creative teaching - volume 1
DESCRIPTION
This manual contains tips on how to use information and communications technology in the language classroom for organizational and educational purposes.TRANSCRIPT
Web resources for
Language
Teachers
1st Edition
Fernando Mesquita
January 2012
“This is a time of challenge and a time for experiment. It is a time to put existing
pedagogies, practices, and educational philosophies in question and to construct
new ones. It is a time for new pedagogical experiments to see what works and what
doesn’t work. It is a time to reflect on our goals and to discern what we want to
achieve with education and how to achieve it.”
(Kellner, D.M., ‘Technological Revolution, Multiple Literacies, and the Restructuring of Education’, in I. Snyder (ed.), Silicon Literacies: communication, innovation
and education in the electronic age, London, 2002, p.166)
Google Images
How would you teach the meaning of the word skyscraper/Gratte ciel?
http://www.google.com/imghp
How about the word selfish/égoïste?
http://www.google.com/imghp
Google images is a great way to illustrate concrete vocabulary words and to give more
power to your definitions of abstract words. The principle behind it is that associating
meaning to an image is more memorable than just hearing a definition or example. Having
the visual and the audio input will certainly enhance your students` comprehension.
Wordle
Click here to use Wordle
Wordle is a website that creates word clouds. In order to use it, you need to install the
software QuickTime on your computer. Using it is simple. Just paste the words you want in
your word cloud into the text box and the website will prepare it for you. There are several
options to make your word clouds more visually attractive.
Wordle in LANGUAGE TEACHING
Taken from Alter Ego 2
In the language classroom, wordle can be used to activate students` schemata, that is,
students` prior knowledge of a specific topic. It is an ideal warm-up before reading or
listening comprehension activities. In the example below you will see how wordle can be used
to introduce a reading comprehension passage.
1. Before showing your students the text above, ask them to look at the word cloud on the
previous page and guess the topic of the text they are about to read.
2. Have them discuss the vocabulary in pairs and then guess the main topic of the text
3. Ask your students to add other words to the word cloud.
4. Show them the title of the reading passage above and ask them which words in the
word cloud they think will be associated with Men and which words will be associated
with Women.
5. Ask them to read the passage in order to confirm their prediction.
Delicious
Delicious in LANGUAGE TEACHING
Click here to use Delicious
What
Delicious is an online bookmarking tool that creates lists of specific
links and gives you the option to share them with your students
and colleagues.
When
Use it to save your favorite links and websites.
Why
It is an effective organization tool that gives you quick access to
your important links in one single address
Glogster
Glogster in LANGUAGE TEACHING
Glogster
What
Glogster can be used in several language projects. It is a platform that enables students to
make electronic posters that can contain text, pictures, videos or audio. The posters can be
shared on social networking websites such as Facebook.
When
For homework, class presentations, when discussing home countries, likes and dislikes,
friends, travelling, cultural habits…
Why
Student-centered activity that caters to students with diverse learning styles.
Bubbl.us
Bubbl.us is a tool that enables students to take part in online brainstorming and mind-mapping activities.
It not only helps students get more organized but it enables groups to share and save one another`s
brainstorming results and mind-maps without using paper!
Bubbl.us in LANGUAGE TEACHING
On American Headway 4 p. 7 the students are supposed to work in groups and make a list of
advantages/disadvantages of living abroad. Bubbl.us will help the groups share their ideas with the whole class.
Click here to try Bubbl.us
Real Player
One click is all you need to download videos from any website. With Real player you can convert different types of
video into almost any format you need. Real Player - Click here to try Real Player
Downloading videos with real player is useful in the following
situations:
Your internet connection is not reliable.
Your activity or project is very important and will be
used many times in the future.
You received a video file by e-mail and can’t open it.
You want to convert a video file to attach it to a
PowerPoint presentation.
Shutterfly
Click here to try shutterfly
Advantages of having your own
website/blog
Store lesson plans, images, YouTube
videos, links, tests, worksheets, students`
assignments, answer keys…
Organize and manage your courses and
store your resources for future use.
PBworks
Click here to try PBworks
PB works is a website that can be used to
promote collaboration in distance learning or
hybrid courses. Students can download your
course syllabus, worksheets, videos, images,
lists of links and etc.
Share documents, calendars, promote
interaction with the use of student-generated
videos or through writing, correct homework
and give feedback on assignments.
Check how one of our teachers uses PBworks in his classes
Penzu
Click here to try Penzu
Use Penzu for journal writing
Journal writing allows students to take risks and experiment with language
The goal is to write for meaning, not for form.
The teacher is a participant in a written conversation with the
students.(short comments/questions are ideal to motivate the students to
write more)
Grammar errors are not corrected.
It is a great tool to assess learners` needs and progress
It is consistent with learner-centered instruction
Give clear guidelines and prompts!
“Describe a perfect vacation”
“The qualities that make a best friend are…”
Eyewitness
Click here to try Eyewitness
Why not start your lessons with amazing pictures
taken by photo journalists?
It is a great way to inform your students of what is
happening in the world.
You can get your students to describe the pictures,
guess where and why they were taken, and write a
news story.
Show them the piece of news that accompanies the
pictures and discuss it in class.
Pixton
Click here to try Pixton
Making comics is an effective way to check whether your
students are able to use a language structure in writing.
Ask them to create comics to show that they can use verb
tenses, phrasal verbs, idioms…
“Teaching languages effectively means facilitating learning, not transferring knowledge.”
Fernando Mesquita