Technology

= **Technology** =

**General | Digital Storytelling | Social Media**
= **General** =

** Literature **
**Bryant, Todd. 2006. “** **Using World of Warcraft and Other MMORPGs to Foster a Targeted, Social, and Cooperative Approach Toward Language Learning.”** //**Academic Commons**//**. Accessed October 16, 2010. __[]__ ** This article discusses the use of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) in social language learning. The author uses World of Warcraft as an example of a simulation that forces students into a virtual environment with a foreign language, where they need to accomplish a set task. This simulation of reality allows students to learn actively, without some of the stress that real life situations can cause. Another benefit of using games is the potential that students will keep playing on their own, thereby increasing their language proficiency. The author then points out some of the negative aspects of using a game as a teaching tool, like cost, and then cites ways to get started.

**Butler, Kevin. 2009. “Speaking Their Language." //District Administration// (February):** 28-32. This article summarizes a few emerging technological trends in language instruction. Computer labs equipped with multimedia software allows for more conversational practice and individualized instruction. The letters to pen pals have gone by the wayside, now students use video conferencing tools like Skype or programs like E-pals to communicate with other students from all over the world. Some teachers use blogs to stimulate discussion outside of class and digital storytelling is one way of having students engage with language. During exams, students download audio prompts onto their mp3 players, which eases the stress of responding to the teacher speaking.

**Langer de Ramirez, Lori. 2001.** //**Empower English Language Learners with Tools from the Web**// **. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin.** This book describes the different technologies that teachers can use to facilitate English language learners. The book's chapters are separated by each technology, which include: Web 2.0 tools, blogs/online language portfolios, wikis, podcasts, YouTube, Flickr and VoiceThread, social networking sites, social bookmarking, and virtual worlds like Second Life. Each chapter has a few sections discussing the technology, its potential and actual use in the classroom, some examples of its use, as well as suggested readings and useful websites. This book would be a useful reference for a teacher in a classroom, most of it is practical rather than theoretical. **Levy, Mike. 2009. “Technologies in Use for Second Language Learning.” //The Modern Language Journal// 93:** 769-782. This article divides second language learning into eight areas: grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing, pronunciation, listening, speaking, and culture. The author then details the history of technology use as well as modern technological tools for each area. Some of the technologies the author discusses include computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and mobile devices, which are useful because of their growing number of features (text-messaging, internet access) and ubiquity. Other technologies include software that checks for common errors from nonnative learners and computer-aided pronunciation training (CAPT). Podcasts and Skype have helped listening and speaking skills, while virtual worlds like Second Life help expose students to foreign cultures. Finally, the author discusses several issues that educators need to keep in mind when implementing new technologies with second language learners.

**Niemuth, Toffler. 2010. “New Tools for Student Engagement.” //Leadership// (January/February):** 24-27. This article claims that foreign language instruction needs to adapt to emerging technologies in order to appeal to the students' digital lives. The author uses examples from other countries language instruction to demonstrate the ways IT can be used to facilitate learning. The author recommends the use of podcasts, mobile-based flashcard programs, writing correction services, and Skype to make lessons more useful and engaging.

**Oxford, Raquel and Jeffrey Oxford, eds. 2009.** //**Second Language Teaching and Learning in the Net Generation.**// **Mānoa, Hawaii: ** **National Foreign Language Resource Center, University of Hawai'i.** This book's tone is scholarly in nature, but with discussion of practical applications of technology in language education. The book is separated into chapters on how technology has influenced the teaching and learning of second languages, as well as how digital natives rate their own literacy skills. The book also suggests a few new methods of teaching, like hybridizing the curriculum, using podcasts, Second Life, web-based language portfolios, and video-based web-conferencing in the classroom. Most of the text is theoretical, rather than practical, but the discussion of implementation of new technologies in language education would be useful for people in the field.

**Thorne, Steven L., Rebecca W. Black, and Julie M. Sykes. “Second Language Use, Socialization, and Learning in Internet Interest Communities and Online Gaming.” //The Modern Language Journal// 93:** 802-821. This article reviews the presence of technology in teaching second languages through socialization. The article begins with a history of the topic, since the 1980s there has been an increased focus on the integration of technology with second language education. The authors focused on two applications of technology, the first focus was the creation of hybrid language in online fan communities. The interactive nature of these communities allows language learners to express themselves more creatively and to integrate themselves into the new language. The second focus was on online gaming. Studies have found that online gaming and virtual reality allow learners to negotiate complex subjects and to engagement with meaningful ideas. Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOs) allow players to engage in social and emotional as well as task-driven activities. MMOs could also be a potential way of connecting to foreign cultures, since they are popular world-wide. Lastly, the authors discussed new theories for incorporating technology and social interplay online into language instruction.

