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Jos Gabriel Meja

Mrquez
July 5
th
2014

Learning Environments 2.0
Module IV: Tech in Education


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Final Paper
In a chart, describe the advantages and disadvantages of using technology in
your professional development taking into account Blended Learning,
Education 2.0, Web 2.0 and IT.
Blended Learning: It is known as the approach which allows learners to take
advantages of the new technologies in order to increase their knowledge and
understanding of the contents seen in the classroom; with educator's help a single
student can gather useful information from various digital sources of a particular
topic.
Blended Learning
Advantages Disadvantages
BL facilitates a simultaneous
independent and collaborative
learning experience. (Wikipedia)

Learners are able to develop skills
in their own pace, this means
they are not in a hurry to learn
and the teaching-learning process
is more meaningful.

Learners are able to be in contact
with target language speakers.
Whit no geographic limitations
because it occurs in the virtual
environment. (Marsh, 2012)

BL allows teachers to integrate all
learners learning styles into the
teaching process; due to the
flexibility of BL the learner gather
different tools that better suits
into their learning approach.
Information gathered in web sites
sometimes cannot be reliable,
learners tend to avoid confirm
some information or use that one
found in just a single web site.

Learners also take too much time
to perform task, such as:
researches, forum comments, use
of digital or virtual tools and so
on. (Marsh, 2012)

It is not suitable for learners who
don't know how to work
autonomously; teachers are just
facilitators and they just check up
the results not the process itself.
(Marsh, 2012)

Increase plagiarism among
learners, some students do all the
research work and then share it,


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(Marsh, 2012)

Engage the learners to be part of
their own learning by giving
them the opportunity to decide
what digital tools they are going
to use. The teachers are no longer
seen as the center of the learning
process. And BL provides a place
to practice the target language
beyond the classroom. (Marsh,
2012)

Provides a secure environment
for students because they just
need Internet service to search
information in their homes or
schools rather than go outside
looking for a library.

Reduces the costs of the learning
material, because students only
gather and download require and
precise information for the
contents, so expensive books are
no longer need.
and other students just copy and
paste it and present it as their
own.

Learners rarely or even never
socialize with target language
speakers, at the end they share
among their group class and do
not go beyond the Blended
Learning approach.

Blended learning has a strong
dependence on the technical
resources with which the blended
learning experience is delivered.
If there is no internet BL is not
possible. (Wikipedia)


Education 2.0: Is the approach in which the teaching-learning process goes beyond
the old-fashioned way where teachers used to give all the resources, tools theories,
rules and critical thinking of all learning environment. Education 2.0 encourage
both learners and educators to share responsibilities in the educative field by
making use of virtual tools and resources in order to increase the quality and
performance of target language students.


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Education 2.0
Advantages Disadvantages
Virtual classes where learners
join into an online platform and
take educative courses from the
commodity of their homes.
It does not need the physical
presence of a teacher, classes can
be done by videoconference
while students see the screen and
take notes. (Guardado, 2014)
Engage students to be part of the
new technologies, and devices to
use them as tools for facilitating
learning.
Education 2.0 supports learning
process through collaboration,
publication, multiple literacies
and inquiry, the way that learners
learn and are taught will change.
(Selwyn, 2012)
Classes and contents became
richer in meaning using
technology; learners can go
beyond by improving or adding
knowledge they think can suit
into the teaching process.
Educative process becomes fluid,
interesting, funny and
meaningful for students despite
the learning style.
Internet access is not always
available for all students and
some schools do not have
computer labs.
Increase plagiarism, due to
students are not able to do their
own work, they just copy and
paste something similar no
matter if the content is accurate
for the class.
Leveling effect, not all learners
perform at the same pace and
some of them tend to fall behind
and sometimes do not reach the
class goals at all. (Selwyn, 2012)
Lacks of autonomy, some
learners have to be given
instruction almost for everything,
because they get lost easily if the
classes are not in the usual face
to face way.
Wrong use of tools, there is no
guarantee that students do task
in the right way sometimes they
mislead the goal and end up with
something that does not fit in the
goals of the content.


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Web 2.0: Is known as the transition of some web platforms that nowadays let the
users to contribute with the data bases, this new technology look for generate
interaction among users. Some web pages such as Wikipedia are Web 2.0 because
users download and also upload or correct information displayed in the platform.

