This week's topic namely "Online Learning" is an interesting one so far as the technology use is concerned for self-learning. The modern learners are equipped with so many electronic gadgets which they are fascinated to use on regular basis or daily. Why should the language teachers remain away from all these aids and tools?This is one side of the picture, but the other side is the awareness of its merits and demerits before making the use of it as a habit.
The teachers have to read many reference books on a subject to deliver lectures and explain the points related to the topic. The learners can always depend on the teachers for explanation and queries.Now due to the advent of technology and online materials, the learners do not feel like reading books-either texts or reference books-unless badly needed. The online resources and tools should be used as supplementary materials, not as substitutes of teachers or books written by scholars and authors, after a long research on the subject.
The modern readers, when given a library assignment or task, feel it as an easy task to complete without lot of effort or hard work. They simply click on the mouse and find everything on the screen of their computers provided they have access to internet and long time to spend and sit before the monitor. The question is not raised how far the online materials are authentic and useful for the specific learners. Who is the authority to say so?Everything is available online to everyone.Who are the stake-holders-ALL?Who does bother to acknowledge the source/resource nowadays?
In this context, I just want to make a plea to my fellow teachers.Let us acknowledge the contribution of the great scholars in the field of knowledge and philosophy. Let us go back to the library personally and search and research sources. Let us check and go through the necessary relevant documents available in the libraries, before deciding about the authenticity of the materials available merely on the web/online.
Our learners should be allowed to use the online resources in a limited manner just to find out the rare articles or books/review essays, interviews, that they may not find locally. They should think independently, work in an innovative manner and creatively. Then only, they can become "autonomous and self-dependent" personalities in future.
I do not discard the use of technology at all nor disapprove the availability of online tools in the market. I, at the same time, wish that there should be reading of books in the library, an independent thinking and then creating something as an original end product, not merely a copy of something else, something that is machine-produced and duplicate of the original or the first copy.
In my post in the Nicenet discussion, I have stated something very positive about the merits of the online resources. I personally began to use computer and internet-based emails when my younger brothers went abroad, just to have a regular contact with them in the fastest and cheapest possible way. However, soon it became a hobby in me to use computer regularly and check mails too. As an extension of this habit, I applied for a scholarship to visit Canada and was selected for two internal summer seminars in three different Canadian universities. I would not have got this opportunity, if I would have remained ignorant of the computer and internet. I was awarded the present E-Teacher scholarship by the US Embassy in India and selected as a participant of this online course on "Building Web skills" only due to my regular practice of being online at least for an hour just to keep myself abreast of the world around me as an elite individual.
The learners should be exposed to all these advantages and disadvantages before they are provided with the online tools for use.
I am now using computer and internet for my personal research and teaching reference. I am using Yahoo/Rediff/Google for emails, Facebook for personal/social networking, wikipedia, ipl, google, youtube, etc. for reference tools and materials. Now I knew about the Nicenet, Delicious, Anvill, 4teachers, CLEAR, etc. as a course participant. A lot of web-based tools are available to modern teachers for creating classes, work-sheets, puzzles, games, flash cards and exercises. Easily the teachers can use all these freely available online templates and design their classroom lessons for future reference.
Yes, I know that if we do not give them the tools, they would get them from the local shops and use anyhow. So a "BIG YES" for online tools in enhancing learning and making our learners autonomous. The result is positive and encouraging, but the disadvantages are to be recognized too. We are gradually becoming "VIRTUAL" individuals/Images spending long hours before computers and remaining online, and finding less time for our nears and dears. We believe in "online social networking" whereas our local societies are collapsing periodically. We remain disconnected as living human beings in the surrounding, devoid of human emotions and feelings. We send e-greeting cards and other e-documents to share with others who are in touch with us virtually, but do not remember them who contributed a lot for our development. This is the new way of life and we have to accept it simultaneously. Should I blame the computer and the Internet for taking away all these personal emotions from me, because it demands a lot of time and partnership?
All my colleagues have to reflect on this issue and give comments to this post.
Best wishes and regards.
