iTell Conference 2018
"CALL& MALL to Enhance Thinking Skills"
Surakarta, March13th-14th, 2018
A. KEYNOTE SPEAKER
1. “CALL & MALL to Enhance The Thinking
Process”
The
keynote speaker of the conference is Dr. Gumawang Jati, M.A from ITB Bandung.
His interest in applying technology tools for language learning indeed
motivated the participants to be more technological literate, and engage with
the millennial students. This is essential since the way teacher teaches in
classroom influence students’ interest and motivation in learning. For example,
students can practice listening not only from the recording in CD-RW but also
other ways such as using smart phone applications, such as iTunes. It is more
effective and efficient.
To improve students’ skills teacher also can look at teaching
and learning resources from other tools instead of only books, for
example, www.elllo.org, www.youtube.com, www.hotpotatoes.com, www.breakingnewenglish.com, www.teachingkidsnews.com, www.learningenglishteens.britishcouncil.com,
etc. In addition, there are some authoring tools we can use for
interactive learning such as www.kahoot.com, www.edpuzzle.com, www.onlinequizcreator.com, etc.,
and the creation tools for thinking skills such as www.padlet.com, www.writereadthink.org, www.canva.com, www.screencast-o-matic.com etc.
Learning through media can also enhance students’ critical
thinking and creativity. They can develop their interest and talent not just
limited in classroom activities. It helps students’ get the better
understanding about the materials. But still, such webs are just tools for
improving students’ skills, and it is suggested that such tools are used at
home not in classroom since they spend much time, and they cannot substitute
the role of teacher in the classroom.
Talking about the technology for learning there is Artificial
Intelligence (AI). This can help us do our work easily, for example, www.integralcalculator.com, Siri
(IOS), Robin(android), Orai, www.analyze.academichelp.net, www.essay-grader.com,
www.lessonwriter.com, etc. However, we cannot fully hand the
responsibility over them. Teachers’ role in the classroom must be bigger
than them.
The speaker really amazed me. He delivered the material
casually but easy to understand. In his age, he is aware of technology more
than most participants younger than him. His eager to always learn new things
opened my mind to always follow the technological development.
B. PLENARY SPEAKERS
1. “TPACK, The Concept and Practice in the
Classroom”
Dr.
Nur Arifah Drajati, or I, her student, call her Ma’am Arifah, is
another inspiring presenter who made me realized that technology can help us in
teaching learning process. From her, I know about TPACK (Technological
Pedagogical and Content Knowledge). This is the new thing that I am interested
in.
TPACK
is a framework for teacher to conduct the class in more effective way. TPACK is
the newest version after PCK in which it is expected that teachers are not only
aware of what they know about the materials and the way they teach in classroom,
but also how technology is used to help students’ reach their learning
objectives.
Applying ICT (Information and Communication Technology) in
the classroom is one way to engage with students of 21st century
who are familiar with technology in their everyday life. They may feel
bored and less interested in the material if the class is conducted in
traditional way. Here, technology has the strong influence in helping teachers
develop the teaching tools. For example, in teaching writing teachers ask students
to watch a video on Youtube about a topic. Then, students research
the web, create concept maps, and create digital stories. The activity is
effective and can improve students’ critical think and creativity without
limit. TPACK is beneficial for both students and teachers since it promotes the
active, authentic, and collaborative learning. This also supports teachers to
have varieties in using technology in classroom.
In talking about TPACK, Ma’am Arifah made me realize that I
am as a teacher will be must be aware of TPACK in teaching students of 21st century
since this kind of framework is suitable for todays' learning.
2.
Cyber Bullying & Child Protection
The
second plenary speaker is Riezky Novyana. He is from British Council. The
presentation was talking about the impacts of internet
use. Nowadays the internet rapidly grows in all aspects of life,
and the user is almost all ages from the children to the adult. Even it is
predicted that in 2020 the number of internet connected devices is
bigger than the population. The power of internet massively gives
impacts for its users, and it created the digital footprint (a trail of data we
create while using the internet), so every kind of our activity
in the internet recorded well, and the data is forever
and cannot be deleted. Therefore, we must be wise in using
the internet since the poor digital footprint will
be impacting on some aspects like not being able to work in some
professions, unable to obtain travel visa to some countries, and
being known to the police.
