” The role of WeQuests in learning a foreign/second language?”

A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the internet. WebQuests are a unique method for enhancing students' information technology and information literacy competencies.

Critical thinking is aspect of WebQuests that is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information. Teachers can improve students' critical thinking skill by using WebQues when they are uploading a task that helps them to Identify and articulate similarities and differences between things. They could help them through  the task that require students to Identify and articulate errors in one's own or others' thinking Or Identify and articulate  personal perspectives about issues.

WebQuests promote collaboration when students learn how to collaborate with their classmates, with students in other classrooms, or with students halfway around the world. They can also contact area experts by using e-mail, the Internet, and video conferencing. 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, is focused on the learner constructing meaning and knowledge from an assigned activity. PBL gives a variety of learning styles and multiple forms of intelligence have a real world authentic orientation. It allows students to choice, encourages higher-order thinking, and uses hand-on experiences and various modes of communication. It makes Students responsible for their own learning and the teacher's role is that of a facilitator.

WebQuest help students explore issues, solve problems, and collaborate with their peers. It promotes high-level thinking and problem-solving skills

Reflection on the three weeks

Technology is an important factor we should integrate in the educational field. 

Nowadays technology increased magicly and became in reach hand everyone .This generation and especially coming one. They will not accept a traditional way of the teaching that they are considering a boring way because they are native digital. Therefore, Computer Assisted Language Learning is an important and interesting course I have taken. I have learned from this course during the previous three weeks many things first, how to use a blog that publishes my posts and shares with my colleagues to get benefits with each other. This useful website will help me to improve my writing skill.  Second, I have learned how to use Google reader that I am happy to learn about because it helps me to flow a lot of bloggers and my favorite sites at same time and get a newest updating. It does not take a lot of my time it abbreviating my time. Third, I learned how to use Delicious that helps me save my links for later use and share useful links with my colleagues. Last thing, I have create an account in wiki that we will use it later with my group .I am enthusiastic to work on. When I learned these things I felt look like someone came from desert because I did not know about   previously. Although, I love technology world and consider myself good in this field but I discover this I am still uncultured. Some times When I spent more than 5 hours on the computer to make my previous assignments I have a feeling I hate my computer because I felt pain in my back but I am still so motivated to learn about the educational technology.

How would I use blogs, wikis and delicious with my EFL students?”

 Using blogs

Blog is a website that allows people to write their ideas, thoughts, reflections and share with others. It is an useful website that I will use with my EFL students. It helps students to improve their skills in reading, writing and increase their vocabularies. For example giving students topics and asking them to write about or uploading articles to write their reflections about it. In addition, it helps shy students to participate and be active in the course. It encourages students to collaborate with each other through asking them to write their comments about colleagues' post.

                              


 Using delicious 

Delicious is a website that allows people to save, share and discover hyperlinks. If I were teacher, I will use this website with my EFL students through giving my students links or asking them to put links related to their lessons such as activities, extra reading or games , or putting links that contain eBooks to develop my students knowledge in learning English language.

Using wikis

Wiki is a piece of software that allows students to    collaborate in creates and edits Web page. This website is suitable for group projects. For example, I can give my EFL students topic and ask them to write about by each other and add pictures, links activities and resources to promote the connection with each other.

"Application of Bax Normilasation in Saudi Arabia: The how!"

Stephan Bax argues that, "Our aim should be to attain a state of `normalisation' in which the technology is invisible and truly integrated"

 

  Stephen Bax talked about the CALL in the past, present and future. He argued three questions about CALL first, where has Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) been, second and third, where is it now and where is it going? Stephen Bax argues the three phases of CALL are behaviouristic, communicative and integrative. He changed the names of three phases to make it realistic. He called a behaviouristic CALL phase as Restricted CALL approach, communicative CALL as Open CALL and integrative shape as Integrated CALL approach.

   He defined normalization as the stage that any kind of technological innovation becomes invisible in everyday practice. He said CALL will reach to normalization stage when students and teachers use computers to teach language in every lesson without fear or inhibition. They will reach to that stage when  they integrate technology  into all other aspects of classroom life, alongside coursebooks, teachers and notepads .He said that  CALL has not reached this stage it may take several years to become in commonplace. He suggested three steps to move towards the normalization. He talked about seven stages of normalization in CALL.

   In the past of Saudi context, we didn’t use computers in the learning field. Even we wanted to use it was restrictedly only on teachers to present PowerPoint. But nowadays, we started to enter technology in the  learning process. We move toward the opening to use it in the learning context. For example there are some schools integrated technology in CALL and allow students to use computers in classes. Most of Saudi universities used technology in the learning process. Also many Saudi students use technology to obtain knowledge when they do their homework. So, I think we are moving toward normalization if we just keep going to use technology without fear and skepticism. We will reach to normalization stage because we have a good knowledge about technology and know it’s important in learning process. To reach this stage we should work hardly as teachers .We should develop our selves and know more about technology and encourage our students to use it .May this process take several years but I have a strong believe we will reach to normalization stage.




    

     

 

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