Week+6

= Answers to Week 6 =

1. What is "blended learning"?

According to Harvey Singh, blended learning combines multiple delivery media that are designed to complement each other and promote learning and application-learned behavior. On the other hand, Graham believes that the best definition of blended learning is the one that states the following: blended learning combines online with face-to-face learning. Blended learning programs may accurately combine several different forms of learning tools, such as real-time virtual/ collaboration software, self-paced web-based courses, electronic performance support systems (EPSS), and knowledge management practices. Blended learning also mixes different event-based activities, including face-to-face classrooms, live e-learning, and self-paced learning.

2. Bearing in mind your student population, do you plan to introduce blended learning to them? If so, what activities will you start out with?

Actually, it is really difficult to introduce blended lerning to my students because they are kids. I know that some of them have been registered in social networks buy they really don´t manage all the technological tools. As a result, it is really hard to teach them in such a way. However, if I were working with adolescents or adults I would definitely be using blended learning. I would really love to start combining different methods such as collaboration software or web-based courses and deliver plenty of electronic activities when I teach English to my students. I believe that by using blended learning I could be exploiting and therefore reinforcing the four skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) in a fantastic way.

3. Which of the tools that you've explored in BaW10 do you consider more appropriate for those activities and how will they be used? I think that online presentations and podcasts (Podomatic is a great web site for podcasting) are really great to help improve listening skills and to help change the way the input is traditionally delivered. I would recommend Elluminate because of its fantastic live sessions. Teachers can really have a great time there by delivering online classes. To explore the speaking skill, I suggest to use VOXOPOP or the friendly SNAPVINE. The students can record their voice and talk about whatever they want. For reading and writing, I love blogs and Blogger offers good tools. There is another site for blogging which I highly recommend, WordPress at wordpress.com. Wikis are terrific, too. If you want to try some go to Wikispaces.



= My Opinion about Charles Graham´s Work =

I think Charles Graham´s work about blended learning is very clear because it offers specific information. Actually, the three definitions that are discussed in the article clarify all the assumptions implied in this type of learning. I easily understood this topic because of this article.

= Rita Zeinstejer' s Online Presentation at Elluminate =

I just loved it. The presentation was really organized and she explained many things about the Google Apps. Actually, I did not know most of them but now I do. These are the Google applications: Google Earth Google Docs Google Video Google Sites Google Skyline Google Groups Google Maps Google Street View Google News Google Alerts Google Reader Google Search Google SketchUp Google Scholar Google Patents Google Friends Connect Knol Picasa Google Calendar Google Wave Google Squared Google Buzz

Google is awesome!