Dear Readers,
I want to wrap up all the technologies that I have made a blog post on during my course.
So far, I have presented different technologies that are being used for language teaching purposes globally, as well as their feasibility for application in the Armenian TEFL context. Although most of the institutions and language schools do not have the necessary tools and facilities, there are some useful and adaptable technology programs that can be used by the teachers in Armenia:
- As Blogs are not very well known technology for most of the Armenian students, introducing them the instructions and assign them to post their reflections or thoughts would be an effective way to develop the learners’ writing skills.
- Based on my peers and students’ reflections, digital storytelling and filmmaking have been the most favorite ones especially among young students in Armenia. The drawbacks to be mindful about these technologies are the amount of time to be considered in order to give instructions and availability of computers, which can be solved by teachers dedicating class time on giving instructions and providing the devices by asking learners to bring their own devices or consult with the stakeholder of their institution or school.
- Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) is a highly practical and efficient technological tool. According to the findings demonstrating a high rate of access to the smartphones both in urban and rural areas in Armenia, integrating MALL in language learning courses would motivate learners to engage in lessons and produce the target language efectively.
The most important take-aways that I consider and use based on what I have learned during this course are:
- There is no need to have high-quality devices to use technology in your classrooms, even simple mobile phones or recorders can be used to keep students motivated and excited to learn.
- Never trust technology and always have a plan B.
- Teach instructions prior to the lessons and be sure that your students have understood the steps.
- Online resources are not limited to Google searches only, online educational resources (OER), Learning Management Systems (LMSs), and Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) contain valuable sources and materials that you can include in your lesson plans.
- There are tons of innovative online games that can be involved in your assessment plan.
- I did not know about Artificial Intelligence-Chatbots and 3D Virtual Worlds-Second Life and their impact on language learning before. Now I know that they are beneficial for students who get frustrated when talking to native speakers in person. These programs are the best choice to give them freedom and confidence to practice the target language virtually.
- I also really liked the activities with QR codes which I will use them in my course design project.
Personally, I really enjoyed learning about all the new technological tools and gadgets. I am also grateful for having a helpful instructor who provided us the most updates and useful online sources.
Teaching is fun! 