What is communication in 21st century for us ?

Hi Everyone!
This week, I will mention about a topic you are familiar with, but you are not aware of, too much. My topic is communication in 21st century. In fact,  all of us mostly are in communication with each other by means of telephones, tablets, and computers. In the days of old, communication was through face to face interaction. There was little technology in the environment. But, 21st century is age of technology. Now, we can't think that communication is without technology. Who can say that somebody doesn't need telephones and computers and s/he can maintain her/his life quite easily without them. They are significantly advanced. So, They are facilities for us. They can be able to do everything in one second. For example, we use skype, facebook or google talks for communicating with each other. Moreover, we reach a person who is thousands miles of away only in one second and we can meet face to face. There are no longer a home without computers or telephones.Let's think about education and technology. Many schools transform their education with technology. Even, students have tablets or computers. Teachers try to integrate their lessons with technology. For instance, teachers use videos for visuals aids, digital stories, glogsters, and more than this. For the simplest sample in social areas, by using forsquare or whatsapp, we check our places and we inform people.  There are a revolution in communication. Without saying a word, but only by writing, we can communicate with each other. We use it in every area of life.

 For this week, Our task is creating a glog in pairs. My pair is Ebru Buse GüDER. We benefit from this site. You can easily use it. I used it with connecting my facebook. Firstly, we decided what we would do. We found images, videos and we took audio records. Then, we created our glog! This is very enjoyable task. In future, I want my students to create glogs for many resasons such as preparing a party, celebrations, or even a topic like this. Not only do they search by using the site, but they also see many different ideas. I will have an opinion about their thoughts and tastes. It will develop their creativity. There are many reason for me to use the site. Moreover, I recommend everybody to use it.

 I hope you will like our glog. Goodbye :)

Our funniest task : Creating A Digital Story

Hi Everyone! This week for our task, we have had three options: Firstly, we can prepare a story of me and my friend. Secondly, we can demonstrate a process And finally, we can create a story with drawings and audio! We chose third option with my partners who are Nadire and Aysenur. Normally, This project is pairs work. But I couldn't find a friend. And so, I participated Nadire and Aysenur. I want you to tell about our process.  We  decided the setting and drew and painted pictures which is necessary for our story. All of us aren't good at drawing but we tried and we succeeded. Our drawings are simple ones. Moreover, we did this digital story for young learners. So, we didn't have any difficulties in drawings. After finishing our drawings, we started to record our video. Of course, we did mistakes while recording the story and we took records over and over. Finally, everything was okay. I think this task is the hardest and challenging one but the funniest one. Really, we enjoyed very much. We acted like a child and spoke so. We as an English teacher should use digital stories and we should give an opportunity to our students to create a digital story. Because, while they are playing, they will learn some words and forms. We enjoyed very much while preparing our task. I hope you will enjoy. 

 See you soon :) 

Below is our digital story:

Windy Day from ayşenur doğan on Vimeo.

My Comic Strip: It is raining cats and dogs!

Hi Everyone!
Here is my comic strip. I did this comic strip only for a fun. I am sure when we saw the idiom "It is raining cats and dogs", we were surprised. I wanted to reflect this situation with this comic strip. I used a very beneficial, easy and useful site for creating my comic strip. ( you can click here to access the site and you can create your comic strip.) Really, I loved the site. Even, I suggested my friend to use the site. Moreover, I will use my comic strip to teach my student what this idiom means in the following weeks. You should use this site in your lessons if you are a teacher and whichever lesson it is. I hope you will enjoy.
Good bye!

MY WORDS FROM WORDLE!

Hi Everyone!
This time, I will not share one of my tasks with you. I will suggest you a website. This site is very useful and beneficial for you in every area. Its name is Wordle. You can use it for creating your words about a topic. For example, You can use it in education, in your lessons, and in your slides. I wrote about technology in education. I hope you will have a look at my picture. See you!

MY ENJOYABLE TASK: CREATING PUZZLES

Hi everyone! 

