Padlet, simple and powerful!

Through struggling with the new online websites last week, "Padlet" is the best and easiest tool for online teamwork (at least for me😂)

The website is here

🔆Introduction

Padlet was originally a college student entrepreneurship project, called "whitewall". As the name suggests, it is to give people a white wall which people can doodle freely with their imagination.

🔆Features - SIMPLE and POWERFUL!

Padlet provides users with a digital "white wall" where people can create things for their preference. 

"Simple" means that it is easy to use. Even people who use the Padlet for the first time can learn to use it quickly. 

"Powerful" refers to that Padlet can provide users with seven different templates, and they can choose the appropriate template on the basis of their own needs.

For example, students can choose the "Timeline" to help students learn historical events in a certain period of time in chronological order.

🔆Collaborative Learning Function

Padlet can not only be used as a tool for individual knowledge management, but also support collaborative groups in interaction, creation, group evaluation and other activities.

1. Provide cooperation platform

A group can jointly own a padlet account and everyone can log in or the team leader create a web wall firstly, and then select "visitor can edit" in privacy settings to jointly edit the content in the specified web wall. Group members can upload the collected resources to the web wall around the same learning topic,  which help them share resources and broaden horizons at the same time.

2. Group members can communicate anonymously

When editing the content, group members can choose not to display the name of the editor, so that members can write freely and alleviate the anxiety caused by worrying about their superficial ideas. The focus will be shifted and shift the content itself. Besides, anonymous opinions are more friendly to passive and introverted group members.

3. Saving and sharing are convenient and fast

Every web wall in Padlet can be saved automatically after editing. Also, Padlet supports the export function, which can export the edited web wall into pictures, PDF and other formats. Alternatively, team members can choose to share the edited web wall in other web spaces and learn from the opinions and suggestions of other teams or students.

🔆Consideration

Group collaborative learning  is a learning method widely used in today's classroom and network learning. It can cultivate students' cooperative ability and stimulate students' creative thinking, but sometimes the learning effect is not high. 

• In group cooperation, teachers should pay attention to the division of groups and reasonably plan groups according to students' characteristics and learning contents.

• Pay attention to the role allocation of team members and mobilize the enthusiasm of each member.

• The focus is on the formulation of group cooperation evaluation rules and the selection of reasonable group evaluation and individual evaluation methods, so that each group and each member can get the due and reasonable evaluation.

In addition, the limitation of mobile digital devices: not all the schools prove that students can bring these to class.

Overall, padlet will become a good tool to promote group collaborative learning as long as it is used properly!😉

Take an English trip with Music🎵

 Lyricstrainning

- Enjoy learning English with music

👏 Today, I want to recommend a website which is called Lyricstraining. The link is here.

🎶Introduction

Lyrics training is a website that uses songs (lyrics) to learn languages. There are not only English songs, but also songs in many other languages to choose from. The learning method is to fill in the blanks in the lyrics while watching the song video. There are four difficulty levels to choose from (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced and Expert), and the difficulty is progressive. It's really an interesting tool.

🎶How to use it

The most convenient thing is that you can use it directly WITHOUT REGISTERING on the website.

There are two videos which introduce this website and show people how to use it. Two modes of this website are demonstrated. One is about the Write Mode and the other is about the Choice Mode.

🎶Analysis

Advantages

Motivation

• Related to personal interest. There are different genres in LyricsTraining which students can choose based on their own favorites. Interest is the best teacher!

• Turn learning into a challenging but interesting game. Language learning is not all about reading textbooks or mechanically exercises the knowledge taught by teachers in class. Students can choose the appropriate practice mode and difficulty level according to themselves. This process also adds entertainment elements into learning. Students will have more passion to insist on this practice.

Autonomy

• Suitable for home learners. When using this website, an electronic device can only have one player at a time. From this perspective, it is more suitable for students to study at home. Of course, in school, teachers can also use the break to let one or two volunteers (students) try to practice in front of the class.