The unwise use of internet also faces by children. They, who
are lack of parents’ caretaking, sometimes use the internet freely. One of
activities in the internet is social media. Actually they want to
have self-actualization, self-esteem, love and belonging, safety needs, and
physiological needs from family. It is apprehensive that they use
social media takes their time more than having direct interaction with
people in society. through social media, they can communicate with everyone
all around the world. It is feared that such things will endanger their safety.
Due to the activity, some crime happens such as kidnapping, sexual
abuse, fraud, and others. The most popular problem is about cyber
bullying. This case seems to be trivial but it can destroy
children's self-confidence and even lead them to do bad thing such as
suicide because what users post in the internet everyone as their follower
can take it, and it cannot be deleted if they have downloaded it, so they
can share the photo or info to everyone. It can improve the social
abuse and other crimes, so parents must be aware of children
using their own gadget.
C. WORKSHOP
1.
Kahoot: Bring the Fun into the Classroom
The first workshop I followed was delivered by Grace
Nathalia Clara Sabandar & Yessy Zakaria. They introduced a game-based
learning platform, Kahoot, used as educational technology in
classrooms and other learning institutions. The company was launched in
August 2013 in Norway. The game platform can be used to review
students knowledge, for formative assessment or as a break from
traditional classroom activities.
Teachers should develop the
technological skill since there is age gap between them and students. In
addition, students nowadays need learning activities which increase their fun,
challenge, fantasy, and curiosity, so Kahoot here is highly
recommended.
2. A
Small Step to Unpacking Students’ Design Thinking Skill in Language Classes
The
second workshop is delivered by Mr. Gumawang Jati and Ms. Finita
dewi. The amazing presenters that have many ideas about technology for
learning. In their workshop, they explained and practiced unpacking thinking
skills with partcipants as students. in designing thinking skill, the first
step they did is playing the video about a topic, asking the participants to
brainstorm the ideas in group (make a tagline and some information about it),
create the draft, post the result on Padlet, make the design of poster, share
and get feedback from other group, and present the digital poster. Along with
the technological use, we were asked to create the poster using the www.canva.com.
This made us easy to make the design and share to others.
D. Parallel
Session
1.
Paulus
Widiatmoko
“EFL Teacher’ Cognition on ICT: Relevance for Training and Professional
Development”
This first presentation on iTell 2018 is super good in
which the presenter told so many applications and websites for supporting
learning activities. He stated that learning English should not always in the
lab room. We can use mobile phone everywhere everytime through some free
applications. Through such way, students can also take some benefits like improve their learning interest, creativity, etc.
2.
Ayu
Astriani
“Integrating Video Blog in EFL Class for Teaching Speaking”
The presenter conducted research using blended learning in 4 weeks, 1 meeting for each week, so there were 4 meetings. After each meeting students are asked to make a video blog about the material they got or activity they did. The presenter found that students' fluency in speaking was improves through this technique. It indeed brought change to their speaking ability especially the fluency.
3.
Eny
Kusumawati
“The Effect of Watching English Movies with Subtitles on ESP Students’
Content and Vocabulary Comprehension. A Study Conducted at an Indonesian
Polytechnic Engineering”
In the paper, the presenter conducted a research in
Politeknik Elektronika Negeri Surabaya with the sample of students as many as
56 students of 5th semester in intermediate English proficiency
level divided into 2 groups, experimental and control group. The data were
collected through questionnaire to check students’ attitude toward the method,
and quiz to check their English comprehension. There is pre-test and post-test
for both groups. Both groups
showed enthusiastic comprehension about the movie as their media for vocabulary
comprehension. Both groups have significant development on movies’ vocabulary.
But unfortunately, it did not follow with the comprehension, according to the
statistical calculation, it proofed that the students’ comprehension did not
develop as the other variables.
E. Conclusion
The conference is totally great. It greatly
opened my mind to be the real millennial and to be able to use technology for
learning tools. 21st century students need such things so they are
not only comprehend in English as material taught but also have other skills
needed in 21st century such as critical thinking, communication,
collaboration and creativity. The use of ICT in classroom still have less attention
of teachers of ELT who are still using the traditional method, so it needs to
be popularize so that English can be a joyful subject for students.
