Lately, I’ve been following with interest the discussions on coding and how it can help our learners to develop new competencies, critical thinking, collaboration, and, mainly, a culture of trial and error in which failure is seen as a step towards success. I really wish my kids’ school had this vision…However, it doesn’t seem that […]
According to Paul Gee, there are 13 learning principles that we can pick from games, divided in 3 main categories: >>EMPOWERED LEARNERS – Agent/co-design principle: what you do matters, it affects the game – Customization of the experience for the learner; good games allow you to solve problems in different ways; they invite the gamer […]
I’ve been following at a distance but with close interest the movement around rhizomatic learning and more recently what Dave Cormier and the gang have been up to in the MOOC #rhizome14 . I just wish my day had so many hours… No matter the fact that I haven’t been able to join the group, […]
Soon, we will have another BrazTESOL Brasilia seminar for the local educational community. The main topic of our seminar is “Teaching in a Brave New World”, which entices me to connect it to what I’ve been talking about in my presentations, the need for us, teachers, to explore new digital possibilities in the classroom without […]
We had a great Friday event – The Image Conference, organized by the BRAZTESOL Brasilia team, with the support of the IATEFL Learning Technologies SIG and Kieran Donaghy, the one who started the Image Conference in Barcelona. After such an intense day and weekend, I haven´t had time to put my thoughts together in […]
The power of Rita Pierson’s words still echo in my mind. What a wonderful, powerful, inspiring talk in which she pours her heart in a call for educators to make a difference, to connect and to be part of their learners’ worlds. I can’t think of anything more brain-friendly than that. Are you doing your […]
Trending topics, those hot topics of the day or sometimes the hour, are everywhere on social media. They represent what is ruling the world for different tribes. So here’s a very simple activity I’ve done with my students that has long-lasting, impacting effects in our classroom because of the emotional connections it enhances. Trending Topics […]
January 14th. A date to remember for two very good reasons. It is the launching of #etmooc , with an amazing line-up of organizers, the wonderful team of “conspirators ”
I’ve always had a deep fascination for what was aesthetically beautiful for the eyes and pleasing for the mind. Design has always mattered for me, and it has guided me personally and professionally as a principle of good living an a people connector. I’ve always believed in its engagement power. And unconsciously I understood that […]
Think of three ways of using post-its in your classroom to enhance learning. Write them down in three different post-its. Then, try to come up with two more ideas based on the first three ones and add them just below the three first ideas. Do you feel how they can come alive for learning? So, […]
Serendipity is one of the strengths of a hyperlinked world in which the network is always providing us with learning moments and reflective checkpoints. As I was browsing my wonderful Pinterest network, I came across, by chance, this clean, unpretentious blog http://thingsigrab.wordpress.com/, and I couldn’t help but start browsing it, scrolling down, with my eyes glued […]
Good teachers don’t teach or preach. Good teachers guide learners into becoming more independent in their learning process. Though we’ve heard it a thousand times, we still find it hard to put into practice what we call autonomous learning. Sometimes it is just easier to tell our learners what to do or to do it […]
For long, we’ve been talking in our circles of students as producers, not simply audience, and students finding their own voice. Educators know how important it is to move from our classrooms industrial production-like type of education. We’ve realized that there’s much more potential in networking, in giving back to students the control of their […]
The mLearning course at the Consultants-e is in full steam. One of the highlights of the week is Gavin‘s video of some exciting iPad apps. I do agree with Gavin that real apps, not the ones specifically created for education, are much more exciting and full of potential in the classroom. It seems that publishers […]
If you are considering using tablets with the young ones, this guide from Laura Wright is an excellent start: Open publication – Free publishing – More education
More and more, I’ve been interested in finding and testing possibilities of using mobile devices in the classroom – flip cameras, smartphones, recorders, tablets – everything which is at a student’s reach. When I had a group of teens, it was simply natural to explore what was at my students’ fingertips, as for them it […]
In my last post, I talked about the importance of thinking about design in two different levels in our classrooms. The first and essential one, instructional design – planning our classes to convey meaning and to arise interest, engagement. Another aspect of design that we should be more aware of is adding elements that are […]
For some, blended learning means having a mix of face-to-face classes, plus online encounters. However, I’d go a bit beyond. Blended learning can take different shapes if you consider a regular face-to-face classroom with the use of online tools to supplement the learning process that takes place within brick and mortar spaces. Also, if you […]
Funny thing is never have I been so motivated to exercise! As I press the next page button on Kindle (thanks, my dear friend Dennis) and keep moving my feet on the ellyptical, my eyes are glued to the many concepts and theories in Daniel Pink’s Drive. I’m in the part he explore in more […]
More and more I find myself looking for ways, activities, resources that will help me connect with my online students in meaningful ways. It’s always a challenge, but when you hit it, the results are extremely rewarding. When you get your students to respond to a challenging, extra activity, heaven. Just like in any classroom, […]