Website Evaluation manythings.org


1.                              What does the application attempt to “teach”?

             http://www.manythings.org/  is one of the ESL website that caters the need of many learners. What is nice about it is the handy links provided that relates to most of the important features of English language. This website comprises not only the lessons on the three of the four language skills, reading, listening and speaking; but it also caters the visitors’ preferences in their own learning. For instance, there are vocabulary games along with pictures, audio recordings, flashcards and numbers more of user-friendly applications. Students from various ages and level of proficiency are given the opportunities to challenge themselves with selectable kinds of exercises.  It provides immediate feedbacks, so that the students or even teachers can assess themselves. The feedback also includes corrections and suggestions, which made it superbly effective tool for teaching even students from a novice level.

2)                   What sorts of things is the application user expected to do with regards to learning the content?

 Student users are expected to be able to revise what they have learned in school with the exercises provided in the site. Not only this would widen their exposure on their vocabulary and forms of language, it could also lengthen their memory on certain topics. For instance, there are words in the textbooks that do not have pictures about them; the students could find them with appropriate visual aids on the site. Aside from that, students could also boost their confidence in trying out exercises that they could not had at schools like all the puzzles and some listening exercises. This is undeniably true especially when it comes to schools that do not have enthusiastic English teachers hardworking enough to prepare the students with the fun exercises.

3) What sorts of computer skills is the application users expected to have in order to operate/ access/ use the application?

Due to the fact that the website’s intention which allow users from various ages be able to learn in ease, this website requires basics knowledge of typing with the keyboards, using pointers to click at the correct answers and these are basically enough. It is so easy that even kids from the age of 4 till the elderly can understand the lessons and do the exercises. Even if the site is accessed via tablets or smartphones, the interfaces are pretty simple and straightforward. For some contents, the users need Adobe Flash Player and Adobe Reader to use or access the content involving multimedia and Portable Document Format files (PDF). However this is not a tall order to be looked at, as the softwares can be simply downloaded these days with no charges at all.

4) While you are “playing”/ “accessing”/ “assessing” the application, does it remind you of anything you do in a classroom, or with a teacher, or with a fellow classmate, or in self-study?

When using this site, i found it rather related to what i had during my tuition class with a neighbour during my primary schooling years. We had our own privilege to choose on which topic were we interested to learn. This somehow gives the junior learners not only the freedom to choose their topic of interest to learn and do exercises, but also the motivations to try and pick the others which indulge their curiosity and give them some challenges in improving their language. The same goes for the language skills choices. It can be resembled as a TESL students courses we had to take in the methodology classes, which allows the students as well as the teachers to access the available lesson on the allocated language skills comprising listening, speaking and reading. The enjoyable audio podcast also reminds me of how my teacher used to bring me and my classmates to a room with a radio and she played a cassette of some nursery rhymes just to make us practice on listening. Using this site however, things have become much simpler where the teacher can just turn on his/her laptop and play the audio provided in this site. Best of all, students can also read the provided lyrics, which can be daunting without any.

5) Can you pinpoint some theories of language learning and/or teaching underlying the application?

When exploring the site, i found it convincing enough to state that one of Krashen’s Monitor model, the affective filter is somehow applicable to the lessons and exercises. It emphasizes that students would be able to learn at an optimum progress when they have low anxiety, and a good motivation and self esteem would acquire the target language easier. These are interrelated with the pronunciation and vocabulary lessons whereby the users have apt time to listen and type, or sometimes answer the exercise. They are not restricted by any durations or countdowns that would make them anxious. To add, the site also promotes audio-lingual method, a kind of learning styles that involves repetitions of dialogue, as well as drilling real usage of conversation that will enhance their target language proficiency, especially in listening and speaking. This is based on how the site utilizes the flash player plug-ins and having audio recording for the users to listen to, which is superbly interesting and efficient.    

6) How well is the constructivist theory of learning applied to the chosen website(s)?

The constructivist theory of learning was proposed by Vygotsky, which enlighten that individuals will make sense and constructs the knowledge for themselves as he or she learns. This theory suggest that learning should be meaningful enough for the learners to be able to grasp and able to apply what they have learned in a real life situation. The site consider this theory as one of the eminent factors to assist the users to learn, by giving a real life examples in the reading and listening lessons and exercises; for examples the conversations in a restaurant, in a library and even some phone conversation. The vocabulary list is also a laudable aspect of the site, which includes suitable words from what a typical laity would use in a real life use. For instance the verbs listed in the vocabulary section are mostly common words used by people and not the sophisticated or flowery ones.

7.                   In 1980s and early 1990s, there was a major debate on ‘whether the computer was “master” of or “slave” to the learning process (Higgins and Johns, 1984). In relation to your evaluation - was the computer a replacement for teachers, or merely an obedient servant to students?

