November – 2016

Uso de Novas Tecnologias No Ensino da Língua Inglesa III

Throughout the module, I have learned that the new technologies in Englishteaching are extremely important for students’ learning these days. There are severaladvantages for using them in the English teaching classroom. One of the most importantadvantages from using educational technology is helping learners become autonomouslearners. By using technologies in the classroom, teachers provide their students with manyopportunities for effective learning. Besides, students become able to actively participate inand orient their own learning process. It is up to us, teachers, to feed students with effectivestrategies to develop their language learning. Another advantage underlying the use ofeducational technologies in language teaching is based on critical literacy and the idea thatlanguage is discourse, i.e. embedded in cultural and ideological values which determine itsmeaning and establish power relations among texts, among readers and among texts and theirreaders - Freirean "readers of the wor(l)d".

I still want to learn about some other tools to blend technology in my teaching.Since I became very interested in the subject, I plan to continue investigating on new ways ofteaching English through technology. I will research the current articles available online andtry to attend other seminars on the subject in UFMG. Although I had already been using sometechnology in the classroom, the learning of the new technologies has deeply enhanced mypractice as an English Language teacher, for they have given me a new perspective in teachingEnglish. I was able to see that blended learning makes learners more engaged and motivated.They feel part of process, what makes them even more involved with the language they arelearning. In order to promote language learning, the educational technologies presented in thismodule were based on the idea of students communicating real meaning. The goal is to providestudents with opportunities to use simple, step-by-step strategies for language acquisition.Thus, emphasis on skills is elicited, authentic resources are used and interaction is required.

One of the various trigger points of the module for me was when I watched thevideo recommended by Professor Stephan Hughes, called Instructional Technology:Looking Backward, Thinking Forward. After watching this video, I became aware of thehistory of educational technologies, and this made all the difference to my teachingpractices, because I could take a closer look at what and how I had been teaching mystudents. This self-evaluation made a lot of positive changes in my practices possible, andthe feedback I received from the students is beyond amazing. It is feasible how becomingaware of and using new educational technologies have remarkably impacted on myprofessional development.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdwEIi22Dv8&t=27s

Another valuable resource he gave us was the article Helping Students BecomeAutonomous Learners: Can Technology Help?, this helped me understand better how andwhy students benefit from becoming autonomous learners. Besides, the book Computersand Learner Autonomy: Trends and Issues served as a more elaborated complement tothis article.

One the many concepts I have learned is CALL - Computer-Assisted LanguageLearning. I was able to really comprehend how computer-based tools can assist languagelearning and teaching. “It can be a tutor which offers language drills or skills practice; astimulus for discussion and interaction; or a tool for writing and research. With the adventof the Internet, it can also be a medium of global communication and a source of limitlessauthentic materials.” (WARSCHAUER, 1996)

Source: Class-videos and slides.

Besides CALL, each and every following educational technology trends andtools have made a difference in my teaching practice, for they are extremely helpful,dynamic, effective, provide learners with a democratic access to exchange knowledge, aretotally applicable in language teaching, and maximize student collaboration:

CALL CSCL BlendedLearning

Web 1.0, 1.2, 1.3

FlippedClassroom MOOCs

BloggingSocial

Bookmarking & Curation Tools

Open EducationalResources

A second valuable article I have read is entitledUsing the Technology of Today, in the ClassroomToday. It was very important for me, because I learnedthe cognitive implications of Simulations, DigitalGames, and Social Networking technologies. It alsodiscusses the importance of the challenges involved inthem.

David Crystal’s book (English as a SecondLanguage) was very important for me during themodule, because I have used it as part of my finalpaper’s theoretical background. One of the manyaspects Crystal argues in this work is the concept ofEnglish as a Lingua Franca, which is one of the thingsI have discussed in my final work.

Another material that contributed to my learning and myfinal paper is the concept of the Fourth Literacy. It enableslearners to communicate effectively and exchange knowledge,thus, it is a crucial tool in teaching English through CriticalLiteracy and new technologies.

Source: https://www.efaqt.com/academy/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/digital-literacy-criteria-8-1024x547.png

I have learned from all materials presented in themodule. They taught me different things, and the combinationof them made fundamental differences in my teaching practices.

A digitally literate person will possess a rangeof digital skills, knowledge of the basicprinciples of computing devices, skills in usingcomputer networks, an ability to engage inonline communities and social networks whileadhering to behavioral protocols, be able tofind, capture and evaluate information,understanding of the societal issues raised bydigital technologies (such as big data), andpossess critical thinking skills. (Source:Wikipedia)

Since I have benefited so much fromthe use of new educational technologiesin language teaching, I intend to continueresearching articles on this subject.Especially the ones written by myfavorite authors in the area. I also want toattend lectures and seminars over theissue at UFMG, because I have justentered the Linguistic Master’s programthere.

It is my belief that my grade should be 5. I havewatched all the video classes and read all articlesproposed in the module. In addition to that, I haveresearched and attended some lectures on the subjectdue to my personal interest, and as resources for myfinal paper: Critical Literacy in English TeachingThrough the Use of New Technologies. Finally, bytaking the module tests, I could assess my ownlearning development, and notice that I had reallylearned from them. I have also been able to witnessthe improvements originated from the use of neweducational technologies in language teaching.

November – 2016

Uso de Novas Tecnologias No Ensino da Língua Inglesa III