Loss or  Gain?

• End of the course?

• End of exploration? 

• End of excitement? 

• End of constructive thinking?

• End of the  good guidance of Donna in reshaping of teaching techniques?

• End of friendship with my so good colleagues of different countries across the world?

NO. Nothing can end all these things. Surely, the course is dying out very fast. Only few hours are left. But, this is only a physical disappearance of the course from my life. This is just an apparent disconnection of the course with me. 

The course  has had a profound influence in my teaching life. Still I can recollect the initial excitement I felt when I was selected for the course. Is that excitement over? Obviously not? At the end of the course I am equally excited rather meaningfully excited as that time I became excited on the point that I had got a chance to attend a course without knowing much about the course. But this time I know the real value and effectiveness of the course. So I am excited that I have got enlightened about various technology tools for teaching English.
While working with the course I had to explore many things. In the 1st week I had the chance to know about rubrics and to create a blog.The second week introduced me to hundreds of useful sites which were completely unknown to me. This was the week in which I had a good reading and discussion about ABCD model. The third week remains delicious with www.delicious.com. In fact, this was the week when I first knew and used such a great and effective link to store my necessary web links. The week also introduced me to CULL and to a lot of websites. But unlike the second week these sites were more specified. The fouth week made me acquainted to some sites in which ready made materials for teaching/learning ESL/EFL were available. I also prepared a  lesson plan in this week. The 5th week came with new thins. In this week I got the chance to read about alternative assessment. I had a quest for the Web quest. I also made a rubrics for an argumentative easy. In week first we talked about rubrics but in this week we made rubrics by ourselves.
The week six will remain memorable for interactive  power point  presentation, about the discussion on interaction in a large class size.Week seven was no less important as this week we read and discussed about how to engage students in a large size context. It also talked about how to make a one computer class  successful. Week eight came with new test of ANVILL and the webinar about ANVILL. Submitting the project draft was also a remarkable advance of this week. Discussion about multiple intelligence and different learning styles was also very much useful. But the vital thing of the ninth week was the final submission of the course project. Week 10 also maintained same excitement. This week we got the chance to justify our position as technology users. We were asked to post some suggestions for future participants. To me this was obviously a nice piece of job. I enjoyed it as I wanted to tell something from my piratical experience and the lessons coming out of mistakes.  Thus, throughout the course I got the chance to learn a lot about different aspects of   teaching English using tools, technology and scientific approaches.

While such is the reality, should the things be forgotten? Can the excitement or exploration be over? Can the knowledge of critical disappear? Can Donna's guidelines be lost in oblivion?  Can I be a past to my friends like collegues? So, nothing is lost with the end of the course. Rather there is a lot of achievement to go ahead, to look forward and to bring about positive things. It is just the beginning of new things of new avenues and of new loftiness.

Thanks to Donna, thanks to colleagues.

Khayrul 

  Reflections: Week 9

Just a week is left. After the period the journey of two and half a month will come to an end.Even this week has been a very successful one as the previous ones. Surely the previous week was the climax. In that week we had a lot of new and exciting experiences. Knowing about ANVILL, sharing with Jeff in Nicenet, webinar with  Jeff, creating a Nicenet class, and developing some exercises using different websites added a lot to my knowledge. The week was a hectic one as I had to prepare and submit the draft project. It was also a remarkable week as in that week I got the experience of being a peer reviewer for the first time in my life.

The present week, a denouement,  is also a very effective week. Discussion about multiple intelligence and  different learning styles was very meaningful and resourceful. It has enriched me a lot. The participants  made some knowledgeable discussions. Donna's comments were also encouraging and directive.

 The first half of the week became a hectic one for me as I had to spend most of the time in preparing final project. However, I submitted it almost at the eleventh hour. While preparing the project for final submission, I tried to honor my reviewer's suggestions. In fact, the project has contributed a lot to build up my confidence for future endeavor.

Khayrul

   

Reflections: Week 8

There were a lot to learn in the last week. We talked about the autonomy of the students. We had a good discussion on how to engage learners in the learning process and how to make a one computer class room a success and so on. Finding out a project partner was also a nice experience. Last week also kept us preoccupied with the draft project. 

Week 8 is not less significant than the previous one. The course plan of this week has introduced us with a lot of resourceful links regarding web based learning materials. 

Being acquainted with ANVILL was also a very exciting experience. Joining the webiner with Jeff and his instruction and discussion in the Nicenet were also very effective. In fact, without Jeff's guidelines and directions ideas about how to use the tool could not have been clear. 

Preparing ' an online course site or an exercise to use online or offline' was also a very good effort. It was also a step to build confidence indeed. I think after this effort I am truly motivated to prepare materials for my students using on line. This is indeed my first venture in this line. However, I tried to create a Nice net class. I also hope to use other links and tools in future. Thanks to Donna for engaging us in such activity.

Checking my partners' draft project was also a very good experience. In fact, while doing so I also got some reflections about mine. And such reflection will certainly help me to prepare and repair my final project paper. 

Finally, time is running very fast. Only two weeks are left. Hope those two weeks will also come with new discoveries and  exploration.

Khayrul 

    

Reflections: Week 7

Every week comes with new ideas and new significance. Last week was obviously an important one as the week's discussion and reading materials helped me to be illuminated with the ideas of engaging my students in a large classroom situation. In fact, handling a large classroom is a very usual picture in our country. Creating slides using power point was also a nice experience but not new. Furthermore, we were also instructed to ponder over our final projects. Donna's plan to lead us to prepare our final project gradually appears scientific. In fact, she has encouraged and guided us bit by bit  to our final project.

