Podcast : SoundCloud

 

SoundCloud is the world’s largest open online audio platform,  that enables its users to upload, promote, share audio, and enabling listeners to stream audio. Users can easily record and upload sounds in SoundCloud and share them privately or publicly with all social networks. Also, users can follow other creators through SoundCloud to find favorite tracks and playlists and save them. To sum up, people can create, upload, save, and listen to audio, tracks, and playlists through SoundCloud. So I created a podcast in which I mentioned some difficulties and struggles that we face while learning a language.  You can reach it through this link. 

https://soundcloud.com/zehra-akdogan/difficulties-and-struggles-while-learning-a-language 

Videocast :Language Learning

 

A videocast is a video produced for the Internet and made so that viewers can stream or download the clip onto a personal mp3 player. Creators of videocasts can share the video as a file or a stream. A stream allows the viewer to watch the videocast directly on a website. A file allows a viewer to download the videocast directly to a handheld mp3 device. So, I tried to create Videocast through the online tool called Powtoon. In my videocast, I tried to briefly explain the impact of culture on second language learning. You can reach it at the link below. 

https://www.powtoon.com/s/begWoKzCmB6/1/m 

Padlet

 

Padlet is an online website that users can use as a board. It basically helps digitize, and manage the classroom, and categorize various lessons. One of the great things about Padlet is the fact that many people can post text, videos, or images to the same board at the same time. Not only teachers but also students can post documents, images, or texts on the canvas. Users can comment on each other's posts and  I think it can increase collaboration and interaction between students. Besides, it allows users to insert ideas anonymously. The website provides users short links or codes that can be easily shared. Through the link, students can easily access the board. Padlet does not ensure any specific content for teachers or learners about language learning. Through Padlet, language learners can develop writing skills or speaking skills. For instance, they can write a short story and share it on Padlet or record themselves telling an anecdote. Also, students can participate in various discussions that can help them to improve their language skills. On the other hand, teachers can create a dashboard for each lesson and share beneficial text, documents, or images that can help students to improve their language skills such as writing, and listening. 

As you can see above I tried to create wall on Padlet. You can reach it with this link.  

https://padlet.com/zehrakd/rxb2eqaoseqrn62m 

Augmented Reality : Aurasma

 

Augmented reality (AR) is an enhanced today's technology where designers bring the real physical world to the online world through the use of digital visual elements or sound via technology. Aurasma is an online education tool based on augmented reality. It basically helps users to bring images, objects, and also physical locations to life with interactive digital content like 3D, animations, or videos.  Generally, this platform provides opportunities to enhance listening skills and limit the failure of pronunciation by giving opportunities learners to practice listening activities at any time and anywhere. Besides, this online tool aims through augmented reality to create enjoyable and learner-centered learning opportunities that can motivate students and increase their self-confidence and interest in English. Especially, language learners who mostly learn through visual can expand their vocabulary by using this application. 

Virtual Reality : VirtualSpeech

 

VirtualSpeech is an online educational tool that makes it possible for learners to practice through realistic virtual simulations. It ensures users a wide variety of courses and training simulations that they can easily practice public speaking, job interviews, business networking, boardroom presentations, press conferences. Besides, you can enter multiple rooms such as conference room, meeting room, interview preparation, or training delivery to make your speech. Also, it provides evaluation and reporting which help you observe your skills and progress. Generally, while giving feedback considered eye contact, the pace of speech, hesitation words, volume, and other aspects. You can click press the 'Play' button to listen to your speech. You can also save your speech to listen to it later and discuss it in more detail. If you want you can get live feedback during your speech.

Virtual Speech is a beneficial application for language learners. It allows language learners to practice their speaking, expand their vocabulary, and evaluate their progress. Besides, because it is a virtual simulation, it would be easier for language learners to overcome the fear of public speaking. In conclusion, VirtualSpeech provides various opportunities for language learners such as improve oral communication skills and getting feedback. 

Second Life

 

Second Life is an online virtual world that allows users to create an avatar who can act like a real person. It ensures users interact with other avatars, places, and objects. Besides, users can meet other users and socialize, participate in both individual and group activities, shop, and also do various activities. Besides, users can meet other users and socialize, participate in both individual and group activities, shop, and also do various activities.  Second Life's main aim is to provide an environment for users that they can do whatever they want.  Moreover, Second Life can be used for educational purposes. Through Second Life language learners can improve oral communication skills, expand their vocabulary, and be able to practice with natives. In language learning one of the serious barriers is shyness. Users can get rid of their shyness because it is a virtual life and be more confident about their language skills. 