Web 2.0
Advantages Disadvantages
It allows users to contribute with
knowledge and comments in the
web site. Wikipedia, Blogger,
YouTube, Facebook, Scribd and
many more encourage learners to
give their opinions rather than
just download information.
Web 2.0 allows learners to create
their PLE and PLN, take
advantage of them and be part of
their construction in order to
develop language abilities.
High data storage capacity,
nowadays technology tools allow
users to storage data in web sites
where can be saved and be
available for the posterior use.
It increases the opportunity of
uploading and downloading
material and content related to a
particular content. (Selwyn, 2012)
2.0 networks allow people to
socialize and interact each other;
share information comment
The incorrect use of 2.0 platforms
by users makes the advantages of
these sites worthless and the
learners are just wasting time,
effort, and money without
achieving class goals.
The lack of meaningful sharing
make these sites useless; no
relevant information is shared or
posted, people just chat rather
than make real interaction with
other users.
Lack of internet access, not all the
people have free access to the
web and for that reason they
don't realize how they can
improve their language skills
with those technologic tools.
Web 2.0 reflexes, the huge abyss
between the actual needs of our
students and what is actually
being delivered to them in
schools. (Wikipedia, 2014)
Digital Immigrants; no matter if


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about other person's work, follow
determined web site, keep in
touch with relatives, colleagues,
peers, and so on. Information
flows two ways between site
owner and site user. (Wikipedia,
2014)
The read-and-write character of
web 2.0 supports users in
creating original material for
publication. Its relatively
unbounded space can offer a
strong feeling of doing authentic
research when students can
publish and discuss the products
of their study. (Selwyn, 2012)
Dispersion and content delivery
uses multiple channels (e.g. file
sharing, permalinks); digital
resources and services are sought
more than physical goods.
(Wikipedia, 2014)
they have Internet access if they
are not used to deal with these
new 2.0 pages, they will continue
wasting time and money without
taking a real advantage that
allows them to improve their
foreign language skills.
Pedagogy and curricular design;
technology surely is changing
every aspect of daily living, the
same is for education;
nevertheless, institutions must
create policies about how, when,
and why these new technologies
are going to be applied in the
teaching - learning process.
(Selwyn, 2012)



Instructional Technology: In education, instructional technology is "the theory
and practice of design, development, utilization, management, and evaluation of
processes and resources for learning." (wikipedia, 2008)
Also it deals with the right use of technological devices for educative purposes; in
that way the teacher take advantage of those tools in order to create an optimal
learning environment where the content seem to be more meaningful.



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Instructional Technology
Advantages Disadvantages
IT takes advantages of all new
and varied tools that can be used
for teaching; such as cameras, TV,
DVD recorders, cell phones and
so on.
Transform the classroom
environment and turn the
educative process into a funnier
and meaningful approach where
educators come up with new
ways of teaching the same
curricular contents.
Learners are able to find out
information from different
sources and devices rather than
computer and then share it with
teachers and classmates as well.
IT facilitates learning and
improving performance by
creating, using and managing
appropriate technological
processes and resources; students
access to sites, data, and targeted
opportunities language skills
development. (Instructional
Technology)
No matter the student learning
style IT allows teachers to use a
huge repertory of devices and
virtual tools that better fits into
The lack of money for some
educative institutions that cannot
afford some electronic devices for
the students.
Teacher's commitment, because
some educators do not invest
time learning new ways of
teaching, they got stuck in the
paper age and are not willing to
try a change.
Students' resignation, learners
should be responsible for their
own learning so, they must
demand new ways of teaching
and give suggestions to the
teacher.
Lack of learning policies, where
both educators and students can
negotiate rules for using
technological tools in the learning
environment (school) and virtual
learning environment (web).
Apathy to the new technologies;
digital immigrants see tech as the
reason why students are not
focusing on classes, but it results
to be backwards and new
learners need to be engaged and
motivated making use of new
ways of teaching.


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the content development.
Increase the students' knowledge
internalization, due to the use of
videos, computers and devices
instead of just the teacher's voice
in order to explain the entire
topic.

Explain how you are going to design a lesson plan online by using Web Quest
and what are the real propose using this kind of technology in your professional
development.









WebQuest is a good virtual tool that allows teachers to create online lesson plans;
these can be storage into the platform for their posterior usage. My WebQuests are
going to be based the syllabus and toward to develop language skills on my
students, Im taking in account students' level, background, economic and social
status, and the facility of accessing to the web site.
This amazing tool for teaching is pretty useful because, educators can gather a lot
of information from many different sources, such as videos, documents, files,


