In
this article the Webquest was define by Bernie as "an inquiry oriented
activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with
comes from resources on the internet, optionally supplemented with
videoconferencing." He meant that the Webquests provide the opportunity to
combine technology with educational concepts and to incorporate inquiry-based
learning.

Webquest is structured into components, which include: introduction, Tasks,
process, evaluative, concluding and often motivational elements are added
(e.g., gaming aspect, extra credit, and contest), which might include groups
competing against one another.



Webquest is highly recommended for teachers because it is a good way for
focusing on the learners' thinking at the levels of applying, analysis,
synthesis and evaluation, and allowing them to explore the information in a
meaningful manner. Therefore, the teacher who designs the tasks should choose
an interest task for her students to motivate them. Also she is considers as a
facilitator during the learning process. Moreover the teacher has to build the
structured environments that orient learners to a specific curricular topic by
provides them with the Internet, print resources they need and guidance for
completing the tasks and for evaluating learning. On the other hand the
students are active participants at the forefront of any Webquests who guide
their learning process by following what the teacher has asked in the task.
Students use critical thinking to look for information from internet resources,
they either answer questions or solve problems which depends on the given task.
In addition the class environment has to be informal, where students work on
their computers to solve the task. But we must mention that students should not
stick only to their computers, but also they should work together as groups in
classroom to complete their tasks. They can draw, color, rearrange, read books,
magazines and newspapers, etc. Furthermore Webquests tend to be
student-oriented and collaborative when students engaged in constructivist
activities resulting in shared learning experiences and new knowledge based on
enquiry-oriented language use and Web research skills. Project-based learning
(PBL), one of the enduring approaches to education that supports the use of
Webquests because it gives a variety of learning styles and multiple forms of
intelligence have a real world authentic orientation, also it is focus on the
learner constructing meaning and knowledge from an assigned activity. And it
promotes higher-order thinking, uses hand-on experiences and various modes of
communication.



As a future English language teacher I will use the Webquest with my students,
because I believe that learning is not what you receive but what you work on
and acquire. This will help my students to be collaborative and independent
learners also to be able to improve themselves where they can learn and find
information by themselves. Also they will have different and interesting
experience by using the Webquest.

Evaluating Lanternfish Website

One of the websites dedicated to ESL and TEFL is LANTERNFISH, http://bogglesworldesl.com/. The website was created by Chris Gunn; who’s a web and materials designer currently teaching at a university in Korea, Stephen Gordon; an editor and a content creator specialized in business English resource materials and currently teaching at a university in Korea, Cam Lirette; an editor and content creator currently teaching at a university in Korea, and Thomas Lavelle; a writer and content director currently teaching at a university in the United States. The website and its content is maintained and created by a group of ESL teachers in Asia and North America. They do offer contact information for users to email them and ask questions and content contact and the content is owned by the website and it prohibits anyone from redistributing them electronically or otherwise.

LANTERFISH’S aim is to bring free printable ESL material resources to teachers and parents for educational usage. The website offers advertisement that is very distracting and annoying. The website’s content does not expand the imagination or the experience of the user, but it does not promote any bias to gender, race, religion, etc.

The website’s design and information is very confusing and it’s difficult to find specific materials, you need to choose an activity to access the glossary from it which is a hassle and there is no search bar to quickly access material. The text’s font differs and not spaced appropriately, the graphics are not distracting but the whole website feels outdated. The topics and links have the same color which is very confusing and not appealing to young people or children, but the website does load very quickly without any problems and does not require any plug-ins and users do not have to pay any type of fee or offer any personal information.

The website’s title is not appropriate to its purpose, and its content is not easy to read because it’s all blue and feels like it’s melting together. The website includes a good amount of materials that makes visiting it worthwhile, but the content is not presented in an attractive way and there is no search tool to help users find topics easily. Some aspects of the website are updated and some aren’t but the spelling and grammar are correct. Links to more information are not provided and the graphics are related but outdated. The websites is dedicated to ESL but there are Spanish and French exercises which aren’t relevant to the intended audience, the skills required to use the site’s features and structure aren’t easy and a bit challenging, but the viewpoint presented is comprehensible. The content is educational and appropriate for all ages.

The website offers a huge diverse content material for all ages and levels and their needs, but it isn’t interactive or engaging and there isn’t one book that can include all the content on the website to be compared to.

Reflect on the live session we had with Peggy

The virtual classrooms was about how does the Arabic language influence pronunciation of English language the name of the presenter is Peggy, she is American English consultant trainer and teacher, specializing in English speaking and listening skills she hold a PHD degree in education, a master degree in teaching English as a scorned language. Peggy had an American pronunciation center and she taught ESL and EFL in the U.S., Turkey, Italy, Switzerland, and Mexico. She has a deep understanding of pronunciation challenges and solutions for people developing their proficiency in English. She has helped many people to understand and create the American English sound, and give some ways to keep working and improving their sound after they are done. In these virtual classrooms there was two classes, the students’ number between 15 to 20 students. Also there was two teachers. It was for one hour.