The site may be a replacement for teachers when the classroom sessions are over. So in a way aside from providing the students with lessons and exercises they can try out themselves at home, with the supervision of their elder siblings or parents of course. The question of either computer can be a master or a slave to the students actually depends on how they view the computers for certain answers to their problems in English. For instance, when students are relying too much too look for answers using a computer or any digital media, like listening for pronunciations of certain words for affirmations, or depending too much on the assisted grammar corrective system, then the computer can be considered as their slaves. This goes the other way around when we can assume the computer as the students’ master. One way is by just using stiff and too structured form of language used in the site’s examples, without really considering on using other vocabulary in certain contexts. For example, a student would not be talking using vernacular form of languages when speaking to the officials like the King or the Judge in a court. These need practices in real life for sure. 

8. Would you like to use the application yourself in your future work?

Manythings.org is indeed an appealing site to be explored by English learners as well as teachers. The user-friendly interface as well as numbers of lessons and exercises really challenge the users into clicking on the links and further broaden our knowledge and proficiency in English. The variations of topics and skills to be learned are appealing and easy enough to be explored. The visuals and audio recordings Plus, the numbers of resources and ideas for teaching English lesson are also a laudable aspect to be looked at. Thus it is very good for English teachers especially for the new ones. The fact that the site does not use require sophisticated or up to date flash player or plug-ins also made it accessible even by regular netbooks or computers, which makes it easier for the senior teachers who are new to the technology-based instruction to adapt themselves in a comfortable way.






11



Huh? karat.sawang.habuk.lendir.air..When was the last time i blog ni?

So here's bit of updates. again, tiada kena mengena dengan kamo.ye,kamo.

1. 1st of all 6-9jan, went to a camp at Cameron, what a way to celebrate the new sem.gilasejuk.mandi 2 times in those 4days. and paling xley bla was the habit of exhaling
vapor~~ifuknowhatimean heh bajet cam korea je..cameron je kot~

2. Diaz comes to shalam.its a car actly, no biggie,
supertakot at first drive around shalam, but so far i think i
can handle it.(perasan kau!)

3. Take swimming as my koko. perlu la kan~ a noob in swimming gamble masuk pool. well if Go Jun Pyo manage to learn on how to do it, so do I kan?kan3? pliz la ckp ye

4. Getting to Know You 2 is arnd the corner, crius shiat. So I designed a new ethos logo and a tshirt.zat-it

5. I got myself a korean girlfren.sumpah tipu



Anyeonghaseyo


waaa.....ayaqq


waaa...bumbung rumaahhhh~~


waa...waaaa.......lampuuuuuwoo




..eh

HAHH!!!

KAAMOOO~!!!!!!

