Say Goodbye to Mocrosoft Word Feedback Now!

http://www.techsmith.com/jing-features.html

What is Jing?


Jing, is a software which could let users capture an image of what they see on their computer screens. It could also record up to 5 minutes of onscreen video.


Why is this particular tool relevant to language learning? What approaches to language learning underpin the use of this technology?


With the advent of Jing, teachers could give feedback instantly and vividly to their students. This could greatly foster the learner autonomy. “autonomy is a capacity---for detachment, critical reflection, decision-making, and independent action” (Little 1991:4). Students could improve their language learning result under their teachers' guidance in the video feedback.


How might you use it to foster language learning outside class?


This feedback could be not only helpful to just writing skills, you can always rewind the video to practise your other language skills, for example, listening skill.


What limitations can you see with the use of this technology?


Firstly, teachers who give feedback are supposed to be a fluent speaker in target language, if not, the efficiency of this tool could not be reflected.


Second, you might still need to write an email, suppose your students' language are not  so competent to follow what you said in the Jing feedback video.

myBrainshark

http://my.brainshark.com/Home.aspx

What does myBrainshark do?

This tool allows you to upload PowerPoints, documents, videos and pictures. It could even make podcasts for you.The most striking feature of this technology is that users could add their voice recording to the PowerPoints.

Why is this particular tool relevant to language learning? What research to language learning  underpin the use of this technology?

Teachers could not only post their lecture notes' PPTs to their students, but also they could add their voice recording to some specific PPTs which could be problematic to their students. This will be obviously facilitate students to review the lecture content.

Of course, language learners could use this tool to practise their speaking skills. By comparing their previous recording, students could easily know if they have made progress or not. This definitely foster learner autonomy.

“Autonomy is a situation in which the learner is totally responsible for all the decisions concerned with his [or her] learning and the implementation of those decisions” (Dickinson 1987:11).

What limitations can you see with the use of this technology?




Even the free version myBrainshark is powerful enough to let people who are not so keen on technology might feel a little bit complicated. Obviously, you cannot say it's limitation anyway. 

Learner Autonomy----embedding a Youtube video in your blog.

Dvolver Moviemaker

My movie (adapted from Notting Hill)

http://www.dvolver.com/live/movies-705686

What does this tool do?

Dvolver Moviemaker can help you make a short video with lines appeared on the screen when your characters spoke.

Firstly, click the button Make a Movie.

http://www.dvolver.com/moviemaker/index.html

Only with seven steps, you could accomplish your movie.

Step 1: select a background and a sky.

Step 2: select a plot, among which could be rendeze-vous, pick-up, chase, and soliloquoy.

Step 3: select the characters.

Step 4: type in the characters' lines

Step 5: select background music.

Step 6: select a movie title design.

 Step 7: preview your movie and send it to your friends.

How might you use it to foster language learning in class?

Obviously, this method could be used to design a talk in speaking lessons.Role-play motivates students, helps them lose their inhibitions, serves as a means to augment verbal skills (Purcell 1993:912). Teachers could select any context to generate a real-life dialogue by this tool as well.

Limitations:

Each character's line is limited into 100 text characters, which could hinder users from designing a comparatively complicated dialogue.