Entry 10

        Wrap-Up: Outcomes of the Course
  Over the past few years, the Distance Learning Team has published multiple posts about items to include in your courses to help students navigate them successfully.
  Just as including a road map at the beginning of each week orients students to the week and outlines what is expected of them, including a wrap-up at the end of the week gives students a sense of what they should have accomplished and how they should prepare for the upcoming week. This post focuses on weekly wrap ups: what they are, why they are valuable, what to include in them, and how to make them.
    One common critique from students about online courses is that they are not organized in a systematic way. Information is presented, but it is difficult for students to determine how go to through the information and how to make the best use of it. A weekly wrap up helps students see what they should have learned during the week and how that material relates to what they should learn the next week. By helping students transition between each weekly topic, a wrap up can function as a bridge between each week of content, and can help you and the students determine how one week of content relates to the next.
   A second common critique from students and faculty about online courses is that the lack of in- person contact can make it difficult for instructors and students to build rerlationships. One way to address this critique and make the online class more meaningful to you and your students is to establishing your presence, you show students that you are paying attention to their activity in the course, and caring about what is going on in the course. Incliding a weekly wrap up that demonstrates to stuents that you have been actively engaged with the course throughout the week- the same way you expect them to be –is onwway to establish your presence. When you provide a wrap up that demonstrates your presence in the course, students have a better sense of connection with their instructors.
  A third common critique from instructors about online courses is that without the visual cues like eye contact and body language, it can be difficult to determine if students are grasping the material. Ending each week with a wrap up addresses this critique by getting you in the habit of taking stock of students’ learning and progress toward achievement of learning outcomes each week. Creating the wrap up will keep you on top of assessing students’ performance, since you may use the wrap up to make observations about how students are doing in the course. Based on th information you offer in the wrap up, students can decide if they should backtrack through the week to review course content. 

Entry 9

       Pros and cons of different social media

                       applications.


First of all, I am going to writing about pros and cons of social media.
   Pros:
 Social networking sites are the top news source for 27.8% of Americans, ranking below newspapers (28.8%) and above radio (18.8%) and print publications (6%).
 It helps advertising you and your brand
  Social networking sites made it easier to find old friends or families as well as making new friends
  They allow those who are shy or have trouble making friends to socialize more easily. That’s also true for those with disabilities.
  Most economical way to get in touch with someone
 Easy to get different opinions on things like surveys
   Brings people of same interests together
   A tool to express an individual’s emotions
   Social media sites help employers find employees and job seekers find work
  Best tool for organizing an event and for mass invitation to an event
  Allows professionals to create a network easily
  For actors, musicians or writers it is the best tool to promote their work
  Many sites allow users to create special pages for bands or theatre companies
 Social media sites are expanding from general interest to more specific uses that benefit society. For example, sites have been created for medical purposes such as dealing with life altering diseases, alcoholism, drug addiction and weight loss. Law enforcement uses social networking sites to catch and prosecute criminals. Social media helps empower business women
 Social networking sites increase voter participation.
 Social networking sites gives people the opportunity to interact with the artists they admire. On a site like Facebook or MySpace, you can challenge your friend to a game of trivia- even if she’s on the other side of the world!
 You can learn more about your products and services. By encouraging open communication through public comments, you can learn what you can do to make your products and pitch more palatable.
 You can learn more about your target audience, not only by their comments but also by studying visitor analytics.
  These sites allow you to send and receive messages, upload photos, and videos. And such, they are very interactive as you can get to see what your friends and relatives are up to. But it is not all sunshine and roses. There are some drawbacks to social media too.
  Cons:
 Social networking sites lack privacy
  Nowadays even school kids join social networking sites resulting in lower grades
 They cause users to spend less time outdoors and to be less active.
 It facilitates cyber bullying
 People spend more time online and less time face-to-face
 Stalking people .Hacking into profiles and posting as them. Posting inappropriate statues/ pictures
 It spreads rumours. They destroy marriages by providing covert connections with others that lead to infideality. They bring out the nastiest conversation,because participants feel anonymous, or at least have some distance from those they are insulting.
 But the good news is that the pros for social media outweights the cons. And with a few healthy habits you can avoid the drawbacks and use it to benefit yourselves and the society. Just remember to be careful and responsible before signing up!  