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essays, other web pages and so on; all focused to develop the content chosen by the
teacher. Nevertheless, the information has to be checked very carefully because not
all the data can be useful for students or even the level used is too hard for them to
understand; so I recommend think in students as children and go from the easiest
to the hardest. Even though the topic will be complicated the level of the task can
be set lower and increasing through the content development.
I chose Digital Reading for my first WebQuest because I think digital environments
are spreading really faster into our daily living; then I realize that Reading as a
macro skill in English Language development is hard to achieve even more in
digital devices, so for that reason I decided to start with Short Readings such as:
tales, legends, fables, anecdotes, and so on; the vocabulary, length, and content of
these readings are suitable for beginners, intermediate and advance learners. In
addition teacher can have a WebQuest sequence where a single content can be
divided into little ones in order to achieve a good understanding by learners.
The tasks in WebQuest must be clear with no blind spot or ambiguous
interpretation, because the most part of the time the teacher is not going to be
monitoring all students at the same time, so for me is a good idea to share with
them a good, clear example of how the final product has to look like. If I want an
analysis paper, I have to upload one of my own, this encourage students to do it
because they can take it as a model.
The purpose of WebQuest is to have a good tool, teachers can take advantage of, it
is simple to use and offer the chance of gathering data from a lot of sources and in
different formats such as: documents, web sites, videos, mp3, applications, the idea
is that all those information has to be related, in that students focus in only one
topic at a time. The goal for every educator is that using WebQuest students will be
able to understand the topic, and then perform the tasks in an accurate way. For
that reason I think that this platform is really useful in order to develop English
Language skills and depending on the syllabus and subjects WebQuests can vary.

Explain how you are going to deal if you want to use technology in a school or
place of work but there is not Tech in the classroom. What are you going to do?
How are you going to solve the problem? Provide resources that you will use
and the procedures.


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First I as teacher need to know what resources I can have to use in my class, if the
computer lab is available for me to use or I can get some devices such as:
projectors, TVs, DVDs, or a recorder. If I not allow using one of those I have to
measure what resources I possess and what can be suitable for my classes;
nevertheless if those are no options, the best solution for a foreign language teacher
or another teacher is to use Blended Learning Approach.
BL allow me to interact with my students in the classroom face to face, using some
device such a recorder that is the most common for audios I can make them
develop Listening and Speaking skills as well then after school I can provide them
a link where they can find the audio in a video format, in that way the
internalization of the topic is better. The use of an I-pod with speakers also can
work well, teacher only have to download audios in mp3 format and practice with
students.
The idea is to look for and apply the most practical solution to every problem,
sometimes resources that are needed on English subject are not available for
teachers to use. However, creativity and simplicity seem to be the right approach
for overcoming these situations. Students no matter how remote the school is
located have cell phones and those phones have mp3 player, so you can share
audios with them about your classes in that way they study on their own pace.
Furthermore if they have access to internet they can be lead to search some other
virtual tools in order to learn or gather information about the contents seen in
classes, such as YouTube, Blogs, Wikis and many more. That is the methodology
for Blended Learning Approach where both teacher and students look for a
solution and suitable resources.
Finally, I think that Facebook groups can be practical almost every teen has
Facebook account, so if you encourage joining into a class group where they can
share and download info about class contents posted by both teacher and students
as well. In that way BL can make teaching more meaningful for students and at the
same time avoid old-fashioned pedagogical ways that bored students down.






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In this social network I can get in touch with my family, colleagues and
some of my students, nevertheless is not the ideal way to do it because
my FB profile also displays my comments, posts, and preferences.
Twitter also allow me to get in touch with people, also increase the
possibility to socialize with target language people. That can help me to
improve my own skills as an English speaker.
Blogger allow me to start punlishing some papers of my own, in that
way I can make a good use of the web 2.0 and be part of the knowledge
construction sites. I am the owner and establish what kind of info my
blog is going to have.
YouTube is essential for a PLE because web users can have information
available almost for every content they want, with the opportunity to
have a look of real target language speakers interacting in a natural
way.
Google Apps, including Gmail, Drive, Maps, Gplay and many more are
part of my PLE because these applications are very useful for
performing my task. They are easy to use and practical.
Skype allow me to make video conferences with everybody in any part
of the world, classmates, colleagues, relatives and so on. Also this tool
allow me to speak in from an audience and perform a lecture without
being present in the building.
Scribd is a wonderful tool for my PLE, because allows me the
opportunity to download prefessional essays and papers and at the
same time upload some of my own. It also encourage people to publish
their work no matter how relevant it can be.
Wikipedia is a web 2.0 tool because is jointly constructed and people
can edit and re-edit some of the content displayed for eveyone in the
platform. For someone who is trying to build up knowledge, Wiki is a
good tool for a PLE.
Choose digital resources you will include and describe how those digital
resources you are going to improve you PLE and PLN.
Personal Learning Environment























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Bing is a wonderful tool, is a search engine that allow me the possibility
to find out pages with information. Bing displays some web sites quite
different to those diplayed by Google. In a PLE is important to use
more than just one search engine.
Slide share is a useful web platform where users share their Power
Point Presentations, so is great in order to publish some presentations
and at the same time take a look of other people's work and compare
and improve yours.
Atube Catcher is a great tool that is not only for downloading videos, it
has screen recorder feature which can be useful to make tutorial videos
for later uploading to YouTube. It's simple to use and very complete.