 We had three options in our this week's task which are to create puzzles, comics, or timeliness. I chose the first one which is to create puzzles. ( You can click here for creating a puzzle and using the site.) I think this task is the most enjoyable one and the easiest one. I really love it. I didn't have any difficulties in doing and using puzzles. The site is so clear that I am sure you don't have any difficulties and I advise everybody to use it. Even, It can be used only for fun. There are many choice in doing puzzle such as word search, criss-cross, and fallen phrases. If you look at the site, you can fin out much more thing. Firstly, you have to determine a theme such as fitnesses, ilnesses, and occupations. Then, it directs you. The only thing you will do is to write as directed in there. After completing your puzzle you have to do print screen. After doing that, You will open a paint page and paste it. Before saving your puzzle, you have to change the form of the picture into Jpeg. Finally you can share and use it. Moreover, I will use it for my students. Even, I will use it for my fifth grade student next week. I did my task according to his level and the topics I handled. I hope My student and you like it, too.  
                                                                  MY  PUZZLES

My Webquest Evaluation

Hi Everyone !

 Our new task for this week is selecting and evaluating a webquest about English / Language Arts according to a webquest rubric given us. So, I evaluated from  a webquest which is in zunal.com. Endangered Animals in Greece is my webquest which I have selected and  will evaluate.

taken by zunal.com

 I think webquests are good supplementation for both teachers and students. Not only teachers can easily use it in the lesson, but also students can benefit from the technology thank to it. Moreover, Students have many opportunities such as investigating, evaluating and learning in webquests. But, the pictures and the figures match with the aim of the topic while they are inadequate for the viewers. Using many visual post is very important to attract students. When I look the home page of the webquest, I can easily see and say that navigation is perfect and learners don't have any difficulties in finding pages. I didn't encounter any mechanic problems and there is not any deficiency as to links, images and tables. However, it is necessary to enrich webquest with graphic elements.

The webquest I chose starts with a welcome page. The author introduces the description of the title and introduces the writer and the key words. The introduction of the webquest engagingly describes a compelling problem: Endangered Animals in Greece.  But  the author gives a very brief explanation . He focuses on the aim of the topic.  It prepares the learner by foreshadowing what the lesson is about.

The task of webquest is explained and understood briefly and clearly. it is connected to what students must know and will do. The teacher asks the students to make research. So, the students' prior knowledge is ignored.  The task requires retelling of information found on web pages. The task requires synthesis of multiple sources of information.

In the process part,  the students' tasks are explained clearly. It is explained step by step what students are assumed to do. The teacher gives a website,( You can find from here),and wants them to find the answers to the questions and put the together. A website is given for every step. It goes on so. There are missing information. They have to read them and then they have to find them. So Activities are related and designed to take students from basic knowledge to higher level thinking. Different roles are assigned to help students understand the topic from different perspectives.

Resources used are relevant to the topic. Connection between all the sources and the information is very obvious. Links carry information not ordinarily found in a classroom. More complex activities are needed the students to understand the topic than entertaining activities. Links are to the point and they make excellent use of the timeliness. Varied sources provide enough meaningful information for students.

At the evaluation part, criteria for success are stated in the form of a rubric. it clearly measures what students must know and be able to do to accomplish the task.

 In my opinion, webquests are a beneficial sources for us. Everybody should benefit from them. There are many information. So, for a teacher, it is a good guide. I will use the webquest in my classes. I  will integrate the technology in my classes by using webquests. While I was evaluating this webquest, I didn't have any difficulties. Because there is a rubric for our using. But it takes much time. I enjoyed from my task. Hopefully,  It developed my critical thinking. I hope you will enjoy it.

Goodbye.

Gülden DELEN

My Favorite Book and My Reflection

Hi! Our assignment for this week is to create and to recommend a wiki page about a book we read before. Really, I like my tasks. And, I believe I benefit from the task. Because they improve me and my thoughts about teaching. At least, I feel so. I think the technology is a necessity for today's world. In this assignment, I chose my favorite book, The Hunger Games. This is the first time I have ever used a wiki page. I don't think these assignments are a homework, but an enjoyable work . I am looking forward to performing these tasks to my students. Not only Students develop their expression ability, but they also integrate with the technology. I didn't have any difficulties. I hope you will like my wiki and comment about it. For more details, please click here.