Normalization of Baxs in the Saudi Kingdom

Stephen Baxs has suggested changes and means to achieving normalization of CALL in schools, first he stated that computers (of every shape and size) should be used everyday by teachers and language learners as a part of every lesson. Second, learners and teachers should use computers without fear or exaggerated respect. Third, they should not be the center of any lesson but rather a part in almost all. Forth, they should be integrated in all other aspects of a classroom life, alongside coursebooks, notepads, etc, till they almost go unnoticed. And most importantly, CALL will be normalized when computers are treated as always secondary to learning itself, to serve the needs of learning.
Now, to achieve that normalization, Baxs suggested 3 steps:
1- Identify the criteria factors which normalization requires.
2- Audit the practice of each teaching context in the light if these criteria.
3- Adjusting our current practice in each aspect so as to encourage normalization.

The question now is, how can these changes and means be applies to our Saudi context?
Achieving what Baxs has suggested is still far fetched in Saudi Arabia, but I truly believe it's possible because the learners use computers of all shapes and sizes in their everyday life, and that is a huge step to reaching that normalization, the ministry of education only have to integrate it into the context they are teaching at schools, and teachers should be knowledgeable about computers and how they can be integrated into teaching. Hopefully one day computers would be unnoticeable in Saudi classrooms.

Challenges of creating web-based activities in Sally Morrison "Interactive language Learning on the Web".

The major obstacles and difficulties that Sally Morrison first stated that the teachers do not have the technical skill and knowledge to create web-based language learning activities. Second, teachers do not have any time to devote to gaining these new skills. Third, it's difficult to create online activities that involve the variability of students' access to computes because the computers, browsers differ and speed of their internet connection are different. Last, web pages should support students with special needs and making sure they aren't left out.

To me, the major obstacles and difficulties will be the lack of internet connection in Saudi Arabia classrooms. Second, not all schools allow students to use computers or even bring their own.Third, the currents context doesn't allow a lot of web-based activities because it wants the teachers to stick to the syllabus. Forth, most of the current teachers don't like to learn new technical skills, they like to stay in the past. And last, learners might be resistant at first but they will get used to it.

Social Networing

Social networking is a part of my daily life, as soon as I open my eyes I check my phone to see what my friends has been up while I was asleep. The reason I use social networking is so I can stay connected to my beloved, scattered all over the globe friends and family at all times, although I'm not a huge fan of chatting "typing", I like to see their pictures, see where they check-in at restaurants, parks, cities and things like that. Or so it has started this way, nowadays I use social networking for more than staying connected. Now I use it to get to know new interesting, successful people in my country. People that one day could be beneficial to my future career, people that motivate me to learn new things, try different experiences and all in all be a better person.

With social networking I can also teach EFL/ESL! How you may ask. Well, I can have classes via Skype with people from around the world. Or I can give a daily "Did you know" information about English language via a page on Facebook, a tweet on Twitter or even a picture on Instagram! I can shoot a video about different accents of English speakers and upload it on YouTube for the world to check it out. I can write a blog about my journey in learning English language and interesting things I discovered about the language. I can create a pod on iTunes that people can listen to daily and learn from. There are a whole lot of other ways you can integrate social networking into teaching EFL/ESL, you just have to open up your mind to new methods and you'll see that learning ways are unlimited and there will always be people who want to learn.

Reflecting on Technological Change and the Future of CALL by Mark Warschauer

In Mark Warschauer paper about technological change and the future of CALL he discusses and talk about the future of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and he mentions a lot of important factors, the changes in the status of languages, language learning and sociological changes in schools and education. But the one important factor is technological change. Warschauer first started by clarifying the relationship between technology change and other factors. The idea of introduction of new technology automatically brings certain which he referred to as technological determinism and that the certain logic of that is since there is sometimes a correlation between the presence or use of particular technologies and other outcomes but it doesn't imply causation.

Warschauer noted that it is important to look broader than the classroom itself and that the role of ICTs in enabling change must also be examined at the individual level. After he talked about the ten developments in information and communication technology which are: first: the change from phone-based to wireless communication, second: the change from dial-up internet connections to permanent, direct online connections, third: the change from the use of mainly personal computers to the use of portable computing and online devices, forth: the change from narrowband to broadband which refers to the speed of information passing over communication lines, fifth: the change from expensive personal computing systems to widely affordable computers and other hardware, sixth: the internet will change from being an exclusive form of communication and information, seventh: the movement from text-based information and communication to audiovisual forms of information and communication, eighth: the change from using English as the main online language to multilingual internet use, ninth: the change from “non-native” to “native” users of information technology and last: the movement of CALL from the language laboratory to the classroom.

After that Warschauer mentions and explains the five future development which are: new contexts: the projected developments of ICT will have a profound influence on the context in which English is taught, new literacies: this leads to another likely result of ICT developments which is the emerging of new important literacies, new genres: it has been suggested that the essay will increasingly become a marked form, new identities: the importance of online communication is increasing and it is also contributing to new kinds of identities, new pedagogies: the progress of CALL has been based on evolution from the mainframe computer to the personal computer to the networked, multimedia computer and corresponding changes is occurring and have occurred in CALL-based pedagogy.

Later he mentioned the first three stages of CALL and they are: 1970s01980s: structual CALL, 1980s-1990s: communicative CALL, 21st century: integrative CALL. and finally Warschauer talks about his conclusion and how technology changes in ICT can enable students to read, write and rewrite the world in their English classes as never before.

Saudi Arabia sadly, has witnessed some of the ten developments in ICT, hopefully in the near future the rest of the developments will be applied in the classrooms. As for the five areas emerging in Saudi Arabia; again, not all five areas has emerged, only new context and new identities have. I believe the rest will emerge, slowly but surely. Finally I truly believe that the effect of all what Warschauer mentioned if it were applied in classrooms in Saudi Arabia; English teaching will be a better experience for the students and for the teachers.

We took some terms in my class this week and I wanted to differentiate between them

Educational technology: is the study and practice of learning and improving teaching by using appropriate technology tools.

Netiquette: is the socially acceptable behavior in an online situation.

LMS: is a software application for the administrators of education facilities to help keep track with documentation, reporting and delivery of educational courses or training programs.

CALL: is learning a language with the help of a technological tool.

E-Learning: is the use of electronic media in learning and can be used in or outside the classroom.

D-Learning: is delivering education and instruction using technological tools outside of the classroom.

Blended learning: is a combination of face-to-face teaching and CALL.

Online learning: is learning using a computer and the internet while you're in your home and possible a different time zone than your teacher.