• Be responsible for personal choices. As mentioned before, choosing to use which website, which level of difficulty and which mode of practice are students' independent choices. Teachers give students enough space for  self-development and they will take the initiative to complete with the sense of responsibility.

Authentic

• There are not only a lot of songs, but also a lot of movies and clips. A large number of available materials can guide students learn more about the native speakers' accents in the world. Accent is important because in listening comprehension tests. The most important thing is that they are authentic!

Disadvantages

Limited Computer or Internet Access

• A computer or tablet with Internet access is necessary for using this tool. Using these digital devices especially in some schools could be impossible. (Because many schools in China prohibit students from taking electronic equipment to school and they will not distribute tablets to every student).

Limitations: Pronunciation, Accent, and Speed of Speech

• These limitations could prevent students from listening correctly. Because each singer's pronunciation, accent and speaking speed are different, some exercises that are considered for beginners are not really suitable for learners who are totally green hands of English. The design of different level can not only depend on the proportion of missing words. It still need to think carefully.

🎶Conclusion 

In short, learning English with this website is like a game, accompanied by good music. It could be both interesting and challenging. So, the result could be polarizing: you gonna love this way of learning, or you will hate the song that you used to love so much. (Just like me, I do not want to hear the song that I practice here for so so so many times😭)

But if you don't try, you'll never know whether it's suitable for you or not!😋

WebQuest, an inspiring source

Theme parks

🌟The link for this webquest is http://questgarden.com/204/40/2/191123072006/index.htm

🎉Introduction

As we can see in this picture, it is about how to choose the best theme park in USA and introduce it to the class. The target group would be 9-12 year-old students.

🎉Analysis

    Instruction

• Clear and detailed. Good instructions of the task will help students to understand what they need to do during the process. Unclear instructions will force students to ask teachers again and again, which will affect classroom efficiency.

• Logical. Every step in the process is considered by the author and conforms to people's thinking logic. They are not written randomly and disorderly.

    Stimulate Motivation

• Interesting topic. For students between the ages of 9 and 12, “theme parks” is very attractive.

• Imaginary role play. Students can choose the point they are more interested in from ride, food, landscape and show/entertainment, and judge the advantages and disadvantages of the theme park from the perspective of a critic. New angles bring new discoveries.

    Collaboration and Team Work

• Encourage students to cooperate. They should first discuss the division of labor, and finally synthesize the information collected together and report the results in the name of a group. In fact, this process is to enhance students' communicative and cooperative competence.

    Autonomy

• The space to work individually. It doesn't just make students cooperate in groups all the time. After the division of labor, students can independently query useful relevant information according to the resources provided by the teacher, which exercise their skills of information inquiry.

• Feel free to express and share. Teachers do not excessively participate in the research process but give students full autonomy to complete the task from their own perspective. In this case, they will be more passionate to share with others (including the teacher).

All the materials (mainly from the theme parks websites)are authentic!

    Limitations

• Identify the number of theme parks that students need to investigate. The author writes in the introduction that there are 13 theme parks, but the subsequent video is about top 10 parks, and then the number of website links provided by the author are 8.
  
  
  

  

• Some links have expired and need to be updated.

• Maybe teachers can provide more informations or links that can see tourists' comments, which help students see the theme park from different angles.

🎉Conclusion

Overall, this webquest design takes into account the ability of reading, writing(need to write an article) and speaking. It not only exercises the students' skills to query information independently, but also enhances their both communicative and cooperative competence. It also allows students to expand their vocabulary about theme parks. 😊

Enjoy teaching and learning with Kahoot!

Last week, we tried different game-based learning tools and the most interesting one from my own perspective  was Kahoot!. I’m glad to have this chance to introduce it and I hope you enjoy it like I do! 😉

🌻Introduction

Icard (2014) believes that game-based learning is a impressive way to encourage students to review the classroom content. With the development of science and technology, it has become a reality to bring high-tech products into the classroom. Teachers need to consider the possibilities and benefits of using different new technologies in the classroom. In this case, a variety of auxiliary teaching apps and websites came into being and Kahoot! is one of the best.

🌻Kahoot! --- What is Kahoot!

