Personal Online Skills and Knowledge: Self-Assessment

Personal Online Skills and Knowledge: Self-Assessment

When confronted with the self-assessment checklist prepared for an online course that now I am taking with the Laureate International Universities Faculty Development Program, I got shocked to see how much I have achieved in my knowledge and use of LoTi (Levels of Technology Implementation) Profiles[1], which I was first introduced by Deborah Healey and Sandra Jeffs, -two of the University of Oregon TESOL instructors-, about four years ago.  

Tool	Never heard of the tool	Know someone on campus that uses the tool	Know some instructors that use the tool	All instructors use the tool
Learning Management System (e.g. Moodle, Blackboard, etc.)	☐	☐	☐	☒
Webinars	☐	☐	☐	☒
Web-enhanced course	☐	☐	☐	☒
Blended, Hybrid, or Mixed Mode Course	☐	☐	☐	☒
100% online course	☐	☐	☒	☐
Web apps	☐	☐	☐	☒
Facebook	☐	☐	☐	☒
Hootcourse	☒	☐	☐	☐
RSS Feeds	☐	☐	☐	☒
Twitter	☐	☐	☐	☒
Cascading Style Sheets	☒	☐	☐	☐
HTLM code	☐	☐	☐	☒
Podcast	☐	☐	☐	☒
Vodcast	☐	☐	☐	☒
Glogster	☐	☐	☐	☒
WebQuest	☐	☐	☐	☒
Google Docs	☐	☐	☐	☒
Online Chat	☐	☐	☐	☒
Skype	☐	☐	☐	☒
VoiceThread	☐	☐	☐	☒
Adobe Connect	☒	☐	☐	☐
Instant Messaging	☐	☐	☐	☒
Movie editing	☐	☐	☐	☒

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Bearing in mind my former training with the University of Oregon in Web tools and PBL (Project-Based Learning), my subsequent online courses with the Laureate Faculty Program, and my hard-to-quench need for more tools to be used with my ELT and English language students at the university level, I have now realized that I know most of the tools presented by our Laureate instructors. In addition to knowing them, here I have examples of professional projects in which I have used them.

1.    Creation of my own LMS to work with my ELT “Reading Skills” students at the university where I work, to keep track of their course progress and web-based assignments

2.    Regular attendance to webinars by publishing houses such as Oxford or Cambridge University Press to get acquainted with the new trends in my field

3.    Design of web-enhanced content to nourish my courses: prezi presentations, google forms, online quizzes for self-assessment, etc.

4.    Use of blended learning modalities to confront students with the 21^st Century learning and encourage them to learn autonomously

5.    Use of web apps for iPhones (and similar), PCs, laptops and Android devices to improve language learning in areas such as phonemics, grammar, and vocabulary

6.    Use of RSS Feeds to feed my own online papers in various areas such TEFL, ELT, Phonemics, linguistics, and Biology

7.    Use of Twitter to get the latest news in technology, educational tools, webinars, and the like from publishing houses, language experts, etc.

8.    Use and modification of HTLM codes to create and embed educational material onto my blogs, google sites, etc.

9.    Creation of podcasts and vodcasts to help students learn content easily 24/7, 365 days a year

10. Use of Glogster along with WebQuests to post students’ research and findings in various areas of their language learning

11. Creation of WebQuests to fully integrate online learning with literary course content and textbooks

12. Use of google docs, now called DRIVE, as a dropbox to keep info, create online forms for quizzes, have students work cooperatively while being online, etc.

13. Use of online chats, forums, livestreams to help students develop their ideas, critical thinking, and writing skills

14. Usage of Skype chat or video calls to work with colleagues around the globe in our areas of interest

15. Creation of voicethreads to have students voice their opinions in the target language

16. Usage of Instant Messaging to have students tuned to the class and its content

17. Use of Movie editing to create sub-products and help students visualize course content, and to post new content for my language courses

I must admit that I never heard of Cascading Style Sheets or Adobe Connect but have to do some research to see how they can be incorporated into my future teaching and professional practice.

To sum up, based on the LoTi Profile Assessment, I’m now a Level 6 user looking for more and more refinement in the things I use technology for: learning and teaching.

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[1] http://loticonnection.cachefly.net/global_documents/SampleDigitalAgeReport.pdf

Personal Online Skills and Knowledg1.pdf by Jonathan Acuña