Please, don’t get me wrong. In a blog post I wrote about the trap of asking too many questions in the classroom, I make a point in avoiding the many questions we ask, mainly to our teens. However, I know that many educators are now questioning it because, in fact, inquiries in the classroom can […]
Once again, the power of Facebook connections and the willingness of generous educators to share a bit of themselves became a wonderful resource that is now available for teachers to explore with their students. I asked a simple question, “What’s in your Fridge?” I got 21 fridges from around the world, an unbeatable multicultural […]
Some years ago, I was working on a Unit about Love. First, my students read about how I met my husband to give the lesson a personal touch.http://top21.blogspot.com.br/2006/06/how-we-met-each-other-we-were-from.html They listened to a story of how a teacher met her husband. Then, they wrote about their own love stories. I realized the lesson plan could be […]
Much has been said about the dangers of generalization and stereotypying a certain group of people. Now, how do we approach it in the classroom? Here’s a lesson plan I’ve used it in the past with my groups. The first part is adapted from http://the_english_dept.tripod.com/stereo1.html Choose two adjectives that you think describe different nationalities. punctual tolerant […]
Use Google app What do you Love to check for information and resources in a very visual way.You get the results from a variety of Google sources, which is helpful for you to see what is out there in terms of videos, images, books, all different resources. Have you ever tried What do you LOVE? […]
Though a common way to teach Superlatives, I felt like sharing this Power Point I prepared for my class to practice the superlatives in a fun and lively way. Feel free to use it. Superlatives View more presentations from Carla Arena. After introducing the topic, I’ll have this quick superlative quiz with students. First, they […]
Present perfect or Past Perfect are not phrases that reflect the thrilling lesson planning moment I had in collaboration with Tweet mates and my Facebook network. Collaboration is part of my perfect world of learning mixed with a bit of chaos and fun in which everyone involved has a lot to contribute to the whole, […]
Today, after being back from the TESOL Conference in Philly, I was organizing things, throwing out papers. Though I’ve been trying to be less and less attached to my old teacher voice that reminds me of keeping all the papers, recipes, booklets, brochures when I travel abroad, I simply can’t resist it! When I get […]
My class tomorrow is about pets. This is a topic that arouses lots of interest and interaction as there are many people attached to their pets. A while ago, I recorded this simple video with a friend. As voicethread is a dynamic tool to create learning objects, now I can use it with my students […]
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21204781@N07/2501994750/ My husband calls me a tourist or gadget girl. I always have a device which can help me capture the moment. First, because of my interest in photography, in getting that moment that in nanoseconds will be simply past. However, my most preement reason for being a gadget girl is that I am an […]
I’ve known these creative minds for some time now, and they are just pure inspiration. Vinicius, Marina and Vânia are very talented teachers whom I’m lucky enough to have been working with for a number of years. They are tireless, fearless educators who inspire others and keep their students engaged through activities that enhance students’ […]
The topic is one that can inspire anyone and re-enligthen our understanding of what makes us unique, special, excellent human beings. It is a reminder of not just doing average, but really excelling and being thankful for the ones who helped us succeed. It is an opportunity to inspire our students and ourselves to go […]
Two weeks in modern life is almost a past life. I’ve read wonderful accounts of the IATEFL conference in Brighton, some which I experienced myself, mainly related to the interconnectedness during the days and nights there, and to the inspiring sessions I’ve attended. Because of a whirlwind of events and things to do just after […]
Teachers are generally so overwhelmed by the load of information they have to deal with, be it pedagogical or bureaucratic, papers, tests, lesson planning that we tend just to go with the flow using the repertoire we already have to make things more time-efficient. In this bulldozing routine, common place is what our lessons become. […]
Still on the topic on how to stomp our classes, this video from Dr. David Merrill is a reminder of what we really need to have effective instruction. With three basic principles, we can stomp it, but sometimes it seems we just forget it… I’m taking a very nice course on Instructional Design with professor […]
Funny thing happened this morning. My oldest son is a night owl, not morning person at all. He studies in the afternoon. Yes, in Brazil, there are two school shifts, and kids can study either in the morning or afternoon. Even so, my kids have morning extra activities, like sports and English classes. Well, every […]
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 […]