Freemind of CALL

It's the interesting tool. You can try it by yourself to create a unique one.

Phonics Alphabet ABC Song

I consider it is the best video for learning because this is the form of the song.

It can help childeren to learning Phonics Alphabet easily and naturally. They can

remember the alphabet by visual aid and the audio stimulusat the same time. It is

one of the great assistant tool, that's why I recommend this ABC song for children

in learning phonics.

The TeamBoard

TeamBoard is an advanced presentation, training and communication tool, effective for use with both immediate and remote audience. The TeamBoard can be mounted on a wall or on a stand and also comes in a smaller portable version.

Used as an electronic whiteboard, TeamBoard enables your computer to capture whatever you write and draw on it. Partnered with a Data Projector, TeamBoard acts as an interactive touch screen. Its dynamic, interactive capabilities allow you to train, teach and make presentations without ever having to return to your computer. With TeamBoard, present PowerPoint slide shows, annotate during presentations and smoothly and successfully conduct Video and Data conferences.

Use the TeamBoard Draw application to capture all notes and drawings created on the TeamBoard. TeamBoard Draw offers a sharp image with “ink-like” lines as a result of its high resolution controller and advanced line-smoothing features. Users also have a variety of pen widths to choose from. All notes and drawings are automatically backed up by the AutoSave feature at configurable intervals.

TeamBoard’s surface becomes an effective touch-sensitive screen when use with your Data Projector. This interactive touchscreen transforms your fingertip into a mouse, allowing you to touch icons and display changes while maintaining your audience’s attention on you and the TeamBoard at the same time.

Communication with TeamBoard is easy. Participants are able to connect to your computer, view your TeamBoard from anywhere a network is available and actively participate in presentations. TeamBoard is designed to interface with T.120 data conference applications like Windows Net Meeting, but can also be used with more traditional video conference equipment. Your remote viewers see everything you do, as all your TeamBoard actions appear on their remote monitors and television screens.

Now The TeamBoard is also used in teaching children. It has the following advantages :

TeamBoard Teaches

Simple effective education begins with EasiTeach TeamBoard
	Easiteach Studio is a software suite recognized globally as the most powerful lesson development tool available. Software components enable creation of exciting, dynamic lessons in Math, Literacy, Geography, and Science
	Easiteach Studio includes a comprehensive resource library enabling teachers to easily incorporate graphics, video, flash files, animations and graphs.
	Combined with the easiest-to-use, highest quality interactive whiteboard in the industry, Easiteach TeamBoard offers simple, effective solutions for K-12 classrooms.

What is "icue"?

This is an on-line video English news of America which includes those in different fields like economy, education, health care...etc.



Unlike other English news websites, it not also has the the transcription part on the right side when you watch the video at the same time.

It can help you train and enhance your listening ability.




http://www.icue.com/

The grammar supplementary station

Today I want to share you another grammar learning website for intermediate level students:

http://www.geocities.com/boring0706/test/grammar.html

Here you also can see many different topic such as list of irregular verb, present continuous, past sample... etc. You can go to this website and seek which part you're not familiar with. When you enter any of the topic, there are clear explanations.

The English vocabulary website for students junior high school

Here is the English vocabulary website :

http://www.languageguide.org/english/tw/

when you enter this website, you can there are many kinds of topics that you can choose. Take topic of "time" for example. When you click in it, you'll see the following page.

There are all the vocabulary that about time. Besides, it also has pictures. when move your mouse onto the picture, it'll show you the words. It can help you to remember and connect the image with vocabulary easily. The advantage of this website is that it can let students learn the whole groups of words in the same topic. It's more systematically.

I think it's a nice vocabulary learning website so I want to introduce it to you. Don't hesitated, just try it.

The introduction of "Webquest".

A WebQuest is a learning activity used by educators. During this activity learners read, analyze, and synthesize information using the World Wide Web. Webquests were invented by Bernie Dodge and Tom March at San Diego State University in 1995.

According to Dodge's original publication 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, optionally supplemented with videoconferencing"

Learners typically complete WebQuests as cooperative groups. Each learner within a group can be given a "role," or specific area to research. WebQuests may take the form of role-playing scenarios, where students take on the personas of professional researchers or historical figures.

WebQuests, are a great tool for teachers to use in their classroom. A teacher can search for WebQuests on a particular topic or they can develop their own using a web editor like Microsoft FrontPage or Dreamweaver. This tool allows learners to complete various task using other Cognitive tools (e.g. Inspiration, MS Word, PowerPoint, Access, Excel, and Publisher). A WebQuest is a great way to integrate technology into your classroom.

