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VOCABULARY TEACHING

www.wordchamp.com

wordchamp is seen as a really efficient and amazing language tools by the users of it. Wordchamp has several features which most of them are free. Its features are really amaizing. For instance, you can read a website by using wordchamp so that it gives the meanings and explanation of unknown items when you click on the word. You can also easily access to the largest and fastes growing language learning library including flashcards and audio recordings of native speakers via it. Wordchamp even provides twelve different drills for the language learners to practice on what languages they want. Moreover, teachers can create a class and assign the assignment to the the students on the internet. However, although teachers do not pay for enrollment, students have to pay 12.50 dolars ( to access for up to six months). Just after they pay for it , the students can acces to the interactive class and assignments. Besides these, people can create their flashcards lists and share these. They can also find language partners here.

Gerry’s Vocabulary Teacher

It was created by ESL teacher Gerry Luton, and Martin Holmes, formerly an ESL instructor and now a software designer. It was designed to make teacher’s work easier. In a very short time, teachers can create a variety of vocabulary activities such as gap-filling or vocabulary test. Furthermore, the program also allows users to edit or delete sentences contained within the database, and users can even add to their personal database collection with words and sentences of their own. Any changes or additions made are automatically saved to disc. Moreover, Gerry’s Vocabulary Teacher includes different contexts for keywords, and they are exemplified as different forms such as noun , adj., adv., verb, etc. Actually, it is not a free software and the prices are as the following:

• Pricing is: One single-user registration Gerry's Vocabulary Teacher: US$50
• Extra seat (allows downloading of the program onto a 2nd computer): US$35
• CDRoom One single-user registration: US$75

Text- to- speech Technology

There are some programs such as Natural Voice and TextAloud Mp3 which aim to produce real human voice according to the wrriten text. They have several advantages for language learning. For example, the teacher can create his/her own listening content and pronunciation activity. However, there is also a disadvantage, as well. As Kılıçkaya (2006) said, intonation and stress might be problem because they won’t be certainly like natural speaking.

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Content Management System (CMS)

Computer Managemen System is a tool that helps the people to create, edit and manage content (text, images, graphics, video,sound,etc.) by using a certain process.

www.dokeos.com

It is a well-known e-learning management application. It is a free and easy software. You can build e-courses by using given templates . You can prepare and author assignment and tests including multiple choice, fill-in-the blanks, open questions, hospots, etc. You can organize the lesson content and activities by sequencing authomatically. You can have Chat, Video Conferencing and give feedback to each other . Dokeos also has a mascot ‘Mister Dokeos’ and provides it to the users so that they can enhance learning. It can be used in five language, including Netherlands, English, French, Italian, Spanish

www.nicenet.org

It is a sophisticated tool which provides a variety of learning environments including conferencing, document or link sharing, scheduling, and personal messaging. It is also free and easy to use. To create a class, it is enough just to have an account. It addresses to the post secondary and secondary classrooms, distance education and collobarative academic projects. The site also provides easily reach to every section while dealing with a different section.

www.moodle.org

It is a content management system which is designed for educational purposes. It is a free and Open Source software. It has a large number of users from 193 countries all around the world.One can use Moodle for commercial services such as fully serviced Moodle hosting, remote support contracts, custom code developmetn, consulting. If one know Unix and other web technology, s/he can easily install Moodle. If one need help for developing their own course, Moodle provides coursewares to help them professionally . For example ‘E-Desing’ for United Kingdom is one of Moodle partners forthis aim and provides tschnical and pedagogical service related to Moodle. One of the users, Timothy Takemoto, Japan expresses his thought about Moodle “I am, first of all, stunned by the quality of this software and by the potential it has to help my institution. I have been at the recieving end of a lot of extremely helpful advice.”

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Creating Blogs and Wikis

Although most of the blogs are belong to only one person, people can have a blog for a community, as well. Blogs can be used to post comments, ideas , any topic. Moreover, one can post audio or video materials and pictures to the blogs. There are several free blog sites on the web. For example, Blogger is one of them. One who wants to create a blog can eaily have an account and sign in his/her blog. People can decide the design of their own blogs. A language learner , for insance, can use a blog to publish his/her assignments or reflections. Also, s/he can send comments to their friends or share some links on the blog. Besides these, people can reach to the other blogs . For example, Jim Duber and Aaron Campbell’s blogs are related to English language learning and technology. The missing point of blogs is the fact that a blog lines up all the posted items chronologically. For this reason, there are some useful tools to master the blogs such as blam and structured blogging. Also, RSS can be used in order to inform the followers about the new messages.As a contrast to blogs, wikis are more suitable for collabarative projects. As a whole class, students can work on any topic via wikis. They are really protected against the unknown visitors. Only the people who know password can add or change something on the wiki. There are also free sites that one can create a wiki page on the internet such as Pbwiki for educational purposes.The well known example of wikis , Wikipedia, is a nice one to show to what extent wikis can be used and beneficial for the learners.

