Week 7 Autonomous Learning and One Computer Classroom

Week 7 is about to over, and here are three topics I got in the week.

1.       Autonomous Learner.

I think the ideas about autonomous learner are still relevant to be discussed and implemented in this era where the learning resources and technology available outside the classroom are abundant with different forms, levels of difficulty, and media. Moreover, they are easy to access and free.

Although the dependence of the students on the teacher becomes lose, in the classroom context, teacher still takes his important roles that cannot be replaced by the technology. Not all students, even teachers, have easy access to the technology. Teacher as organizer, controller, adviser, evaluator and educator cannot be separated from human education. The main task of the teacher in the context of autonomous learner is to create condition conducive enough for students to become autonomous learners. Teacher must be able to show students the way how to recognize their cognitive and metacognitive strategies, motivation, attitudes, and knowledge about language learning. Teacher must be technology literate and is able to create interesting, challenging, motivating learning resource and environment to foster autonomous learning.

I tried to create webclass as the manifestation of learning autonomy (http://www.edmodo.com/myenglish). In my webclass I try to provide links to learning resources from which student can access themselves and make use of them easily. I plan the implementation of this webclass becomes my final project.

2.       One Computer Classroom

One computer classroom strategies and ideas presented in this chapter are very helpful to facilitate teacher with teaching method in a limited access to technology and big size classroom. There are several strategies that a teacher can apply his only computer in the class (http://www.lburkhart.com/elem/strat.htm), for example 1. Use the Computer as Teacher Tool, 2. Use the Computer as Multi-Media Chalk Board or Flip Chart , 3. Have Students use the Computer as a Tool for Individual Input as Part of a Larger Group or Class Project, 4. Use the Computer as Learning Center or Station, 5. Use the Computer as Cooperative Learning Tool, 6. Have Students Use the Computer to do Individual Work for Practice or Assessment.

From these six strategies I prefer to choose Use the Computer as Learning Center or Station because I think it is the most appropriate for maximum use of the computer for students’ learning in the classroom. Without internet connection with the computer, for example, I can make use of the facilities embedded in the computer like, word processor, spread sheet (excel) and of course power point. I use these facilities to create tasks as media of learning and instructions. If the computer is connected with the internet, I will have much richer source of learning material for the students to use.

3.       Project Task

As I tell earlier, I want to use my first implementation of my webclass become my final project report for this webskill class. I don’t have partner yet but I propose one of my classmates become my partner. I am observing the implementation of my webclass and taking notes the students responses to the class.