BOMBAY TV

WHAT IS BOMBAY TV
Bombay Tv is a website where users can make their own dialogue from a film strip available in this website.

AGE AND LEVEL OF LEARNERS
# Age of learners - fifteen to seventeen years old because some of the content are not really appropriate for young learners.
# Level of learners - Intermediate and advanced level. (Low level learners might not be able to produce the dialogue)


HOW TO USE BOMBAY TV
# Go to the Bombay Tv website. HERE is the link. Below is the screenshot if this website:

The Bombay Tv screen shot

# Choose any movie strip that you like and add the dialogue on it.
# When you are happy, put the title for your movie, your name, your e-mail and the e-mail of the person that you want to send your movie to (if you wish).


EXAMPLE OF DIALOGUE BUILDING USING BOMBAY TV
# Below is the example of Movie strip that I have done:

SUGGESTION OF ACTIVITIES

1. Could be used to activate schemata and arouse the students' interest - For example, if the teacher wants to teach about grammar points, the teacher firstly prepare a dialogue which contain the grammar point that she wants to teach.
2. As homework - once the teacher teach the grammar point, she can asks the students use the grammar point that she has taught in the movie. Students need to do it at home (as homework) and e-mail it to the teacher.
3. Teacher give specific task or topic to the students. For this activity, the focus is not on the grammar but on the topic or sentence building. For example, the topic for the lesson is about smoking. Firstly, the teacher may discuss about smoking such as the bad things of smoking. Then, students sit in pairs and do the advertisement on smoking and e-mail it to the teacher. Teacher will play few videos in the class if the time permits. 

*This website offers personalisation for the students. In other words, they can choose any scene that they like and can freely create the dialogue.*

*This website also can accommodate different learning styles. It offers visual, audio which could attract the learners.*

*Can develop collaborative learning especially when they need to work in pairs and do some discussion.*

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BOMBAY TV

1. It's FREE
2. Can create personalisation
3. Good review of spelling - teacher can check the students' spelling
4. Can develop and enhance the students' creativity
5. Varying the teaching and learning approach - does not depends only on drilling and using whiteboard. 

WHAT I DISLIKE ABOUT BOMBAY TV

1. Some of the content might not really appropriate for the students.
2. Some students might not really like using those film strips since it comes from old movies - outdated. 

MAILVU

WHAT IS MAILVU

This is another useful website for language teaching. MailVU is a website where users can record a video message and e-mail it to anyone. This tool could be used for 'connected classroom'. The 'connected classroom' refers to the idea that what the students do in the classroom should relates to their homework.

AGE AND LEVEL OF LEARNERS 
# Age of learners - fifteen to seventeen years old
# Level of learners - All level of learners


HOW TO USE MAILVU
# It is very simple. Firstly, go to MailVU website. HERE is the link. Below is the caption of MailVU webpage:

MailVU webpage

# Then, click the record button to start. Click allow to use camera and microphone. (Reminder: your computer need to have webcam)
# Once you are happy with your recording, you can e-mail it to anyone.
# You can click HERE for the tutorial in suing MailVU.


EXAMPLE OF MAILVU
# Below is the link to a video recording that I have made using MailVU tool:
My Important Dates


SUGGESTION OF ACTIVITES 
There are few example of activities:

1. Teacher could use MailVU to teach about past tense. Firstly, teacher can draw a timeline with few dates on it. Then, students can freely asks teacher about what happen in each dates. After this activity has finished, students can draw their timeline and do the same activity with their partner. As the homework, teacher can asks students to use MailVU to record themselves speaking about their own timeline and send it to the teacher. In return, the teacher may use MailVU as well to give feedback to the students. This activity creates personalisation since students can freely talk about themselves. This could be a motivation for them to speak more and eventually would improve their speaking skill.
2. Another possible activity is using MailVU to promote an item. For this activity, students need to promote a product (they are allowed to choose a product) for a food product. Then, using MailVU, they would record themselves speaking and promotes the items. After that, they may send it to their teacher and the teacher give feedback for them. As for this activity, the students can practise the persuasive form of language.
3. This tool could also be used for debate activity - For example, the teacher give a topic to the student. The example of topic could be 'should students wear uniform to school'. Then, they would discuss and list all the points of for and against this topic in the classroom. As the homework, the students work in pairs, do a debate and record it using MailVU and e-mail it to their teacher. This activity could enhance the students' high order thinking skills such as evaluating and analysing since they need these skills to defend and rebut the points for the debate. In addition, it would also develop their communicative skills since it involves the participation of two people.