Entry 8

        How useful/effective are online self-                               assessment tests


 We have already gone through how e-learningalleviates the need for testing to be done at a specific hour, but it also makes testing a hassle-free task as corrections are automated with a L.MS. In the equipped with keyword tracking tools that grade depending on what has been mentioned in the essays. This isn’t a fool-proof system but it helps save some time in comparison with long grading sessions.
Testing and quizzing can be made unique in a LMS by randomizing question and answer order. This is especially useful when a learner has to re-do a test which he previously had poor performance on so that the test is not completed by memory, but rather by actually thinking through the correct solution once again. This feature is also useful to produce more variety by using a large pool of questions from which testing can be done, rather than recycling the same questions over and over. Tests have to gathered and graded, and feedback has to be written for the individual learner to take back and improve on particular areas. Learning Management Systems give the instructor even more analysis though. Though a reporting system, a LMS gives the instructor an overview of test scores, progress and growth with graphical representation to make the analysis even easier to grasp especially when the class-size is very large. That way, an instructor has the ability to analyze which students scored highest, and which questions were hardest for the majority of students. Reporting is a handy tool that allows the instructor to see trends and act upon them to improve the curriculum.Testing and quizzing online will usually provide the user with results instantly. This is good for students because it allows them to know what they did wrong immediately, what they need to focus on, and how to improve sgould they have to retake the test. Tests and quizzes have always been a motivator to study harder when students know that their progress will be judged upon an exam, a performance review ect. It sets a deadline for when material needs to be learned by and diligent students know they must adhere to that. An important note on online quizzing and testing is the ability a learner has to research the web for answers and creating tests should be done with that in mind. If something is too hard and a little off topic in terms of the material taught, it is likely to be researched online. If the tests are too easy, they will be dismissed and passed over without much being learned. This tests should be structured in a way that encourages learners to think back to the material taught within the course rather than looking for answers elsewhere.

Entry 7

        The best project I made/prwsentations                                    I   made.

A few days ago I made a good presentation about our the best traveling to Samarkand with our groupmates. It was very unforgettable to us 

Entry 6

             My Test taking strategies.
When we are going to be tested just all of us have our own preparation ways.But coming to me,I also have step by step actions before exam or test.I spend as many hours as necessary to understand the material that will be covered on the test well enough to achieve a high score.lI'l increase my confidence if Itake time to relax.As soon as I begin the test, I write down information that I will likely need to know for the test.At the end,I check to make sure I have completed all of them.In my opinion,it takes time and practice to develop effective test taking skills.

Entry 5

        Critical analysis of online language                           learning resources.
 Technology has become the key to a new world of education. Online learning has become one of the most popular ways of gaining access to an education. There are many advantages andisadvantages of online learning languages. I am going to describe disadvantages of it. Disadvantages of online or computer-based learning
   *Learners with low motivation or bad study habits may fall behind
   *Students may get lost or confused about course activities and deadliness
    *Students may feel isolated from the instructor and classmates
    *Instructor may not always be available when students are studying or need help
   *Slow internet connections.
   *Managing computer files and online learning software can sometimes seem complex for students with beginner-level computer skills
   *Lab work is difficult to simulate in a virtual classroom
   The use of online learning resources can be of assistance in the process of continually developing students’ critical skills- “Gen Y” students as well as for other cohorts within the university community. Moreover, it has become an internationally accepted practice for universities to use electronic programs to enhance student learning, including many new technologies or tools that may have had an interactive component, such as CD-ROMs, the internet, video and online databases. Current technological learning tools include digital video and audio equipment, learning-management systems such as Blackboard and blogs, even social communication sites such as Wikis, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Interestingly, debate is also occurring regarding the technological competence of students.

Entry 4

ENTRY 4:
Am I slow or fast reader?

In English reading is very important. In that case if you want check your reading ability you can scrutinize it. For instance you should ask your teacher to check your knowledge or these days we have different websites that examines our knowledge such as www.Cambridge.com . I checked my level when I prepared for CEFR than I took B1 level. But when it comes to read novels or fictions for me it takes more time. To improve our reading we have to read more. “The whole world opened up to me when I learned to read”.

