
• Strategies and applications for the one-computer classroom. A list of ideas with a US school focus, but most ideas are relevant to any setting.
  www.lburkhart.com/elem/strat.htm

Setting up a Lab (choose this topic or One-computer classroom)

• Creating a Computer Lab/Learning Center – some suggestions for getting started. You can start small with a teacher resource room and go from there.
  www.eltexpert.com/complab/index.html
• Self-access: A Framework for Diversity by Michael Rodden and Michelle Parrington gives some reasons for setting up a self access center, as well as some tips for saving money while creating your self-access center.
  www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/articles/self-access-a-framework-diversity

Additional Resources

• Interconnections: Learner Autonomy Teacher Autonomy
  coyote.miyazaki-mu.ac.jp/learnerdev/LLE/8.1/smithE.html
• 101 Activities for the One-Computer Classroom – lots of links to look through www2.drury.edu/dswadley/101/
• Microsoft Word and PowerPoint in the Classroom – some hints for more effective use of these applications, with Insert Comments, Track Changes, Auto Summarize, templates and clip art.
  www.deborahhealey.com/techtips/may2009.html

Weekly Requests and Reminders:

Start working on your Final Project/Action Plan this week – what can you do to apply some of the things we’re talked about in this course to your own classes? Use the Final Project/Action Plan checklist to help you with this. Your action plans will be due on December 6.

Continue your blog at www.blogger.com. Post a reflective comment on this week’s work, where you talk about what you did, what you learned, and how you might apply that information in your teaching. Post at least one comment on another participant’s blog. Add good sites to your Delicious.com page. Remember to have tags and notes for each site you add.

1. Read about learner autonomy (Thanasoulas, Sheu, Interconnections). Effective self-directed learning starts with learner autonomy. What could you do to encourage greater autonomy in students, with and without technology?
2. Most people don’t have a computer lab all to themselves, and many do not have a lab in their school at all. A one-computer classroom is a way to start. Read about activities for the one-computer classroom and some strategies and applications. If you use one computer in your classroom (perhaps your own laptop and data show), what do you do with it? What else could you do with it? If you don’t have one computer, what would be the easiest way for you to start?
3. Some of you may have set up English Corners or English resource rooms for students in your schools. Please share your experience with getting an English Corner or resource room started – what tips do you have for others who may be interested? If you have technology, what do you use? If you don’t have technology, what would be useful?

Make sure you save good sites on your Delicious.com page!