Kahoot! is an online test platform which adds game elements into the classroom. The platform creates an interesting learning space for participants to complete information transmission and test through interaction. No matter who you are, maybe teachers, students or businessmen, you can design and answer questions on Kahoot!, the online platform. 

The website of Kahoot! is https://create.kahoot.it/

🌻Kahoot! with classroom --- Why should we choose Kahoot!

• Interactive: the multi-screen interaction of on mobile terminal is a major feature of Kahoot!. By allowing students to participate in the "quick quiz" through the digital game-based learning, we (teachers) can easily create a relatively relaxing and fun class environment. We can also collect students' answer datas in this way to understand students' learning.

• Free: Kahoot!, as a creative platform, has a high level of freedom. Not only teachers, but also students can use it. It is very convenient to make questions by yourself for the purposes of self-assessment and mutual assessment. You can also make great achievements in the classroom of group cooperation (such as making questions and assessment among groups), which helps to stimulate students' creativity and motivation.

• Simple: Although Kahoot! is an English website, it is easy to operate and easy to use for people from all over the world. Users do not need to download the app. Any mobile devices with internet can access this website, which makes Kahoot! a highly compatible platform.

🌻Kahoot! with design --- How to use Kahoot!

1.  Log in to your account (if not, register first, remember to choose the identity of the teacher), and then click "Create" in the top right-hand corner of the webpage.

2. Click "Create new kahoot" in the new page.

3. The new interface is as follows. You can design the type of question you want and other details (including answer time, question score, etc.) in the options on the right side.

4. Input the question content you designed into the page. You can also insert or drag/ pictures or videos. When designing options, the correct answer needs to be selected as the correct option, so that the system can accurately identify whether the answer is correct or not after students answering.

5. Select "Add question" on the left side and repeat step 3 and step 4 until all the questions are finished.

6. Check whether there is something wrong with the content, and then click "Save" in the top right-hand corner to save your design.

7. The designed quiz can be found in "Library". In class, the teacher can click "play" and then select "start". "Player vs Player" or "Team vs Team" depends on your choice. You will receive a PIN code which is displayed on the screen and students join the activity/quiz by visiting Kahoot! and entering the PIN code and a “name” they will use for the quiz. 

8. Finally you can start the game!

🌻Kahoot! with China --- Is it suitable for Chinese students?

In Chinese traditional English teaching class, It is always teacher-centred. Sometimes, teachers will give students to do group (or pair) activities, which can not fully mobilize the enthusiasm of students, especially younger learners, to learn English. However, Kahoot! can enhance classroom interaction and avoid the disadvantages brought by the one-way teaching method. It can make students acquire and learn knowledge more actively.

Moreover, as mentioned above, with the rapid development of science and technology, more and more scientific and technological products are brought into the classroom, which lays the foundation for the use of digital game-based tools. Some schools in China will distribute tablet computers to students to assist their learning in classroom. 

🌻Limitations

• Electronic equipment is required. Considering the different affordability of each student's family, it may be unrealistic to require every student to bring a mobile phone or tablet to school. Moreover, many schools in China prohibit taking electronic devices to school in order to prevent students from playing mobile phones in class.

• Do not always rely on digital game-based learning. Not all tasks are suitable to be designed as games, and games can not be played at any time in class. The main principle is to find the balance point.

🌻Conclusion

Kahoot! pays attention to the process of answering questions with games. It adds vitality into the classroom and make learning more interesting. However, as mentioned before, this does not mean that it can be used at any time and any where. The most important thing is to cooperate with the teacher's teaching content with Kahoot!. Try to use it flexibly.

At last, I want to share the quiz that I design by Kahoot!. The link is https://create.kahoot.it/share/practice-for-present-progressive/fc415d8b-e969-4eb2-acb5-b82a7d0666b2 . These questions are related to my peer teaching class. Enjoy! Looking forward to your comments and suggestions!😊

Reference:

Ryan, D., & South, K. (2015). Kahoot! A digital game resource for learning. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 12(4), 49-52.