** Resources **
**World of Warcraft:** ** __ [] __ ** **, Accessed October 17, 2010.** A very popular Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) played around the world. It is expensive and complicated to use and might not be easily accessible from Kazakhstan.

**Free Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs):** ** __ [] __ ** **, Accessed October 17, 2010.** Wikipedia has a list of free MMOGs with information about developer, release date, required operating system, genre, payment, synopsis, and type.This would be useful because World of Warcraft and other popular games are expensive to buy for a whole classroom.

**Skype:** ** __ [] __ ** **, Accessed October 17, 2010.** A free video conferencing and chat service that places calls through your computer to places all around the world.

**Second Life:** ** __ [] __ ** **, Accessed October 17, 2010.** A free virtual world available online, with extra pay options. Second Life contains a number of libraries and information centers as well as language labs. Second Life can be used to explore a virtual reality and communicate with other users around the world. It is useful for socialized and contextual learning, it also adds elements of identity and personalization to the learning experience.

**SmallWorlds:** ** __ [] __ ** **, Accessed October 17, 2010.** SmallWorlds is an online virtual world, similar to Second Life. Users have the option of integrating their virtual world with their social networks, through Facebook or other sites.

= ** Digital Storytelling ** =


 * Definition: **A short, first person video-narrative created by combining recorded voice, still and moving images, and music or other sounds.

**Literature **
**Czarnecki, Kelly. 2009. “Digital Storytelling in Practice, Chapter One, Storytelling in Context. //Library Technology Reports// (October):** 5-8. This article introduces the concept of digital storytelling as well as providing general principles of storytelling through the ages. The article is aimed towards digital storytelling in libraries and for librarians rather than educators, but is a good general introduction to the important concepts. media type="youtube" key="dKZiXR5qUlQ?fs=1" height="229" width="288" align="right" **Czarnecki, Kelly. 2009. “Digital Storytelling in Practice, Chapter Five, Software for Digital Storytelling. //Library Technology Reports// (October):** 31-36. In this article, the author summarizes different programs that can be used for digital storytelling. She makes careful note of the prices and computer qualifications for each program. Some software, like Kids' Vid and StoryBoard Pro are good for creating a storyboard. Video editing software is divided by whether they are suited for a Mac or a PC. The author also discusses web-based applications, which are less comprehensive, but are more cost-effective. Animoto takes inputted text, images, and music and creates music videos, there are different versions for private, commercial, and educational use. Voicethread is similar to Animoto, but allows users to leave comments, which frame the original video piece. Lastly, the author provides several sources for music, sound, and photo editing.

**Rance-Roney, Judith. 2009. “Jump-Starting Language and Schema for English-Language Learners: Teacher-Composed Digital Jumpstarts for Academic Reading.”** //**Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy**// **53(5):** 386-395. This article advocates the use of digital storytelling for English language learners (ELLs) who need to learn comprehensive academic language skills in a short time-frame. The author uses digital storytelling as digital jumpstarts (DJs) to prepare learners for content. Instead of using films which do not address the issues that ELLs face, digital stories can be custom-designed to address the specific needs of the learners, as well as to capture their interest. Such technological tools can help prevent students from regurgitating material from texts without actually having synthesized and become familiar with it. Finally, the author describes how teachers have used digital storytelling to jumpstart their ELLs and gives recommendations to teachers on how to best implement digital storytelling.

**Ohler, Jason. 2008. //Digital Storytelling in the Classroom: New Media Pathways to Literacy, Learning, and Creativity.// Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin. ** This book provides a broad introduction to the science and art of digital storytelling. It focuses on both the theory and history of digital storytelling as well as the practical application in the classroom. The section on tools for teachers and students gives tips on how to set up the technology for digital storytelling, basics on buying and using computers, microphones, software, etc.

**Resources **
**Center for Digital Storytelling. [], Accessed October 23, 2010.** <span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">This website provides a good definition and introduction of digital storytelling. They also provide examples and case studies of how digital storytelling is used for various purposes. The Center also provides information on their workshops on digital storytelling.

<span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">**Digital Stories at UMBC. [], Accessed October 23, 2010.** <span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">This UMBC website provides background information on digital storytelling, with links to iTunesU and YouTube lectures. It also contains a project gallery of digital storytelling examples and an extensive list of resources and tools for implementing digital storytelling.