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CREATING HOT LISTS

As a teacher, you can guide your students to the safe and nice websites by creating hot lists. For this reason, teachers should choose the sites that will enhance learning and interest of the students. Filamentality is a way that helps the teachers to reach this aim. By using Filamentality, one can pick up a topic , use fill-in-the-blanks to find the good websites. Moroever, one can easily manage a website without having problem with HTML. Teachers can create their own web-based activities or see the ones made by other users. It is easy to do it. One just click on the button ‘Start a new page’, and the process starts. At the end, one can create Hotlist, Scrapbook, Treasure hunt, Sampler or Webquest that a learner will need. Another useful site is Delicious. One can reach to their own bookmarks (favorite websites) thanks to this website even though s/he does not use their own computer. Moreover, people can share their bookmarks, and see the most popular bookmarks on Delicious.

WEBQUEST

It is the lesson activity provided from internet. It was developed by Bernie Dodge at San Diego State University in 1995. There are two types of webquest, including short-term webquests and long-term webquests. By using a short-term webquest, a learner can have a basic new information. However, after a long-term webquest, a learner can analyze deeply the knowledge and make use of it during another activity. As for how to create a webquest, it is easy for one who knows to place a hyperlink on a document. The main titles used in a webquest are Introduction, Task, Process, Evaluation, Conclusion, Teacher Page and Credits. Also, one look into the given Webquest Templates or the stored examples on the site www.webquest.org before preparing one.

PODCASTING

A podcast is digital media tool that includes audios and videos. A learner or teacher can download a podcast or they can listen to them or watch them. The best point of it is the fact that learner can reach to several podcasts on the net. Also, they can choose the topic that is interesting for them. They can find the podcasts that are suitable for their levels. They can do their own podcasts besides all.Englishcaster is a website that both teacher and learners can directly use the podcast aimed for them. Also, by using the website www.podomatic.com , people can create podcasts after creating an account. They can find lots of podcasts under different categories, and learn the most popular ones of the day. There is also forums in this website that the users can discuss different topics or learn from each other (for example , they can discuss the tips of podcasting.)

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1548353 - FLE
WWW.MANYTHINGS.ORG

Part 1 : Description of the product
‘www.manythings.org’ is a free study site for ESL and also EFL students with Computer Assisted Language Learning activities. It was created by Charles L. Kelly and Lawrence E. Kelly. It has been published in 2002. The creaters describe it as a site that an English language learner can find enjoyable study activities.There are grammar and vocabulary quizzes, vocabulary games and puzzles, proverbs, slang expressions, tongue twisters, sentence machine, reading and listening materials and other computer assisted language learning activities. Even though the primary focus is for ESL, native English speakers may also find some interesting things on this site. This site is non-commercial and has no advertising.
It is a website recommended to the language learners by their teachers. One can learn new words and expressions , work on grammar, develop reading and listening skills by using computer-based materials. Moreover, the visitors of the site may enjoy the site and spend good time while studying English thanks to the provided tools.
Some pages require free Flash Player plug-in, at least version 4, 6 or newer one, and JavaScript. Apart from these, anything is required. It is easy to use this website and free. There is no need to install or download any part of it. It does not require to be a member, as well.
As for how one can use the site, it is really easy. One can choose the title that they want to study on the left part of the site . Moreover, they can find the list of activities on the top of the each page. Then, they choose which exercise and topic s/he prefers to go on. For examle, when one decide to study on listening and choose this title, s/he encounters the choices such as Listen and Read along, English Listening Room, Listen and Answer, Dictation Quiz, and lastly Related Section in which one can find other things to listen. Thanks to the first one ‘Listen and Read along, one can read the text while s/he listen it. Beside it, s/he can see the previous part of the listening passage on the left and the later one on the right of the now-playing part. The sound has really high quality and clear. The listener can understand and follow the items easily.
On the right part of the site, one can see the titles such as What’s New, Video, Popular Part. In the part ‘What’s New’, one can click on ‘daily page’, and can reach to the proverb of the day, quiz for the day, and listening. When s/he chooses ‘Video’, s/he comes across a link that they can watch a video related to the 70 pages of the site. Thanks to this video, one can have a idea about this site quickly. As for the part ‘ Popular’, one can go to the most popular parts of the site easily without spending time by looking for them. In short, it is clear that the creators of the site have tried to do their best in order to make it easier. In addition to this, the site gives instructions related to how one can manage each activities.
Besides all of these things, I believe that it would be better if somethings are changed. Most of them are related to the appearance of the site. I think it should be more attractive and have more energetic colours rather than gray and pale colours. Also, they have links to the good dictionaries ‘Babylon and Longman’, but one can reach to them just by using the title ‘Daily Page’. I think it would be better if they put a link named ‘Dictionaries’ on the left or right part of the site separately. Lastly, I believe that the menu for the site on the top of the page is unnecessary because they already have a menu column on the left throughout all the pages. If they are also improved, the site would be more useful and attractive for the users of it.

