Jing-- A Briliant Tool to Capture Images and Videos From Your Computer Desktop!

What is JING?

Jing is a brilliant software that instantly captures images and videos of computer screen. With Jing, you can create a video of every move on your screen and sound as well up to 5 minutes (free version). The URL of video and image can be sent through email.

The download address: http://www.techsmith.com/download/jing/

There is also a video that teaches how to use Jing in details.

Relevance to Language Teaching and Learning

Jing is a wonderful screen capture software, especially for video making. Thus, it makes various possibilities in ELT area. Jing can be designed into task-based language classroom, or the instruction part of the classroom activities. Students can be motivated a lot by using it in tasks in groups, and in communicative classroom as well. Worth to mention that, Jing can have great revolutionary performance in feedback area, especially for distance essay correction, both teacher-to-student and Ss-to-Ss themselves. Jing can integrate all skills in language learning, as far as you are creative enough.

Possible Usages in/outside Class

As Jing can capture everything you want to show on your screen, it could be very useful in every area in English teaching in/outside classroom. I only give few examples.

1. Teachers could use Jing to make a coherent and moving instruction of every stage of tasks or activities, especially those may cause confusion.

2. In terms of teaching speaking or writing, the teacher could capture a period of movie or video online, and ask students to make dub or subtitle for it, or to make a story according to series of sights. Similiarly with pictures, the teacher would give first paragraph and students follows.

3. Little games can be made to remember vocabulary or grammar points. For example, the teacher could make video showing the new words and change in every 10 (or more) seconds. Then, ask students to answer how many they could remember.

4. As Jing is sendable, teachers could use it to make a list of vocabulary, grammar points, or lesson points and send it to students as preview or review of the lesson.

5. As to feedback aspect, distance essay correction can be made into video with the whole process of correction, both images and sound. Teacher could explain more with feelings by adding voice, and moving process makes feedback more clear and stimulant. Peer feedback about essays and tasks can also be designed in this way.

Limitations

1. Videos made by Jing could only be 5 minutes maximum for free. However, teachers could buy the full version if frequently use is needed.

2. It seems that Jing’s video cannot be uploaded into Youtube website.

WebQuest-- A Treasure Map For Learners

What is Webquest?

http://webquest.org/

http://questgarden.com 

Webquest is “an inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most or all the information that learners work with comes from the web”. Simply speaking, teachers can make a Webquest according to certain task, and students find their own results by searching on it. Here are a series video about what is Webquest and how to use it step by step.

Relevance to Language Teaching and Learning

It can be used in tesk-based teaching. According to the task content, it can cover all speaking, listening, reading and writing in English, and integrated four skills. If students are required to use it in class, it also can be built as communicative classroom. usually group work are encouraged in doing Webquest work.

Possible Usages in/outside Class

1. The teacher makes a webquest with certain task, ask students to form into groups and work on it and find the result.

2. The teacher makes a webquest to be an assistant tool of the lesson topic, and ask students to finish it after class.

3. The teacher introduces how to create a webquest, ask students to form into groups and make a webquest in turn weekly, as a replacement of presentation. Then, other students finish the task in/out of class. However, this requires students to have a high ability of language and computer knowledge. It may not suitable for students of young age.

Limitations

1. It is a complicated process to make a full webquest. It may take teacher’s too much time on it, and require teachers with high capability on computer knowledge.

2. Once the webquest is done, it usually contains too much information to help students finish the task. It may distract students in doing it, and demotivate them.

3. It is also difficult for teachers to fulfill students need and interests in designing the Webquest, including content, pictures and colors, information amount.