Podcast for Listening Skill

Podcast is a type of digital media which allow users to download or record the radio show and listen to it on your iPod or other MP3 player anytime. Also, the user can create his or her own “radio-style show” and broadcast it to the world. The language teacher can use podcast in their classroom and help students to improve their listening skill or create related activities.

Here is an example of a good podcast: Commuting by Train that I found from ESL Pod. This is designed for English learners who want to improve their listening skill. The host introduces today’s topic and then play a conversation between two people. The speakers talk very slowly and clearly. I think that it is a really good material for beginning level learners. Also, the teacher can play this conversation and teach students how to catch the main ideas and the details of the conversation. They can listen many times if they miss one of the dialogue or words. After they listen the conversation, the teacher can show the script of the dialogue to students and teach them how to use the new words and sentences.

ESL Pod has variety of topics. Learners or teachers can choose any topics they are interested in and utilize in the listening class or activities. This is a really good teaching tool and website.

ePals where Learners Connect

The ePals is a global collaboration learning sites for educators, students and parents all around the world. This platform provides users with a safety and security learning environment. The schools and educators can offer a multiple learning experience for students and protect learners’ right or safety when using this learning platform. Moreover, the ePals global community enables users to learn, share and contact with people who have the same interest around the world. This is different from the traditional social learning networks which usually connect with people that we have already known and learned in the same places or classrooms. The ePals provides educators and learners an opportunity to explore their interest and learn the languages through the real-world connection.

Some Excellent Learning Features for Students:

• Biodiversity: Learn the background of nature science and explore the ecosystem
• Efilms: Exchange thought-provoking questions and answers about film topics
• Storytelling: Allow learners to use their imagination to build up their stories and tell stories by their own way.
• Student Forum & Book Club: Discuss any topics of interest with ePals users and share the books you have read

Some Useful Teaching Features for Teachers:

• NetGeo Projects: Several interesting projects that you can utilize in the classroom for students to discuss
• Community Media: Teachers can share their teaching materials and plan to other teachers and exchange ideas.
• Resources: It provides several links for different purposes. Ex. International Reading Association, Training resources, and Smithsonian On ePals……etc.

The program possesses a lot of features and functions for both teachers and learners to enhance their teaching materials and increase their knowledge on languages and academic information. Every learners will be enjoy and have a lot of fun through this websites.

Voice Thread: A Classroom Learning Tool

The Voice Thread provides several convenient tools for teachers to utilize in their classroom. The teacher can create a topic by the voice thread and students can comment their opinions by typing, recording voice and videos outside of the classroom. The teacher can also use the Voice Thread to assign homework for students. This is different from the traditional paper homework that students hand in. Learners can write their homework through the Internet, and they can also view other people’s comment and think from different angles while reading the comments.

I commented on Meng and Ye’s Voice Thread. Meng created a Voice Thread which asked learners to practice a variety of adjectives and described the picture. This is very interesting activity for beginning level students. The pictures are attractive and students can use any adjectives that they have already known. The other voice thread that I felt practical is Ye’s. She asked students to choose one approach that they think is a good approach on their learning. The teacher can see students’ preference and try to adjust her/ his teaching approach in the classroom, so students can benefit from these approaches.

 My Voice thread is to ask learners to share their countries and recommend any famous places or scenery spots that they think visitors can miss it. Because my first lesson is about travel, I hope learners can think about their travel experience and share with classmates. They will feel interesting and it could be an ice-breaking activity in the classroom. I hope my students will enjoy the lesson.  

Comic Strips Makes Learning Interesting

Do you still use the traditional teaching skills in your classroom, like text-books, handout and paper materials? Would you like to try the different learning approach for your students? Try to use the photo stories or comic strips with technology which makes your classroom more interesting and interactive.