But what's about the present week. It seems that this week is a logical continuation of the last one. Last week we talked about how to engage students in the large class context. This week we are talking about the autonomy of the students. Donna's timely interventions in the discussion board were also very effective and idea generating. In fact, Donna's later two posts had a lot to think , to talk and to write about the issue of autonomy.

The discussion about one computer classroom has also been a very much enlightening and contextual. In fact, it is a harsh reality of the majority of the classroom in my country that we can afford more than one computer. In many of the cases there is no computer at all. Though I did not post in this discussion, I enjoyed reading the posts of other participants.

We were also guided to find out a partner for sharing the project draft. This is obviously a good idea as because of this we have got a chance to detect the short comings and lacking of our projects before final submission. I did not have to face much trouble to find out my partners as both Pam and Shindu immediately agreed.

My experience about WalLwisher is horrific. I haven't yet been able to work with it. As usual I sought help to Donna. But she informed me that my computer might not be supportive to open it. Not only that but Donna also exempted  me from the assignment about on Wallwisher. Otherwise I had really been in a big trouble.
 On the top of everything the project which is to be submitted very soon kept me busy all the time. I was indeed preoccupied with it. Though I have been  able to complete the draft yet, I did some ground work and started writing. Hope to complete it by the assigned time.

With Best Wishes

Khayrul

Reflections: Week 6

In last week's blog I marked the week as a week of new discoveries and new hopes. The week was really so. I got something challenging and enlightening. Knowing something about alternative assessment, being registered with Web Quest, creating rubrics and the Nice net discussion all those things were really enjoying and illuminating. All these things have really helped me a lot to build up my confidence which will surely guide me to shape my future teaching model.

The present week is also as significant as  the past one. This is the week which has offered a lot about interaction in a large class room. This is indeed a vexing issue for me as I am to struggle a lot in the classroom as mine is a big classroom. Speaking truly, before this orientation I did not have a complete idea about the issue. Some times I surely thought over the issue but not in an organized way. Often I also did not come to a convincing solution. But after going through the articles and suggested links I got so many things, so many ideas about how to engage students in the large class room. I am simply impressed and overwhelmed and ultimately confident. Other participants' discussions were also encouraging. In fact, we, the participants, share almost the same class room setting. Lila's problem was indeed my problem. Her feeling and possible solution was also similar to mine.

Creating power point presentation was also a very good experience. Though I was not in the regular use of slides in my class room, I had a basic orientation of creating slides using power point. In fact, while I was doing my MA in TESOL, I had regular presentations which I used to do using power point or OHP. 

This week though I did not get much time to think over my project task. You know here in Bangladesh we have a mass movement against war criminals of 1971, the year of our liberation. This is indeed a movement against communal force, against conspiracy. This is a movement of the second generation of our country, a movement of the youth. So it appeared to me as a social responsibility which was a must to be carried out. As result I tried to attend the movement in different ways and at different times.However,  I, as Donna's direction, tried to make a plan how to develop it. I have not yet developed much confidence over it but hope to complete it in time.

Hope to read from you
Khayrul

New Exploration and New Hopes

The present week is no less significant than the earlier ones. In deed, like any other week the present one has also appeared with new kind of exploration and hope. Last week we got the experience of so many pearls like the web site like Breaking News.com.  We had to read few good and effective articles. Besides, we had to prepare a technology enhanced lesson plans. All these things have certainly added a lot to our professional development. 

What's about the current week? This week is certainly  a week of advancement and exploration. The idea about alternative assessment is quite new to me. Though it is new , I have enjoyed reading about it. I must admit that it has opened my eyes about a new but effective ways of assessment. From this onwards my students will take the responsibility of being corrected by self efforts. It really sounds encouraging and meaningful.It will really be a matter of happiness to see my working independently.

Being registered with Web Quest was also a very exciting jump.In the web quest, I found unimaginably effective things. I was quite impressed and overwhelmed. Through Web Quest I have got a very big chance to share my ideas and perception with world community. It's truly fantastic and encouraging.

I also enjoyed discussion on Task 4. All the participants had had a very good and effective discussion. I really enjoyed every post.

Creating rubrics was a bit bitter experience for me. At first, I became bit puzzled about what to do and how to do. But after few trials I discovered that it was  so difficult as I thought first. Ultimately I  became successful and smiled. Now I feel confident that if need be I will be able to create rubrics for my own cause and for own context.

Looking forward to facing  more excitements and new knowledge in future.   

Khayrul

 Week 4: Reflection

Week 3 was a week of amazement and excitement . And this week, at least to my eyes, is a week of enrichment and reflection. 1st Nice net discussion was really a nice one. The web sites provided by Donna were simply resourceful and multidimensional. Those were really  exclusive sites  as in those sites I found a  lot of ready made materials to be used in ESL/EFL classroom. Once again I am to admit that this is the first time I have got the trace of such gems.
2nd Nice net discussion has also been very effective and timely. It is timely as it is a stride ahead of our project work. Thank to Donna for her such  well designed  course plan as she is gradually leading to our final destination of a final project.
Preparing a lesson plan has also been a good experience for me. The guide lines have also  turned to be a very effective one as besides preparing a lesson plan for this week's work,  it will surely guide me for my future plans. The website Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Instructional Technology was a very effective one as I got  valuable ideas and concepts of lesson plans from here.
However, this week was a very tough week for me as I had to play a lot of professional and familial responsibilities. Despite, I truly enjoyed every thing, every discussion of my dear colleague. 

Thanks to all.

Khayrul
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