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TOOLS AND
THEIR USES IN
TEACHING AND
LEARNING
LANGUAGE
SKILLS
In the 21st century, technology is everywhere. Computer
technologies have dramatically changed the way people reach
information, do research and communicate with people all
around the world.
Because of this reason, schools and teachers need to be
aware of improving their technological tools and skills to be
able to catch the students` attention and interests.
1.
Instructional
scaffolding
INSTRUCTIONAL SCAFFOLDING
Similar to the scaffolding used in construction to support workers as
they work on a specific task, instructional scaffolds are temporary
support structures teachers put in place to assist students in
accomplishing new tasks and concepts they could not typically achieve
on their own.
Once students are able to complete or master the task, the scaffolding
is gradually removed or fades away—the responsibility of learning shifts
from the instructor to the student.
WHY USE INSTRUCTIONAL
SCAFFOLDING?
 It provides for a supportive learning environment.
 Students are free to ask questions, provide feedback and support their peers in
learning new material.
 When you incorporate scaffolding in the classroom, you become more of a
mentor and facilitator of knowledge rather than the dominant content expert.
 This teaching style provides the incentive for students to take a more active role
in their own learning.
BENEFITS OF INSTRUCTIONAL
SCAFFOLDING?
 Challenges students through deep learning and discovery
 Engages students in meaningful and dynamic discussions in small and large
classes
 Motivates learners to become better students (learning how to learn)
 Increases the likelihood for students to meet instructional objectives
 Provides individualized instruction (especially in smaller classrooms)
 Affords the opportunity for peer-teaching and learning
 Scaffolds can be “recycled” for other learning situations
 Provides a welcoming and caring learning environment
TYPES OF SCAFFOLDS Alibali
(2006)
 Advance organizers - Tools used to introduce new content and tasks.
 Cue Cards - Prepared cards given to individual or groups of students to assist in their discussion
about a particular topic or content area.
 Concept and mind maps - Maps that show relationships.
 Examples - Samples, specimens, illustrations, problems.
 Explanations - More detailed information to move students along on a task or in their thinking
of a concept.
 Handouts - Prepared handouts that contain task- and content-related information, but with less
detail and room for student note taking.
 Hints - Suggestions and clues to move students along.
TYPES OF SCAFFOLDS Alibali
(2006)
 Prompts - A physical or verbal cue to remind—aid in recall of prior or assumed knowledge.

 Physical: Body movements such as pointing, nodding the head, eye blinking.
 Verbal: Words, statements and questions such as “Go,” “Stop”
 Question Cards - Prepared cards with content- and task-specific questions given to individuals or
groups of students to ask each other pertinent questions about a particular topic or content area.
 Question Stems - Incomplete sentences which students complete.
 Stories - Stories relate complex and abstract material to situations more familiar with students.
 Visual Scaffolds - Pointing; representational gestures, diagrams such as charts and graphs; methods of
highlighting visual information.
IMPLEMENTING
SCAFFOLDING
 Select suitable tasks that match curriculum goals, course learning objectives and
students’ needs.
 Allow students to help create instructional goals.
 Consider students’ backgrounds and prior knowledge to assess their progress.
 Use a variety of supports as students progress through a task.
 Provide encouragement and praise as well as ask questions and have students
explain their progress to help them stay focused on the goal.
IMPLEMENTING
SCAFFOLDING
 Monitor student progress through feedback (in addition to instructor feedback,
have students summarize what they have accomplished so they are aware of their
progress and what they have yet to complete).
 Create a welcoming, safe, and supportive learning environment that encourages
students to take risks and try alternatives (everyone should feel comfortable
expressing their thoughts without fear of negative responses).
 Help students become less dependent on instructional supports as they work on
tasks and encourage them to practice the task in different contexts.
2. Using
presentations
Presentation is a computer software that facilitates creation of a series of
slides. The medium of presentation may be transparencies, slides or computer
projection. Digital presentations are excellent medium for teaching activities, easy
to create, use, copy store and transport.
A presentation is a computer file containing a sequence of slides. The slides

in presentation may contain text, images or drawings.
Presentation software is used to develop professional-quality graphics that