This is my comic strips which I made by Dvolver

This tool helps teachers or learners to create their comic strips with the ready-make characters, scenes and music. Also, it is an animated movie, so students will be attracted by the colorful scenes and dynamic sounds. This tool can be utilized in all learning skills, especially for communication classroom. The teacher can ask students to create their own stories with comic strips or movies. They can use their imagination to make a dialogue and share with classmates. This making process not only gives students a chance to practice the grammar but increase their learning motivation.
Why don't you start to use this amazing learning tool in your classroom? Have Fun.

There are other links for making photo stories and comic strips:
Stupeflix,  Animoto and GoAnimate

Let's Tell a Story with the Digital Tool.

Have you ever use such a Digital tool to tell a story in the second language classroom? Let's take a look how wonderful this great Digital tool is. We are going to take a trip in Taiwan to explore the beautiful scenery and visit the famous spot sites. Are you nervous? Let's go!!!!

This is my story book Let's take a trip to Taiwan. which was created by bookr. Bookr is a tool to create and share your own photobook. Teachers can create their photobook, like mine "Let's take a trip to Taiwan" or they can focus on one topic, such as shopping, movie, travel, and entertainment. In the second language learning class, the teacher can show the picture with some vocabularies and sentences so students will feel interesting and they can connect the vocabularies with the pictures easily. It is a quite easy photobook making machine. The teacher can also teach students how to create their phtobook and it can be one of their assignment.

For example, when the spring break or summer vacation is coming, the teacher can ask students to add some photo that they visit or some places that they want to go. Students will try to look up the vocabularies that relate to their pictures through this assignment. They can share with other classmates and they can also learn the new words from other people. It is a really interesting language learning styles, right? Why do you start to make your own photobook for your classroom? Have FUN!!

Amazing Digital Storytelling

                                                               

by Kiifu 

What is Digital Storytelling? How does this amazing function make your story different and interesting?

The article "7 things you should know about Digital Sotrytelling" describes the concept of Digital storytelling is that Digital storytelling is the practice of combing narrative with digital content, including images, sound, and video, to create a short movie, typically with a strong emotional component.  Moreover, the another article The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling defines Digital Storytelling is the practice of using computer-based tools to tell stories. Also it contains some mixture of computer-based images, text, recorded audio narration, video clips and/or music.

                Now, you have a clear idea about what the Digital Storytelling is. In the traditional language classroom, the teacher usually applies the same approach and invariable teaching strategies to language learning. Why don’t you change your materials and methods in the classroom and make students feel more excited and raise their motivation? Teachers can use Digital storytelling in many ways. For example, in the writing class, the teacher can ask students to keep a diary or journal and post their photos or videos that are related to their diary. It can make their story colorful and appearing.

Fun Twitter on Learning

Internet technology is increasing dramatically nowadays. More and more internet tools were created and updated every day. Learning from the Internet is a popular trend for people and makes learning more lively and interesting. There are a lot of famous Internet tools for learners, like Facebook, Blogger and so on. Today I am going to introduce one of the popular Internet tool: Twitter for teachers in their classroom.

Twitter is an online social networking service and microblogging service that enables the users to read the latest text-based posts and send to their friends or any opening social networking websites.

In the classroom, teachers can use twitter as their teaching tools outside of the classroom. There is a link of using twitter for teachers: 28 Creative Ways Teachers Are Using Twitter

Through the Twitter, teachers and students have chance to enhance their relationship and have more interactions after the class. The teacher can announce any class information and emergency notification to their students. Moreover, students can response and answer any questions through the classroom twitter. It is a very convenient and effective Internet tools in the classroom learning.

Then, there is another link to teach how to use twitter for social learning for both teachers and learners:How to use Twitter for Social Learning

This website describes different purpose of using twitter in learning. For example, using twitter as a live presentation. Click on the link Live Presentation Streaming on Twitter and follow the steps. You can use this new tools for your  presentation which is different ideas from your peers.

Twitter provides a social space for teachers and students on their learning more efficiently and creatively. Hope everyone can explore their interests and develop learning strategies from Twitter.