Online Journal.

On last week tutorial I go to the PTSL to search about the online journal. The topic that I selected is The Application Of ICT In Language Learning.

Proquest Journal
Can ICT reduce social exclusion? The case of an adults' English language learning programme.

Strong claims are made for ICT-based lifelong learning as an effective way of reducing the exclusion of various groups in society, yet, there is very little research to support these claims. Empirical research is needed, including qualitative studies of the experiences of socially excluded learners using ICT. This article reports the findings of such a study in relation to learners from one socially excluded group, adults from ethnic minority backgrounds, who are disproportionately deprived and often excluded by language. The article discusses the study of the experiences and perceptions of adults learning English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) through ICT in seven different learning centers in England. The findings show that technology is insufficient to overcome existing inequalities in access to learning, and to engage learners who would not otherwise undertake formal learning, but ICT-based learning can reduce some aspects of social exclusion in terms of encouraging minority ethnic group learners to speak more within the host community. ICT-based learning offers a space for language learning and practice, which is often absent in traditional ESOL classrooms and in the. Learning is a social practice in which the level of commitment of tutors to encouraging the use of these media and creating a safe and private space for learning affects the range of learning activities with which learners engage and the impact of these on their everyday use of English.


Emerald Journal
Innovative practice in the use of ICT in education and training: learning from the winners

Addresses three separate initiatives: South Yorkshire Further Education Consortium (SYFEC); e-skills4industry – a partnership between Lewisham College and Deloitte; and Cascade and information and communication technology (ICT) training for schools. The initiatives, however, share two important characteristics. First, they are all initiatives which have been recognized within the National Training Awards (NTA) programmed organized by UK Skills and supported by the UK Government's Department for Education and Skills (DfES). Second, each of the initiatives, albeit in different ways, looks at the utilization of information and communication technology (ICT) in different aspects of education and training. The three winning accounts featured here offer useful insight into how the further and higher education sectors, in partnership with industry, are responding to some of the challenges and opportunities that have arisen as the use of information technology (IT) becomes common place in people's working (and learning) lives.


Emerald Journal

Concept IV: role of computer applications in facilitating language learning.
Do electronic communications and computerized interventions respect the ecology of the behavior, the speaker, and the listener?
According to Vygotsky (Portes, 1985; Vygotsky, 1962, 1978; Wertsch, 1985, 1990), behavior, or activity, was said to be verbally mediated. Initial reflexive behaviors were regarded as biologically controlled but influenced by the child-environment interaction through which cognitive structures were modified. Thus, behavior cannot be separated from thought; both are embodied within the unique cognitions of the individual and are at the same time the manifestations of that individual's social-- historical development.


Concept IV: Role of computer applications in facilitating language learning.
Are computer applications that target particular age groups or grade levels respectful of the child's cognitive, linguistic, and social-historical development?
To understand Vygotsky's approach and the multiplicity of intellectual roots characterized in his writings, Wertsch (1985) identified three general themes which could be applied to specific issues: (1) reliance upon developmental methods, (2) attributing higher mental processes to the social processes from which they originated, and (3) the postulate that understanding mental processes requires understanding of the signs/ tools that mediate them. The three themes are interdefined; there cannot be isolation of social and individual phenomena in the social sciences.


Concept IV: Role of computer applications in facilitating language learning.
Because electronic communication uses the signs of language and is a tool for communicating, is it also an appropriate context for developing the signs and tools the child needs?
Any function in the child's cultural development appears twice, or on two planes. First it appears on the social plane, and then on the psychological plane. First it appears between people as an interpsychological category, and then within the child as an intrapsychological category. This is equally true with regard to voluntary attention, logical memory, the formation of concepts, and the development of volition.


