Final Submission

EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITIES OF NICENET

This is the time for Technology. In today life, the most of the works are connect with web in every types of field. In the process of teaching and learning, the use of technology has become an important aspect of making students learn things on their own or to promote autonomous learning. With the support of the web Students got a lot more knowledge, it is very useful for the Teacher as well. Among a few web tools, like Digital passport, eslpod.com, Nicenet, etc. one of the important tools that can be implemented in the teaching learning process is using NICENET, NICENET give an opportunity for ICT approach to communication among class groups or for subjects and topics. Nicenet is fully free to use, free of advertisements and established as a reliable web site.

Nicenet is a voluntary, non-profit organization dedicated to providing free services to the Internet community. Nicenet's primary offering, the Internet Classroom Assistant (ICA) is designed to address the pedagogical needs and limited resources of teachers and their students. 

In this web tool, the Teacher’s role is very important. They can provide reading materials and information for their students. Teacher can also add interpreted links to selected and categorized websites, information about scheduled events such as assignments and excursions. This type of basic information is mainly important for the students. With the support of the link, students can get a more details idea of the topic.

From the students’ point of view, they can upload documents, sharing links, submit homework, and add links to the web. Conferences, sharing links, negotiating, adding and formatting documents, everyone registered can participate in discussion forums providing class schedules submit homework and sending messages.

It can say the Nicenet is a one type of similar tool like a Digital passport. Nicenet is one of many web-based learning management systems (LMS) through which teachers can work with students, whether in distance mode or as a supplement to face-to-face teaching. Teaching of a course, whether a short intensive, a semester course or an open-ended course - can be started by just creating a new class in Nicenet. The advantage of Nicenet is that anyone online anywhere can type http://nicenet.org into their browser and get started with Nicenet. Some of the features that make it an educational tool are Simple clarity of layout and professional look and lack of bold colors, fancy fonts and dancing icons.

AN IMAGINARY CLASS SET UP ON NICENET.ORG

Ø The kind of students that you would have

o   The student should have must at least knowledge and interest In Technology. If the students are not know about internet and social networking sites. So it does create a big problem for teaching.

o   The all students are Second language learner.

Ø the kind of course that you would like to run

o   In my own side, I always strongly believe in technology, that’s why with the medium of the web students read a more articles uploaded by me. This activity can enhance more and more language skills of the students.   

o   With the support of the web, students can give their reply and discuss from anywhere. So, the students are learning a language without load.

Ø How will you use this platform to make maximum use of e-learning possibilities

o   This is the era of technology. And in current time the E – learning is become a very popular in educational fields. I would like to explore and create such task so that I can make maximum use of the features made available by NICENET.

PODOMATIC

Summary of the article “Podcasting for ELT”

The all electronically developed countries are currently experiencing extreme historical, social and technological change. The half of this century will be witnessing an evolutionary leap, away from their use of written language and back to the use of spoken language as a means of communication and further the upcoming generation would be technologically equipped with such gadgets that all the human communication will become spoken interaction. Therefore the  podcasting has become an important name to be discussed which is given to the publishing of audio (usually mp3 files) via the Internet, designed to be downloaded and listened to on a portable mp3 player of any type, or on a personal computer. It is an alternative way of providing ‘radio’ type content.

With podcast we can listen from anywhere and as many times as the listener wants things to listen, the listener can listen as now podcasting has come up with a new perspective for communication. Anyone with access to the Internet can generate a lot of interest in educational setting by just involving the students in recording and producing podcasts.

The present article, in brief, talks all about what are podcasts, types of podcasts, their use in the class and homework, subscription of podcasts and how to produce them.

Some of the types of podcasts are authentic podcasts (produced by authorized organizations) suitable for use with higher level students. Teacher podcasts (produced by teachers) for their own classes to help students learn by producing listening content. Student podcasts (Produced by students) often with teacher’s help to experience the culture and interests of other students from around the world. Educator podcasts are a kind of reflective podcasts that cover methodological matters as well as podcasting for ELT teachers.

Do you think that podcasting can be an interesting interactive tool? Why?

The podcast is basically can say interactive tool but it’s not can say it only improve the skills of the students. The podcast give a opportunity to learning a Languages, Knowledge, and self-learning system. Most podcasts use a web blog as their homepage. When we visit the blog we can only see the links to audio files. Podcasts can then be downloaded and transferred to a portable mp3 player, recorded to CD-ROM for use in class, or students can be directed to them for self-study purposes on the computer. In addition, many of the ELT podcasts come with transcripts to help understanding.

With the support of the podcast, Teacher can record the clip and put it on their blog. It’s not only helpful for the students of their class, but helpful for the other students in the world. 

This type of exercise students can do also their own. They can record the clip and also can share in social networking sites with their family and friends to listen to it. The fact that they have a real audience for their show should act as a great motivator. To conclude we can certainly state that if both the tools are used efficiently by the tutor these tools can bring wonders in the teaching learning process.