E-Learning

E-learning is electronic learning, and typically this means using a computer to deliver part, or all of a course whether it's in a school, part of your mandatory business training or a full distance learning course.

                                                                                             http://bayyinah.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/e-learning.jpg

                                               

(http://www.virtual-college.co.uk/elearning/elearning.aspxaccessed on Tuesday 21/04/2015, 9:47). The e-learning is learning supported by the implementation of technology services such as telephone, audio, vidiotape, satellite transmission or computer.

E-learning or electronic learning is now become a way to overcome the problem of education. E-learning can make learner more interest in something that they want to learn. E-learning can be applied for all levels of schooling from grade school to graduate degrees, and is enough to accommodate all learning styles. In the past, teaching and learning process is dominated by the role of teachers called "the era of teacher", while students only hear the explanation of teachers. Then, the process of learning and teaching is dominated by the role of teachers and books (the era of teacher and book) and the current teaching and learning process is dominated by the role of teachers, books and technology (the era of teacher, book and technology).

In other hand, e-teaching is has many problems. For instance, when it is applied in the marginal school with the lack of facility that support their learning process it will very difficult to access the media. It will be more difficult to applying this method in the learning process when the teacher has no ability to use or operate e-learning as the learning method.

It should be any synchronization between the teacher’s ability with the learning method, especially e-learning.  

For further understanding, please see the following links:

1.  http://www.talentlms.com/elearning/

2.  http://www.ehow.com/about_4788168_what-purpose-elearning.html

3.  http://www.go2web20.net/#tag:e-learning

4.  http://www.optimussourcing.com/learninghintsandtips/the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-elearning

5.  https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140715064821-11282346-indonesia-higher-education-e-learning-management-strategy

Blended Learning

globalenglish.com

                            The majority of blended-learning programs resemble one of four models: Rotation, Flex, A La Carte, and Enriched Virtual. The Rotation model includes four sub-models: Station Rotation, Lab Rotation, Flipped Classroom, and Individual Rotation.

1. Rotation model — a course or subject in which students rotate on a fixed schedule or at the teacher’s discretion between learning modalities, at least one of which is online learning. Other modalities might include activities such as small-group or full-class instruction, group projects, individual tutoring, and pencil-and-paper assignments. The students learn mostly on the brick-and-mortar campus, except for any homework assignments.

a. Station Rotation — a course or subject in which students experience the Rotation model within a contained classroom or group of classrooms. The Station Rotation model differs from the Individual Rotation model because students rotate through all of the stations, not only those on their custom schedules.

b. Lab Rotation – a course or subject in which students rotate to a computer lab for the online-learning station.

c. Flipped Classroom – a course or subject in which students participate in online learning off-site in place of traditional homework and then attend the brick-and-mortar school for face-to-face, teacher-guided practice or projects. The primary delivery of content and instruction is online, which differentiates a Flipped Classroom from students who are merely doing homework practice online at night.

d. Individual Rotation – a course or subject in which each student has an individualized playlist and does not necessarily rotate to each available station or modality. An algorithm or teacher(s) sets individual student schedules.

2. Flex model — a course or subject in which online learning is the backbone of student learning, even if it directs students to offline activities at times. Students move on an individually customized, fluid schedule among learning modalities. The teacher of record is on-site, and students learn mostly on the brick-and-mortar campus, except for any homework assignments. The teacher of record or other adults provide face-to-face support on a flexible and adaptive as-needed basis through activities such as small-group instruction, group projects, and individual tutoring. Some implementations have substantial face-to-face support, whereas others have minimal support. For example, some Flex models may have face-to-face certified teachers who supplement the online learning on a daily basis, whereas others may provide little face-to-face enrichment. Still others may have different staffing combinations. These variations are useful modifiers to describe a particular Flex model.

3. A La Carte model — a course that a student takes entirely online to accompany other experiences that the student is having at a brick-and-mortar school or learning center. The teacher of record for the A La Carte course is the online teacher. Students may take the A La Carte course either on the brick-and-mortar campus or off-site. This differs from full-time online learning because it is not a whole-school experience. Students take some courses A La Carte and others face-to-face at a brick-and-mortar campus.

