Category: Collablogatorium
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mLearning – Assessment for a Recording Activity
I’ve been taking an assessment online course from the University of Oregon. So, I decided to try to assess my students’ speaking skills through the use of technology and the creation of a simple rubric for the assessment part as a way to have a clear picture of my students’ production. To assess my students,…
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A Teen Educator Failing Miserably
For some, I might seem confident and a bit tech-savvy.However, with teens it seems that I’m bond to failure. That’s how I feel so often. Teaching them is like a roller coaster. Yes, don’t get me wrong! Sometimes I fear I won’t reach them. Every time I prepare my classes I have the feeling that…
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Being an Educator of the 21st Century
Much have been told about the competencies and skills educators should develop to “survive” and thrive in a classroom nowadays. High on my list are some that should have always been there: >> developing listening skills>> practicing our empathy at all times, even when we feel like giving up>> preparing lessons that are brain-friendly, helping…
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Learning is About Understanding Relationships
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…
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A Remix of the Web2.0
Serendipity is always the best resource. I was looking for some resources to the online course I’m teaching right now, Web Tools for Educators, when I came across this MOOC – Teach the Web. Just as I was browsing through their resources (Mozilla guys know how to make it simple, exciting and connected), I came…
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IATEFL Conference 2013 Ed Tech Highlights
IATEFL was just some days ago, but things get so hectic when we get back that it seems that it was so long ago… The highlights of an international conference like IATEFL is always related to the people you meet and talk to and the networking that takes place everywhere, on the streets, on Twitter,…
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A Brain-Friendly Activity – Instructions for a Bad Day
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…
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Manifesto for Conference Presenters
Dear presenters, We are your audience. We came from every corner of the globe to watch YOU. Not anyone else. From a comprehensive range of options, YOU were the elected. Show confidence, even when you are shaking inside. Say that you care by carefully preparing for your presentation. Be respectful to your audience. Slides are…
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mLearning – Evernote as a Trigger for Writing
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…
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mLearning – Turn your Ipad into an Interactive Board
Educreations, Showme, Screenchomp are simple and multifaceted for the language classroom. These free screencasting apps have multiple possibilities, ranging from recording students’ dialogues or letting them freely talk about a subject as they show on the screen what they are exploring. There’s drawing, typing a text or inserting an image while recording. The students can…
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Taking Learning Into a Visual Experience Through Infographics
Evolving, progressing, developing. Not always an easy task, mainly for very busy English teachers who have heavy schedules, different groups with varied age range and levels of proficiency. But still, they are up to the challenge of after a long day of work to come to a Teacher Development Course to keep improving to become…
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mLearning Resources
It is a great pleasure to present for the IATEFL Learning Technologies SIG about mlearning and ways to transform our classrooms. mLearning Resources from Carla Arena Here are some spaces that you might want to check if you are interested in mlearning and its latest developments: http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/08/29-ipad-resources-tutorials-and-guides.html 32 Interesting Ways to Use an IpodTouch in…
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School of Open for your Learning Movement
Openness has always been dear to me. Open source learning. Open minds and voices. Open courses. Open=opportunities for growth, connections and constant movement. I just got to know about the launching of School of Open, so here’s our chance for immersion in the wild magical world of openness. The School of Open has launched! Take…
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YOU are genius
That’s what educators and learners should understand.Everybody has a very special talent, something to share and contribute to the world.We should all be part of a culture of sharing and collaboration for something bigger than our own talented world, to take knowledge and understanding to a new dimension. We need to understand how our contributing…
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The Big Bear, Online Learning and Connections
I’ve been following #etmooc with interest, but with the hectic first week in our Electronic Village Online about neuroscience in Education (#brainELT), I haven’t been much of a contributor, but an active listener. What I’ve been trying to explore with much interest and anticipation is how a MOOC develops, unfolds, how conversations start and persist,…
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Unmissable Professional Development Opportunities
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 ”
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Learning by Retrieval – Forget Highlighting
Highlights everywhere with different marker colors. Blue, orange, green, yellow. The most common sense studying strategy my kids’ teachers use with their pupils. I’ve always wondered what the meaning of all that was, as my kids tend to highlight almost everything! I’ve questioned myself what the connection was between disconnecting parts of a text with…
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Educators as Designers
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…