Module 03: Skill-building Websites for Oral/Aural Skills and Saving Bookmarks

 In this module, we learned about oral/aural skills development tools and social bookmarking.

In terms of social bookmarking, I tried Diigo and Symbaloo, both of which are recommended by my lecturer. Diigo is a website that not only allows users to bookmark web pages and files but also let users annotate and comment. That seems incredible on paper, but the reality of using it greatly disappointed me. The first hurdle came when I signed up. It did not let me use my email, and did not state the reason why. It took me quite some time to figure out that I had to signed up indirectly through Google. The frustration did not end after I finished setting up the account. Although I could immediately learn how to bookmark websites and import pdf, I could not save annotations and comments in websites even after installing the browser extension. I had to try switching several browsers before ending with Brave browser, where I can save annotations and comments. However, the annotations are public, and the comments are private, which cannot be changed. I wish to share my comments with those who see my bookmarking page. Moving on to Symbaloo, I had a much better experience. Its user interface was clean, modular and very attractive. The bookmarks are in tiles, instead of lines like in Diigo. I had no trouble in signing up or bookmarking, but I cannot annotate, comment or import pdf. That might be the only downside to Symbaloo. However, since my lecturer required the class to comment besides bookmarking, I decided to keep using Diigo. Although it does not bring a pleasant user experience, it is still good enough to get by.

The other half of the lesson focused on tools that help develop oral and aural skills. I found this more interesting. The lecturer provided many options for us to try out. My peers also recommended other tools, websites in the discussion session. Ms Hà Tú recommend Podomatic, a podcast making website. I also liked this website since it can encourage students practice speaking more often. But the website I chose to review is Break News English.Links to an external site, which is a resource for students and educators seeking free lessons. I believe this could be useful because it provides me with authentic materials for my class. In the 'Theories of Learning' course, I learned about Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory, which emphasizes the value of authentic material. This allows me to provide real context at the start of the lesson and pique my students' interest. I see that new lessons are posted weekly. I will encourage my students to visit this website on a weekly basis to gain additional information. Furthermore, each post includes relevant activities that I can use or adapt in my classroom. Break News English has an outdated user interface, but is still navigable. It contains podcasts and passages suitable for students of varying levels of English proficiency. However, this website is better suited to upper-secondary and university students who are disciplined and capable of self-study. The website supports all four English skills at various proficiency levels. It covers a wide range of topics, including agriculture, technology, family, and career development. It begins with input (listening to and reading a passage) and includes activities to help students create their own speech or writing based on the passage. Overall, I recommend this website to English teachers and learners. It covers a wide range of topics and includes activities afterward. This can be captivating for any adolescent or adult.

All in all, the module was very interesting and insightful. As always, I am easer to learn more in the next module.