Experiencing New Tools

Experiencing New Tools

 By experiencing with many Internet-based tools on a daily basis, we also develop our technical skills and new working possibilities.   These experiences help us create new trends that will change our working routine to improve the learning outcomes of our students.  Likewise, the continuous use of technology leads us to become more and more proficient in it.  Thus, our teaching practice challenges the traditional methodologies to give way to both, the improvement of students in terms of their learning outcomes and understanding, and our own improvement to facilitate working routines when getting our instructions and ideas across.

Technologies become more accessible and easier to use to more and more people daily.  So, new platforms and applications are created for all users on everyday basis.  With the Internet of things being implemented everywhere, we should acknowledge at least the minimum tools not to be left behind as teachers.  It is impossible to avoid technologies.  I wish I had more time to research on my own the use of technologies in the classroom, and outside the classroom for the sake of students.  I want to implement technologies to the level of Integration (4), and Expansion (5) within the Loti Framework. I have started using google classroom with no much success because I do not know how the tool actually works, and I would need both instruction and full Internet access for my students in the classroom.  In order to have full Internet access, I will have to get a router because the school does not provide it.  On the other hand, I have an advantage, students quite often teach me how to use certain tools, and download movies or music.  So, my students (especially IT students) are probably at the fifth Loti level I would like to implement.

Thus, I think I will use different technical resources for students' implementation in projects to solve problems or real issues.  I plan to use slideshare as an embedded tool in practices and quizzes in google forms.  I could upload presentations or class materials while sharing on social networks or my blog for the use of students. I will facilitate it in a real-time making it available to everyone.  I will upload the presentation of resources used in class, and my students will have the information at hand from their cell phones and they will be able to study at home.

Then, I will also use other tools, such as Fotor and Blogger.  I will implement Fotor with students to make them tell stories or experiences when working with literature as well as in projects to illustrate their points in presentations.  Regarding Blogger, I think it is the best tool ever, especially to work with writing in an EFL class due to many reasons. First, it is simple for teachers to embed other resources by using html tools, shared from webpages, making teaching assignments more professional.  Second, it allows students to edit their own writing and learning continuously, being impelled to improve.  Likewise, students may check or change ideas on their blogs.  Thus, it is an interesting tool for communication among peers. I currently use Google Blogger as a tool for technical projects where students upload their resumes and offer their services as technicians to their communities.  They write their blogs at home due to poor Internet access at school, but they experience with language and an electronic at the same time while visualizing the possibility of using it for making a living.

Concluding, slideshare, fotor and blogger (mainly when embedding things with html protocol) will let me go a further step in the implementation and integration of technologies in the EFL classroom.  I cannot disregard the Internet limitations, because it is essential to continue improving.  I think that both my students and I will use these resources becoming more efficient both ways teaching and learning, especially upon using blogger for writing classes.