Presentation: Prezi

If you want to present from a cloud account using slides that are more interactive and good in graphics, you can think about Prezi. It is easily accessible from www.prezi.com and an account can be opened for free besides the premium membership.

Theoretical Considerations:

Prezi, like PowerPoint slides can serve the audio visual learners. It also motivates the learners in the classroom.

In the following video clip, you can get the guidelines of how to create slides in Prezi-

Advantages:

1. The templates help to type and create slides very easily.

2. The graphics of Prezi is really very good and attractive to look at.

3. Anyone can save the Prezi presentation in the cloud or website and use it from different places. Therefore, this facility of saving slides online has made it unique.


Limitations:

1. There needs to have internet connection in order to use Prezi from the cloud source. Therefore, if there is no internet connection, the use of the slides will not be possible.

2. The text in the slides some of the time looks very big or displaced. One needs to edit properly in order to make the text visually appropriate. The editing may take a lot of time too.

3. Though the animated graphics seems visually attractive, depending on the level of the learners or the context, consideration is needed to use appropriate template. A lot of animation may distract the learners in the classroom.

Using in Bangladesh:

In Bangladesh, teachers can easily use Prezi for creating class presentations and use in the classroom if internet connection is available. However, in case of situations when internet connection or projector is not available, it will not be judicious to use Prezi.

A Sample Prezi Presentation:

The following Prezi presentation has been created by me. You can have a look at it and enjoy creating your own Prezi presentations-

http://prezi.com/0onp96jevlkn/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy


Disclaimer:

The logo and video are copyright to https://prezi.com/.

TodaysMeet

TodaysMeet gives the students a chance to meet virtually as a group in a room and to discuss or respond to each others' discussion in a private way. The site can be accessed from todaysmeet.com.

The following video shows the basic guidelines for using TodaysMeet.

Theoretical Considerations:

This tool, if used strategically, can make the students motivated. It will also help in agile teaching and learning. Collaborative learning is also another theoretical consideration behind using this tool in the classroom.

Advantages:

1. Teachers can use this tool to get instant responses from the students.

2. Students can share links of their online learning activities in the room with other students. Therefore, they can give feedback to each other and learn in a collaborative environment. 

3. Students do not need to register if the teacher creates an account and opens the room. The teacher can share the passcode and students can use the passcode, enter the room and share the link.

4. The way the room is used can be modified in different ways. The teacher can give security, use the room for as long as a year or can open it for only seven days. Therefore, depending on the purpose of the activity, the feature can be modified. A time limit also allows the teacher to control the submission of the link or the collaborative discussion on an activity.

Limitations:

1. Affordances should be there in order to use it in the classroom. Without a computer or a laptop, students can not use it in the classroom.

Using in Bangladesh:

1. Teachers can use TodaysMeet in the classroom if there is access to the devices and internet. However, it might be best to use it for homework by allowing the chat room for a specific time. As all the students may not have computer or may not bring laptop in the classroom, the teacher needs to ask the students before using it.  

2. Students can use the room for group works and project plans.


Disclaimer:

The logo of TodaysMeet is copyright to https://todaysmeet.com/ . The video, however, has been created by Henry Ramirez.

Second Life: Learning Language Virtually

Have you ever thought that you will be able to speak in a virtual community? It is possible by creating an account in Second Life. The avatar can be changed according to the choice. Moreover, travelling to different places is possible. You can walk alone in the streets of Paris or walk in group beside a beach or attend classes in a classroom. All of these are possible in Second Life. Student can meet their teacher and other students. They can learn any subject, even learn speaking English.

The following video shows what Second Life can offer for Second Life-

Theoretical considerations:

Taking the advantage of gamification and collaborative learning, Second Life motivates the learners to learn and use English contextually. For example, students can meet an unknown person and start exchanging greetings.

Matters to Consider:

1. Affordances should be there for using Second Life. It requires using computer and technological knowledge of the student. In Bangladesh, especially in the villages, many of the students will not be able to use it for affordance issue.

2. It requires training to work and operate in Second Life.

3. It is very time consuming to work here. Therefore, there is a danger that it may distract students in the classroom. Teacher control is needed in order to use Second Life effectively in the classroom.

4. If the teacher wants a private place to teach students, he or she needs to buy places which involves spending money.

Advantages:

1. The graphics and different places can be used to teach in a motivating way. Students, especially visual students will find the colourful ambience attractive.

2. Notecards can be used to give students idea and instruction. Students can also share their notecards with other members of Second Life.

3. Learners from different countries can meet and talk. Therefore, Second Life gives a chance of authentic communication.

Using in Bangladesh:

In Bangladesh, the teachers can encourage the students to play in Second Life by making a group and speaking in English. However, playing Second Life in the classroom might distract students and a lot of time might be wasted. Therefore, students can use Second Life in their personal life, to learn on their own, but it might not be a good idea to use it in the classroom.  

Disclaimer:

The logo is copyright to https://www.secondlife.com/ and the video is created by Learning Revolution. 

Triptico

In order to use Triptico, the user needs to go to https://www.tripticoplus.com/ and create either an individual or multiple users account. Once the account is created, the user can go to the resources page and find out different types of quizzes, selectors, timers, tools, legacy resources. Under each of these themes, there are a lot of language games. For example, there are different types of quizzes such as Find Ten, Bingo, Image Bingo, Word Mix, Find the Answer, Connect etc. Selectors, on the other hand, make the language activity interesting by allowing Text Spinner, Image Spinner, Task Spinner, PinBoard, Student Selector, Spring Selector, Flip Selector etc. Timers give options of selecting timer for language tasks or activities. Flip Timer counts time up and down, Circle timer gives an alarm when the time of the task finishes.

Theoretical Considerations:

As the activities can be designed in an interactive way, it helps to motivate the students in the classroom.

Sample Activity:

The following activity has been created by me which shows how you can make groups among your students. You can click on the link and see the task-https://tripticoplus.com/tshare/tyzn2abe/1418. I have typed the names of the students and saved. Once the link will be clicked, it will lead to the website. By scrolling down the screen, an option named Click to launch the activity will be found. Once the Click the Activity will be clicked, a new window will pop up which will show a list of names of students. At the bottom of the page, there is a menu option. It has an option named Create Groups. After selecting the option, it will show the Number of Groups and Create the Groups options. Selecting the last option will create groups automatically. Making groups among the students using this option is thrilling as the students wait to know the names of the group members. This activity is motivating for young learners.

Advantages:

1. The main advantage of using Triptico is that it gives a chance of doing interactive activities in the classroom using  an interactive whiteboard.

2. The teachers can also design a lot of activities and save the files, edit and use those in the classroom.

Limitations:

1. Triptico is not free. Although it gives a free trial for seven days, individual subscription costs 15 pounds a year. For multiple users, the site licence costs from 100 to 295 pounds.

2. The subscription fees, therefore, are the impediment to use it in the developing context like Bangladesh. 

Disclaimer:

The logo in shown in the post is a copyright to Triptico .