Finally WebQuests do not have to be developed as a true web site. They may be developed and implemented using lower threshold (less demanding) technologies, (e.g. they may be saved as a word document on a local computer).

The following is one of the example that you can link. Then you'll know exactly what the concrete Webquest is.

http://www.iwebquest.com/egypt/ancientegypt.htm

Mariah Carey - Hero

The following is the song-Hero which is sung by Mariah Carey. Today in SLA course, the teacher introduced this song to all of us. She wanted to encourage us. The lyric is about one idea, when we meet some difficulties never give up and hold back. There always has a hero that existed in our heart and support us. I like the meaning of the lyric. I hope you can listen to this music and enjoy it.




Theres a hero
If you look inside your heart
You do not have to be afraid
Of what you′re
Theres an answer
If you reach into your soul
And the sorrow that you know
Will melt away

Chorus:
And then a hero comes along
With the strength to carry on
And you cast your fears aside
And you know you can survive
So when you feel like hope is gone
Look inside you & be strong
And you will finally see the truth
That a hero lies in you

It is a long road
When you face the world alone
No one reaches out a hand
For you to hold
You can find love
If you search within yourself
And the emptiness you felt
Will disappear

Chorus:
And then a hero comes along
With the strength to carry on
And you cast your fears aside
And you know you can survive
So when you feel like hope is gone
Look inside you & be strong
And you will finally see the truth
That a hero lies in you

Lord knows
Dreams are hard to follow
But don′t let anyone
Tear them away
Hold on
There′ll be tomorrow
In time
You will find the way

Chorus:
And then a hero comes along
With the strength to carry on
And you cast your fears aside
And you know you can survive
So when you feel like hope is gone
Look inside you & be strong
And you will finally see the truth
That a hero lies in you

That a hero lies in you

The learning website of Starfall

http://www.starfall.com/

I found this website when I was looking for the teaching materials for teaching children. It's interesting. The first part is "ABCs", the second part is "learn to read", the third part is "It fun to read" and the last part is "I 'm reading". It's suitable for those children who have reached the specific degree of ability on reading. Even though it not focus on the grammar sections, on the other hand, it more emphasizes the reading part. Besides, according to the difficulty levels, the reading part is divided into four parts with different topics. Children can learn how to read step by step. It's just like the previous article that I've mentioned, I think computer-assistant program is a good way in children's learning. In nowadays society, parents always have to spend a lot money on their children's in learning English. They will buy many materials to help children learn like colorful flashcards and the card reader. Through computer, they also can accompany their child in learning English. It more convenient. We also can find other free websites.

Self-study Grammar Quizzes

Today I want to introduce one of a great website which has many activities for ESL students such as grammar, crossword and some vocabulary. It has different difficulty levels that you can choose any one depend on your ability. If you are interested then you can try it!!

http://a4esl.org/

The pros of using a commercial program for kids to learn.

My pros of using such a commercial program for kids to learn can be divided into three parts. The most important thing is comprehensible input. In the video, they use many vivid audio and visual stimuli that not only can attract children’s attention but also can make English learning become more interesting. The content of the video creates more meaningful learning surroundings and try to let children understand easily. Besides, through the computer, it can provide children the sense of safety. The reliable learning environment will make them feel relieved. Then the learning effect of learning will become better. They may not afraid of expressing what they have learned. Finally, it can save money because the learning software can always be updated. There always have latest materials and information that can let you get. Therefore, I approve this kind of commercial program for children.

How to use Windows Movie Maker

This useful tool to make my own movie.

Reflection 3：3/26 -About my blog project

I want to share my favorite songs with others because t think listen to music is a good way of learning English. Even though it's a common way but it's also effectively. Song has rhythm and melody that can help us to remember. It also can train and improve our pronunciation. Besides, I will introduce some grammar learning websites. To me, I think grammar is also important to us because it's the basic knowledge to everyone.

My own voki ^^

Click here to comment on this Voki.
Get a Voki now!

Slideshare -http://www.slideshare.net/

Now I want to introduce one of the website which has many professed PPT. We can see many kinds of PPT and how those people design their data. Designing the PPT is not as easy as we think. How to let everyone realize our points in your PPT at first sight is important. We can't just put the whole article which full of words. Sometimes when you're introducing something, put charts and pictures are more effectively and convincingly than describing only in words. The following are the introduction of SlideShare:

SlideShare is a free service for web sharing presentations and slideshows. It supports several different types of presenting programs: PowerPoint, OpenOffice, Keynote, and PDF files. Besides, SlideShare implements most common Web 2.0 design and interaction patterns. Like other social networking services, users are able to add tagging to their presentations. Rate and comment on others' work, and embed their presentation into a blog or other website. The site was created in late 2006 by an international pair--one in India, one in the US. The goal of the website is to help people share ideas.
There is no fee to use this service, though a login is required for uploading presentations. The maximum size for a slide show is 30MB. Shows that are larger, must either be edited or split into two (or more) presentations. Once a file is uploaded, it is visible to the public. Terms from slides can be searched via search engines. The user who uploads a presentation can choose to make the slide show available to be downloaded. Slideshare is linked with Creative Commons so various attribution licenses are supported. In addition, these presentations can be retrieved at any computer without need for USB drives or other storage devices. In other words, presentations in Slideshare can be held before a conference for the presenters use and then reviewed afterwards by guests. Like YouTube, a presentation can be viewed in the small screen or take the full screen of a monitor.


From Wikipedia

Reflection 3：3/12

Today teacher taught us how to embed video of Youtube into PPT in two situations. First, the data is from the Internet (on-line). Another is from your computer. I think it is useful to me, no matter on designing my report or preparing my teaching materials. I also can put some teaching video on my blogger. It no needs to type your materials only in words anymore. It too boring if we can only read words. When we add the visual and sound video, it will become more interesting to readers and can attract their attention.

Reflection 2：3/5

Today teacher introduce anther kind of browser, Mozilla Firefox. It is the browser which is differ from IE. After class, I tried to install it into my computer. Then after I used it, I found out that it can open many windows at the same time in one browser. Thus, it makes me feel easier when I look up information on the Internet. I don't need to open many browsers when I'm surfing. Firefox also has lots of accessories such as "delicious" tag. Another interesting helper that teacher taught us was Yahoo mini pencil. I think it is so tiny and useful to me. When I read the newspapers or some articles on the Internet, I don't need to look into dictionary word by word. I can just move that pencil onto the word that I don't know then it will show me the meaning of the vocabulary automatically. It's too convenient. But I consider it has little disadvantage, the quantity of vocabulary are insufficient and limited. sometimes I even can't find what the word is.

Web 2.0

Reflection 1：2/27

That day was my first class of CALL. It refers to Computer-Assisted Language Learning. The teacher taught us lots of general ideas about this course. She mentioned about that now we’re in the trend of Computer –Support Collaborative Learning and Computer-Mediated communication. The Internet has become the important part in our daily life. It connects everyone in every places. We always write e-mails to our friends or use msn and skype to chat with others. It’s more convenient to us. Even as teacher, blog is also the good way of assessment to evaluate students’ performances. Students can record something down and give some feedback about what they have learned. Besides it is the spaces to let students share some of their good learning experiences. Teachers can design their own teaching materials such as audiovisual that can give students stimulus. By doing so, it can let students feel interesting and the learning situation will be better than traditional way of classroom teaching. Some people may worry about that teacher will replaced by computer because learners also can learn any kinds of knowledge they want through the Internet. In my opinion, I think teacher will never be displaced. Even though some of us are intelligent, not everyone are genius. Most of us still need teacher’s help to guide and teach us that how to learn. Most teachers are experts that they experienced in teaching after all.

What is Podcast

Podcast
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A podcast is a collection of digital media files which is distributed over the Internet, often using syndication feeds, for playback
The term is a portmanteau of the words "iPod" and "broadcast",[1] the Apple iPod being the brand of portable media player for which the first podcasting scripts were developed (see history of podcasting). These scripts allowed podcasts t on portable media players and personal computers. The term podcast, like "broadcast", can refer either to the series of content itself or to the method by which it is syndicated; the latter is also termed podcasting. The term podcast should not be used to describe individual files. The host or author of a podcast is often called a podcaster.o be automatically transferred to a mobile device after they are downloaded.[2]
Though podcasters' web sites may also offer direct download or streaming of their content, a podcast is distinguished from other digital media formats by its ability to be syndicated, subscribed to, and downloaded automatically when new content is added, using an aggregator or feed reader capable of reading feed formats such as RSS or Atom.

The New Opening

During these two weeks, I've learned lots of knowledge and skills about the Internet. In the age of information explosion, everyone could obtain various information through computer easily. That means in nowadays society, we have already can not live without the Internet. It became important part in our daily life. If we can use it quiet well, then it can also be the good tool in learning English. From this class, I hope I can learn those skills of using computer to surf the Internet through many ways to get any information I want and to assist students in learning foreign language. Besides, I consider this blog is my own space that I can share my own opinions and teaching experiences in any time. Everyone also can give me their comments and suggestions. That can help me to improve my way of teaching because I want to be better. All above are my goal in the future. I will let my goal come true.