*All the activities promote autonomous learning since the students need to do them by themselves at home and without teacher guidance*

*Using this tool as a homework would also lower the students' affective filter. This is because most of the students usually feel shy to speak or present live in the classroom. However, using this tool, they can do it at home and slowly built their confidence to speak.*

*It accommodate the verbal learners since those activities mainly requires students to speak*

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT MAILVU

1. It is free!
2. It could be used to support the connected classroom activities - it can get the students to practise the language at home 
3. It is user friendly - Very easy to use, just in three steps. 
4. Promote personalisation and autonomous learning 
5. If the users sign up to this website, they can delete and save their recording 
6. User can get the feedback or reply using MailVU as well

WHAT I DISLIKE ABOUT MAILVU

1. The free trial account is only for fourteen days. 
2. Can't embed your videos unless you sign up
3. The recording is limited to 10 minutes per recording for free users. 
4. Need to have webcam to do the recording 

# Another alternative tool for MailVU is KEEK       

ELLLO ENGLISH

WHAT IS ELLLO ENGLISH

Elllo English is a great website for listening practice which contain more than 1000 listening activities.You can find interviews, mixer, video response, listening games, songs, vocabulary and many more.While you listen you have the option to show or hide the text. The text version also offers audio explanations of difficult words and phrases. Elllo’s mp3 recordings are unique in that they offer English accents of people from all over the world, including America, Canada, Britain, Australia, and countries where English is not a first language. Conversation topics, such as housing, relationships, and jobs are modern and practical in daily life. Besides, you can download all the audio on the site except the song on the music pages.

AGE AND LEVEL OF LEARNERS
# Age of learners - Thirteen and above (I assume that this is a listening website for secondary school learners since this website uses quite long audio recording/visual recording/text)
# Level of learners -  All level of learners 

HOW TO USE ELLLO ENGLISH

# Simply go to the Elllo English website. HERE is the link.

Elllo English webpage

# Then you can choose any activity that you want to do based on your preference.
#  For full tutorial in using Elllo English, you may refer to Russell Stannard video. Please click HERE

SUGGESTION OF ACTIVITES

1.  Listening activity - Teacher could use the audio or video recording in this website as a listening activity for the whole class. Teacher can print out the material (comprehension question or quizzes) and use the audio or video recording in this website as a listening activity.
2. Teacher could suggest this website to the students so that they could do the activities  during their free time outside the classroom. This would promote independence and autonomous learning since the students do the exercise on their own. In addition, the students could use the activities for self-assessment/self-evaluation in which they can evaluate how good their speaking skill are.
3.  Another thing which teacher could do is get students or a computer and internet and then asks students to go to Elllo English website and do any activity that they prefer. In this situation, teacher just monitor the students as to make sure that all of them do it. This would lead to personalisation since they can choose any activity which they prefer. 

*This website could accommodate the students' multiple ways of learning. This is due to the reasons that this website offers various activities which includes a lot visuals etc.*
*This website is also a good website to enhance the students listening skill as it provides a lot of audio listening that the students can choose.*

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT ELLLO ENGLISH

1. Students can listen to a variety of lesson in English
2. Authentic materials - this website provide the conversation/language that people use in their daily lives
3. It can accommodate different learning style - It has audio, video, text as well visual in which students can choose which they prefer
4. Can promote autonomous learning - students can do it outside the classroom without the teacher's guidance. 
5. This website shows different culture or multicultural society. For example, African American and Japanese culture.
6. The teacher can vary their lesson and use this website as a source to teach in the classroom - teacher can download the material such as mp3 files and text
7. Personalisation - Students are given variety of choices (the topic) based on their interest/preferences
8. This website could be the opportunity for the students to practise variety of skills such as speaking (including communication and pronunciation), listening and vocabulary.
9. The activities (such as comprehension activities and games) provides the purpose for listening
10. This website extract the language for context in which students can learn through context/situation
11. Provide variety of level. Thus, all level of students can engage in the activity. 
12. Students can gauge their level - they can use this website to evaluate their progress (self assessment) 
13. Learners can learn other stuff as well such as history and Science. 

PROBLEMS WITH ELLLO ENGLISH

1. Problem with control - when you want to go back to the main page, you need to click the back button
2. Organisation of the website - this website does not shows any categories to distinguish all the topics
3. This website has the link to twitter. This could be a distraction for the students as they may focus more on twitter rather than on this website. 