Concept IV: Role of computer applications in facilitating language learning.
Is it appropriate to use electronic communication as the "social context" referred to as the interpsychological plane?
Although the holistic emphasis and functional-mediationist perspectives of the social-interactionist theories appear to be quite different from Skinner's behaviorist theories, there are shared theoretical tenets. First, both underscore the important role of environment in contributing to the acquisition of language. Further, though reinforcement is qualitatively different from the Skinnarian-defined operant conditioning, it is an important component of social-- interactionist theory.


Concept V: Computer applications as intervention tools for LLI
Selection of developmentally appropriate software and application in intervention are essential considerations. Are criteria outlined by Nelson and Masterson (1999) sufficiently stringent to guide the SLP?
Berlin, Blank, and Rose (1980) underscored the importance of language in the schools as the medium through which all learning takes place. Silliman (1984) pointed out that not all talk is effective teaching, though most teaching involves talk. Nelson (1984) noted that the research in the area of school discourse was sparse. She reported that literature in this area described teaching as a process of deciding which discourse styles and content to use; what pace to set; and how to best manage a classroom, not in a sense of discipline but as part of the larger process of selection of a discourse style.


Concept V: Computer applications as intervention tools for LLI
Do electronic communication contexts, such as email, chatrooms, and list servs, provide an appropriate intervention setting to stimulate (1) conversation initiation, maintenance and elaboration; (2) more mature discourse regulation; (3) development of more flexible and mature syntax; and (4) maintenance of connected discourse?
Four aspects of children's communicative abilities were examined by Fey and Leonard (1983), including conversational participation, discourse regulation, speech acts, and referential skills. Their findings indicated that the SLI child was a deficient initiator of conversation at home, with peers, and in school. Such children did not initiate conversation or elaborate on topics, but rather used other nonverbal or less efficient verbal behaviors in their role as a communication partner. The third aspect examined, speech acts, revealed conflicting information. Some children evidenced deficiencies in their ability to produce requests for action and information and employed a limited range of linguistic forms (Fey and Leonard, 1983).The last aspect discussed by Fey and Leonard (1983) was use of referential skills. They reported there was evidence that SLI children could encode the element of context, which carried the greatest information load, as well as and sometimes better than could younger, language-matched children.


Experience using TSL databases.
This was my first time using online databases and I don’t know that journal is provided in modern way. Usually if I need to seek for a journal I used the traditional way and go to level three at PTSL and then I will photocopy the page that I want. Using online databases is more easy and convenient, because all the information that we search is in your hand. It is more easy using PROQUEST and EMERALD because it give the clear instruction and it is easy to find the topic that I choose. I’ve also try the EBSCOHOST, ERIC and LISA but it is difficult to understand the steps to find the topic. With knowing that journal was provided in online databases it will make my searching process become more easier and I love to go there again.

me n my frens after annual dinner...green yellow theme.

KDO annual dinner....

Blogging And Trainee Teachers' Professional Development

On last week tutor we have discussed about the blogging and trainee teachers’ professional development. The writing of e-journals or weblogs (blogs) is a reasonably new phenomenon. The trainee teachers has been introduced to using computer mediated applications in the form of an e-forum as a part of their course work. The researcher has introduced computer mediated application as part of a literature course in a bachelor of education programme for two main reasons. The first reason is to provide them a first hand experience of using computer mediated applications as part of their professional development. Second, to provide them the experience of reflecting on their reading of dramatic text and their teaching of the same text during the simulated teaching sessions as part of their development as ELT professionals.


LITERATURE REAVIEW
Computer Mediated applications And Professional Development
Computer mediated communication, which uses an asynchronous medium, allows users to log on at any time and any place. As far as professional development for teachers is concerned, computer mediated applications, are “more recent but (a) less conventional means of professional development” (Vethamani, 2005:139) and they do not require teachers to leave their workplace or home to further develop as professional” (Vethamani, 2005:144). Freeman 1982 : 21, state that the purpose of this study is professional development is to described as “ the process of reflection, examination and change, which leads to better job performance and to personal and professional growth.


Blogs and Blogging
A blog is a “web page that serves as a publicly accessible personal journal for an individual. In the field of education, studies indicate that teacher trainers that enjoy blogging and it was found to be useful by their instructors.