I learned from these virtual rooms that The Phonetic in Arabic and English and What is the different between Arabic sound system and English which make the difficulties to pronounce the English sound for Arabic speaker and vies verse. Moreover she gave some solution for wrong Arab pronunciation also she assumed that active listening are the most useful way to distinguish between the similar sounds.

There are a lot of advantages for using the virtual classrooms the important advantage are that different classes can join in one virtual classrooms that make it more useful for a lot of people. The students can share their opinions and thought without interrupting the speaker. The students can see lecture or the lesson when they need it and show it to anyone who interest. In addition we can learn from others knowledge in the world.

 And the disadvantages of virtual rooms in the language classroom are some time the students will feel confusing because there are more than one leader so I think that will be useful for adult student not for a children and also maybe they will not understand the accent of the presenter especially if she or he do not know the level of the students in English language.

These is very interesting way to teach the students which i will use it in my classroom because that will engage the students to the lesson quickly and make them more attention. Also they can contact with each other and with the teacher or presenter in the same time i think that is good idea. Moreover I can use it to give them some examples of other people or to help them to understand the class clearly or to show them others experience that will help them to learn from others knowledge in the world in interesting way.

Do teachers need to create web-based language activities for EFL students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia? Why and why not?

The Morrison’s reasons for create web- based for language activities/quizzes/materials are accessibility, renewability, and adaptability. Therefore I think that are useful for the students especially in Saudi Arabia because different reasons, the first one I think that will motivate the students and will increase their engagement to the class. The second reason they will feel more comfortable because all materials are found there if they need it. Moreover most learner are digital native so they will find it easily for them.

Wordle in EDU 401

Normalisation of Bax in the Saudi Kingdom

1-In this article Bax discussed the development of the CALL through the past, present and future. And he suggested some changes of achieving nomalisations that concept means when the computers become as a part of our life. Moreover he explains the CALL stages which were divided by Warschauer:

· Behavioristic CALL

· Communicative CALL

· Integrated CALL.

Behavioristic CALL, is the most acceptable and would engage most agreement. But the other two are not. In addition he assumed that the CALL will extension to the normalization level when the technology become used as a normal thing in our lives also during the teaching and learning process. Moreover he explained some approaches which they are Restricted CALL that from the 1960s until about 1980. And Open CALL that from the 1980s until today.

2- (A) Bax suggested some change of achieving nomalisations that when the teachers use the computers as part of their lesson. Moreover he divided the means into three steps, they are:

1- Identify the critical factors which require the nomalisation.

2- Examination the practice of each teaching context.

3- Adjust the practice in each aspect to encourage the normalization.

2- (B) In my opinion, I think the Saudi Arabia’s schools started using technology at some classes. Moreover, I think the ministry of education will start to train their students and teachers to use technology in their classroom. And also they will try to provide many computers, projectors and internet in their schools. So, they still need many efforts to reached "normilasation" to achieve the required level.

Challenges of creating web-based activates in Sally Morrison” Interactive language Learning on the Web

Many teacher may face some challenges in creating Web-based language learning activities. The first and greatest challenge are that many teacher do not have the technical skill and knowledge to do it. Also they do not have time to require this skills. In addition some teacher avoid to use it because many students may face some problem like difficulty to accesses to internet or variety of their modem speed or the variety of Web browsers or because some students have a special needs. Therefore the teacher should take all this problem into account when they designing their online activities.
Some of difficulties that may face the teachers in SA are the accesses to internet, because not all schools here in SA provide the internet in their classes. Also not all students can accesses to the internet all the time. And not all schools have an appropriate materials which can help the teacher to use the technology in their classes. Moreover there are some students who don't have an appropriate material to help them to accesses to the internet or to learn by using technology. In addition some teacher or students are not familiar with technology so they don't use it to learn or teach. Therefore the ministry of education should provide an appropriate materials to their students, teachers and schools. And also they should train their students and teachers to teach them how they can take the benefit of using technology.

CALL and language skill

Using CALL in classroom are very important to the students, the teachers can use it to improve their students' skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening, vocabulary and grammar also). When I was in a prepare year my teacher uses some webs to help us to learn grammar by solving an activities. I think that was a good idea to engage the students to the lesson especially in the grammar lesson, because teaching grammar is very difficult and boring to the teacher and students. Therefor as a teacher I will use this web with my students because it was very helpful to me so I think that it will be helpful to my students also.