PODCAST - AUDIOBOO

WHAT IS AUDIOBOO

Audioboo is a website in which allow users to make recording and podcast and post and share it with others. The recording will link to Audioboo website itself, facebook, twitter, youtube as well as itunes. Users can add image and location of where they record their 'boo'. Recently, users can download the Audioboo application for smartphone; Iphone, Android and Nokia. So, if students have smartphone, they can just record and send it using their phone! This is amazing!

AGE AND LEVEL OF LEARNERS

# Age of learners - thirteen and above. It is not really suitable for primary school learners as this tool is more into speaking and it involves less visual. This would make younger learners not interested in using this tool

# Level of learners - All levels including beginner, intermediate or advanced.

HOW TO USE AUDIOBOO
# Go to the Audioboo Webpage

# Get yourself an account  - just need to fill in e-mail address, user name and password
# Check your email to verify your Audioboo account
# Click 'make a recording/upload file
# For full tutorial on how to use Audioboo, you may click HERE


EXAMPLE OF PODCAST MADE USING AUDIOBOO
This is an example of 'boo' that I've made. It is about 'How to find happiness'.

SUGGESTION OF ACTIVITES

In my opinion, this tool is suitable for 'connected classroom'. In other words, this tool connects what the students to in the classroom with the homework given by the teacher. Few examples of how this tool could be used for teaching are:

1.  The teacher could teach about future tense. The teacher talks about her future plan such as she will get married, she will further her studies etc. Then, the teacher elicit the structure of future tense from the students. After that, the students work in pair and talk about their future plans with their partner. As the homework, the students need to record themselves speaking using Audioboo. They need to talk about their future plans.
2.  Another possible activity is in pairs, the students prepare an interview. The interview could be about what the teacher had taught in the classroom, for example, about future plans. This activity could lead to collaboration between to students and it provides information gap. Thus, at the same time, it provides the reasons for the students to speak.
3.  The teacher could also asks the students to record themselves telling a story. For example, the teacher can asks the students to write a story. They can choose to write any story that they like. Then, as the homework, they need to record themselves telling the story that they wrote in the class. This activity is like killing two birds with one stone - students can practise their writing and after that, they can practise their speaking.

HOW DOES IT RELATES WITH LANGUAGE LEARNING

1. Audioboo provides real audience for the learners. This is because this as the students record themselves speaking using this tool, their recording could be viewed by the people all around the world. 
2. Audioboo also reflect Krashen's idea about comprehensible input ( i+1 theory) where students need to be taught with input which is slightly higher than their current knowledge. In this situation, the teacher already give some input in the classroom and the students need to some extra activity as their homework. The extra activity is considered as the input which is higher that their current knowledge.
3. Using this tool could also motivate the students to speak. Some of the students might feel shy to speak in front the classroom. However, with this tool, they can practise their speaking even at home and the teacher still can access and give feedback about their speaking.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT AUDIOBOO

1. It is FREE - you just need to register.
2. It has few good features such as 'follow people' and 'link to other platform'
3. Students get the chance to communicate with the real world - they can receive feedback/comments from others as well as comments on others' podcast
4. Can embed it to your blog or website
5. The website is clearly organised. Thus, it is user friendly

PROBLEMS WITH AUDIOBOO

1. Only 3 minutes recording for free plan -  if you want it longer, you have to pay
2. The link to Twitter and Facebook could be a distraction for the students
3. Need internet connection and microphone in order to do the recording. 
4. The recording is viewed globally (through twitter, itunes and youtube). Therefore, there is no privacy for the users. 

CLICK n LEARN

WHAT IS CLICK N LEARN
This is an interactive website in which the students can practise grammar exercises, vocabulary exercises and play educational games. The exercises and games are devised based on different age of students and different level of difficulty.


AGE AND LEVEL OF LEARNERS
# Age of learners - Twelve and above (the units are arranged based on different age)
# Level of learners  - All level of difficulties (students may choose based on their level - easy, medium and difficult)


HOW TO USE CLICK N LEARN
Go to Click n Learn Website and you will be directed to this page:

Then, click 'enter site' and you need to choose language ---> click menu ----> and you may choose the exercises based on your level.

*For full tutorial in using this website, you may refer here: Click n Learn Tutorial

EXAMPLE OF CLICK N LEARN
The topic that I have chosen is about 'Travel' which is taken from Eso 2 easy level. There are around twelve activities available. Few example of activities are:
# Activity 1 - Reading a text and answering question (filling the blanks)
# Activity 2 - filling the blanks for correct preposition (have visual aid - a picture of map)
#Activity 3 - Learning the name of transportation - students click on the picture and they can listen to an audio, saying the transport name)
# Activity 4 - complete the sentences by filling the blanks verb and noun (the transport name). This activity relates to activity 3
# Activity 5 - Choosing correct option for parts in transportation.

