1. Developing Further Skills
1.1. Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) and Interactive whiteboards (IWBs) are used:
1.1.1. in a variety of ways to deliver curricular materials in classrooms.
1.1.2. for all aspects of curricular support.
1.1.3. to help with the management of activities
1.1.4. to display and work with interactive exercises.
2. Building a Blog
2.1. Full-blown multimedia tools.
2.2. Is a good starting place for many teachers.
2.3. Can be used for a variety of purposes.
2.4. Permanent resource, which can be used in or out of the classroom.
2.5. A blog might offer the teacher more control.
2.6. Tasks are carefully crafted to reflect the reality of the teaching context.
3. Virtual Learning Environments
3.1. Bring together a number of different tools in one place.
3.2. Further development in terms of building a teacher’s digital skills.
3.3. Often bought by institutions at great cost.
3.4. Used as a way of ensuring that teachers use digital technologies with their learners.
3.5. Need to be introduced sensitively and with consultation.
3.6. can be used effectively to deliver a useful institutional resource.
4. Interactive whiteboards (IWBs)
4.1. Allows you to manipulate material directly on the board, usually making use of an electronic pen or your finger.
4.2. They come with software that allows you to create your own lessons (flipchart software). You can utilize any software on the computer that is attached to it.
4.3. Can be used to show and demonstrate other materials.
4.4. Can extend the IWB by using voting systems or portable tablets that the learners have on their desks.
4.5. In some parts of the world they have made a significant impact.
4.6. Many private language schools around the world have introduced them.
4.7. A range of ublishing companies have invested in producing versions of their coursebooks that work with them.
4.8. Cambridge University Press have produced a set of video tutorials explaining the basic function of IWBs.
5. Technology & Language Learning
5.1. Web 1.0
5.1.1. Materials flowed from organizations such as publishers or individual small-scale developers and could often only be used as they were created.
5.2. Web 2.0
5.2.1. Possibilities of adaptation and creation of a broad range of language-learning materials directly into the hands of the teachers and learners.
5.2.2. The localization or production of audio and video is now possible.
5.3. Tasks
5.3.1. Activities that call for primarily meaning-focused language use.
5.3.2. Authentic tasks
5.3.2.1. Learners engage in activities that would be performed in the target language. These can be set up offline by using printouts, or downloading parts of websites for local storage and delivery.
5.4. Exercises
5.4.1. Activities that call for primarily form-focused language use.
5.5. Authentic texts
5.5.1. The Internet provides a useful resource for all kinds of authentic texts (texts not produced specifically for learning languages) most of which are free.
5.5.2. Can be useful for higher-level classes looking for stimulating topics to explore.
5.5.3. Can be combined with exercises/tasks, depending on the needs of the class.
5.6. Spoken English
5.6.1. The use of Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) tools has made significant impact on our ability to communicate easily with people around the world.
5.6.2. The addition of video can help people feel more connected and engaged with the lessons, thus increasing their motivation.
5.7. Digital literacies
5.7.1. Learners can be asked to consider why they might trust one site rather than another.
5.7.2. Subject specialists learners can be asked to compare their own understanding of a subject area with what they find about it on the Internet.
5.7.3. Be aware of copyright.
6. Designing Materials Using New Technology
6.1. Bates' ACTIONS model (1995) helps to analyze whether try out a particular technology or to decide whether to take a school or college down a particular technological path.
6.1.1. Access
6.1.2. Costs
6.1.3. Teaching and learning
6.1.4. Interactivity and user-friendliness
6.1.5. Organisational issues
6.1.6. Novelty
6.1.7. Speed