View Your Mailvu!

Assalamualaikum and Hi to all

This is the latest website that I am going to share with you. It is called the Mailvu. Mailvu is a video recording tool which allows you to record your video and speak about whatever you want and send it to your friends. This website is fantastic as it is free (unless if you need other services like putting the widget onto your website) and it can be done in just a few steps. This tool is probably one of the popular online video tool that is used for marketing purposes as it allows marketers to engage with their audience. Unlike Audioboo, this tool allows you to record video, which is more convincing as the audience will be able to see your face and body gestures while listening to the recording. Not only that, it allows the customers to record their testimonials and put it into the blog or website which certainly be more interesting. Not only business, Mailvu can also be used for leisure purpose as well as education. The recording can be up to 10 minutes which is long enough for a video recording. The organisation of the website is fairly satisfying as there are not too many thumbnails and you can just record from the homepage.

Mailvu and language learning.

The existence of online video recording makes the communication between teacher and students. This is because students can interact with their teachers (what I mean by interacting is that students and teachers will be able to see each other's face) easily and more frequent. If the students have any problems with a particular lesson and need to consult the teacher outside the classroom, they can just send their Mailvu to the teachers. Teachers will also be able to reply and give feedback even if they are at home, which is likely to produce instant result. Not only that, Mailvu can be used as an idea of connected classroom where the lesson taught in the class can be reflected using Mailvu. For example the teacher can pre teach the students some vocabulary items of describing a person in the class then ask students to describe about their best friend at home, using Mailvu. The students will be able to not only speak but make use of the video by showing pictures of their friends of any related pictures. This will make the lesson more interesting as thus motivate students in language learning.

Is it difficult?

As I said, the steps are fairly easy as you do not have to register in order to make recording and send it to someone. All you need to do is just record, information such as name, email address and subject then you are ready to send.

Recording can be made directly at the homepage 

Just edit the video information and then you can send
it to your friends.

Advantages of this website:


1. It allows you you connect with your friend any time you want whether your friend is online or offline as you just have to record and send it to their emails
2. Students will be able to engage in the classroom teaching through connected classroom. They can apply what they learn in the class, make a video and send it to their teacher.
3. Teachers can also know about the students by using this video for self introduction. So teacher will be able to get access to the information whenever necessary.
4. It can enhance students motivation for communicating they are able to preview their recording. This will allow them to reflect and improve in the future.

Disadvantages of this website:


1. It does allow you to embed your recording for free. You have to pay for extra services if you need them. For example, if you would like to have this widget on your website, you have to pay USD5. (This is what I get from the website: http://mailvu.com/blog/how-to-add-a-video-email-widget-to-your-website/

Apart from that, I do not see any disadvantages of this website and this website is one of the websites that I like the most. Here is the link to the website:
http://mailvu.com/

Let's 'Play' English!

Assalamualaikum and Hi to all.

Have you ever feel bored learning English the traditional way? Well I am going to introduce a website which is very useful in learning English. Not just learning, but learning in a fun way! It is called ClicknLearn. This website, unlike other educational website offers variety methods in learning English. It is fun and easy because it has fantastic interface and sound effect, just like most of the online-gaming websites. If you are a person who likes playing games, yet still want to learn some English, this is just a correct website for you. This website is design for a Spanish-learning-English context but the content are all in English. This website consists of quite a number of different levels that the students can choose from. Each level is has three different difficulties which are easy, intermediate and advanced.

Different levels available on top left corner.

Example 1:  Activity page.

Example 2: Activity page

How about the content?

The content in every section is designed based on topic which means that the students have to complete the exercises based on the topics such as cloths, schools, shops, sports and a lot more which I personally think worth to discover. The exercises at the lower levels are designed to exposed students to vocabulary items that are used in different context so that they will be familiar with the particular context. There are also pictures indicating the vocabulary items and sometimes it also requires students to memorise and then complete the gap activity. At the higher level, there are grammar activity as well as activities related to the issues and culture which the students of higher level might find it interesting and challenging. However, most of the activities related to the topic culture is designed based on Spanish culture, which might not be familiar for students from different country. 

Advantages of this website:

1. Rather different from any other educational websites that stick to formal style.

2. It is fun and interactive as learners get to do the activity based on various topics.

3. It caters different level of students.

4. It is free and easy to operate.

Disadvantages to the website:

1. The instruction is in Spanish which is not understandable to learners of different context.

2. Some of the activity relates to the Spanish context which may result in difficulties for some learners

3.  Sound effect while initialising the webpage may be annoying to some users including me.

Here is the link to the website.

http://clicknlearn.net/

Roti Canai: A Pleasant Morning!

Assalamualaikum and Hi to all. 

This time around, I'm going to show you one cool website which enables you to make your own personal journal. Its called the Bookr! Bookr is a free website that allows people to make their own book and they can put everything including text and pictures into their own mini online book. This tool does not requires you to upload any photos as you can just type in any labels you want in order to find the pictures of your choice. It will then grab pictures available online so that you will have a wide range of pictures to choose from. If you first open the website, it straightaway gives you the front page so that you edit

it by yourself.

As in the context of teaching and learning, especially language learning, this website is seems to be one of the interesting tool in enhancing student's language especially their creative writing. Teachers can manipulate this website for students at lower levels as well as children and ask them to make a mini book using this tool. By doing so, they will be able to produce meaningful language by relating it to their own context as well as encourage them to think creatively.

How to do it? Simple!


If you go to the website, you will need to enter the items that you want to put in your book and it will grab all the photos that are available from Flickr. There are numerous pictures related to your search that you can choose from and once you have decided, you just need to drag the pictures into your own book. You can also select the number of pages that you would like to have. The more pictures you select, the more pages you have, and the more interesting your book will be. On your own book, you will be able to add text such as title and description of the pictures so that it will be more meaningful.This website is free and you will also get to share it with your friends as well as embed it into your own blog like what I did. these are some snapshots of how is it looks like.

You can edit the title of your book.

You can also add description to the pictures.

This is one that I have made.

There are some advantages of this website such as:

1. It does not require you to sign up in order to use this tool.

2. It is free and very easy to use.

3. Promote creative language because students have to describe their picture so that it will be interesting

4. Personalisation where students create a book based on their interest.

Disadvantages of this website:

1. It is too simple that it does not cater students of higher level; advanced students may find this activity less interesting and less challenging.

Here is the link to the website:
http://www.pimpampum.net/bookr/