aaa dengan pakcik makcik skali ye


selambee je usya2 pics kt atas.tau x tu ktne!!??
~~~~~

~~
~

krikk..kriikk~~(bnyi cngkerik*)


YEE makcik yg kt blkng tu jwb betul!!!...ni la KOREA!(bagi wink kt makcik*)
padahal xde sape pn jwb,hesh




.....eh

ape iklan ni?




ANDA KESUNYIAN? ANDA EMO?
ANDA HENSEM DAN LAWA DAN BAIK HATI?
INGINKAN KASIH SAYANG?
(lagu Somebody to love Justin Bieber lagu background~~*)

JADI APE TUNGGU LAGI!!??
MOH KITE KLIK 'LIKE' BUTTON DI LINK KAT BAWAH NI HA



owh dan pencabarnya






KAMSAHAMNIDA uolz~!!!

P/s : flying kiss sebijik bagi kamo2 yg klik!! haa yg klik jgn ngade2 nk tangkap ye.bhahahaha(rase nk sepak x dgr statement ni?)-___-'

Angkat tangan!



  • Idris Hj. Bakri(mygrandpa) is it?...said you were robbed, and your ear was cut? ok then, we'll catch those burglars..we'll call you once we have anything new ok?WEYY YOP!! Don't change the channel!! Relax ar..half time you tukar arr~!!

  • ...what? Nurin Jazlin? Who's that? Kidnapped ah!?..oh found her body already ah? Ok then~ case solved we guess.if sum1 ask well just say were still investigating can what~?

  • Aminul Rasyid that 15 yearold kid? Idiot oh he wouldn't stop! That's why we shot the tyre to stop the car! ...Say what? The bullet went through his head? owh sorry...thought the tyre was the one driving~my aim sucks anyway

  • WHAT!?..Susilawati, you mean the vip!? We should go all out and solve this case!! Lets aim for top3 in the Interpol!!BANZAI~!!!!march3!*

yang adil, polis

you're so near to be with, yet so far to feel

EpyEid

Dany once asked me a q
I answered like I usually does to the others
He said "Bohong ah.....You're scared ryte?"

...strangely enough, I just couldn't say no


Dah.lepaskan. Here's the updates

  • Kuihraya was purrrfect
  • Duitraya
  • Mercunbanyaktakingat
  • Deng I couldn't make it to help TokWan kacau his dodol
  • I'm having the almost-exact baju raya like Azim's - da green 1.hee jgn mara aa
  • Owh & my haircut was out. rase nak pakai tudung je...elok ade tudung siti,tudung ekin, nah kau tudung Amri! ngeri


thetwingirls yg ilang tu text camni kt mak dia..gedik gak ar.c!r!+ planta aku try copy~

"sEl@m4t h4r! rAyerW, MaAp zahirba+in yErw"



euw

Fast AlMubarak



Bazaar
Chaotic punye tempat
Nafsunafsi kiri kanan.owhbebeh~~
Colorful sangat, especially air2 buah
Biru, blue, pink, merah, yellow2 mak ai ey halal ke ni-__-'
Macam muntah pun ade.Barf ais 3 rm2.nak?

But the food galore can't be denied ah
Some I've just tried lately like Akok2...Otak2 aa..that bulat2 kuih aa..hesh dunno the name
Before this i thought otak2 was some kinda brain-made food meh~manala tau
The kuih2 are tempting as well
tapi aku rase sedikit buffering when i see..

"1=4posen
5=rm2"


ok*O-O'

notice the difference?
takde.yeap adik2..none.
Nak senyum pun ade,
nak find a calculator x logik a pulak i'm a TESL student ma, I don't do math OwO'
Kan laju je we'll be rushing when we see..

"1=4posen
3=rm1"?

kan lebey comel?hee

****

Sometimes I wonder
What's the meaning of fasting if we break it like hellotsafoodIcannotfinishah wth~?
Well nafsu punye pasal kan. Simple answer, but not rational enough ar
In 1 go a friend of mine could even spend rm13~standard katenye.wau sangat~

But actually it's not Wrong to eat what we desire tu...just at times we have to spend some times pondering ar
Uolz ingat tak korang puasa sebab ape..?
Uolz ingat tak those unfortunate ones makan camne..?

Uolz ingat tak your parents makan ape..?
Uolz ingat tak Siapa yang bagi makan..?

In the end, buncit dapat.
Imam lepas sujud bangun, kite nanges tetonggeng takle bgerak.malu x? Imam spank your arse kang~
Last2 burn itu tarawikh~deng rugi a
elehamricakaporangwahaha~!


rainbow paddlepop pon kalah ^^'

3rd Update

Yep

It has been a while since my last entry ye
Couldn't sleep. so why not?I'm typing diz and I swear I'll read diz again in the future

1. 1st day of new sem I was late; tak pasal2 dikenakan menjadi class rep. ok should a latecomer be a classrep?bad omen i think -__-' ana shikit punya jauh tegedik2 come to class by bus529 coz ana stay at Seksyen 2 gile hensem, kena datang early to get the keys almost every moning~ wah cabaran nih.

2. SAF2010 was not that bad~ again I commited myself to the PingPong & Chess which I am a so-so player je like the previous year...but kerna ngade2 I went for the Badminton & Kayak tryout as well. Gaya ade. Raket kuning menyale, tp maen like my Grandma can do better baek aku sokong je our Badminton team...a.k.a. kuranglulus (eleh taknak pulak cakap kena kick)...But Kayak went cool, represented the fac for Double, went to semi-final, eksiden dengan fac laen, Balik tanpa beg putih. a.k.a. kalah ar. ~ow and I joined the aerobic team gak. Menari2~with only few minutes of practice few moments before the performance, tetibe unpected kaw2 dapat 3rd place.wah not bad tahun depan joget ag ah.jom2 join~ Muhyee yang macam grizzly tu pun some thought he was a TeddyBear Mascot~teeetttt!! salah teddybear xbuat wondergirls' nobody ye..

3. KESAT was arduous. The commands for marching pun shikit punya LAEN from my previous experiences punye marching, so I have to keep up & reformat kaplaotakawad ni. The PerKad practice was intense but bearable ag ar...ow not forgeting the horny cheer we have.grr naughty dow.

4. DRAMA class supersyok ar. Having Myra and Pajid as groupmates, we did miming sketch, using a present as a prop; depicting a story about April fool. It was simple yet cool and laudable for the lecturer woh; and later an MTV about 'How to Save a Life' by The Fray, emo+touchin+sweet+notenoughtimetopractice=bigclap ah.nanges*.And I also have to mention that we'll be performing another big drama at the end of the sem.
yesayatakotcozsayapegangwatakhantoo~~



5. FRIENDS ...hmm...agak speechless.best.azimfadzilpakdin dtg ag shalam k.


nyte