A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most or all the information that learners work with comes from the web. (Bernie Dodge 1995). It encourages group work and gets students involves in real-life tasks.There are many free webquest templates on the QuestGarden website.
QuestGarden members can download WebQuests created by other teachers and use them to meet their specific needs, or they can design one by themselves using an on-line template.
Click here to get to know more about what is a webquest.
How to make your own webquest ?
Click here to follow step by step, there is also a flow-process chart in it illustrating how to design.
Click here if you have not enough time to design. Some steps will help you to choose or adapt.
How can this website foster language learning?
It is quite suitable for teachers who want to create their own materials.
Jing is a very useful screen-capture tool produced by TechSmith. It enables other people to view what you record on your computer screen as well as hear your voice of explaining at the same time. Another important feature of it is user can easily store and share the recording.Of course, all of these are free.
How to use it?
Following video will show you how to use it step by step.
Why is it good for language learning?
1. In the language learning process, Jing can be regarded as a superb tool for teachers to give feedback. They can mark students' homework online and highlight the mistakes or errors, and then explain in detail. and give and record the oral feedback. 2. Compared with traditional written feedback, it is more clarified by using Jing to record an oral feedback since amount of suggestions will be given during recording. 3. As for lower-level learners, this type of feedback provides them a plenty of time to digest and understand their confusing or difficult problems.
How to use it to foster language learning?
1. As for giving feedback, teachers can point out the part they want to make a comment, either by explaining more details, or by giving examples. Then students can go back to listen the comments and watch the video again and again until they understand.
2. It can also used by students. For example, describe a picture using target language structures or phrases as a follow-up activity after speaking class or draw an outline and demonstrate their thoughts to the teacher before a writing work.
Limitations
1. It is impossible to give such an oral feedback to each students,especially in a large size class like China. Taking a record one by one is a time-consuming work.
2.If it's a free version, there is only a 5-minute length for one Jing recording.
Based on the current news event, Breaking news English is a teaching material website which is produced by Sean Baville. A variety of completed and well designed exercises and activities are provided, including listening, speaking, reading, writing, vocabulary and grammar skills.
Why is the content good for language learning?
1.Less preparing, more educating. The materials are designed into different types of tasks, such as warm-up activities, while-reading/writing exercises and after reading or listening activities.It is very convenient and time-saving for teachers to choose the parts they want and print off as handouts or download the listening file(MP3). Both of them are free.
2.The news and information is up-to-date and quite relevant to people's life, so students will find it meaningful and stimulating to learn. 3.There are a wide varieties of high quality quizzes designed in line with the materials, with which the teacher could use to strengthen students' language knowledge.
4.There are also some collaborative activities,which can create a more interactive learning atmosphere. During these sort of tasks, students may feel relaxed and be willing to engaged.
How might you use it in a teaching context?
1.Select a chunk of activities related to a certain topic or lesson to do warm-up activities and brainstorm with the learners. 2.Select a relevant activities to expand students vocabulary,such as matching games. Also,it can be used as an interesting testing program.
3.Put the students into pairs or groups to do some reading comprehension together.For example, the quiz activity.
Limitations
1. This is a fixed genre which can lead to a narrow range of vocabulary learning. 2. As to the audio clips, they are almost recorded by the same person reading at the same speed. Thus, students may rely on this accent. 3. Less considerations taken into students' personalities. If a student dislikes news as teaching material, he/she may feel boring.
Todaysmeet is a simple but effective tool to create a website chatting room for communication and interaction in class. Without limitation of area, this website is extremely suitable for group discussion, even at home . All the participants can spontaneously ask questions, share ideas, and give feedback.
How to use it?
the following video shows how to use it.
Why is this particular tool to language learning?
1. Interactive class. It is an excellent web tool that can build your own BackChannel space for conversation not only between teacher and learner but also between learner and learner. By using this tool, the whole class is like a kind of interactive community.
2. Convenience. There are few limitations of time and space. It can be used as long-distance online learning tool. In addition, it is cost free.
3. Engagement. It is difficult to get the students who are very shy or in lower language proficiency level to engage in discussions, answering questions or other teaching activities. However, by using Todaysmeet, shy learners don’t need to speak in public any more so that they can be motivated and more willing to take part in group work or discussion. On the other hand, thanks to no interruptions, more time is given to lower-level students to think and share their ideas during interactive communications.
4. Benefit for learning vocabulary.Using Todaysmeet to communicate online is an effective way to practice and review vocabulary since participants need to type the right words to communicate.In such case, students’s spelling skills are improved.
How can it be used?
As for a certain topic or question, students can use Todaysmeet as a platform to give opinions, exchange ideas, and give feedback immediately. Also, teacher can join in their discussion, and make a comment.
In terms of learning vocabulary, teacher can ask student to review the old words by typing them correctly.
It also can be used outside classroom. For example, students can use it to have a group discussion through this virtual room. Becides, students can use it help each other recall what have been learned today as a reflective thinking after class. This is a collaborative way which can create a friendly learning environment.
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