can incorporate clip art, digital images, video and animation, instead to create
visuals by hand.
Importance of presentations
 Digital presentations are excellent medium for teaching activities, easy to
create, use, copy store and transport.
 Presentation software is used to enhance language learning. The use of
presentation software encourages use of all four language skills: Reading,
Writing, Speaking and Listening.
 Presentation software makes the ability to communicate messages to a group of
people much simpler than any other delivery methods.
 Seeing the presentation while hearing about it helps both visual and audio
learners absorb the information.
Types of presentation software
 Power Point – a presentation software included with Microsoft Office. This
software operates on a "slide" platform and allows for integration of links,
images and video.
 Prezi - more of a visual and interactive mind map, wherein you interact with
different elements on a virtual canvas.
 Google Slides - is most like PowerPoint. It is formatted similarly and lets you
upload and edit PowerPoint files on the platform.
 Keynote – Apple’s presentation software. It is designed for creating slides, but
it comes with the key advantages of visually stunning templates and a simple,
clear interface.
Types of presentation software
 Haiku Deck - one of the most image-oriented presentation programs out there.
It is designed to create slides, just like PowerPoint, but the templates encourage
little text, so users can enjoy the stunning visuals in the background.
 Vyond - provides anyone with the tools they need to create powerful, dynamic
media. With features that go beyond moving text and images, you can build
character-driven stories or compelling data visualizations that engage audiences
and deliver results.
 Zoho Show - also a slide-creation platform, but with an interface that is more
basic, clean, and simple
3. USING
SPREADSHE
ETS
Spreadsheets are attractive technology that can be used by students in future
projects, careers and in personal life. Spreadsheet programs are enormously
flexible, familiar, and relatively easy to use.
As such, they can increase both the breadth and depth of the topics covered
in a class. In addition, spreadsheet activities may be assessed in a number of
different ways.
Spreadsheets are a very useful tool for language lessons, but unfortunately
almost unknown by language teachers, often due to missing ICT-competences.
Advantages of using spreadsheets
 Spreadsheets are very useful in terms of saving time.
 Can be used as a database and to produce some statistical analysis.
 Learning can be enriched, enhanced and made enjoyable.

Vocabulary list
 a simple vocabulary list with

two columns – one for the
native and one for the
foreign language – can be
used for some nice
vocabulary exercises and
games.
Tandem-exercise
 by copying and pasting the original list and

erasing some fields in a way that student 1 has the
solution of student 2 and vice versa. The students
work in pairs where each partner gets a different
worksheet
TANDOKU
 can easily create Tandokus (sudokos with words

instead of numbers) by copying and pasting 9
words of the list into the template. These
tandokus can be printed out or solved on the
computer in Excel and are a good alternative to
traditional vocabulary exercises.
QUIZ CARDS
 They consist of two cells where the text is rotated in different directions.
SCRABBLE/EXPANDED
SCRABBLE TO CROSSWORD
 A nice possibility to occupy or relax the students during the
last minutes until the end of a lesson is the game scrabble.
Ten minutes are sufficient to play scrabble with verbs.
 They expanded the scrabble to a crossword by using some

basic functions. They copied the scrabble and pasted it in
another spreadsheet, where all filled cells got a border. Then
all words were deleted and the cells, which should contain
the beginning letter of a verb, were numbered.
resources
https://www.niu.edu/citl/resources/guides/instructional-guide/instructional-scaffolding-to-improve-learning.shtml
https://sites.google.com/site/presentationsoftwarecup/home
https://www.vyond.com/resources/the-6-best-business-presentation-software-alternatives-to-powerpoint/
http://itecideas.pbworks.com/w/page/46573732/Instructional%20Presentation%20Software
http://www.efdergi.hacettepe.edu.tr/yonetim/icerik/makaleler/1268-published.pdf
file:///C:/Users/Dell/Downloads/CSEDU12SpreadsheetsLanguageLearning%20(2).pdf

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TOOLS AND

 Prompts - A physical or verbal cue to remind—aid in recall of prior or assumed knowledge.

A presentation is a computer file containing a sequence of slides. The slides

Presentation software is used to develop professional-quality graphics that

 Spreadsheets are very useful in terms of saving time.

 Can be used as a database and to produce some statistical analysis.

 Learning can be enriched, enhanced and made enjoyable.

 a simple vocabulary list with

 by copying and pasting the original list and

 can easily create Tandokus (sudokos with words

 They expanded the scrabble to a crossword by using some

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