4. Enriched Virtual model — a course or subject in which students have required face-to-face learning sessions with their teacher of record and then are free to complete their remaining coursework remote from the face-to-face teacher. Online learning is the backbone of student learning when the students are located remotely. The same person generally serves as both the online and face-to-face teacher. Many Enriched Virtual programs began as full-time online schools and then developed blended programs to provide students with brick-and-mortar school experiences. The Enriched Virtual model differs from the Flipped Classroom because in Enriched Virtual programs, students seldom meet face-to-face with their teachers every weekday. It differs from a fully online course because face-to-face learning sessions are more than optional office hours or social events; they are required.

Ways technology supports the strategy

ÑResources are posted online via class website, LMS (Edmodo, Google Classroom, Schoology, etc). Resources   include articles, videos, interactive multimedia, virtual labs, and more

Ñ        Teachers can track which students are using materials at home

Ñ        online materials are available to students anytime, anywhere

Ñ        materials are accessible to parents and specialists to assist the students

Ñ        provides interactive activities, support materials and learning resources

Ñ        multimedia content helps address different learning styles

Example lesson plans and/or videos

·          Using videos from YouTube, Discovery Education. The teacher also answers questions in class and dives more deeply into the content.

·           assign virtual labs to do at home, and then discuss in class

·            projects - work on in class, and at home with more time for collaboration

·            students watch video/read chapter at home, do problems in class with teacher helping

The Pros and Cons in Blending Learning

Pros:

·                Provides for individualized support for the students

·                 students can access material at anytime, anywhere, to review the material

·                  provides richer, more interactive learning experiences

·                  provides more time for collaboration with the students and teachers

·                  parents have access to what students are doing - better communication and support

·                 Studies show it increases student and teacher productivity, improves teaching and learning, and provides more and better data, and helps customize learning.

·                   more and more colleges and even workplaces are using this model

·                   gives students more time to learn - extends the learning beyond the end of the school day

Cons:

·            Teachers will need time to create and/or select content.

·            Teachers will need training on using this method of instruction to make it effective

·            Students will need to be shown how to access, use the technology and what is expected of them

·            Students need to be able to do work outside of school hours

ü         Do they have access to technology at home?

ü         Do they have access to internet at home?

ü   Do they have other things that take up their time (job, etc.)

ü         Students need to be self-directed to work at home

The information related to the context in the following sites:

1. https://www.middleburyinteractive.com/curriculum-courses/blended-learning
2. http://olecommunity.com/blended-learning-what-is-it-and-why-is-it-trending-in-k-12-education/
3. http://moodle.unitec.ac.nz/mod/page/view.php?id=214273
4. http://elearninginfographics.com/6-blended-learning-techniques-infographic/
5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L75oPzauAlw
6. http://www.christenseninstitute.org/blended-learning-definitions-and-models/
7. http://kevincorbett.com/2013/07/4-blended-learning-models/

ICT Tools, Roles and Application in Education and Language Learning

"ICT"is the Information and Communication Technologies. "ICT in Education" means "Teaching and Learning with ICT".

Educational ICT tools can be divided into 3 categories: Input source, Output source and Others.

Worldwide research has shown that ICT can lead to improved student learning and better teaching methods. A report made by the National Institute of Multimedia Education in Japan, proved that an  increase in student exposure to educational ICT through curriculum integration has a significant and positive impact on student achievement, especially in terms of "Knowledge Comprehension" · "Practical skill"  and "Presentation skill" in subject areas such as mathematics, science, and social study.

However, you can see that there are many education technology solutions provided in the world which may cause confusion among educators about how to choose the right ICT solution. Let's have a look at the advantages and disadvantages of ICT tools for education and discover what kind of education ICT solution is suitable for your school needs.

3 MAIN ADVANTAGES OF ICT TOOLS FOR EDUCATION

1.       Through ICT, images can easily be used in teaching and improving the retentive memory of students

2.       Through ICT, teachers can easily explain complex instructions and ensure students’ comprehension

3.       Through ICT, teachers are able to create interactive classes and make the lessons more enjoyable, which could improve student attendance and concentration

3 MAIN DISADVANTAGES OF ICT TOOLS FOR EDUCATION

1.       Setting up the devices can be very troublesome

2.       Too expensive to afford

3.       Hard for teachers to use with a lack of experience in using ICT tools

If you can recall a time when using software in lessons meant spending a lunch break installing CD-ROMs in the computer suite, then the prospect of being a browser away from a huge selection of easy-to-use, exciting tools should put a smile on your face.