To open the web pleas click her

Here are some exercises that will help my students to learn the grammar easily I choose the adjective and adverb exercises.Which I think it will very helpful to my students. So in the end of my lesson I will ask my students to solve those activities from this web as a post activity where help me as a teacher make sure the students are know the different between the adjective and adverb or understand the lesson.

There are some examples of the activities which I will use in my lesson.
Fill in the words in brackets as adjective or adverb.

1) He...... reads a book. (quick)
2) Mandy is a....... girl. (pretty)
3) The class is........ loud today. (terrible)
4) Max is a ......... singer. (good)
5) You can ......... open this tin. (easy)
6) It's a........ day today. (terrible)
7) She sings the song ....... (good)
8) He is a .......... driver. (careful)
9) He drives the car........ (careful)
10) The dog barks ......... (loud)

Using Social Networking in Teaching

1-What's is your most important reason for using social networking?

The social network make you connect with the world, I can learna lot of thing from others experiences, cultures, religions, ideas... etc.I use it all the time if I have a question or to share my ideas with peoplefinally it makes the world smaller like a little Village.

2-Is it possible for you to use them in teaching EFL/ESL concrete examples, please

Of course I will use it with my students. First of all my students can use it to contact with me. Second also to contact with their classmates. And the important thing I will ask them to use to contact with nativespeakers in other countries to learn English language form them.For example, they can follow an account in twitter that may be will help them to learnEnglish language. Or ask them to make a group in what's app to contactwith me and with their classmates.

Technological Change and the Future of CALL

Technological determinism refer to the idea of using technology to achieve your goal.
the future of CALL depend on ten development in information and communications technology which based on some changes the first one is from using phone which connect with wireless easily. And the second change is from the development of using internet. Moreover the third change become from using online advises which make the access to internet more easer for example, laptop. The fourth one will be from the narrowband that mean the speed to get information from communication lines. As well the fifth change is because the cost of computer has fallen by half in recent years. Also the internet access become free. Nowadays the access to internet become easier than before, and doesn't limit to professional people but anyone can use it, so this is the sixth change. The seventh change is the use of new technology which text-based of informational and communicate in the growing of digital photography and home video. English language become the main language in online use and most of commercial Web page will be in English, these is the eighth change. The ninth change is when the children use the computer from their childhood they will be as native in use computer which mean they will feel more comfortable and skills than older people. Moreover the use of computer and internet in the classroom is one of the change of CALL movement, these is the tenth one. Therefore the expected effect of use the technology (computer and internet) will help people to learn English language without having to participate in the real world. The first rustle of information and communications technology development is new context which mean the increasing of English speaker and the use of English in globalize media will effect on the context in English language is taught. The second result is new literacy which refer to new forms of literacy which become possible by developments of technology and because the different between readings from print book and reading online. Another result is new genres important to teach a students another type of writing by using electronic communication. New identities mean when the teacher ask students to use English language in online communication they will learn more and they will feel confident about themselves that will develop their identities. Finally is new pedagogics which focus on the change of pedagogics through the years as result of using CALL. That made different stage of CALL development first of all was the structural CALL which used during the 1960s and 1970s in these stage the teacher followed the teaching technique of linguistic structural. The second one was in the 1980s and 1990s it was communicative CALL which focusing in on the meaning of language. Third was in 21s century that was integrative CALL of learning language which focus on socio-cognitive view.

In the recent years the kingdom of Saudi Arabia influence by the other development countries and take the technology from the development countries with their advantage and disadvantage therefore we keep seeing those ten development of ICT in Saudi Arabia but unfortunately not in the classroom. Because of that not all the five area apply here. But I think one day the teachers will see the advantage of using technology in English teaching and they will apply it in their classroom.

Reflect about reading 1

Reflect

Mark Warschauer talked about the future of CALL and depend on what. Also he explained the ten development of ICT in details. Moreover he explained the five areas of technology which will have effect on English teaching. In the end he divided CALL in three stages which are structural, communicative and Integrative of CALL with examples.

Term to Know

- Blended learning is a formal program in teaching which a students sometimes use the technology in classroom at least to learn some part of information from online.
- E-learning that mean the use of information and communication technologies and electronic media.
- Online learning is refer to distance education which mean learn some courses with learners who are separated by time and distance by using internet.
- Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) provides an effective learning environment for a students which help them to practice their English language by using electronic communication.
- Educational technology refer to the processes of analyzing solutions to the problems through research, theory, design, production and evaluation.
- Netiquette is refer to the propriety that you should take account when using internet.
- Learning Management System (LMS) is mean a software application which use for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting and delivery of e-learning education courses or training programs.
- D-learning is mean access to learning when the source of information and the learners are not in the same location or time. And also called by distance education, distance learning or dlearning.