Blended Learning

Blended Learning

Students are able to learn everywhere and every time they need. They are mostly using online media to support them in many ways. As a result, to answer the development of  technology era, the educator using blended learning as the method to use in teaching-learning process. This method, using combination between e-learning and traditional. A course created in a blended learning model uses the classroom time for activities that benefit the most from direct interaction. Traditional education (especially at the college level) tends to place an emphasis on delivering material by way of a lecture, while in a blended learning model lectures can be videotaped ahead of time so the student can watch on their own time. The classroom time is more likely to be for structured exercises that emphasize the application of the curriculum to solve problems or work through tasks.

 

The students are ready to use blended learning , because most of them are having iPad or computer; at least a half of students in the class. They learn through a mix of online/offline and supervised brick-and-mortar/remote. In some situations, the move to blended learning has inspired educators to redefine traditional roles. The word “facilitator” has emerged as an alternative to “teacher,” bringing with it a slightly different focus. The facilitator places an emphasis on empowering students with the skills and knowledge required to make the most of the online material and independent study time, guiding students toward the most meaningful experience possible.

Blended learning can be grouped into six distinct models, it is a preliminary classification of the blended learning models currently in use.

Face-to-face Driver

Face-to-face teachers deliver most of the curriculum. He/she employs online learning in technology lab or the back of the classroom to supplement.

Rotation

Students rotate on a fixed schedule between self-paced online learning and sitting in a classroom with a face-to-face teacher.

Flex

An online platform delivers most of the curriculum. Teachers provide on-site, as-needed support through in-person tutoring or small groups sessions.

Online lab

An online platform delivers the entire course, but in a brick-and-mortar location often students who participate in an online lab program also take traditional courses.

Self-blended

Students choose to take remote online courses to supplement their school’s traditional curriculum. This model of blended learning is extremely popular among high school students. 

Online Driver

An online platform and teacher deliver all the curriculum. Students work remotely and face-to-face check-ins are either available or mandatory.

Each school has different way of blended learning models  to be used to advance their students based on their situation and condition. For sure is every models have the advantages for student and teacher.

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ICT in Language Learning

Global Education Network (NET)

Miken Foundation in 1999 said that technology and telecommunications networks filling every inch of our live. It is true that new technology flows every part of our daily, it means very important. Technology plays main role in many field such as political, cultural, economic, social institution, etc. Because it contains information. The resulting information, knowledge and economic development are positive benefits. These initiatives reflect a political, cultural and economic will on the part of participating institutions and individuals.This information is deeply multi-function to access anything worthy.  

Technology is a tool in creating global learning by one click. Through technology it will breakdown geographical, economical, language, and time-zone barrier. The example,  over a four-year period (1997-2000), the WorLD Program will link 1200 secondary schools in 40 developing countries in South American, Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East with partner schools in Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan and the United States. Currently, there are 150 pilot schools connected in 14 developing countries, partnered with schools in 22 other countries. 780 Teachers have been trained to date. The program is active in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ghana, Lebanon, Mauritania, Mozambique, Paraguay, Peru, Senegal, South Africa, Turkey, Uganda, and Zimbabwe (World Bank, 1999). Fortunately, the technologist create the intelligence tool to help students more easily hold the globe. It is Peer-to-Peer video conferencing. They can communicate with other friend in other side of the world. How fascinating!  Through the use of Peer-to-Peer video conferencing, students can study new languages and to learn about cultural differences while building a global support network. Other example because of technology is educational accessing information and best practice research is plentiful . Educators in developing countries face several challenges in access to staff development. Long distance/high cost travel, visa acquisition, and prohibitive professional journal costs present insurmountable difficulties. Technology allows these barriers to be overcome, however.
 

By way of technology, it is also an opportunity to engage young children in an ongoing exploration of the world. They have the  ability to expose children to concepts of diversity, multiculturalism, and multilingualism at an early age. In this level, the children can choose to continue their high school careers "cybernetically" by accessing various distance education courses. It can be done by sending text, voice, and images are transferred with a click on a cellular phone or a computer.

By the needs of students in this global era are complicated and challenging, they can improve their language skills through student-to-student conversations regardless of where they live. Communication through speaking is a very important element. A global contact network built from having personal conversations with other students around the world will provide lasting benefits throughout the student’s career. They communicate with people in remote parts of the world and read documents without physically holding them. Social interaction helps build connections for a better world.

Absolutely, for those who is using the technology in good ways, they will get high praise using this online access tools provide from internet. Networking is not only for local area but also from many sources moreover around the world. My lecturer ever said that “Please, make a friend with other people from overseas, you’ll find out what will you get later. It is the magic of making good-networking with them.” Even though the friends of yours are far away over there, with technology all are settled well. By clicking some sites in internet, you are connecting with them. What a nice life! 

Besides the advantages, the technology brings us some unhappy feeling. Such as the fear about nothing. While it is bad news from abroad, the local citizen in other country will feel the weird atmosphere.  Further, the information can cause problem and make noisy for some countries. The worst thing is causing air pollution, it makes our earth change the climate apparently. 
 

Facing the reality that technology brings us to the darkness,  we must be aware. Thee important behavior is to strengthen the relationship of each country around the world. It keeps the world in peace. The way can be by youth. Young generation (I mean students)  are acquiring other languages and learning about other cultures and customs. My friends and I from English Education have already done the performance about knowing and learning the diversity, multiculturalism, and multilingualism from overseas. We learned CCU  (one of courses, the abbreviation for Cross-Cultural Understanding). Our ability to educate and prepare the world’s future leaders in politics, business, and education along with our determination to set positive examples for the value of democracy, civility, and human rights can shape the future of the world.  That’s why, we need it in order to support the information globalize in modern technology era.

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ICT in Language Learning