tracy1225

     Reading & Writing    Once again, the teacher let us access to more websites that can help students enhance their reading and writing activity. In my opinion, writing with the involvement of technology is a helpful way to reduce mistakes and some grammatical problems because we can install some spell checkers to fix the errors we make like Grammarly, a plugin that can be connected to Word. Furthermore, we can write more authentically and clearly by using other websites. However, I think technology has its pros and cons. If we rely on technology too much, we may forget how to write correctly when needing to take an exam without spell checkers. Consequently, we make even more mistakes when the Internet is taken away. Therefore, we must check out the words that are fixed by the spell checkers in case we make the same mistakes.   Today, I explore a website called VoiceThread. I think the biggest advantage of this website is that we can post a pr...

                            Listening & Speaking          Today, the teacher let us access to some websites that can help hone students’ listening and speaking abilities. I think adopting CALL ( especially websites for improving listening and speaking skills) is a good idea because not every school is able to hire foreign teachers. Therefore, websites that provide speeches or short videos made by native speakers can replace the need for foreign teachers. Take TED TALK, for example, it is a convenient website for medium to high-level listeners because it provides lots of lectures from prestigious people from all over the world, so students can practice different accents. What’s more, the videos on this website are classified, so listeners can find the videos they like in a short time.           We also use Skype to discuss with our classmate...

 Computer Mediated Mommunication                           Today, the teacher let us use Google Meet to discuss a topic that is worth thinking deeply about —What will a language class be like with the help of technology?           From my point of view, educational technology is a double-edged sword. It can not only let everyone in the classroom concentrate on their work but also avoid some mistakes resulting from nervousness. However, if people excessively rely on computer-mediated conversation, they may have difficulties having a conversation in the real world. What’s worse, I think this situation is not limited to the academic fields. In the future, some children may not know how to normally chat with others face-to-face.    Therefore, while we are bringing technology to a class, we should ensure that children won’t be negatively influenced.

 Second Life            Today, the teacher introduces a 3D online game called “ Second Life”. While I was playing this game, I was astonished at the design of this digital world.           I explored this virtual world by entering every part of its stores and every corner of its streets. I found the designer of this game very meticulous because some details were shown in some unobtrusive places. For example, I noticed a newspaper printed “ COVID-19 is on a rage” in a small print shop. Also, I found some cigarette cases covered with colorful pictures and the names of famous brands.             What surprised me the most is that, nowadays, this kind of game can be adapted into a language class. We can have a conversation in carefree virtual restaurants or office rooms. I realize that educational technology is an inexorable trend and we should use it ...

Avatar Today, the teacher lets us think about what the influence of web3.0 is and how it will change the world. When asked, a recent event suddenly hits me. A few weeks ago, an artist won at the state fair with the A.I. program. Nevertheless, some people said it is the death of creative jobs, which shows that the emergence of AI has stirred a strong backlash. Therefore, in an era when a job may be replaced at any time, we need to be equipped with knowledge as well as competence.           The teacher provided us with another website called Voki, we can create our own avatar on this website. Nowadays, the industry of avatars becomes more popular. Therefore, I think familiarizing ourselves with avatars earlier is a good approach.