The English Teacher » ONLINE

THE ONLINE STUDENT

theenglishteacher — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 23:02:44 +0000

What Makes a Successful Online Student?

Like the facilitator, the online student possesses unique qualities. The online students of today consist primarily of working people who are trying to better their opportunities. This however is changing, as more and more young and older people become aware of the online model. The traditional school will never go away, but the virtual classroom is a significant player in today’s educational community. Corporations are using the online model to train technical professionals while private and public universities redefine the world as their markets. The market for students is expanding rapidly. In general, the online student should possess the following qualities:

Be open minded about sharing life, work, and educational experiences as part of the learning process.

Introverts as well as extroverts find that the online process requires them to utilize their experiences. This forum for communication eliminates the visual barriers that hinder some individuals in expressing themselves. In addition, the student is given time to reflect on the information before responding. The online environment should be open and friendly.

Be able to communicate through writing.

In the Virtual Classroom, nearly all communication is written, so it is critical that students feel comfortable in expressing themselves in writing. Many students have limited writing abilities, which should be addressed before or as part of the online experience. This may require remedial efforts on the part of the student.

Be Self-motivated and self-disciplined.

With the freedom and flexibility of the online environment comes responsibility. The online process takes a real commitment and discipline to keep up with the flow of the process.

These are just some of the few qualities taken from Illinois Online Network

MYNGLE FOR MY ITALIAN READERS

theenglishteacher — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 23:03:25 +0000

Corsi di Inglese, imparare le lingue online con Myngle

Myngle è un mercato globale on-line per imparare le lingue straniere attraverso una piattaforma completa per gli studenti e gli insegnanti che potranno interagire in ogni parte del mondo, utilizzando Skype per impartire le proprie lezioni.

In pratica, gli insegnanti fissano i prezzi e indicano le ore in cui sono disponibili e gli studenti scelgono il proprio tutor, prenotano e comprano le lezioni.

Ma come avviene l’apprendimento? E’ qui il bello. E’ un metodo che cavalca l’onda del successo Skype e permette di risparmiare tempo, scomodi spostamenti ed anche soldi, vista l’immediata comparazione dei prezzi che, mediamente, variano dai 10 ai 30 euro (la prima lezione di solito è gratuita).

Gli studenti della classe virtuale Myngle, dopo aver pagato anticipatamente la lezione, potranno usufruire di un supporto visuale con diapositive e di una comunicazione dal vivo con un’insegnante attraverso Skype; si prevede, inoltre, che nel futuro si aggiungeranno preziose funzione come chat, podcast e compiti. E’ già attivo il “Myngle Advisor” per trovare automaticamente le proposte migliori per le proprie esigenze di apprendimento.

Ma chi sono gli insegnanti di Myngle? Semplice. Chiunque abbia conoscenza e passione per le lingue ed, ovviamente, capacità di insegnamento. Si sono proposte su Myngle anche vere e proprie scuole di lingua accreditate che hanno scelto una nuova e moderna modalità di lavoro. Un sistema che permette agli insegnanti di far la differenza è, come dalla migliore tradizione “Ebay”, il cosiddetto “feedback”, quindi il voto e il parere degli studenti.

Per quanto riguarda gli introiti, Myngle percepisce dagli insegnanti, una percentuale del 18% a lezione (da comparare con il 30% di Skype Prime) per l’uso della classe virtuale e per l’accesso al database degli studenti, mentre le iscrizioni al sito sono gratuite sia per gli studenti che per gli insegnanti.

Mio profilo QUI www.myngle.com

Source www.voipblog.it

LINGRO

theenglishteacher — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 06:06:47 +0000

I wanted to share this great programme with you all today. lingro is an on-line environment for people learning languages. lingro’s dictionaries remember all your translations and help you learn the vocabulary most important to you easier and faster. Isn’t this great?

Recently visited site

Recently looked-up words

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympics

prestige (English → Spanish)
prestigio

importance (English → Spanish)
importancia

symbol (English → Spanish)
símbolo

participants (English → Spanish)
participantes, concurrrentes

Recently looked-up sentences

• Even though the bearing of a torch formed an integral aspect of Greek ceremonies, the ancient Olympic Games did not include it, nor was there asymbol formed by interconnecting rings.

• Upon winning the games, the victor would have not only the prestige of being in first place but would also be presented with a crown of olive leaves.

• From the 241 participants from 14 nations in 1896, the Games grew to nearly 11,100 competitors from 202 countries at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. www.lingro.com

VISUAL DICTIONARY ONLINE

theenglishteacher — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:01:58 +0000

The Visual Dictionary Online is an interactive dictionary with an innovative approach.

From the image to the word and its definition, the Visual Dictionary Online is an all-in-one reference. Search the themes to quickly locate words, or find the meaning of a word by viewing the image it represents. What’s more, theVisual Dictionary Online helps you learn English in a visual and accessible way. The Visual Dictionary Online is ideal for teachers, parents, translators and students of all skill levels. Explore the Visual Dictionary Online and enrich your mind. Perfect for home, school or work. Discover a visual world of information!

www.visual.merriam-webster.com

OFFLINE VS ONLINE

theenglishteacher — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 22:52:07 +0000

What are the main differences in teaching in a traditional classroom to e-learning?

Traditional Courses	Online Courses
Instructor-focused More “passive” learning Instructors “deliver” knowledge Outgoing, verbal, high-achieving, students participate the most Technology may be used, but is not central to the role of being a learner Various media may be used, but most delivery is by the spoken word, with some written support	Learner-focused More “active” learning Instructors “guide” the learners Instructors “model” good learning techniques A much greater percent of students actively participate in discussions Technology helps students explore resources and construct their own meanings Technology may help instructors use multiple forms of media, and reach a wider variety of learning styles