Name: Heba Medhat Rasheed

Course: CALL Computer Assisted Language Learning

Professor: Tasneem Al-Naimi

ID: 0123312

How can we benefit from the spread of technology positively inside the

classroom?

As everyone noticed, the using of technology became everywhere, anytime

and with everyone, we use it almost in every part of our daily life, our

communities and our homes. We rarely find someone doesn't have smart

phone, and most of us use it everywhere even inside the classroom.

There is a study conducted by Volt, shows that the rate of the users of the

smartphones in Jordan about 75%. As well as Cisco conducted a study

showed that smart phones most requested from people between the age 18-

34 year (Al-Sagher,2013) ; which means most of them are university

students. So why do not we take advantage of this case? Why do not we use

the technology inside the classroom instead of use it wrongly? Where

using the technology and applications inside the classroom makes the study

process easier and more attractive.

I would like to introduce an application for public speaking course, which is

very useful and beneficial to the students who want to learn more about

other cultures by talking to students from different countries and cultures

using the Solia program which their mission is to empower young people to

establish more effective, cooperative, and compassionate relations within

and between their societies by providing high quality global education that

combines the power of dialogue with the reach of new media technologies.

(Soliya,"About Us").

Soliya is a program created by a group of people who are interested in

cultures and who care about students and want to the new generation to be

able to use technology positively. This program allows university students

from different countries to join different groups and each group has certain

number of students who enter the group and talk about useful topics.

The program is very easy to use; the students can enter it by signing up to it

by entering a user name and a password, and of course there must be an

Internet connection, headset, and camera; because the conversations are

online.

I have chosen this program precisely because I used it before and it was very

useful and helpful; I met new people from different countries and universities

and I learned about their different cultures as I introduced to them our

Jordanian culture.

I think Soliya is very useful program because it develops students' speaking

skills, especially to the students who are learning foreign languages. It is

good for them because they communicate with foreigners and as a result

they will improve their foreign language and they will learn how to pronounce

the words correctly, Soliya also improves their writing skill; because there is

a box for written conversations. As well as Soliya expands the thinking of the

students and makes their minds more open about the new ideas and topics.

In addition to this, Soliya encourages the students to talk to foreigners

confidently and to speak their minds and opinions without fear or shame.

In addition to this, Students can use Soliya program whenever they want,

they can register and use it from the University labs or they can use their

computers at home or anywhere they want by using their personal

computers.

The idea of the Soliya program is very impressive, I think it will be a nice idea

if teachers start using it as an extra work to the students in their free time,

and it will motivate them and encourage them to interact with the outside

world.

As a University student, I see the use of modern programs, especially the

programs that allow the students to talk to other students from different

countries and cultures are very useful and helpful, as it helps the students to
break the barrier of fear of speaking in the language they learn, it also builds

trust between themselves, enhances them self-confidence and expands their

thinking and speaking skills.

"Today's education system faces irrelevance unless we bridge the gap

between how students live and how they learn... Students will spend their

adult lives in a multi-tasking, multifaceted, technology-driven, diverse,

vibrant world-and they must arrive equipped to do so (Transition in School,

2000, p. 48).

References

"About Us". Soliya. N.p., 2017. Web.

Al-Sagher, Falah. "The Prevalence Of Smart Phones In Jordan". Volt. N.p.,

2013. Web.

Young, Rose. "Using Technology Tools In The Public School Classroom".

American Psychological Association 5 (2008): n. pag. Print.