I created an avatar in Second Life. It was an amazing experience for me to interact with people who can able to speak English. I used my microphone to speak with other avatars and observe my progress. You can also use the chatbox if you do not prefer speaking. You can see my avatar above.  

Flipgrid

 

Flipgrid is a social learning website that provides teachers to create "grids" that simplify video discussions. A grid is basically a classroom or a community of learners that you created. Teachers can create a classroom or a community of learners. Middle or high school teachers can use “Period 1” or “Period 2” as grid titles. Through Flipgrid, educators can ask questions, then the students can respond in a video. Students' video responses can be 15 seconds to five minutes.  Also, students can respond to each other, creating a “web” of discussion. Grids can be easily shared with classes, small groups. Grids can include an unlimited number of topics and an unlimited number of responses. Moreover, Flipgrid facilitates teachers around the world to collaborate. This creates opportunities for language teachers to ensure students to practice and develop their speaking skills with a larger group than just their class. In conclusion, students can post videos to expand their vocabulary with students around the world studying the same language or interact with native speakers. 

I tried to create a class on Flipgrid you can reach it with this link.

https://flipgrid.com/akdogan8306 

Pixton

 

Pixton is a comic development site that ensures students to showcase what they know through comics. It basically allows users to express and show what they thought and learned through create comics on the web. You can easily make an account as a teacher, student, and parent. Pixton provides variety and multiple resources to teachers. Teachers can create assignments on their own or borrow from have already been created by other educators. There are some features that Pixton provides for users. For example, it basically allows both students and teachers to create their own comics. Users can add audio, text, speech bubbles to the character they create. Also, it provides an unlimited range of expressions. Besides, you can upload your own photos and customize them the way you want. To sum up, it is the best learner-centered online tool that provides students to create and share their own comic.  

You can see here the comic character that I created on Pixton. 

VoiceThread

 

VoiceThread is an application that provides opportunities to create and share presentations about images, diagrams, and videos. The main aim of VoiceThread is to talk over topics and present them to the audience. It is a useful application for both students and teacher who wants to transfer their knowledge to others. Users can record themselves and voice while presenting. Besides, they can react and comment on videos or audios that already upload by other educators or students, and then they can send this content to others as a response. There are lots of features of VoiceThread. For example, users can add images, videos, documents, or slides from their devices. Also, they can annotate slides while presenting. Sharing is as easy as sending an email or links. To sum up, VoiceThread is an application that allows users to present their opinions and knowledge on a variety of topics. 

Animation : Canva

 

Canva is a basically free online design platform that provides easily create invitations, business cards, flyers, lesson plans, posters, Instagram posts, infographics, book covers, menus, letterheads, newsletters, photo collages, tickets, bookmarks, presentations, and more. Users even can upload their own photos if they want. It ensures to users upload their own photos to Canva,  drop the photo into the template of their choice, and they can save it to the computer. You can customize professionally designed templates which Canvas is home to thousands of them, with just a few clicks. Canva's features make editing photos simple for beginners. You can add a textured background to the foundation of your design, make gorgeous colors with delicate, transparent textures, insert text to create your own meme, blur your photo, and more. To sum up, briefly, Canva is a guide to the graphic design platform that is great for making invitations, business cards, Instagram posts, and more.

As you can see above I prepared and designed a presentation through Canva. You can reach it with this link the following.

https://www.canva.com/design/DAESGmPNKhY/euzah7573dbLEunL43t_JA/view?utm_content=DAESGmPNKhY&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink 

Voki

 

Voki is a fun Educational online tool that both students and educators can use for homework, projects, and classwork. Voki is a friendly online tool that both teachers and students can customize the look of the avatar. You can simply choose your avatar's appearance, clothes, and accessories and then choose a voice and background for your avatar. Also, you can get a Voki presenter to make interesting and fun presentations and interact with students in a fun way.  There are also Voki classroom, Voki Hangouts, and Voki Teach. Voki Classroom is an online classroom that allows the teacher to manage class and arrange unique assignments for students. Furthermore, Voki Hangouts is a community forum, that authorizes students and encourages participation and self-expression. Through Voki Teach you can optimize your time and teach to make learning beneficial for students with the planned pioneering curriculum by certified educators.