Good things about this exercise
# Can skip the activity if you don't like it (but only on certain activity)
# Students can check their mark every time they do the exercise
# Good balance between visual and language
# Certain activity has 'help' button

Downside of this exercise
# more like memorising a fact
# No example is given on how to do the exercises
# Can't go back to the previous activity - if there is activity which require to memorise the previous fact, this would be a problem.
# the control is not consistent - sometimes you need to click to go to the next activity, sometimes, it is automatically done
# Too much of exercises which could lead to boredom for the users

*Users need to remember that other activities are differ from this activity. Thus, the good points and its downside could be different. 

SUGGESTION OF ACTIVITIES 

1. This website could be used to teach grammar points to the students. If the school does not have internet connection, the teacher may just print out the exercises
2.  The teacher could also teach vocabulary items to the students.
3. The teacher could also simply suggest this website to the students so that they can do some extra exercises outside the classroom.

*This website could accommodate the students multiple ways of learning. Some students prefer to learn using visual, oral or even with words. However, I think this website is not really suitable for those who prefer aural type of learning since this website does not offer oral recording in the activity.*

*This website also a good website for autonomous learning. This is because there are a lot activities that students can do at home. They can choose any activities based on their level and preferences. As the students can check the marks for each activity, therefore, they could use it for their self-assessment on how good they are.*  

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT CLICK N LEARN

1. It is FREE
2. It is interactive and fun for the students 
3. A lot of visual
4. There is printable version for the exercises 
5. Students can check their marks
6. There is guide for both teacher and students
7. This tool offers 'index of unit and contents' in which the topic, content and cultural references are being listed for each unit. 

PROBLEMS WITH CLICK N LEARN

1.  Too many funky sounds but there is not audio
2. The site is in Spanish, so, there is problem in terms of understanding some words. 
3. Some of the exercises have too many written text. Thus, there is no balance between visual and written language. 
4. Too many exercises under each unit -  this could lead to boredom for the students. 

ZIMMER TWINS

WHAT IS ZIMMER TWINS
It is a tool in which users can create cartoon animation through the animation clip provided. The students could start their movies from scratch or use the movie starters provided and just create the ending for it.  There are three characters available; the twins (Edgar and Eva) and a black cat named 13. In the making the animation, the users could choose from different talk bubble, close up and star.

AGE AND LEVEL OF LEARNERS
# Age of learners - Thirteen to seventeen (older students might find this boring since this tool is just making a short and simple animation)
# Level of learners - All level of students ( I assume that even low level learner can use this since it requires the students to include just a simple and short sentences in making the movie)


HOW TO USE ZIMMER TWINS

# Go to Zimmer Twins website, click HERE and then click 'make a movie'. 

# Click pick your starter OR if you don't want to choose starter, simply click on 'make movie from scratch'

# Then you can start choosing your movie strip based on your preference.
# You can make some editing and changing in you animation (the changes and editor button could be found in the pink hilighted below)

# You need to sign up in order to save/publish your movie. You also can send your movie to others
# Full tutorial on how to use Zimmer Twins, click HERE

EXAMPLE OF ZIMMER TWINS
# This is a link of a movie that I have made: Edgar and his cat


SUGGESTION OF ACTIVITIES

1. Teacher can use it to teach grammar points. For example, teacher teach about present tense in the classroom. Teacher would few example of present tense sentences. Then, as for the practise for the students, in pairs, they need to use Zimmer Twins to make a movie and at the same time, they need to include sentences which contain form of present tense.
2. Another example of activity could be used for making comparison between present tense and past tense. For example, the teacher taught both about past tense and present tense. Then the teacher divide the students in two groups; one group need to use Zimmer Twin and make a movie in which the sentence contain present tense form and the other group need to make a movie with the sentence contain past tense form. They need to do it in pairs. Then, once they finish with their movie, they need to work in groups of four. The pairs who make movie using present tense form will combine with the pairs whom make movie using past tense form. In the groups of four, each pairs will explain about their movie and the use of tense form in the movie. This type of activity will involves information gap and collaboration among the students.

