My first ICT lesson: a new discovery about blogging

I had my first lesson in the course of ICTs in Language Teaching for my MA program last Friday and up to now have finished the two first modules: General Module in class and online Module 1 about blogging.

My first impression is the simple, smart and friendly-user interface of Canvas. Although it was the first time I’ve tried Canvas as a learning management system, I did not have any difficulties in signing up, changing my own profile and settings, joining in discussions and uploading assignments. More surprisingly, it is totally free for me to use even when it is not made and run by my university. It also provides with a mobile application in which I will be reminded continually about the due of assignments or any other notifications as long as there is Internet connection. How convenient it is!

What’s more, how could a blog be used in an ESL class? What I used to think about a weblog for a long time was just a place where entertainment is prioritized. For me, it seemed to be the open space for anyone to share their diary, show up their achievements and workings or post pictures about their travelling. During my lower secondary school time when Yahoo 360 was a trend, for example, we used the classroom weblog as an online photo album where we kept wonderful moments with classmates and also online meetings where we discussed class problems. However, interestingly, my perspective has changed after reading articles about the application of blogs in teaching language. Blogging turns out to be an efficient tool for teaching and learning generally and English teaching particularly. Specifically, as I said in the discussion, I can set up a blog where my students post their works and review their friends’ ones in order to encourage writing in an ESL class, or where my students upload their refection on what they have learnt in class.

I’ve just finished creating a blog when I’m writing these words. Due to the detailed instruction from the course, now I have my own blog with a, in my opinion, unique design and start using it as an educational space to reflect my learning and teaching experience and collaborate with my MA classmates, and perhaps my students in the coming days.