Part 2: Critical review of the site in terms of language learning
Because the site has been designed for the ESL and even EFL learners, it has several tools useful for language learning. It enhances language learning. I can critize it in terms of using it in classroom by teacher and in terms of self-learning. Fist of all, how can a language teacher use this site in the classroom ? In order to use this site during language course, the school should have some technologies in the class such as computer, projector, sound system and internet connection because you can not download anything in the website, and you need certainly internet connection. If all of these can be provided, then, language teacher can use the tools of the site and provide an enjoyable lesson. For example, they can play vocabulary games, matching vocabulary with pictures. They can even use different matching activities for the same vocabulary exercise. For example, they are given words and they choose the suitable picture or all the words and pictures are given and then they match everthing. I believe that using this items will be really enjoyable, beneficial and motivating especially for young learners. Teacher can also study on grammar by using quizes.They can choose which topic they want to study. The site has a variety of the grammar exercises, as well. Some of them have time limits. They should finish the exercise in a certain time. There are exercises that they can type, and there are multiple choice tests. The teacher also can use sentence machine in the class. To illustrate, they can organize the sentences by using the given words. If the teacher wants to focus on pronunciation, there are minimal pairs part that will be helpful to have an awareness of the difference between the sounds. Another useful item that the teacher can make use of in the classroom is listening part. For instance, there is a listening room in which they can listen to the text and fill in the blanks while listening. Also, there is a dictation quiz that teacher can make students listen to the sentences and wait for their writing what they have understood, and then shows the correct answer. Morerover, there are several activities based on the documents of Voice of America, including fill in the blanks, matching items, and spelling activity ( finding words by using some clues) .In short, I believe that English teachers can make their course more motivating and beneficial by using those different activities.

As for its use for self-learning, I believe that www.manythings.org will be even more useful and easier to use than it is for classroom. Although most of the schools do not have technology to use this site in Turkey, a large percent of learners can have computer and internet connection at home or internet cafe. They can use the site easily. The learners can practice grammar that they have learned on the net. To illsutrate, if the student learned comparisons, s/he can go to the grammar part and find activities related to comparisons. Some sentences are given and the tool wants the learner to use the given adjectives in their comparative or superlative forms. Moreover, they can learn new words or they can do some exercises on the words that they have learned. They can even have a good time while studying thanks to the puzzles and the pictures used in the activities. They can learn some slangs expressions , proverbs or idoms in English on their own and study on them. They can learn some songs, jokes, tongue twisters , which will be enjoyable for the learners that are really intereted in English. Briefly, I can say that learner can develop their language knowledge by studying on listening, reading, grammar, vocabulary while their interest to language increase thanks to the enjoyable items.
Besides all of these things, some issues also should be emphased as a conclusion.Technology is developing and getting more and more widespread in education area, so websites and other computer-based tools should be followed and analyzed to make use of them. This website is just one of them. The important point is to be able to use them correctly. Teachers should be careful while choosing such kind of tools. They should not ignore level of the learner and interest of them. Moreover, they should guide correctly the students who can reach several materials on the net in todays’world. I believe that this site will be really useful to increase and quicken learning if it is used on the right way.

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AUTHORING SOFTWARE

QuizFaber

It is a free sofware which allows to create multimedia quizzes in HTML with a JavaScript. One can create a variety of questions by using this program, such as multiple choice tests, True-False exercise, open-ended questions and fill-in-the-blanks exercise. The user can determine a maximum time for finishing the quiz. S/he can change or redesign the background of the page. Explanation for the answers can be written. Moreover, at the end of the activity, the students can see their score immediately, and the results can be stored.

