Group items tagged

The importance of focusing on "Why technology should be used?" instead of only "How to use technology?" is emphasized - indeed an important aspect teachers should not overlook.

I agree that we need to really access why we want to use technology. Is it really the best option all of the time? I love the checklist of questions one should ask him/herself before deciding to use the technology. I, especially, thought the question "Will students control the technology?. Sometimes, I need to remember that spending hours creating a great powerpoint presentation isn't as great as finding a way for students to engage in an interaction rather than passively listen to a lecture.

Facebook is blocked at my school, and an educator there (not me, thank heavens) just had their (sorry about this pronoun) FB page hacked w/a very graphic sex video seen by all the kids and parents who were person's friend, but nonetheless there are reasons to use it with students.

Google makes it easy to build and grade quizzes using Google Forms and an add-on script called Flubaroo. Flubaroo will also graph your scores for easy analysis, itemize questions, and email students with their scores.

LOTS of information here about Twitter - answers questions about retweeting, hashtags, chats, and much, much more.

Abstract: Over just the past decade, online learning at the K-12 level has grown from a novelty to a movement. Often using the authority and mechanism of state charters, and in league with home schoolers and other allies, private companies and some state entities are now providing full-time online schooling to a rapidly increasing number of students in the U.S. Yet little or no research is available on the outcomes of such full-time virtual schooling. The rapid growth of virtual schooling raises several immediate, critical questions for legislators regarding matters such as cost, funding, and quality. This policy brief offers recommendations in these and other areas, and the accompanying legal brief offers legislative language to implement the recommendations.

Examples on how to use Whatsapp in the language classroom

The use of Whatsapp in the language classroom to promote conversation in the target language

This one worked! and I can see your highlights! =)

Abstract: "In academic settings where digital badges are taking over conventional task formats, educators are faced with the challenge of how to deliver and assess content and skills within badges. Imposing a mastery learning approach, where feedback is key, to a digital badge system may be a potential solution to using digital badges within higher education. As a way to support student learning, Guskey, Journal of Advanced Academics, 19(1), 8-31 (2007) emphasizes the importance of not only frequent feedback but specific feedback. In order to examine how students are using feedback to inform their coursework within a digital badge context, an online survey was designed consisting of open-ended questions about the nature and value of instructional feedback within a digital badge system. Results from the questionnaire indicated three major thematic groups illustrating feedback from the students' perspective: Importance and Nature of Feedback, Authority over Knowledge and Learning, and Learning for Mastery."

From the book: "Since the first version of this book came out in 2005, the field of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) has grown and changed. This update is the result of some of those changes. Our intent is to place pedagogical goals before technologies, as the literature advises but is not always followed in classrooms. In revising this book, as in the original, we assume that good teachers teach well because they bear in mind certain principles about how they can best help learners to learn language. Placing these principles at the center of attention makes it much easier for teachers to concentrate on the question of what constitutes effective computer-enhanced pedagogy and why. This book takes as its organizing principles both the system of conditions that are known to support effective language learning and the goals that a variety of standards in the field have set out for us and our students. Examples throughout the book underscore the need to consider theory in every aspect of the teaching and learning process. Some of the points in this book we have made in other places; other we discovered during the revision process. All told, this text provides a brief picture of what CALL classrooms can be like today. Of course, that could change tomorrow."

"Music is a wonderful tool to integrate into your teaching repertoire, especially if you are a foreign language teacher."

This sounds fun! I would love to try it next year!

This is a great interpersonal activity, although I would imagine student reactions to it may vary. For instance, some students (like me) may find it stressful not to write things down. On the other hand, not writing things down takes the pressure off for being "perfect" and puts the attention on the spontaneous nature of the interpersonal mode.

"have"

"have"

I love these ideas. Just concerned about privacy matters...

I like the way this list gives tools that are both digital and physical. Thanks for sharing! Also, I'm interested to try out FluentU.

It's good to see the list of types of "interaction". It's something I'll want to go back to to guide not just what I want students to do... but, what I want us to do TOGETHER. The "Educause" links don't work for me.

Though some were supportive of the idea of using microblogging in classes, many wrote some variation on what this reader posted: "[This] means you never have to learn to open your mouth. Surely more Twitter is exactly the opposite of what kids desperately need to turn into functioning adults."

From "Free Technology for Teachers"

Thanks for sharing. I had the same question about KWL. In Spanish would that be SQA? :)

Ready to try them. Thank you for sharing this article!

I really like this tool. I will definitely use it this fall.

Hi, O.K. this is Padlet. ;-)