You can see here the Voki character that I created. I named him Doki. It was a good experience for me to customize the look of the Doki. You can reach my Voki avatar with this link.  

https://tinyurl.com/y76tx98t 

EdWordle

 

EdWordle basically is an online tool for editing words. Users can easily edit, colorize, re-font, add, delete, or move word clouds to create unique custom visualizations.  This application can be beneficial for learners who learn visually better. Especially language learners can expand their vocabulary with  EdWordle. Also, students can use this application to analyze their own writing through editing word clouds. Besides, through this app, the teacher can prepare multiple activities to help students'  develop their language skills such as oral communication, writing, vocabulary. Finally, you can save the images you create with Wordle and then use them for multiple reasons.

Storybird

 

Hello everyone. It's good to see you here. Today I want to introduce you to one of the useful applications that can be used by both students and teachers. Storybird simply gives you a chance to enhance your writing and reading. 

First of all, teachers need to make an account and then create a class. After creating a class they can invite students to the class that they made. They can send invitation emails or invite the existing user to join. Also, they can add them to the class by a passcode. Teachers can give assignments here. The important point in this application is writing and reading stories. It provides to write and create comics, long stories, flash fiction, poetry, and picture book. 

You can also access and read various stories wrote by other educators. You can use this application not only in class but also as a parent in your home with your family. I think it is useful for those who want to improve their language skills. 

This is the comic that I wrote in Storybird.

Glogster

 

I want to share with you one of the online tools for both teachers and students called Glogster. Glogster is a basic social network that allows both students and teachers to create and publishes interesting videos, images, and an interactive, Web-based poster called glogs on a virtual canvas. Students can use this application to improve their language skills and present their knowledge. Through this application, users can reach the library of engaging educational content posters shared by other educators or learners all around the world. Besides, they can include any Web-based poster called glogs in the library.  Users can also save copies of glogs and adapt or edit them to their own needs. Also, teachers can create and share educational content and help students in every topic such as language. It helps teachers to observe and manage students' progress. 

Pinterest

 

Today I decided to introduce the social application called Pinterest. You might have seen this application in google images or other websites. Pinterest is a social media application that allows sharing interesting images and find anything you want. It basically ensures saving and sharing anything you are interested in. Also, you can make an account easily by signing up with your Google, Facebook, or email account. There are lots of advantages of using this application for example if you are a person who learns a language you can select a language you want and start using the website in that language. Besides, you can select any areas of interest that you want. Especially, language learners can find anything they want about language education. They can reach and get advice from educators. Through Pinterest, they can find other learner's experiences about language. 

Quizlet

 Today I also want to suggest to you one of the applications that commonly used by students and teachers. Quizlet is an application that is simply used to enhance vocabulary by game modes, flashcards, or images. Generally, it is used by parents, teachers, and students. If you are a teacher you can begin to use it to create your study sets with vocab and its definitions.

Also, you can upload images to make words more memorable. Moreover, thousands of students use this app to improve their vocabulary and pronunciations. Students can reach flashcards and study sets easily. They can test themselves by study sets prepared by teachers. Also. not only expand their vocabulary they can correct their pronunciations and spelling. 

I created Flashcards with images to help to expand vocabulary. Here you can reach and look at my Quizlet.    

https://quizlet.com/_9850n5?x=1qqt&i=1sz6wv

Kahoot

 

 

Hello everyone. Welcome back to my blog. Today, as usual, I want to introduce you to one of the game-based applications that name is Kahoot. Both students and teachers can use this application. The application aims to make learning fun through games for learners. Firstly, the teacher needs to make an account and create a game for the players to participate in. Teachers can prepare various types of questions wherein the students respond individually or by a team. The game’s format is that the higher scores are given to the players that respond correctly to each question the fastest.

Moreover, Kahoot creates a little bit of a competitive atmosphere between students. Also, teachers can easily invite students to the game with just a simple code. So, Kahoot provides a fun and social learning experience for students. Also, I created a simple quiz in Kahoot you can reach my quiz here. 

https://create.kahoot.it/share/word-family-noun-verb/93717494-d57d-4c3d-9f25-49601af2e4bb  

Socrative

 

Welcome to my blog post, everyone. Today I want to introduce the application called Socrative. Socrative is a basic online tool that gives chance to teachers to prepare quizzes. Through the Socrative, teachers can prepare various quizzes such as multiple-choice, true/false, and Short Answer questions and give immediate assessments to students.  Also, It gives you the convenience that grading quizzes automatically, and able to create reports to evaluate how everyone did. I think the main aim of this application is to save time when grading assignments or giving feedback. Teachers can also create rooms and add students. Through creating room the lesson can become more interactive. In conclusion, Socrative is a free web application that offers an easy and friendly experience for teachers to engage and assess their students. 

I prepared a simple quiz in Socrative. You can reach it with this link.

https://b.socrative.com/teacher/#import-quiz/53972917