Entry 3

          Listening podcasts and applications

           Podcasts are free audio programs distributed over the Internet. You can download them and listen to them as you please, essentially creating a radio station focused entirely on the topics you want to listen to. There are podcasts out there covering almost any topic that you can imagine – and probably dozens of podcasts on that topic. Because you can choose programs that match your interests and can swap programs in and out as you wish, it becomes much like having a customized radio station for yourself that you can even take with you wherever you go if you have a smartphone.Podcasts really aren’t that different than any other kind of radio program. The only difference is that podcast creators distribute the episodes of their program over the Internet for everyone to listen to rather than using a traditional radio station.Podcasts are essentially a method for creating your own radio station, full of shows on topics you’re interested in and hosted by people who you like. If you don’t like a show, you have complete power to effectively cancel it by just hitting the “delete” button. You can listen to podcasts at home, when you’re walking, when you’re commuting, or pretty much anywhere else. You only hear repeats if you choose to hear repeats, so it’s always fresh.

Entry2

     My computer skills: Strengths and weaknesses

While studying at this university we have started to learn the subject which is called ICT. Of course it belongs to computers. But computer skills of everyone is different. For instance some of us are good at working with Word program, some of us are good at Ispring program.

 I have been also aware of how to use Word program and I am excellent at writing fast. In my opinion it is one of the my strong computer skills. Nevertheless, I could not work with some programs such asPower Point, Ispring and Movie maker. But as tine is good teacher, during my studies I have learnt them very well with the help of my teachers and friends...

Entry 1.

My first ipmeressions and expections in                        University classes
Every student has their own expectations from new place which are unknown for them, so do I . When I came this University first, I was a bit nervous about new people and new subjects also. Firstly, I thought all new subjects were taught in English, but it wasn’t, for instance, Literature. Moreover, I primarily considered that ICT course was unnecessary because we had already learned Information Technology course in Uzbek.
    I should admit my first thoughts and impressions aren’t true . Because all University classes are directed to make knowledgeable specialist in every sphere of life. The courses that I didn’t think them important helped me broaden my knowledge and worldwide. For instance, with the help of subjects like literature, history, we could build the foundation our future. In addition ICT course wasn’t useless as I expected. Because we got acquainted with various new phrases related to modern technologies and effective programs for using in education system . Now, I learn these new courses with pleasure. My first impression and expectations of  the university classes.
Every student has their own expectations from new place which are unknown for them, so do I . When I came this University first, I was a bit nervous about new people and new subjects also. Firstly, I thought all new subjects were taught in English, but it wasn’t, for instance, Literature. Moreover, I primarily considered that ICT course was unnecessary because we had already learned Information Technology course in Uzbek.
    I should admit that m my first thoughts and impressions aren’t true . Because all University classes are directed to make knowledgeable specialist in every sphere of life. The courses that I didn’t think them important helped me broaden my knowledge and worldwide. For instance, with the help of subjects like literature, history, we could build the foundation our future. In addition ICT course wasn’t useless as I expected. Because we got acquainted with various new phrases related to modern technologies and effective programs for using in education system . Now, I learn these new courses with pleasure.

English language skills

          Study language
  English language skills

The four skills of language (also known as the four skills of language learning) are a set of four capabilities that allow an individual to comprehend and produce spoken language for proper and effective interpersonal communication.

These skills are Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. In the context of first-language acquisition, the four skills are most often acquired in the order of listening first, then speaking, then possibly reading and writing. For this reason, these capabilities are often called LSRW skills.

What is Listening?

Listening is the first language skill we acquire in our native language. It is what is known as a receptive skill, or a passive skill, as it requires us to use our ears and our brains to comprehend language as it is being spoken to us. It is the first of two natural language skills, which are required by all natural spoken languages.

What is Speaking?

Speaking is the second language skill we acquire in our native language. It is what is known as a productive skill, or an active skill, as it requires us to use our vocal tract and our brains to correctly produce language through sound. It is the second of two natural language skills.

What is Reading?

Reading is the third language skill we may acquire in our native language. As with listening, it is a receptive, or passive skill, as it requires us to use our eyes and our brains to comprehend the written equivalent of spoken language. It is one of the two artificial language skills, as not all natural spoken languages have a writing system.

What is Writing?

Writing is the fourth language skill we may acquire in our native language. As with speaking, it is a productive, or active skill, as it requires us to use our hands and our brains to produce the written symbols that represent our spoken language. Along with reading, it is one of the two artificial language skills, as not all natural spoken languages have a writing system.