BLOGS, WIKIS AND PODCASTS

Social Software: Blogs, wikis and podcasts are examples of social software. Blog, wiki and podcasts have certain features in common when applied in the classroom: They can be set up and used by teachers and learners. They can be used to connect learners to other communities of learners. The ideas and content can be generated and created by learners, either individually or collaboratively.

Benefits of using social software: It can be very motivating for learners. These tools generate a sense of social responsibility, with learners working collaboratively. They provide a real world tool for learners to practice their written English, and to contact other students around the world.

Blogs in language teaching: The most common type of blog is kept by one person.Most blogs allow readers to comment on blog entries, thereby creating an online community around a common topic, interest or person. They sometimes include a blogroll, or list of links to other blogs which the blog writer admires, thereby widening the online community of blog writers and readers. An Edublog can be set up and used by a teacher, by individual learners or by a class. If it is set up and maintained by a teacher, it is known as a tutor blog. They may provide news and comments on issues, extra practice or homework, study tips.If the blog is set up and maintained by a student, there are known as a student blogs. The content can range from comments on current affairs to descriptions of daily activities. Corrections: Learners tend to want their written work to be as accurate as possible. Teachers need to prepare to give their students plenty of time for writing, reviewing, redrafting and checking postings. Word processing blog entries beforehand, encouraging peer review, can help with this process.Assessment: Blog postings can be used for evaluation. The criteria for evaluation need to be made clear to learners in advance. How to start using blogs with learners: A simple blogs project that a teacher can use with their learners of all levels is to get their students to set up their own student blogs, writing about themselves, their interest, family, home, country and so on, and including some photos. Step 1: Setting up a sample blog: First the teacher should try to set up their own blog,including information about them. Doing this has several advantages:Become familiar with the blog interface and how it works.Show your learners what a blog is and provide a model with examples.

Step 2: Setting up student blogs: Teachers have to help their learners to set up blog will make their learners come up with computer screen from a laptop connected to you can explain the blog set up process step their own PC. Step 3: Posting and visiting blogs: Teachers have to prepare and post content.Share blog addresses to visit and share comments. In the case of a simple blog with multiple posts, encourage them to comment on each others posts in the same blog. Step 4: Follow up: The blog can be kept as an internal class project.Blogs can be set so that only invited members have commenting privileges, which gives the blog some measure of security. Wikis in Language teaching Difference between a blog and wikis: Blog: It is an online journal, or diary, of someones life, thoughts and opinions. Anybody can create their own blog for educational purposes. Teacher and students create blogs as personal online study sites, where they can work together, share information and ideas. It is a static web page. It is linear, because a blog consist of a number of postings, in reverse chronological order with the most recent posting at the top. Wiki:It is like a public website, where anyone can add content and make changes, so that the site becomes a group creation. It is more dynamic and can have a multiple authors. It is not linear,because a wiki has a non-linear structure, and pages may link back and forwards to other pages. Wikipedia The best known wikis is Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia that anyone can add to or edit. This site can be a valuable source of information for students, though the information may not be totally accurate, and some academics refuse to use them.Wikipedia demonstrates several aspects of social software because is collaborative, can have a multiple authors and is not `owned by anyone. How to start using a wiki with learners Step 1: preparation before lesson: The teachers set up the first page on a wiki outlining the topic of the project. E.g.: famous people. Then, they have to give the steps learners will need to take in the project. The teacher can also add an image to the wiki page and outline the things the learners will need to do to complete the project. Step 2: description: Learners have to write a description. Learners can prepare this description on a paper, or in a Word document or they can type their descriptions into the wiki.Teachers need to give learners clear direction on how to add a new page to the wiki andhow to add description. their own blogs.The process of setting up a their own questions.If they can project a a data projector, or an active whiteboard, by step on the screen, while they work on

Step 3: corrections: The teacher may want to refer learners to an online encyclopedia for them to check any information.Corrections are done to the wiki page in Edit mode.Learners go back to the original description and read the corrections that were made. Podcasts in language teaching Teachers and students can listen toor watch a podcaston a topicwhenever they want to.A podcast can be downloaded automatically to your computers using RSS (ReallySimpleSyndication).Consist of a show whichisreleasedeithersporadicallyor at regular intervals.A podcast can be on any topic, and can include music and video. Video podcasts are known as VODCASTS or PODCLIPS.A podcast can last anything upwards of a few minutes to an hour or more.Podcast can be authentic. Example: radio shows are often downloadable as podcasts. Podcasts directories are one place to start looking for podcasts. They can click on a category and scroll though a list of podcasts.There are two main uses of podcasts in teaching: 1-Learners can listen to podcasts made by others 2-They can produce their own podcasts For students who miss a class can download the lecture podcasts for later listening on their computers or mobile device. Podcasts can also be usedin a similar way in teacher training, where trainees listen or watch podcasts on issues of teaching methodology.The teacher direct their learners to podcasts already available on the Internet, for self purposes, or even use them for listening in class via computer. How to create learners podcasts Learner podcasts can consist of a series of short audio files, made by individual learners or made by small groups. Step 1: setting up a podcast page: The teacher can create a podcast page using a free web site.With a computer and Internet connection, it is possible to record a podcast.The page must provide a website for learners, and a short description about a project. Step 2: creating learners podcasts: Learners can prepare short information about themselves.Learners must practice reading the text before recording it. When the record is successful, then learners can publish it to the podcast page. Step 3: listening to learners podcasts: Allow learners to listen all of their classmates podcasts.Learners can take notes about what classmates say.Then they will compare notes and find out hobbies and unusual things about their classmates.