Reflective Channel

  The Imperative for Innovation in Teaching Writing Hassan Rahmeh In a rapidly evolving world, where technology and communication are at the forefront of human interaction, the ability to write effectively is more crucial than ever. Teaching writing skills has traditionally followed a well-trodden path, but it's time for innovation to revolutionize how we prepare students for the challenges of the 21st century. In this blog post, we'll explore the compelling need for innovation in teaching writing skills and how it can reshape the way we educate and empower the writers of tomorrow. In the digital age, communication takes place primarily through writing. Whether it's crafting emails, creating blog posts, or engaging on social media platforms, writing is at the heart of effective communication. Innovative teaching methods can help students harness the power of the written word, equipping them with the skills they need to succeed in a world where information travels at the spe...

It’s All About How They Learn Hello All, I love innovation. I'm convinced that the reason many of us gravitated to this course is that our brains seek change, and there is no better place to implement and witness change than at the intersection between teaching and technology. Within a well established course framework, we strive for continuous improvement and sustainable novelty. Simply requesting the implementation of far more engaging, enjoyable, and memorable PowerPoint performances, both for teachers and students is not far away. For me, the alternatives to PowerPoint presentations were using blackboard/whiteboard, OHP, and flip charts. Though it didn’t completely eliminate the use of blackboard, the PowerPoint offered some distinct advantages. The PowerPoint presentations could be made in advance, thereby effectively increasing the time available to me to instruct. What's more, the PowerPoint made it possible to provide a much richer quality of media and visuals, in...

Hello Everyone, Back to the Chinese wisdom in its exceedingly sensible tongue: “Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.” Siding yourself sure with the last, how can you create that aspired learning “involvement” that lets learners actively understand and thus answer their collaborative enquiries? What is your “active” role here as an instructor? Teachers are invited to envelop the "scaffolding" method of communication which is a strategy aimed to simplifying tasks within learning by making smaller steps, all leading to the final outcome (our final project tasks are not far away from this). This aids in maintaining any frustration while keeping in mind what is important throughout the learning process. Socratic learning is suggested as the best method of communication in this theoretical framework (learner/learner or teacher/learner questioning and dialogue), as it allows the teacher to actively note any study skills the learner...

Saturday, October 30, 2010 Hello All, Holding a more expansive view of ELT professionalism is where I find myself after pinpointing the key issues of this week. Beyond my expectations, I keep looking at this reflective mirror with watchful pride: how steadily are my Web skills and capabilities moving upward after such readings? In actual fact, this week’s TELP was by all means exceptional; a window through which my imagination and instructional curiosity could take a flight into a totally new realm of vivid engagement and glowing creativity. Even so, it took me a time questioning: will technology enhanced lesson plan “make sense” because it only “makes a difference?” If properly added in, high-tech teaching aids will serve an ultimately revolutionary purpose: to connect the classroom to the outside world, with contacts and experiences that books would never be able to offer. My students learn best from doing more than from just observing. They are found to be challenged, engag...

Hello Everyone, As we come close to the end of the third amazing week, I sense it safe to point out to the excellence of this course “expedition”, and the constancy of the supervisor’s assistance. Leaping from one popular article to the next, from one website to the other, and from one thread to the further, a number of our best ideas for resources have come from you, my colleagues and supervisor. I have to beg you now for then “to keep these resources coming.” We continue to focus on our original goal of increasing awareness and knowledge so we all can make the web and other technologies better tools for everyone. I recognize that you, our students, are the reason that we continue to thrive. We are thankful for what you do, and thankful that we are part of your journey. Through Developing Listening Skills with Authentic Materials , Lindsay Miller came across the very decisive instructional query of “how to help learners develop effective listening skills” and “what methods we ...

Hello, How inspired will students grow to be if they sense their instructor's high expectations and responsiveness for all of them? Does this have anything to do with the objectives which march painstakingly long and hardly find noticeable outcomes? Many shortcomings in our national ESL curriculum intensify the dilemma when they impede having a unifying framework that defines the general skills or abilities that should be exhibited by learners who finish one grade and step into another. This week rendered me a bit inhibited to reduce the procedure of formulating instructional objectives into mere ABCD formulas . Thanks to critical pedagogy which len t me a hand in perceiving my objectives as part s of more complex statement s of educational philosophy. It remains bewildering hence to recognize my role and part in adding shades to early predetermined outcomes. “One's philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes , ” Eleanor Roose...