Group items tagged

"the easiest way to communicate and work in groups" - might be good for classes? - communicate via group email, text, and voice messages - host web meetings, conference calls, chatrooms - keep shared calendar - store and edit files in one common folder -poll group in real-time - keep track of group's task, resources

A virtual learning platform that looks very simple to use and can create an environment much like Facebook without the security issues or Twitter exposure

Looks like a great tool for students to organize their vocabulary and phrasebook in one place and share it if they want to.

This Web site by the Irish polyglot who gave a TED talk about speaking from day one is billed as foreign language and travel hacks. Any brief perusal of social media sites like Pinterest or Tumblr will show that hacks are a popular topic -- life hacks, cleaning hacks, Disney hacks, etc.

Very interesting. thanks for sharing. :)

A productivity suite for K-12 teachers with an online private community to share resources, hold discussions, and work together, all in a secure manner.

Wonderful go-to summary. Thanks for sharing,

WeSpeke is an app that enables students in US language classes to be matched with a native speaker anywhere in the world. It is a curated program, with special privacy safeguards built in at the HS level.

iTalki has been my go to for finding language exchange partners but the fact that there are safeguards built in for the HS level makes this an attractive option to use at the secondary level, thanks for sharing this!

Good resource. This is definitely an aspect of my teaching that needs more work, especially in lower-level classes.

It would be a great tool if you teach on Skype. But after having learned about Zoom, I would forget about Skype. Zoom has so much more to offer and it can be free if you use it in 40 minute increments.

Rich Internet Applications project helps create tools that engage language learners in active learning.

Mashup is a great tool and the students like it too.

Thanks for posting this; Audio Dropbox would be a useful tool for practicing leaving voicemails, etc.

This blog has information not only on practical things, such as how to use VoiceThread, but also on how to create community in online courses. Seems interesting so far.

Interesting to read about her progression throughout the years using these different sites.

A lot of valuable information here. Thanks for sharing.

article w/ 9 reasons for educators to used twitter.

Thanks for sharing Russell, as a staff developer I'm always looking for ways to make what I'm saying 'come to life'. Videos are the best way I have found to make what I'm saying authentic.

something to explore for those who want this sort of thing?

A new social networking platform called Twirlr - you need to take a look!

Abstract: In recent years, a sharp increase in the number of academic studies around the use of video games and new media for educational purposes has greatly expanded our understanding of their potential for enhancing learning.

Constantinos, this a great resource of information. Thank you for sharing! I haven't sit down to read it all, but skimming through it I found plenty of interesting information. I was always interested in using video games or educational games for language learning, but never took initiative in reading anything on the topic. In the beginning of "From "Authentic Materials" to "Live Materials" section, the author mentions that the culture should not be described to students, but rather facilitate a platform for them to actually participate in that culture. I see how we can do that through games, but is there any of you using other means to do it? Is it possible to do it through social networks or second language learning networks? If yes, how exactly? Any thoughts on this?

Over at Mindshift Tina Barseghian shares why we should integrate Facebook into the classroom for obvious reasons like it's fun, free, and students are already using it.

For those that are interested in knowing a step-by-step process in setting up a facebook account for your school district. Article talks about all of the different things that one must think about when setting up a site.

I liked how the teacher videotaped the skype conversation with a flipcam in order to replay it for her students. Then, they could focus on parts of the conversation in more detail.

I like the idea of the flipcam as well. I also like how she manages to have those kids skype, which is a difficult tasks to do. This is a very good example on how a whole group can skype with another located in another part of the world.

At our school there is a phenomenal social studies teacher who uses Skype to talk to students in the Middle East. I would love to chat with students from Mexico or another Spanish speaking country, but am unsure about how to get started. Does anyone have any tips about how to find a partner school and set up interaction? I think this is essentially part of 'ePals'. Does anyone use this? Share your experiences, please, if you have!