DESCRIPTION OF REASEARCH

Background
The description of research are including background, method, sample and instruments .Trainee teachers were required to create a personal blog and asked to reflect on the learning process. Simulated teaching is a form of microteaching where the trainee teachers are required to practice teaching with their course- mates.


Method
For the purpose of this study, the researcher examined the findings from the questionnaire administered to them on their experience of writing blogs during a course. The researcher also examined heir blogs regarding their simulated teaching experienced.


Sample
The sample were 24 in-service trainee teachers in a Bachelor of Education programme in UPM, Serdang, Selangor.


Instruments
For the present study, two instruments was used. First, was a two part questionnaire and second is instruments for this study is the blog postings made by the trainee teachers.


DISCUSSION
All the trainee teachers indicated that they enjoyed blogging and found it to be useful in their learning process. They also agreed that this activity help them to express their opinion, share ideas and develop confidence in expressing own viewpoints. Blogging also become and avenue for them to communicate both to their peers and course instructors. An analysis of the trainee teachers blogs to determine the types of reflection on their writing indicated that 83% (20 trainee teachers) were reflective in nature. This findings suggest that blogging should be considered as a tool for teachers professional development.

In short, all the trainee teachers indicated that they would continue blogging after the course. Their desire to continue blogging could be the result of their positive attitude towards blogging.


Understanding And Significance About Blogging
A blog is a web page that serves as a publicly accessible personal journal for an individual. Blog is updated daily because it become as the online diary and it often reflect the personality of the author. Blogging is popular in the field of journalism and field of education. The studies that have been done indicate that teachers trainers enjoy blogging and it was useful by their instructors. 94% of trainee teachers found that it useful in relation to understanding what they have learned.


Experienced On Writing Blogs
This was my first time of writing and knowing blog. Before this I had heard about blog from my friends at college and she invited me to visits her blog. In my point of view, blog is one of the medium to build confidence and improved my writing skill. Because I can write what I want without fearing or ashamed with my course mates and my lecturer Datin Norizan. In this blog I can expressed my feelings, experience, ideas and others. For me writing blogs will guide me to be a better writer and with the comment that I received from my friends and Datin Norizan it will make me realized my mistakes and I will improved it.


Advantages And Disadvantages Of Blogging
The advantages of blogging are it can bought interest for learners to write and write better than before. In blogging there are no one who could scold and there are no rules. We can write what we want without worried of anything. The next advantages is we can express our feelings, thoughts, dream and ideas through blogging. This situation also makes other people know more about the character of that person. The third advantages is students and trainee teachers easily reflect what have they done and the lecturers also can evaluate the blog without seeing the person face to face.

The disadvantages of blogging are it could make other person know about our personal diary. Because there must be a blogger that put everything about them in their blog, for example the person write about what they have done in that day.


Reaction To Blog
The blogging activity has help me a lot, especially in my writing skill. With blogging, it can help me gain my confidence in writing about what I want and there’s no one could criticized about what have I done except Datin Norizan. Yes I feel thrilled to see my writing in the web because everybody who knows my url will visit my blog. I’m also can’t wait too see the animations that I upload in my blog.

I have learned more about blog in term of posting picture, find an animation and glitter graphic. With this activity, I found that it can improve my writing skill and build up my confidence.

go.. go.. pink hehe...

waiting bus for family day at frim, kepong

me and my frens at klcc, were lost actually hehe...

me and my beloved frens.went eating at kfc

me and my frens at kfc

the application of concordance program

Concordance are listing of keywords in context (KWIC). While concordancer is a tool or a program which is software that helps to list the words in context. The purpose of concordance is to analyze the text. The concordance program suitable for those who want to study the text closely or analyze language in depth. The use of concordance are it makes indexes or word lists, count word frequencies. The third used is compare different usages of word, analyze keywords. The fifth used of concordance is find phrases and idioms and the last uses is publish to the web.