Personal Learning Network
My Personal Learning Environment it focused on my professional development,
and the tools are divided into categories which have specific functions inside the
PLE.
Social Networking






Facebook, IN, and Twitter are going to be part of my PLE. Nevertheless the
approach for these social sites is to be part of online communities were
professional colleagues share information about Language Learning Development.
FB has groups, Twitter and link have pages where you can join and comment
about issues related to your professional field.



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Gather Information










Different sources improve my PLE in this case these virtual tools help in my
professional development by allowing me to download and gather information,
knowledge, and data for improving my skills as a teacher.
Edublogs, allow me to stay update with educative issues related to the language
development and performance. Bing and Google are helpful search engines that
expand my possibilities to find out data of any kind. YouTube is a video tool that
let me know of forehand what to do if have problems with something inside or
outside the classroom no matter if I watch a tutorial, a lecture, or just a person's
opinion I can be in touch with native target language speakers. Wikipedia is an
awesome tool because it displays information that can be edited by any of the
platform users and then re-edited in order to update or discredit some of the
approaches that are there. Wikis are known as web 2.0 platforms because
encourage the participation and contribution of the web users. Finally
WordReference is a suitable tool for English students and teachers in order to get
necessary vocabulary and its right meaning.
Of course there are other web sites and tools that probably allow me to get data
from the web; nevertheless, this tools I chose are easy to use and handle I can add
more but I will continue using them.


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Share Information











In order to complete my PLN is necessary to start using 2.0 sharing online
platforms, for that reason I chose these virtual tools with that purpose. Blogger,
easy to use allow me to upload information related or
based into a specific content or topic, in this case English
language development. Scribd, useful to publish essays,
papers and works in general encourage people to be part
of the digitalization of the printed word. SlideShare,
allow me to publish my Power Point presentations about
any topic I want, these are seen by people who gat access
to the web site and they can use them for assignments.
BookTango, is a new one I would like to try it helps
people to publish book of their own and the sale them
online is totally free and useful for people who don't have money to publish
articles. WordPress and Bligoo are blog platforms people can use to create their
own blogs with the approach they want despite of Blogger this resemble most like
a web page and the way of use is quite different. Finally YouTube is the video site
that allows me to upload video format material in order to be watched by every
user of the site, you can have your channel and start posting your own creations.


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Mailing





Maybe the most essential tool for a PLN is an e-mail account, without one it is
impossible to have accounts in other virtual platforms; for that reason is important
to have at least one.
The most common is Hot Mail, now called Out Look, allow user to have a
personal space in the web where can be contacted by others and gives the owner a
chance of send info, data, pictures, videos, papers and so on. Gmail from Google
apps is virtually new; it also offers the same features besides the use of Google
Apps that could not be available without a Gmail account. Finally Yahoo, it works
pretty well as an e-mail account. All of them can be easy to use and necessary for
developing a complete PLN.
Creation





This is the last goal for a PLN; it involves the possibility of creating something
rather than copy something that is already done. Rubistar gives teachers the
possibility of creating rubrics as a new way of evaluate students based on abilities
rather than numerical scores; Rubistar is very useful and easy to use I just need to
access the platform and choose the kind of rubric I need and then do it, there are
pre-selected parameters, however you can change or add new ones according to


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your purpose, needs, or class goals. WebQuest is another wonderful tool,
accessing to zunal.com teachers can create an online lesson plan; right there the
user only need to start gathering information related to the content, papers, essays,
videos, presentations, readings and anything that would be helpful can be attached
to the WebQuest and create a complete lesson plan for students. No matter if this
fit into the syllabus or not this virtual tool is good for English teachers to make the
learning process more meaningful and funnier for learners. Finally Teachnology is
another virtual tool that can be used for teachers to make rubrics, webquests,
worksheets, and printables is a good web site for teacher's professional
development.
Conclusion
Being a teacher is not an easy job even more if you teach a second language; for
that reason is important that educators develop new ways of teaching old contents,
one of these ways is using Technological tools, software and applications which is
more or less amount can vary the way education is developed. Teachers don't
come from the digital age and the use of 2.0 methodologies seem to be hard to
achieve; nevertheless that is not an excuse and If you go to Rome, do like the
Romans it means if you teach digital natives do the same that digital natives do.
There are a lot of papers and essays available on the web where you can find out
new approaches about language teaching development, tutorial videos where
teachers share experiences facing these problems. Technology has become a real
science and such as Math or Physics need to be study by educators in order to get
advantage of it, or there is a risk of becoming obsolete as a teacher.








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References

http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/web_quest/
http://zunal.com/webquest.php?w=249047
https://wordpress.com/
http://www.bligoo.com/
https://www.facebook.com/gabo.marquez.58
http://www.bing.com/
http://www.booktango.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
https://twitter.com/GabrielMar9902
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1Evx0AGyMVxqk1RgKMmYzA
http://outsourcedlanguage.blogspot.com/
http://es.scribd.com/gabriel_marquez_20
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php?ts=1404362738