Examples and Techniques of Making Middle School English Courseware (Includes 1 CD)

Author: Xu Ying et al.
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: This book is divided into 3 chapters. Chapter 1, "English Courseware and English Teaching," discusses the methods of creating English courseware and its application in English teaching. Chapter 2, "New Concept English," selects and explains 12 courseware examples from the New Concept English textbook, accompanied by multimedia materials such as audio, video, and animations. Chapter 3, "New Curriculum Standard English," includes the creation process and demonstration methods of 12 courseware, based on the series textbooks "English (New Target)" published by the People's Education Press, adopting a task-based language teaching model. The courseware is lively and engaging. This book is suitable for middle and primary school English teachers who wish to create their own courseware, can serve as a reference for professionals in courseware development, and can also be used as a textbook and reference material for courseware development training departments. It is suitable not only for beginners but also for intermediate and advanced readers with some experience.
Preface The book "Information Technology and Subject Teaching Integration Series" edited by teachers from Beijing No. 101 Middle School has been officially published, marking another significant achievement in the development of basic education resources. In China's journey from computer-assisted instruction to the integration of information technology and subject teaching, primary and secondary school teachers have been a crucial force in developing teaching resources, primarily through courseware. The teachers I have encountered in grassroots schools have dedicated themselves to the development of multimedia teaching resources with a commitment to educational reform, creating numerous high-quality teaching materials. Unlike resources developed by specialized institutions, frontline teachers possess rich teaching experience, enabling them to accurately identify learning challenges and naturally incorporate strategies to address these issues into the design of teaching software. Moreover, most teachers' development is not aimed at creating products, without strict development cycles, allowing them to continuously apply, modify, and refine their courseware in their own teaching practice. They have a "natural" experimental field. These teachers grow through their interactions with other teachers and students. Therefore, I believe their work deserves special recognition. Whether it is educational administrators, school teachers, principals, or developers of educational resource enterprises, I am confident that they can all find valuable inspiration in this book, fostering communication and sharing in certain aspects. Only through this interaction between government, schools, and enterprises can China's educational resource development be guided toward a virtuous cycle and sustainable development.
After years of effort, China's educational resource development has made rapid progress overall, but there remains a significant gap compared to the requirements of educational reform. Especially with the implementation of the new basic education curriculum reform, our educational resources still suffer from structural shortages. Many educational informatization devices in schools are underutilized, and most teachers' use is limited to demonstration and performance lessons. Therefore, we must continue to focus on improving educational quality, with an innovative spirit, exploring ways to develop, utilize, manage, and share educational resources, ensuring that their development truly meets the needs of educational technology in fostering students' collaborative, communicative, and innovative skills.
This series of books is a crystallization of Beijing No. 101 Middle School's theoretical and practical exploration in educational resource development. The school was the first in China to establish a remote education network for basic education and has also produced a large number of teachers proficient in courseware development, creating teaching software development platforms such as the "Multimedia Blackboard." What is even more commendable is that these teachers have explicitly expressed their willingness to share their achievements with others, encouraging free use and modification. Through their actions, they are actively promoting the joint construction and sharing of high-quality resources. Teachers like Mr. Pan Tianshi from Beijing No. 101 Middle School have won numerous national and municipal awards in teaching software development, becoming a vanguard in educational informatization. I hope their practices can provide experience for the informatization of education in primary and secondary schools across the country. Courseware development is no longer mysterious—ordinary teachers can master it too. Teachers may not be "professionals" in courseware development, but their courseware continues to gain attention through communication and application. Let us work together with them to advance toward modernized teaching!
Purpose of Preface Computer-assisted instruction is currently the most advanced and promising teaching method. The application of multimedia and network technology has given computers a significant boost, turning many past fairy tales and fantasies into reality. Currently, multimedia teaching is flourishing abroad, and in China, it is also developing rapidly. It can be said that multimedia teaching is an inevitable trend in the development of modernized teaching. However, when examining domestic multimedia teaching software, due to its late start and the fact that most developers are computer professionals, the software often showcases programming techniques and tends to focus more on self-study rather than classroom teaching. Among classroom teaching software, those that are widely accepted and versatile by most teachers are extremely rare.
The purpose of publishing this series of books is to enable teachers to quickly grasp the principles and methods of courseware development, allowing them to design and create courseware according to their own ideas. In fact, courseware development is not mysterious at all. I believe that after reading this book, readers will reach the conclusion that it is not only accessible for beginners but also achievable for advanced learners.
Content Introduction This book provides detailed explanations of the creation methods and demonstration processes of more than 20 English classroom teaching software examples. The language is simple, the structure is clear, the narration is vivid, and the logic is well-organized, making it highly suitable for self-study. The courseware provided with the book is carefully selected from hundreds of excellent examples, primarily designed using four tools: Flash, PowerPoint, PrintPage, and VB. All are created by senior English teachers from Beijing No. 101 Middle School and can be directly applied in classroom teaching. Each example in the book is designed using two different tools, aiming to broaden readers' perspectives and help them master courseware development from various angles, allowing them to quickly immerse themselves in the joy of courseware development. In essence, this book is a highly instructive manual with strong guidance, reference, and collectible value.
The book is divided into 3 chapters. Chapter 1, "English Courseware and English Teaching," discusses the methods of creating English courseware and its application in English teaching. Chapter 2, "New Concept English," selects and explains 12 courseware examples from the New Concept English textbook, accompanied by multimedia materials such as audio, video, and animations. Chapter 3, "New Curriculum Standard English," includes the creation process and demonstration methods of 12 courseware, based on the series textbooks "English (New Target)" published by the People's Education Press, adopting a task-based language teaching model. The courseware is lively and engaging.
Reading Method All examples in this book are created using templates, which is the simplest and fastest way to develop courseware, offering short development cycles and high efficiency. All courseware in the book is designed using two methods to expand readers' thinking. Each courseware example includes sections such as "Courseware Structure," "Demonstration Methods," "Creation Steps," and "Guidance."
- Courseware Structure: Introduces the courseware and provides a simple diagram of its structure.
- Demonstration Methods: Describes the main demonstration methods of the courseware.
- Creation Steps: Provides a detailed explanation of the creation, editing, and generation processes of the courseware, with relevant code where necessary.
- Guidance: Offers small tips and techniques for courseware development.
CD Content The CD includes all program source codes, materials, and final courseware. Readers can directly apply the courseware on the CD in classroom teaching or modify it according to their needs. Additionally, the CD includes the courseware creation tool "Multimedia Blackboard (Friendship Edition)" developed by the authors for readers to learn and use.
During the writing process of this book, we received guidance from many individuals, including Vice Director Wang Zhuzhu of the Central Radio & TV Education, Principal Guo Han of Beijing No. 101 Middle School, Professor Cao Junzhong of Beijing Normal University, Dr. Zhang Xianfeng of the Institute of Remote Sensing, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Teacher Ji Xiaomei of Haidian District Teachers' Training School. We extend our sincere gratitude to them. Due to the authors' limited expertise, despite their best efforts, there may be omissions. We kindly invite readers to provide valuable feedback and look forward to long-term discussions on the experiences and insights of courseware development.