Hot Potatoes

Using Hot Potatoes, one can create interactive web-based activities such as multiple choice, short answer, jumbled sentence, crossword, matching/ordering, fill-in-the-blanks exercises. Students can learn immediately how successful they have been. One can play MP3 Audio files in their exercises. However, it is not a freeware. It is just free for state-funded and non-profit- making educational instutitions, otherwise it must be paid for a licence.

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BASICS OF VIDEO, AUDIO AND WEB BASED CONFERENCING

Alado

This site was used for Global Learn Day 5 and 6 during october 2001 and 2002 by a large percent of people all over the world. It supports to the educational needs of some areas by providing training and professional development programs. It also supports computer and electronics recycling in Illinois and Wisconsin, which is a project of the Digital Workforce Education Society. Apart from these, Alado.net allows voice and text chat, and you can also follow some recordings.As for registering, you log in by using the site www.alado.net/webheads . Moreover, you must download a plug-in ‘tcConference.

Learning Times

It provides learning communities, conferences and programs. You can also take advantage of using three-dimensonal environment on the net for the conferences. You can design your own conferences, build online community. Apart from these, you can choose voice tools provided by Learning Times for online communities.To be a member of this site is free.

Wiziq

One can teach and learn by using wiziq. It is also free and easy to register in wiziq. There are virtual classrooms that one can reach lots of things, such as PowerPoint presentation, audio and video sharing, live chat and even full control like in a real classroom. One can find all sessions recorded and reach them easily.Moreover, wiziq gives importance to safety.They contol all the activities.

Computer-Mediated Communicaiton

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Computer-Mediated Communication: A Comparative Review of Six Programs.

Today’s language learners are luckier. Because of the development of computer based technology and the internet, some changes also in language learning have occurred. They can reach several native speakers of the target language by using computer-mediated communication programs. It is especially useful for the people who do not have an English spoken environment outside the classroom. It will help them to process output. Several projects have been organized so that native speakers and second language learners come together. A project including synchronous audio and video is one of them. They can find three different environments by using synchronous audio and video communication. They are instant messaging, conferences and chat rooms. Moreover, the users can find text chat facility, audio conversation capability and even video communication in some programs. The programs that are suitable for those explanations are AOL instant messenger, Yahoo Messenger, MSN messenger and Windows Messenger, Paltalk and iVisit. AOL instant messenger was the first instant messaging program. Although it is so old, it has lots of capabilities such as text chat, chat communities, variable sound quality. Yahoo Messenger can be used for conference as opposing to the some programs. As for MSN Messenger and Windows Messenger, one can see Windows Messenger as an advanced version of MSN because of its additional features. Windows Messenger also have different and useful features for its users, such as remote assistance, application sharing and whiteboard. Paltalk has both free and paid subscriber modes. It also provides help rooms for the users so that they can find solutions their problems related to Paltalk. Lastly, iVisit has user-created rooms; it does not rely on a central server.

Another issue is related to the forums or discussion part. Because people who write on the discussion forums or online groups can be from all over the world, the users should have cultural awareness. The perspectives of the people related to “what is acceptable and what is not” can change according their cultural backgrounds, ideas. Teachers, for example, can help the students about this issue. In order to prevent people to be offended, ‘moderation’ which can destroy unpleasant things is also something required.

Two Summaries: History of CALL and Online Communities of Practice

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History of CALL

CALL began in 1960 with mainstream drills and practice materials, but it was ignored until the spread of microcomputer into education in the early 1980s. Thanks to the HyperCard, Apple Macintosh had an important place in late 1980s and early 1990s. Although HyperCard and The Mac were easy to work with, they did not support colour and were more expensive. The commercial programs like Windows were prepared for PCs. During this period, teachers used the computer especially for the interaction of the learners efficiently. With the help of increase in language learning based on computer and web, CALL started to have a significant place in language learning area.


Online Communities of Practice

What are communities of practice?
They are the group of people who come together to share their knowledge and interests. However, all the group of people who come together are not a community of practice. It includes these three characteristics:
1. Domain (a common, shared point)
2. The community (interaction between the members, learning together)
3. The practice (shared practice)

What do communities of practice look like?
Communities of practice which are also known with several names are in everywhere learning happens together. They have a variety of forms such as small or big, face to face or online. They use lots of activities.

Where does the concept come from?
The term communities of practice refer to a complex set of relationship between journeymen and apprentices.

Where is the concept being applied?
This concept has found lots of application area such as, organizations, government, education, associations, social sector, international development and the web.