Last week tutor, we have discussed about the occurrences of article ‘a’ and preposition ‘about’ in the sample of concordance that are provided. We use ‘a’ only with a singular noun such as the definite article, we also use ’a’ as a complement when we are describing something. In this sample of concordance ‘a’ occur before a noun, adjective, verb and adverb. For example ‘a’ occur before an adjective is ‘a pretty quick pace’. In this sentences pretty and quick are both adjective, so pretty is became an adverb. T he next word classes that occur after ‘a’ is verb which is ‘a cry’, in this sentences the verb act as a noun when we apply ‘a’ before it.


The next word class that we discussed is prepositional ‘about’. A prepositional usually comes before a noun, determiner, pronoun and relative pronoun. Sometimes a prepositional can come after a noun. In this sample of concordance a prepositional that occur before a determiner is ‘about the house’. Next, a prepositional that occur before an adverb is ‘about just now’. The next example is a prepositional that occur before a pronoun is ‘about me’. The last example is a prepositional that occur before relative pronoun is ‘about whom I had heard so many’ and ‘about him she had fallen so’


In page 70 that we discussed together, we noticed that concordance has many application. The first application is it can be a language teaching and learning. For example a students have to write an essay that was based on a picture series and was administered by the researches during visits to school. The next application is data mining and data clean- up, literary work and linguistic. The fourth application is translation and corpus linguistics. The last application is content analysis.


Although concordance has its own advantages and the software can be used to help analyze the language data that available, many may still be easily disturbed by the huge amount of data available. Based on written data that is provided in this chapter, the results of concordance and analysis indicate some form of development in terms of language production as well as vocabulary range. The data that used in this chapter was taken from THE EMAS CORPUS collected in 2002.


I n short, concordance has many benefits to people who studying language. It often help to inform on how words and grammatical construction are used. Teachers, researchers and even language learners typically examine concordance lines to discover new words and grammatical construction are used.

the differences and similarities berween email, chat and sms

The differences and similarities between email, chat and sms.


Nowadays email, chat and sms are becoming one effective way of communicating with other people when we are far from them. Through email, chat and sms we can know what was happening in other country and we tend to know the latest news and the condition that happened to them. Furthermore, email, chat and sms can make users always feel closed with their beloved people. Even though they are staying far from each other they still can get connected.

The differences between email, chat and sms are, when we are communicating with other people through sms, email and chatting we can use the different device. Usually email, chat and email used a computer or laptop but sms is using a mobile phone. Next, email and sms are using non-verbal communication because users only wrote what they want to said but chat can used verbal and non-verbal communication. For example through chatting users can talk to each other using yahoo messenger and also can wrote to each other. With email and chatting users can use smiley and emoticons, but sms cannot use smiley and only use emoticons. Finally chatting and sms process are faster than email because the receiver will replying the message that we send through chatting and sms immediately. But through email, the receiver will reply the message when they opened the email. Usually they will not reply it immediately if they do not open the email daily.

The similarities between email, chat and sms are it is conversation between one to one person or one to another person. The conversation is either non-verbal or verbal communication. Email and sms can be forwarded to another people because it can be an information that need to be shared with others. The second similarities is this three components of communicating are using emoticons, short forms and the users commonly use nickname or sudo names that they like such as “fascinating farisha and cute girl”. Using short forms has become a trend among teenagers and they can understand what are the messages that the senders trying to tell them. But there are certain people who do not understand what are the senders trying to tell because they are not familiar with it. Next, when senders want to send a messages to receiver, they used many types of greetings to start the conversation. For example senders used “ assalamualaikum, hi babe, ellow, and others to greet the receiver. Finally, those three components of communications also used signature to end the conversation to tell the other person that they want to end the communicating process. Usually they used “bye, daaa…., c u later, got to go and other as signature.

In short, email, chat and sms are the best way to communicating with other people if they are busy with daily routine and stayed far from them.