What's more, with ICT budgets being squeezed ever tighter, the fact that many quality on line teaching and learning tools are available for free will no doubt make that smile a little wider. Consider the potential for active, collaborative and personalised learning that these on line tools facilitate, and there's even more reason to be cheerful.

To the tech-savvy youngsters in our classrooms, the use of online applications is second nature. All we, as teachers and ICT coordinators, need do is introduce them to the on line apps that can help unlock their creativity and collaborative skills- and aid their study, revision and organisation.

The key is knowing which free online tools transcend the novelty factor and add real value. That's where this guide can help. Read on to discover ten online tools you can use straight away, without needing to raise a purchase order or barter for budget allocation.

1. Wallwisher

At first glance, online noticeboard tool Wallwisher may seem limited in application, but give it a go and you'll soon discover that it's more than a digital replacement for Post-it notes.

Wallwisher allows users to build virtual classroom Walls, in the sense you might be familiar with from Facebook, onto which 160-character messages, web links, images, videos and audio may be posted. Individuals can use it to mind-map, keep notes, or bookmark useful websites - but the real power of Wallwisher is in its potential for collaborative activities.

By sharing your wall URL with a class, whole year group, or even an entire school, anybody you choose is able to view and contribute to it. Wallwisher's security settings allow teachers to use what its designers have cheekily titled "The Idiot Filter" to approve entries before they're posted.

Ideas for use: Students can mind-map, build mood boards for creative projects, or create research walls on a given topic. Plenary discussions can be initiated by topic walls made collaboratively, or by teachers. For instance, a Key Stage 4 Media Studies teacher could create a wall ofYouTube film trailers to initiate a discussion on genre, classification or censorship.

How about having students post links to their own work, then using Wallwisher as a peer assessment tool? Teachers can also use the tool to gather feedback, anonymously if they so choose, on pupil confidence in specific curriculum areas.

Alternative: PrimaryWall is designed for primary schools, offering a user-friendly, text-only service with which to introduce Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils to group projects and collaborative storytelling.

2. Prezi

A presentation tool, Prezi provides users with a large canvas upon which to pin text slides, video clips and images. So far, so PowerPoint, you might say.

Quite the opposite, in fact. Prezi's selling point is its creation of a spatial narrative, meaning users can flow around presentation elements in the same non-linear way one might use an iPad: scrolling, enlarging, sliding and zooming in while always being able to return to the wider context. The trick is in learning to master these elements- not only in using Prezi to swoop between old linear PowerPoint-style slides.

Prezi is a sure-fire way to cure your classroom of PowerPoint fatigue. The finished product is leaps and bounds ahead of PowerPoint in terms of style, engaging the attention of pupils who groan with over-familiarity at seeing cheesy slide transitions on the whiteboard. it's one example of a free on line tool where novelty adds value.

One weakness is that Prezi doesn't yet support a master account to create student logins, so each pupil will need to apply for a separate EDU Enjoy account. lf your school allocates pupil email addresses (only educational addresses are accepted), this should be an easy hurdle to vault. If not, it still remains useful for teacher-led presentations.

Ideas for use: Whenever you or your pupils would use Microsoft PowerPoint, Prezi provides a more dynamic, engaging and visually attractive option. Innovative Science and Maths teachers of all key stages are already using Prezi to explain key concepts to pupils around the world.

Alternative: Ahead.com is a similar tool that's particularly useful for showcasing student portfolios as well as making presentations. Student projects are granted free educational licenses.

The information related to the context in the following sites:

1. http://www.elmoglobal.com/en/html/ict/01.aspx

2. http://www.infodev.org/articles/use-specific-ict-tools-education

3. http://www.pcpro.co.uk/features/372979/10-free-online-tools-for-teaching-and-learning

4. http://ictpost.com/role-of-ict-is-multi-faceted-in-education/

5. http://www.englishteacher.com.au/AboutUs/OfficialStatements/ICTsinEnglish.aspx