Besides using Haiku Deck app to create visually-appealing presentations, what if you used it with students to help them use language with content produced by real people. So, it is the old “this is..; she does this and that” with a twist in authenticity. Take, for example, this presentation: Created with Haiku Deck, the free […]
Do Something is a non-profit organization in the intersection of teens and social change, activism. There are tons of ideas on their site to help young people take action. I especially liked one about what makes you mad and the call for changing things around.http://www.dosomething.org/actnow/actionguide/become-activist As I have a tight schedule, I was considering adapting […]
I’ve been teaching teens this semester. And I can feel their different states of mind, the introvert struggling, the extroverted always trying to shine, the quiet with so much to say, the lost with so many words to shout…There is so much going on with every single one of them that we, educators, have different […]
In the Binational Center I work for writing is taken seriously. There is a program for all levels. For the Teens and Intermediate courses, students work on paragraphs, but when they get to the Advanced level, the requirement is more demanding. Learners are exposed to different kinds of genres and are supposed to hand in […]
Oh, this is a very touchy aspect of our teaching… When have we innovated in homework assignments? We generally have the same language structure for homework instructions, “do pages x and z, ex. A, B and C for next class”. In our edit teaching mode, what if we did it differently for a change? Some […]
Today I observed a sample class and was just reminded about the many uses we can have for a deck of cards. How about using them to add some movement to your class? Just by handing out one single card to each student, you make an eye brow raise. Students are immediately hooked. What can you […]
Did you roll the dice? How about ending your class differently this time? Before it starts, post a lot of random words around the classroom. You can even ask your students to help you. Let curiosity mount! And make it a kinesthetic moment of your teaching hour. In the last 5/10 minutes of your class, […]
Who doesn´t like to roll the dice? Well, we keep the challenge of changing bits of our lesson plan to make our classrooms more engaging, fun, with powerful human touch added to them. In your next class, try this one! Give each group or pair of students a die. There are different ways to use […]
Though I should be expecting the unexpected coming from students, two teachers have already posted their students’ reactions-recordings, and I’m totally in awe! Justine and her student recorded this: http://www.showme.com/sh/?h=ZoIUfHE Dani’s students recorded this:http://vocaroo.com/i/s0WQONEteBaQ Amazing stuff happening with not so much sweat on our part or big preparation, but with very powerful outcomes. Day 2 was about the BOX. Day 3 […]
First, we had the playlist idea. How about using a physical object today? Find a nice box to take to class. It can be a colorful one, a plain rustic one or even one that has an intriguing detail on its outside. You want to awaken your learners´ minds, spark curiosity, stimulate imagination. Tell them […]
Many times we are trapped in our own routines, hectic lives and infinite tasks. It is hard sometimes even to breathe. Inertia takes over, and we see our personal and professional lives as if it were part of a film. I know there are many challenges around for teachers, and I could name a few […]
In my last post, I talked about the three mantras for tired teachers, and mentioned that my learning goal of the month was to not only learn, but also test the pedagogical possibilites of QRcodes. I’m delighted to say that I followed the two first mantras (learn and try) and am here to share (as […]
We can easily picture educators who suffer from an ongoing, cronic burnout. No motivation, no strength, happiness in the eye, passion. Many become the complainers, resistant, tired souls that simply let life pass by, waiting for the day they can retire. I’m an optimist at heart and truly believe that if one decided to become an […]
She was meant to be a star. Her photos were all over, Vogue magazine, among all renowned international magazines you can think of. One day, though, … How about a bit of homework revolution for a change? Add this sentence to the board, send the photo to your students and tell them to access http://photofunia.com, […]
I remember when I had English classes, most of them started the same. The teacher would tell the rules of our class and write on the board the test dates for us to copy. Then, there would be some kind of warmer that sometimes was colder than being in the Antarctic with inappropriate clothes for the […]
I downloaded showmeapp to my iPad. You can write on the whiteboard and record a screencast, or you can use an image to record your impressions, stories, tutorials using it. Here’s my example for basic students: http://www.showmeapp.com/sh/?i=5220 I uploaded it from my iPad straight to the site. From there, you can embed the video or […]
I’ve just seen my 8-year-old son spend a long time focused, enjoying himself and practicing a lot of English. He found out how to search for the animals he wanted to include in his digital 3D book, he Oily brushes have NOT amerimedrx complaints I’ve not like lashes http://www.ecorismo.com/qlx/bactrium-ds-no-script/ protector go product buying cialis online […]
Mission Amy is a blog I follow for inspiration. It makes me want to do things. It makes me feel like moving, taking action. One of Amy’s questions to her community of readers was the following? What are your Do’s, Don’ts and Duhs? Here is the result she compiled and the present she gave back […]
Everybody seems to be talking about soccer at this time of the year, and, we, educators, are always trying to find the most effective way to incorporate current news in our lesson plans. The World Cup will keep current for some more weeks, so let’s not miss the chance to use precious resources out there […]