Sincerely,
Virtual Mahesh
The teachers have to read many reference books on a subject to deliver lectures and explain the points related to the topic. The learners can always depend on the teachers for explanation and queries.Now due to the advent of technology and online materials, the learners do not feel like reading books-either texts or reference books-unless badly needed. The online resources and tools should be used as supplementary materials, not as substitutes of teachers or books written by scholars and authors, after a long research on the subject.
The modern readers, when given a library assignment or task, feel it as an easy task to complete without lot of effort or hard work. They simply click on the mouse and find everything on the screen of their computers provided they have access to internet and long time to spend and sit before the monitor. The question is not raised how far the online materials are authentic and useful for the specific learners. Who is the authority to say so?Everything is available online to everyone.Who are the stake-holders-ALL?Who does bother to acknowledge the source/resource nowadays?
In this context, I just want to make a plea to my fellow teachers.Let us acknowledge the contribution of the great scholars in the field of knowledge and philosophy. Let us go back to the library personally and search and research sources. Let us check and go through the necessary relevant documents available in the libraries, before deciding about the authenticity of the materials available merely on the web/online.
Our learners should be allowed to use the online resources in a limited manner just to find out the rare articles or books/review essays, interviews, that they may not find locally. They should think independently, work in an innovative manner and creatively. Then only, they can become "autonomous and self-dependent" personalities in future.
I do not discard the use of technology at all nor disapprove the availability of online tools in the market. I, at the same time, wish that there should be reading of books in the library, an independent thinking and then creating something as an original end product, not merely a copy of something else, something that is machine-produced and duplicate of the original or the first copy.
In my post in the Nicenet discussion, I have stated something very positive about the merits of the online resources. I personally began to use computer and internet-based emails when my younger brothers went abroad, just to have a regular contact with them in the fastest and cheapest possible way. However, soon it became a hobby in me to use computer regularly and check mails too. As an extension of this habit, I applied for a scholarship to visit Canada and was selected for two internal summer seminars in three different Canadian universities. I would not have got this opportunity, if I would have remained ignorant of the computer and internet. I was awarded the present E-Teacher scholarship by the US Embassy in India and selected as a participant of this online course on "Building Web skills" only due to my regular practice of being online at least for an hour just to keep myself abreast of the world around me as an elite individual.
The learners should be exposed to all these advantages and disadvantages before they are provided with the online tools for use.
I am now using computer and internet for my personal research and teaching reference. I am using Yahoo/Rediff/Google for emails, Facebook for personal/social networking, wikipedia, ipl, google, youtube, etc. for reference tools and materials. Now I knew about the Nicenet, Delicious, Anvill, 4teachers, CLEAR, etc. as a course participant. A lot of web-based tools are available to modern teachers for creating classes, work-sheets, puzzles, games, flash cards and exercises. Easily the teachers can use all these freely available online templates and design their classroom lessons for future reference.
Yes, I know that if we do not give them the tools, they would get them from the local shops and use anyhow. So a "BIG YES" for online tools in enhancing learning and making our learners autonomous. The result is positive and encouraging, but the disadvantages are to be recognized too. We are gradually becoming "VIRTUAL" individuals/Images spending long hours before computers and remaining online, and finding less time for our nears and dears. We believe in "online social networking" whereas our local societies are collapsing periodically. We remain disconnected as living human beings in the surrounding, devoid of human emotions and feelings. We send e-greeting cards and other e-documents to share with others who are in touch with us virtually, but do not remember them who contributed a lot for our development. This is the new way of life and we have to accept it simultaneously. Should I blame the computer and the Internet for taking away all these personal emotions from me, because it demands a lot of time and partnership?
All my colleagues have to reflect on this issue and give comments to this post.
Best wishes and regards.
Sincerely,
Virtual Mahesh
1 comment:
Mahesh,
This is truly a reflective post. You have outlined the ways in which you use the web from social networking to your teaching and then commented on the importance of familiarizing your students with the educational tools you have learned about. There have been an abundance of tools introduced to you and you should make your students aware of the ones that they can benefit from and that encourage learner autonomy. Further, I hope that the tools you've learned about in this course will become common practice for you in your teaching to help engage your students and also make your job easier.
Thanks for such a candid post!
Best,
"Virtual" Courtney
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