VLE vs. PLE

For the first time when I saw the terms VLE and PLE, it didn’t make any sense to me and I didn’t have any idea concerning these two terms. Only after watching several videos and reading different articles related to this topic I started to differentiate between these strange terms.   
VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) is “a web-based online environment that integrates tools for content delivery, communication, assessment, and student management”.  It’s special software that provides an integrated package of resources and facilities to support the web-based delivery of courses; including mail, real-time chat rooms, online discussion forums, individual webpages, image databases, resource banks. Moreover, it allows teachers to create a homogenous context for all learners, providing with the same experience of the system: same content, organized in the same fashion, with the same tools.
PLE (Personal Learning Environment) is more of a concept than a particular toolset - it doesn't require the use of any particular tool and is defined by general concepts like: distributed, personal, open, learner autonomy. These conceptual attributes influence the types of tools individuals select to engage in learning. A typical example of PLE is the incorporation of blogs, where students comment on what they are learning, and their posts may reflect information taken from the webs, such as YouTube or in RSS feeds from news agencies. 
Though VLE is a great repository of rich resources and tools, where everybody can produce and share information online, my opinion is that VLE or PLE will never take the place of direct teaching and learning. It can facilitate, make more productive, ease and enhance many aspects of both teacher and student’s life, in case it is used in the right place, at the right time and with the right students.   

Open Education Resources

The term Open Educational Resources is a relatively new phenomenon, which first came to use in 2002 at a conference hosted by UNESCO. At that forum OER was defined as: “Open Educational Resources are digitized materials offered freely and openly for educators, students and self-learners to use and re-use for teaching, learning and research.”

The key term in this resource is the word “open”, which has two important aspects, such as free availability over the Internet and as few restrictions as possible on the use of the resource. Several factors in OER are of great importance: there should be no technical barriers, no price barriers and as few legal permission barriers as possible for the users.

Open/distance learning offers a lot of possibilities where students can complete their course work from just about anywhere with a computer and internet connection, which allows students to work when and where it is more convenient for them. Moreover, since students can often work from home to complete their class assignments, both time and money are saved. Another advantage of OER is the prices for online courses, which are generally cheaper than their on-campus counterparts and you won’t have to worry about traveling, moving or getting meal plans on campus. In case of OER learning while working becomes possible, as distance learning can usually be completed on your own schedule and it is much easier to complete distance learning courses while working than more traditional educational programs.

All the above mentioned opportunities sound great, but once running, a distance education enterprise must provide with technical support, specific technology, as well as appropriate resources and professional tutors.

Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL)

Five years ago I could hardly imagine that a mobile phone can assist any learning process. Today I can’t spend even a single day without my cell phone. In the 21^st century mobile learning is undergoing rapid evolution and mobile language learning is coming to support the educational process, especially language learning.

Though the integration of this new type of approach in language learning and teaching has been very slow, today mobile phones are the most frequently used devices in our educational life. The use of this tiny special device in language learning became possible only due to its unlimited possibilities and various programs that turned the mobile phones into smart devices to assist language learning process. The only question that arises here is how the mobile phones can support learning in the second language classroom. The answer according to Hayo Reinders is “in a number of ways”, because mobile phones come with growing functions that most students are so proficient in using them. There exist a great number of useful activities, designed for students of various ages having different language proficiency levels that can actively be used in their classroom settings. Moreover, they do not require any special knowledge or additional software or hardware.

There are several pedagogical reasons to consider using mobile phones in the second language classroom.

Firstly, phones are social tools that aid authentic and relevant communication and cooperation among learners. Second language learners can use mobile technology to access appropriate vocabulary and expressions on the given topics, they can look up movie reviews while at the theater, or they discuss

weekend plans with an English speaking friend, they can download and listen to different audio and video files, as well as podcasts.

So, one can assume that the possibilities of mobile phones are endless, the only thing that students and teachers should consider is how and when to use it.

Second Life

The first thing that I’d like to tell in my blog is that I’m totally confused. I think second life is not designed for me, it is designed for people who enjoy virtual life and they figure out how to do that. Perhaps, my “Real/First” life is better than this “Virtual Second” oneJ

Second Life was a quite challenging experience to me, because before this I’ve never heard about it and I’ve never tried. Today I spent approximately an hour to get the essence of this virtual game, but the only thing that I managed to do was dancing with other people in a club and chatting with them. After spending some time in Second Life and trying to expose interesting things on my own I got so nervous that I quitted with the game and started to read the articles that my professor provided. Only a few minutes later I realized that Second Life is really amazingJ

As the cost of education grows year by year and students are forced to pay higher tuition fees, share resources, and even drop classes, thus, educators created a special thinking learning space, called “Second Life”, which supports and strengthens the ongoing mission to deliver world class education. As far as I understood different virtual worlds, among them Second life can solve many of the challenges faced by educational institutions. Firstly, the learning space is always available, regardless age, nation, social and economical status, as well as   geographical position. The worth mentioning point that I found out from different articles was that over 700 educational institutions from all over the world are in Second Life today. So this means that the advantages of learning in 3D environments are many.

 Second Life delivers a wide range of courses, field trips, and events, such as distance and flexible education, presentations and discussions, simulations and role-playing, multimedia and games, as well as language learning practice.

So we can assume that Second Life became a powerful way to create bridges and to collaborate with one of the 700 educational institutions. Many learning institutions have created cooperative learning programs in Second Life with great success by using various collaboration tools. You can easily connect with other teachers and professors who are open to collaborating, sharing, and creating joint learning programs. Moreover, in Second Life, residents meet and interact with friends around the world, enjoy entertainment from live music to role playing games, explore unique environments and communities, and much more.

Now, I love Second Life:) 

Video Production in an EFL class

Firstly, I'd like to express my thanks to this course, because only due to it I revealed how critical and fascinating the field of video production is. Only few days ago I didn’t even know that video production can be used as a vital tool for learning. This technological tool became extremely useful for the development of students’ creative and critical thinking, as well as for the improvement of students’ speaking skills. After discussing video production with our professor I started to think about interesting performances that can be conducted with students of different ages and levels. This kind of digital technology gives a chance for both teachers and EFL learners to organize and accomplish various interesting activities, such as role plays, performances, storytelling, or video production on the specific topics that they are covering during their class. To be honest, it’s quite difficult for me to think of more activities that can be carried out with the help of video production, because my generation was deprived from this wonderful chance to use technology in classroom settings. But I’m sure that there are a lot of possibilities and creative activities that can be conducted by the teachers in an EFL classroom. I hope that one day our Armenian schools will be equipped with all kind of technology and digital media and out teachers will be enough competent to use those technological tools to their students’ benefits.