<span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: #000000; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">This website is a wiki dedicated to digital storytelling planning and resources. In the story tools section there are various web guides filled with resources and advice for developing story ideas, finding media (including copyright free media) to fill your digital story, and a guide to the software and applications that can be used to create digital stories. The guide to digital storytelling tools and sites for finding media are particularly useful and quite extensive.
 * <span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: #000000; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">Levine, Alan. //CogDogRoo:// //50 Web 2.0 Ways to Tell a Story//<span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: #000000; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">. http://cogdogroo.wikispaces.com/50+Ways, Accessed October 29, 2010.**

StoryBoard Pro is free software that enables teachers and students to plan out their digital stories ahead of time. This software would be most useful for someone that is skilled enough to be shooting their own video and mixing and editing themselves. This software would best be used for planning the more complex and creative videos of advanced digital storytelling. For simple slide shows it would not be as relevant.
 * StoryBoard Pro. <span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: #000000; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">@http://www.atomiclearning.com/storyboardpro, Accessed October 29, 2010.**

<span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">media type="custom" key="7349279" width="128" height="128" align="right" <span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">**Animoto. @http://animoto.com/, Accessed October 28, 2010.** <span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">Animoto is a service that allows users to upload photos and music from their computers and have videos made and sent to them. The free service provides minimal features and 30-second videos, with the ability to share and remix the videos. There are two options of paid services with varying features, but they generally include longer and higher-quality videos.

<span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">**VoiceThread. @http://voicethread.com/, Accessed October 29, 2010.** VoiceThread is a service that allows users to create collaborative digital stories online. VoiceThread tailors various packages to different audiences, the higher education package for a single instructor costs $99 per year with 1 Pro account and 50 Basic accounts. VoiceThread allows users to upload images, videos, or documents and record a voice or sound over the video. Additionally, users have the option of sharing videos, doodling on videos, and commenting on their network's videos.

Photo Story 3 is free software for Windows that allows users to upload images and add text and voice or music effects over the resulting video. It's fairly simple, but it's free and easy, and unlike Animoto users can create lengthy videos and add their own storyline to their images. Users can edit the movement of images to their liking and they can even create their own musical effects to use in their stories. The only problem is that this software doesn't have any easy way to share or upload the resulting videos. Users have to save them to their computers and share them through their own means.
 * Microsoft Photo Story 3 for Windows. @http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/photostory/default.mspx, Accessed October 29,**media type="youtube" key="4i94sZ3p6ug?fs=1" height="215" width="267" align="right" **2010.**

= ** Social Media ** =

** Blogs **

 * <span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">Peace Corps Blogs from Kazakhstan: []
 * <span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">Aggregator of various blogs from volunteers in Kazakhstan, both current and archived
 * Katharine Does Kazakhstan: []
 * Peace Corps volunteer teaching English, unfortunately it is not updated very often. It moved from blogspot because it was blocked.
 * <span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">Blogspot/non current version: []
 * <span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">Minor Hooliganism: http://echopie.wordpress.com/
 * <span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">Peace Corps volunteer teaching English, very current and updated often.
 * <span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">Kazakhnomad's Blog: A Westerner's View of Kazakhstan: []
 * <span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">Blog of a woman living in Kazakhstan with her family teaching Kazakh educators, she updates often and it goes back to 2007.
 * <span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">KZBlog: []
 * <span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">An American living and working in Kazakhstan.
 * <span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">Posts archived by about, culture, fun, life in KZ, news, politics, resources, and tourism.

** Sites (mostly in Russian) **

 * Twitter: http://twitter.com/, Accessed October 27, 2010.[[image:Twitter-Icon.png width="204" height="204" align="right"]]
 * Twitter is increasingly used by young, urban Kazak hs.
 * <span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">Livejou rnal: __ [] ____, __ Accessed October 25, 2010.
 * <span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">Livejournal, is a online journaling tool like a blog but with more of a social network. It is a very popular site in Russia, and was very popular in Kazakhstan until the Kazakh government banned access to the site in 2008 after an opposition leader created a blog writing about the corruption of the President of Kazakhstan. Now the popularity of livejournal is decreasing, although people still use the site by proxies.
 * <span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">The livejournal of Rakhat Aliev, the opposition leader, is still being updated: []
 * Vkontakte: [], Accessed October 25, 2010.
 * A Russian-language copy of Facebook with image, music, and video hosting built in. It is currently the most popular website in Russia with 93,874,576 users as of 10pm EST 10/25/2010 or about one-fifth the size of Facebook.
 * Kiwi: [|http://kiwi.kz], Accessed October 25, 2010.
 * Kiwi is a Kazakh website similar to YouTube. It is currently the most popular website in Kazakhstan.<span style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: #000000; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">[[image:logo.gif width="174" height="96" align="right"]]
 * Yvision: [|http://yvision.kz], Accessed October 25, 2010.
 * Yvision is a blogging interface in Kazakhstan. Blogging is not as popular in Kazakhstan as in the US, but its popularity is starting to grow.
 * KazTube: [|http://kaztube.kz], Accessed October 25, 2010.
 * KazTube is the government-run version of Kiwi, however it only has a fraction of the users of Kiwi.
 * On: [|http://on.kz], Accessed October 25, 2010.
 * On is a Kazakh version of Vkontakte or Facebook.