Adobe Connect

http://www.adobe.com/support/connect/updates.html

What is so fabulous about ADOBE CONNECT? how would this tool benefit a language learning?
Well in this entry, I will explain how adobe connect may work for a language learning classroom. Basically Adobe Connect is the most basic tool which is needed for a long distance classroom. The teacher can always act as the mastermind in the classroom but it is the students who should do all the interactions and enthusiastically learn the language :)

How could this tool be used in the classroom?

1. The teacher could use this tool as an alternative to a new environment of language learning.
2. Students might get a little bit excited to involve in a long distance classroom therefore they'll be pretty much motivated to take part in the classroom and learn the language :P
3. This tools can act as an interactive board fro learning to take place since students are allowed to post relevant links, photos, audio and et cetera during the online classroom.
4. The teacher can also give make a summary of what they have learned in the real classroom, in other words, feedback session can be done in this long distance learning.

What I like about this tool?

1. Amazing website as it allows maximum interaction between the teacher and the students!
2. its free,in the first place so you really have to sign up for an account to permanently use this tool.
3. Fun and interesting way of learning!
4. Sharing files is always at your fingertip!easy and simple.
5. Many useful buttons and features available, they are all useful for language learning to take place.
6. Involves language skills like speaking listening writing and reading.Its a complete and 'all rounded tool'!

What I dont like about this tool?

1. Its NOT free unless you sign up for it.
2. No two way of interaction can really take place because too many noises made (during the discussion for example) may be quite disturbing!
3. You really need to know the function of every single buttons in the tool otherwise, real problem will take place!
4. That's so unreasonable for the teacher to actually monitor what the students are doing since they are all at different places.

Trial version of Adobe Connect
https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/adobeconnect/index.cfm?event=trial

Some tutorials on how you would work in it by yourself!
http://www.adobe.com/support/connect/gettingstarted/index.html

audioboo

http://audioboo.fm/

Poscasting has now becoming popular not just in the socialising world but also in the language learning world. Today I am going to present about a free, newly established tool which makes podcast-ing as something which is interesting enough to be introduced in the classroom. As all of you can see, the marvelous website is called AUDIOBOO. Eventhough this is a free tool, you still need to sign up for an account so that you can share your voice and your excellent ideas with your friends, family and the rest of the world!

Good news to anyone who already have their very own Twitter account, you can simply sign in using your Twitter account. To the rest who have not got a Twitter account, dont worry because you can follow the steps below in order to sign up for a new Audioboo account.

There are 4 basic steps which you need to follow. Firstly, key in your email address followed by a username of your choice. After that, please create a memorable password and confirm it. Once you've done this, please refer to the next picture as there are quite important information which need to be filled in. To make your account more recognizable, do upload an image of yourself.

Once you have successfully logged on to the website, you are now be able to follow any other users available on the user listings. This is quite similar to the Twitter concept in which allow you to freely follow anyone whom you would like to listen to and definitely closely  related to your field.

This tool is designed to integrate with other available social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Posterous, Tumblr and Friendfeed. Although Audioboo is just a tool for podcasting, the needs of Audioboo has become massive. This is maybe because people have realized that information should be spread quickly and effectively and they, at some point may prefer to listen rather than to spend time on reading a long article. 

The positives of Audioboo are:

1. Learners can simply record their audio thoughts and ideas and post them quickly to real listener all over the world.

2. It encourages them to be more confident in speaking the target language as the tool provides them an environment for practicing the speaking skill.

3. Audioboo is absolutely a free tool but all you need to do is sign up for your very own account.

4. Easy peasy lemon squeezy type of tool, information can be spread just by clicking on the recording button and post the audio quickly!

However,

1. Learners need to have a high level of confidence before posting any audio post as any minor error and mistakes made represent their level of language. Learners might easily become less motivated if their weaknesses are revealed publicly.

2. A great podcast, a latest advanced gadget, a powerful skill of speaking do not make any sense if the learner are incapable to get an excellent connection to the internet. Make sure you have a great access to it otherwise, the speaking development could not be carried out.

my brainshark

Have you ever come across doing an online presentation using your own slides and your very own voice?? Here is a free tool which is very useful for many people regardless of who they are. Be it a student, a law  practitioner, a marketing executive or anyone else on this earth, I am sure that Brainshark will be the savior of your life in terms of presenting your ideas to the whole world.

Looking from the classroom point of view, Brainshark is certainly a new invention and a breakthrough which benefits both teacher and learners. This website provides a medium to promote writing, speaking, and listening skill among the learners. The only thing that need to be done before engaging to this tool is that you have to sign up for the my brainshark account. Once you are a registered member, please make sure what kind of presentation file would you like to upload. The example is as below:

Notice the Great Uses for myBrainshark column on the right side of the picture. Basically this website allows you to upload a powerpoint file, to narrate particular document of your choice, to upload useful video to scaffold your presentation, to create your own photo album as well as to produce a podcast file. However, among these five choices, I would only like to show you on how to upload a simple powerpoint file, add some voice recording for each slide along with some background music in the presentation.

Once you have uploaded the file, there are many other things which can be done. As you can see in the above picture,there are two main columns available. The first one is the Things you can do and the other one is the three sub columns which contain presentation properties, security and options. If you wanna manage the audio section, just click on the manage audio, with sub links;record audio and background audio.