*This tool is very powerful for the students who likes to learn using visual because the cartoon animation in Zimmer Twin could be an attraction for the students.* 

*I would prefer the students to work in pairs when they do the activity because I believe that this would lead to collaborative learning and scaffolding. To ensure that it works, I will pair up the weak students with the strong students. When they work in pairs, the strong students can help the weak students.* 

*Using Zimmer Twins can help the students improve their speaking and writing skills. This is because, when they use this tool, they need to write sentences and as it involves working in pairs and group, they would need to speak in order to express their ideas, combine their ideas or even give some comments*

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT ZIMMER TWIN

1. It is FREE
2. Students build their English input while doing their video
3. Can send your movies to others
4. Allow personalisation - students can choose how they want to make their movie by choosing any scene that they want
5. Enhance the students' creativity

POSSIBLE PROBLEMS

1. No audio speech. Simply bubbles with words.
2. Can't embed your movie
3. Once students have published their animation, they can't edit it anymore. 
4. There is possibility for some students to use inappropriate language in their animation (Teacher and parents need to monitor it) 

PIM PAM PUM PHRASR

WHAT IS PHRASR
It is a tool which allows people to illustrates phrases with images. The images comes from Flickr. In other words, users can choose any images which they think suitable for each of words in a phrase.

AGE AND LEVEL OF LEARNERS
# Age of learners - thirteen to fifteen years old (older learners might not interested as it requires only simple sentences)
# Level of learners - low and intermediate (advanced students might find this tool a bit boring)

HOW TO USE PHRASR
# The website link is: Phrasr Website
# Type your sentence(s) in the box provided and click 'Start'

# The image and your sentence(s) will appear on the screen

# If you are not happy with the images, you may change it - there are a lot of option available

# Once you finish choosing the images and satisfied with it, you may type the title and your name and click 'Publish' .. Finish!
# You may play it again, view it in the archive, recyle it or sent it to your friend
# For video tutorial on how to create a picture using Phrasr, you may click on this link: Phrasr Tutorial


EXAMPLE OF PHRASR
This a a link of my presentation using Phrasr: My Bag [Phrasr Presentation]


SUGGESTION OF ACTIVITIES
Few suggestion of activities are:

1. Students can use this tool to introduce themselves. This activity is valid during the first or second lesson in the class. The teacher may asks the students to use 'Pharasr' and make up a story about themselves. They may include about their name, their family, their favourite food and drink, their favourite colour etc. Then, they need to e-mail their work to their teacher. If there is enough time in the class, teacher may ask volunteers for the students to present their work in front of others.
2. This tool could also be used by the teacher to introduce idioms or grammatical structure. For example, in advance, the teacher herself make a presentation using 'Pharasr' and show it to the students in the class. Then, the teacher may elicit the grammatical structure/idioms from the students - I assume that this activity is for pre-teaching activity.
3. This tool is also useful for the students to get some ideas about their writing. For example, the teacher may asks the students to one of the most important items in their life. It could be a bag, a ring or a dress. Then, using this tool, the students need to make up few sentences with some pictures, explaining the items that they have chosen. Then, they need to present their work to their friends (in pairs). Then, as the homework, they need to write an essay about the most important items in their life.

*This tool combine the use of images with sentences. Therefore, this tool is highly recommended for visual and linguistic learners since they can maximise their visual and linguistic and learning styles.*

*Using this tool also allows for personalisation. This is because students can choose any images that they like and prefer. This personalisation could be a motivation for students to learn. In addition the personalisation would also allow the students to create something which relates to them. By doing this, they can collaborate their schemata in their first language with their second language.*

*This tool also suitable to encourage students to speak. This point is applicable when the students need to work in pairs and explain about their work that they have done.*

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT PHRASR

1. It is FREE
2. You do not break the copyright of taking images from internet
3. May e-mail your presentation to you friends, teachers etc
4. Allow for personalisation for the students - students can freely choose images. 

PROBLEMS WITH PHRASR

1. The images is from flickr. If the owner delete the image, you won't be able to see it in your presentation.
2. Some pictures are not appropriate to be viewed by the young learners
3. Time consuming in looking for appropriate and suitable pictures. Based on my experience, sometimes, there is no suitable picture at all.
4. Basically you can't pause the slide while doing presentation. 

PERSONAL THOUGHT ON PHRASR

# Personally, I would not recommend teachers or students to use this website because I found that this website is not very useful and helpful. Most of the images are not appropriate and does not match with the sentence at all. So, it is such as waste of time looking for suitable images. It could de-motivate the students since they could not find suitable images for their sentence.