About The Making Waves Program
a. Program Overview
Making Waves is an online learning environment and training program that aims at preparing EFL and ESL pupils for the challenges of our modern information society. The Making Waves program has a double mission: to use the Internet as a tool for motivating English learning and raising English proficiency, and to use English studies as an opportunity for developing information technology skills and Web literacy.
Behind this mission lies the pedagogical rationale that authentic language - that is, language used by real people in real contexts for real purposes - makes the best model for learning. The Internet offers learners many opportunities for engaging in real-life tasks and cross-cultural collaborations that require natural use of the English language. Making Waves enables even beginner learners of the English language to use the Internet as a powerful learning tool.
b. Who is Making Waves for?
Making Waves was designed for beginner and intermediate learners of English as a foreign or second language. A unique feature of the program is the accommodation of a variety of learners from different cultures, varied language backgrounds, multiple learning styles and differences, as well as several proficiency levels.
c. What are the goals of the Making Waves program?
2. To improve English language and information technology proficiency;
3. To target specific populations that have recognized gaps in information technology and English language proficiency;
4. To increase integration of the Internet as a teaching and learning tool into the school environment;
5. To increase the skills and motivation of teachers in order to expand their use of the Internet as a creative learning environment;
6. To raise awareness among parents about resources that will assist their children's language learning and use of information technology.
a. Who develops Making Waves?
Making Waves is developed by a team of English teaching and information technology experts working for a non-profit organization.
b. What are the components of the Making Waves program?
- Content-Based Learning Modules - "Hi Tech Adventures" learning modules include Information units, Communication units and will shortly include Web 2.0 units all offer numerous content-based interactive learning units that foster English proficiency and information technology skills.
- My Waves - My Waves is an online portfolio and toolkit that enables pupils to track their work, create personal online dictionaries, scrapbooks, and more.
- Communication Tools - Pupils and teachers can use an online mailbox and class forum system to communicate with other pupils and teachers in Making Waves.
- Teacher's Guide - The online learning environment includes a comprehensive and contextualized Teacher's Guide.
c. Awards for the Making Waves program
The Making Waves program has received the following awards:
Global Junior Challenge Finalist 2002
Stockholm Challenge Finalist 2002
Schoolzone Five Star Site
Pedagogical Rationale of the Making Waves Program
Standard-Based Learning - Making Waves aims at helping pupils achieve the principles and standards set out in curricula for learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL).
The Internet as a Language-Learning Tool - Making Waves enables beginning learners of English to use the Internet as an authentic language-learning environment. One of the greatest advantages of the Internet is that it allows learners to engage in real-life tasks and cross-cultural collaborations that require natural use of the English language. These activities lend themselves to increased motivation and higher levels of language usage, as well as appreciation of different cultures.
Web and Computer Literacy - Making Waves sees learning Information Technology (IT) skills as an important educational goal. IT skills are integrated throughout the units. Making Waves teaches pupils how to extract relevant pieces of information from web resources and use them critically and effectively. In addition, Making Waves also focuses on online communication and presentation.
Constructivist Learning - Making Waves is built according to a constructivist approach which states that pupils construct their own understandings based on their prior knowledge and experiences. The Making Waves units therefore lead to open-ended tasks that require pupils to present their personal experiences, preferences, and points of view. Making Waves also offers open learning tools such as My Dictionary and My Scrapbook, which enable pupils to develop projects on topics of their own choice.
Critical Thinking Skills - Making Waves aims at developing higher thinking skills. Critical thinking skills are integrated in language-learning tasks that require pupils to deliberate, compare, reach conclusions, make choices, and express their point of view.
Learning Styles and Differences - Different pupils have different learning styles and different learning needs. Making Waves takes these differences into account and accommodates them by offering many different types, styles, and levels of learning activities. Making Waves accommodates pupils with special educational needs by offering online assistive technology tools such as an online dictionary and an online text-to-speech agent. Learning activities are carefully scaffolded so that pupils receive the necessary additional instruction or support needed in order to understand the tasks.
Independent Learning – Making Waves encourages the development of independent learners. For example, the site provides an online dictionary that enables pupils to translate any words that are new to them. The task instructions and computer skills help files are available in the pupils’ mother tongue.
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