In order to record an audio for each slide, you are required to have an Adobe Flash Player Settings so that your camera and microphone can have access to the brainshark tool. If a small pop up like in the red circle appear, just allow the access so that the recording can take place.

The good thing about this tool is that it does not only allow you to use your microphone but it also gives you a number to be dialed so that you can record your voice by phone. Ain't this amazing? Before recording the audio just please make sure that you type in your presentation code as well. This might make your life easier and simpler and I believe that brainshark also helps a lot particularly in the speaking skill development.

Why this tool is beneficial in the language learning classroom?

1. It provides a medium for learners to get used to way of presenting ideas through an interesting tool. 

2.This tool allows learners to create their own slide presentation and use their own voice to explain each slides with the needed details and explanation.

3.Encourage speaking skill development among second language learners, build their confidence and allow them to make some changes and modifications especially to their voice presentation.

4.Brainshark provides an environment with low affective filter which means less anxiety, self-doubt and mere boredome among the learner. This may encourage them to produce a better outcome especially in acquiring and learning a second language 

5. Since this coolest tool sparks a vital interest, provides a low anxiety environments, it also bolsters the learner's self esteem.

6. It makes life easier for learners and teacher in terms of preparing the slides as well as assessing the presentation. Learners can always prepare for the task at home within the time allocated, and especially when the task is regarded as a homework. On the other hand, the teacher can also assess the presentation once the learner send the completed task assigned through email. In other words, myBrainshark is definitely making life easier and accessible.

The drawbacks which can be found are:

1. It needs a very good internet connection especially in the school or even at home where learners are expected to be able to upload the file and record the oral presentation.

2. This tool might be useless if any of the teacher or the learner cant have access to the internet.

3. The speaking activity might be done consciously,in which make the learner aware of their language use. If this happen, the teacher will not be able to find the real language problems among the learners as they might just read through a planned written text provided by them.

4. Just like another tools in this blog, this one is also free of charge. All you need to do is just sign up for your own account and everything is under your control.

http://www.brainshark.com/mybrainshark

bookr

http://www.pimpampum.net/bookr/

Hi all, this is another amazing tool for students to be creative in expressing their creativity while experimenting a new language. This pimpampum bookr is actually a tool in which allows learners to create and share their own photobook using Flickr photos. This tool is specifically designed for users to pick their own selection of pictures by typing in the tag box: for example if the learners wanna present about "The most beautiful place that I have ever been to", they might just need to type in the name of the place in the tag box and within seconds, those related pictures to the keyword will appear in the stripe below the main frame.

As you can see in the above picture, learners can start searching for images related to the given topic by typing in the keyword in the tag box, and after that you can just press the GO button. In order to begin creating a bookr, you are expected to find a suitable title or topic for your photobook,and yeah dont forget to put your name as the author as well. Its up to you whether you wanna use your real name or just your nickname, as long as people can have a look at it and be amazed of your masterpiece.

In my classroom, I have decided to present about the most beautiful place that I have ever been to and that place is Paris,France. As in the picture, I have typed in The City of Romance as the main title for my bookr and Kayla as the name of the author.  I have also selected a background image which portrays the central attraction of Paris which is the Eiffel Tower. Choosing the image is quite easy peasy lemon squeezy because you can just simply drag the picture to the photobook and it will just stay there.

The same draggy system is also applied to all of your slides in your photobook. You can simply drag the chosen image right into either right of left page of the bookr. As simple as that and you are now capable of presenting an attractive bookr with interesting images and explanations as well. As for the explanation part, you can write down a simple but precise explanation about the picture in the box provided below each of the pictures.

The pros of this tool:
1. This tool can definitely be a perfect platform for learners to combine the beauty of arts (images) and the use of language especially for the explanation section.
2. This tool also allows  learners to be familiar with descriptive sort of sentences while describing each of the picture in their photobook.
3. I would recommend most teachers to use this tool with students in the classroom as most of them are born with multiple intelligence, in which may related to VAK, visual, audio, and kinesthetic intelligence. In this case, learners with visual intelligence are totally at advantage since they can actually express their thoughts with the presence of beautiful images from Flickr.
4. Teachers can always manipulate this Bookr to be a medium for students to have an oral presentation scaffolded by the images and a few short explanation below each pictures. In the first place, Bookr may just be funky medium for learners to find pictures and simply describe them but if they need to stand on front of the class to present their photobook, this will absolutely boost learners' speaking confidence.
5. Since this activity should involve only individual effort to create a photobook, an autonomous way of learning can be developed in the classroom, hence learners can become an independent learner.
6. Free access, without having to sign up for the website is totally amazing for both teacher and learners.


The cons maybe:
1. Bookr only allows a limited number of words to be typed in the explanation box while learners need to specifically describe each picture unless the teacher can allocate some times for them to present their photobook orally.
2. While dealing with this tool, learners are expected to work individually therefore the teacher may not be able to monitor each of students' progression. This may lead them to be carried away with the task as they might also look for inappropriate images from the internet.
3. Be careful while creating the photobook as for some unexplained technical reasons, your photobook may disappear just like that! Once you have finished editing, be sure to click on the publish button so that your masterpiece can simply be accessed by other net users.