Thinglink

Hi everyone ! 

I'm here with a new website that surely will increase classroom performance! The Thinglink! This website is great in many ways. Firstly, it creates interactive learning with technology with images, videos and VR experience. 

Secondly, it is really easy to register, and right after it gives an introduction video on how to use the website. After the video you can see this page; 

You can take a look at the inspiring project ideas, there are a lot of good materials to be learned and when you click the ''My Media'' will see this;

It is a wall that enables you to see, edit and share your works. I must say I was not expecting images to be so clear when I uploaded them but they were really good preserved. I created a image interaction but I will be surely using this app in my classes to teach all kinds of subject in a more fun way ! I just loved this app...

Here is my interactive image; https://www.thinglink.com/scene/1323577121271971842

Augmented Reality

Have you ever heard the term Augmented Reality ?

It sounds similar to Virtual Reality, and I was not familiar with the term or the concept couple months ago. It sounded like alternative reality or representation of something that is digitally created. And I was not totally wrong. So today we are going to talk about Augmented Reality.

'' Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive experience of a real-world environment where the objects that reside in the real world are enhanced by computer-generated perceptual information, sometimes across multiple sensory modalities, including visual, auditory, haptic, somatosensory and olfactory.''

It is the textbook definition of the term and the context. It has to subcategory; marked-based and markerless. In markerless, the object that you choose appears in any area you hold your tool’s camera while in marker-based one, you need to scan a specific image for a specific object which is used in education the most. You may remember the game ''Pokemon Go'' where pokemons appear in front of the camera in three dimension version and you could catch them. Yeap that was too AR! 
It can be really fun to introduce to students in the class. However, I believe it will eventually be a part of virtual reality or replaced with virtual reality as VR offers so much more.

Two New Models of Teaching TPACK and SAMR

I want to mention two new model that can be helpful to language learning. First one is Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge, TPACK. It ‘’attempts to identify the nature of knowledge required by teachers for technology integration in their teaching, while addressing the complex, multifaceted and situated nature of teacher knowledge’’. It is a model that enables teachers to use their knowledge of content, pedagogy, and technology to use in a way that enhances students learning. The TPACK framework was introduced by Punya Mishra and Matthew J. Koehler. It was their concern that while trying to teach with the technology of 21st century, which is a whole other expertise, teachers tend to concentrate on one of the knowledge more than others. TPACK is a combination of what teacher know, how they teach and how teacher uses the role of technology to enable better learning. For example while learning about global warning, students can explore the three dimension charts of the causes and then create their own solutions, and then they could share their solution with a field expert. This has all three components and gives more than one perspective to acquire knowledge. 

The other model is SAMR, introduced by Ruben Puentedura. ’’SAMR’' stand for Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition. SAMR provides a framework to show the impact of technology on teaching and learning, it is like a guide for teachers to use of technology to create activities for classroom content. This activities advice to be design in a way that will uncover students’ creativity and also enable students to interact with each other’s discoveries. In Puentedura’s own words ‘’ …where you are using technology as a gateway for social practice of explanation. ‘’ It is designed as a peer mentoring like evaluation. Students are taking the lead of their own learning, they are the ones who create and not the ones who sit down and watch. These two models are designed for using the technology in a way that enhance the students’ learning. They can be useful for language learning and also for other areas of the education.

You can visit Ruben Puentedura's blog here; http://hippasus.com/blog/

Language Learning Apps

Hi, today rather than introducing you new websites that can help create materials for language or other classes, I will be introducing language learning apps. I mentioned this before, how the century shaped our understanding of school, this apps offers language teaching in not classes but online. 

Let's start with Busuu. It is an app offers 12 different languages' course and materials. User can purchase more content with money but Busuu offers free materials too. I have used Busuu to learn basic Russian before my course starts. I did not purchase any content and it was not very helpful for me as it was not start with the alphabet. However, after completing a section of the language course you can write a paragraph about the topic you just learnt and/or record your voice and pronunciate a sentence and post it only your given page. With his the native speakers of the language can help you to fix your expressions or pronunciation. This native speakers are not field experts they are just born into that language and trying to learn a new language themselves. This kind of peer correction can really help one to be better. I recommend this app on the level of this aspect, but it would be good to remember its free to use materials are not so good.

The second app is Duolingo. It has three languages which are ; English, German and Russian. Also there is a not that French will be there soon too. The graphic of the app and website, and how smoothly it works are the reasons why I liked this app. Like Busuu, it has free to use materials and courses and payed courses I have not bought the payed content however this app also gives 7 days of free trial for premium account. Which is great to discover. One problem that I have seen while using this app is that the language test to determine the level of your language if you are not a beginner in the language is quite easy. My test turned back 100/100, and no complex sentence or translate was asked. So I'm not sure if it has a good ranking system. But if you want to start learning one of these three languages you can use this app and it has 7 days free trial!

Virtual Reality!

Virtual Reality excites me more than anything else, I could say. So what is it ?


''Virtual Reality (VR) is the use of computer technology to create a simulated environment. Unlike traditional user interfaces, VR places the user inside an experience. Instead of viewing a screen in front of them, users are immersed and able to interact with 3D worlds. By simulating as many senses as possible, such as vision, hearing, touch, even smell, the computer is transformed into a gatekeeper to this artificial world.''

One of the most important one that technology changed the understanding of brick builds to everywhere around us. People do not need to go to school to receive education or go to a library to read a book and even they do not need to read a book to obtain knowledge anymore. People all around the world became teachers because the meaning we except is not dictated anymore it is socially constructed and reinvented, with the opportunities given by technological developments. This is quite basically how the perception changed around the traditional education. And virtual reality takes this into the next step. Creating an environment for learning on a non existing place. In today's world it did not advanced like I dreamed it to be however, it creates an interactive learning. It is not just limited with their interaction but also it creates different ways to give students the necessary input throughout the different sources. For example the topic of animals, it is not possible to bring animals to the class and teach them but we can show their natural habitats, their place in food chain via virtual reality glasses. It will make learning much more fun and we give the input not just visually or voice based but with all the things they have in their natural form, closest they can be to real life experience.

MindMeister

You must heard this expression expression before; the mind creates maps and connects them together with the context in a complex way. Have you ever thought you can create this map concretely and interactively with your students ? 

This is what exactly MindMeister does! 

 You can use different types of charts and maps and while doing this you can see what your students are doing. Also in the same time you can contribute their work.
This is my map about the subject seasons, it was really easy to create and add and color them ! This website can be used before class to see what students know about the subject and they can add more details as they learn more or it can be used at the end of the class to remember and go over the things that students learned in the lesson.