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Instructional Technologies have been utilized in classrooms for a significant amount of time. 21st-century education necessitates the use of instructional technologies. This blog mostly focuses on how they can be used effectively in the field of ESL.
AR & VR
Augmented Reality is a combination of the real and virtual environment. It has its own universe of items. The system works in this way: any two-dimensional object is scanned through a device with a camera and it makes up an AR unit so when you scan this object, there comes out the AR icon is chosen. Anyone can make up an AR unit any time, with a device that has a camera of course, from various applications such as HP Reveal.
When it comes to the usage of AR in ELT, there are a few attempts to integrate this technology but any significant development hasn't taken place yet. Any improvement is important and gives us hope for a new version of ELT. AR can be used as an activity to reinforce learning but it can't be used as a tool for learning. I enjoyed my AR experience and I think this technology should be in ELT. I uploaded my video of using AR to YouTube you can follow the link below to watch it.
Virtual reality is a new technology which is originated for military education purposes. VR is an experience taking place in simulated and immersive environments that can be similar to or completely different from the real world. It is used for education, medicine, military, and entertainment.
Educational circles are using VR in activities gradually. This isn't a brand-new phenomenon because it first came out in the 90s. However, the fields that use VR are expanding. VR is interesting to experience. When you experience it you feel both apart from reality and engaged reality which is hard to manage in the field of technology. In language teaching, VR can be used effectively in engaging activities and practicing activities.
Sutori & Thinglink
Sutori is basically a presentation preparation platform enables users to create new stylistic presentations. It has templates that you can use freely. It has a big database for creativeness. the only thing you should do is sign it and start to use it. You can also invite people to your presentation which is a good feature,
Thinglink is slightly different from Sutori because it has 360 photographs and interactive video features besides two-dimensional photos. When you are creating your content. You pin a point on the template you designed and enter your attachments or text. You can do it in all forms of templates such as 360 photos, two-dimensional photos, etc. It is a new kind of tool, and this is what makes it attractive for learners. As teachers, we can use it to engage our students in linguistic patterns.
Game & Gamification
Computer games are highly commonly used entertainment means. Several studies have been conducted about games and the result is surprising because it was thought that games are harmful to gamers however, they have a positive effect on gamers from different aspects.
Games also can be used in language teaching indeed, some projects use games as an educational tool. Gamification means transforming content into a game. this enables the educator to have a suitable tool for education for new-generation learners. The new generation of learners are engaged in games in real life which can be a motivation tool for them in their language learning. Especially language practice activities can be adapted easily to games.
Flipgrid & Nearpod
Flipgird is an application that enables you to create classrooms and make your lesson or task virtually. When you create a flip which means class. Then you give a duty to students and students deliver their task as a grid. The application name comes from that combination. It is easy to use and has lots of advantages like accessibility, remote control, and technological awareness. You can also control your students ' classroom activities.
Hey, have you ever seen a Nearpod lesson? Nearpod is a very technology-integrated app for education. It gives you 3D items, VR activities, and so on. The moment you prepare your lesson you can publish it and share it with the world. Nearpod changes the online lesson concept. It enables us to learn without boundaries. This can make a contribution to education from different perspectives.
Second Life
Second Life is actually a game that has a virtual world. You can do whatever you want like flying, running teleporting. It feels like you are beyond reality with boundaries. The world we know and live in is much more different in Second Life. It is fabulous. You can go in other words teleport wherever you want. It is used in various areas such as business, education, and entertainment. It also has real-time interaction with other users. You can customize your avatar as you wish.
Apart from its common usage, I would like to talk about its potential for education. EFL learners can utilize this program. They can talk to other real EFL learners by texting and speaking. They can participate wherever they are. They don't have to be in a school or facility. These aspects make Second Life a tool for English learning. That's why we should use it in our classrooms. I played this game, and took a selfie in the Erasmus Office of İstanbul University.
Storybird & Pixton
Reading is a somewhat boring part of English learning. It can be more fun by Pixton. Pixton is a comic-creating website. The reading activities can be carried out through comics. So that younger students can have pleasure from it. Pixton is convenient for this purpose. You can create your comic by just clicking. I made mine. I recommend you to check it out.
The Internet has lots of things to serve as activity tools. One of them is Storybird. This website provides an opportunity to create activities. There are five types of writing stories. First, you choose the genre of the story. Then you pick a picture. You will see the cover page of your book. You can write whichever topic and style. Storybird provides visuals and you are free to create your own. It can be used for writing assignments in EFL courses either in or out of the class. It is easy to use. I made up a story via Storybird. You can have a look at it via the link given below as always :)
Seesaw & Quizlet
Hi everyone, I want to mention a new type of activity maker Seesaw in this post. Seesaw is an online website for creating activities in all subjects and grades. It is very convenient and easy to use. It enables the students to engage with their lessons while they browse the internet.
To create an activity of course you should sign up. After signing up you create a class that can be any lesson at any level. Then you can browse existing activities which can be helpful while creating yours. The Library section has the option to create an activity, choose it! Then you start writing your instructions and then choose the answer style, and finish your activity. You can publish that in your class. I recommend that because it is profitable for sides so everybody wins:)
Here is Quizlet. It is a website that allows applying online four basic activity types together. It is easy to use and it has a very smooth interface. I like it very much. It is composed of visuals and spots. You carry out your activity through this template.
Kahoot
Hi, I have used Kahoot for approximately 4 years and like it. By the way, I haven't created a Kahoot till today, but I have joined Kahoots. Traditional tests are boring for students. We as teachers should convert it to something more than that. Kahoot gives exactly this to educators. You can create limitless questions and visual questions. It enables us to become current.
Voki
Hi, this time I am going to introduce Voki. It is a semi-interactive education tool. It makes it possible to create video-formed content. There are voices in different accents, lots of visual character icons, and a space for your text for content. It is very convenient. You can use it for your lessons in the warm-up stage.
Powtoon
Animation movies, TV series, videos, etc are much loved by the majority of the people. That's why it can be beneficial for education as well as the entertainment sector. Animations give us as teachers more options and creative production of activities. You can create animation through Powtoon, Animoto, Animation, etc. We can facilitate vocabulary learning and grammar in context through animations. I made a Powtoon about adjectives for second-primary school graders.
Mindmeister
& Padlet
This time I want to talk about another mind map website MindMeister. It is designed for only mind maps. Thanks to that purpose, it is easier than using the others. When you enroll on the site you can immediately start creating your mind map. It also has an assistant to help you. You should give it a try.
This time, I made a board with Padlet an online platform for creating boards in different settings. Everyone can use Padlet for every topic but I focused on the educational side. Since it is easy to use and accessible, students can favor it. Padlet is particularly useful for summaries. I think you may like this platform.