Podcast in my classroom

Right before I came to America, my friends gave me a ipod as a gift. Before that, I had not had any experiences to access podcasting. To use ipod, I searched how to download program and I could see emornous world of podcasting. Yet, that was just for me to enjoy podcasting world rather than thinking I could use for educational purpose.

I looked around many podcasting website and listened to samples. Then I found this website called PODBEAN.COM. They have many categories not only education, but also entertainment and religion, etc. One of the podcasting I like was Just Vocabulary. It introduces two vocabulary items at a time and explains definition and examples. However the words introduced are fairly difficult so it will be helpful for students to prepare TOEFL or GRE. What I like it about is that it doesn't teach many vocabulary at a time and it provides a various examples so students can notice the usage of the words. I think vocabulary is really important part in reading and listening for students, this podcast can help students to improve their vocabulary. Since the podcast is only for about five minutes I think I can play the podcast either at the beginning of the class or at the end of the class. In that way, students can learn two vocabulary every day.

Using Yackpack for Global Cooperation

In the process of participating in global cooperation, communicating with other people is the key, especially many websites emphasize that students need to develop intercultural competence through accomplishing several projects.
Yackpack can be a perfect tool for students to use to communicate other people who they can't reach easily due to the long physical distance. Even though the email can help to communicate in order to collect data from people who are from a certain culture, Yackpack can facilitate better communication. Since people can talk and exchange their knowledge and information, it would be helpful to complete the project in global cooperative projects.

Global Cooperation

1. The Global Schoolhouse

1) Overview

This is designed for students and teachers to colloborate one another in order to improve their learning process through technology. The project enalbes for them to learn language, communication skills and intercultural communication through exchange ideas and opinions. Although physical distance exists between different groups of students and teachers, they can use technology to lower the walls between them.

2) Special features

This pragram is supported and has partnership with famous people. In the video which introduces about GlobalSchoolNet, I could see a number of people who are famous in their field endorse this program such as Al Gore, Bill Gates and so on. This proves that the program has more validity and reliability to use.

3) How to use in classroom

One project draws my attention on the website. International School Cyber Fair! This is project that many groups of students compete globally. It is the event held every every and endorsed by White House. Every year, they have new theme such as "Empower and Unite(2007), Learn and Unite(2008), and Teach and Unite(2009).

If it's possible, I think it's good to participate in this fair with the students. Since we can take a look winners' final products on the website, we can show them to the students how to do it. Also there are a lot of information about the procedures. In the way of doing it, the students are able to learn their own communinty and global community as well.

If participating requires too much work for both students and teachers, it can be modified into smaller projects. What I mean is that the teacher takes motif from the Cyberfair and holds class cyber fair, so that the students can work on the smaller projects.

2. Epals

1) Overviews
This website is used many students and teachers to share their ideas. It emphasizes that the website is specifically designed to educational environment so it's safe to use in the classrooms.

2) Special Features
This website includes that translation function so it enables the students who has low English proficiency skill to communicate with other students all over the world.

3) How to use in classroom
This website can be useful in the classroom where students can learn each other and communicate with other students who are living in other countries using English. One of the reasons that I think it's beneficial in the language class is that students can actually use English to communicate with other people in the world.
The students can ask questions about a certain country's culture to people who are from that culture. Also they can discuss and express their opinion on the forum according to the topics they are interested in.