Breaking web tools 2010
I was looking back at the learning technologies forum from Cardiff online last year
http://iatefl.britishcouncil.org/2009/forums/special-interest-area-forum...
and one of the threads was about 'breaking web tools' with the discussion highlighting ning and twitter. Both of thsese seem to have become well-established as educational tools now, so I was wondering what we should list this year?
Shaun
Using mobile for teaching is not something I have really looked at though I did explore moodle 4 iphone today which looks like an interesting development
In the sprit of sharing and help this discussion
Some tools we are using at the school where I work have been found to be effective. 'The Zimmer' twins for kids is fantastic for making short stories. I´m planning some work with 'Animoto'. 'Voicethread' has been found to work well
The Zimmer twins http://www.zimmertwins.com/
Voice thread http://voicethread.com/
Animoto http://animoto.com/
It can help also of you have an interactive whiteboard in class and these tool can be brought into the classroom. This could also be another topic to discuss as well as the mobile option which I think is valid.
It all depends on where you can get the internet access, inside or outsdie of the classroom. Then learning with webtools is either used say with a group of students or autonomously accessed on their mobiles.
Shaun
Thanks for the posting the links to tools Shaun, I'll go and have a look at the zimmertwins, I am big fan of comic strip makers.
Shall we open an IWB thread? If teachers / schools do have access to IWBs then it can be useful, but a computer, beamer and internet connection would work equally well.
Shaun
Hi Shaun,
>a computer, beamer and internet connection would work equally well
Not sure about "equally well". You can transfer this to any future IWB thread if you want, but surely one of the best aspects of IWB use is the opportunity to get the students up and using it themselves. This is much more difficult if they need to use the IWB software on the computer.
Kevin
As you point out, a beamer can be as potentially useful as an IWB, though not as expensive! I've written about this in a recent blog post.
40 Things you can do with a Data Projector in an EFL/ESL lesson:
http://educationaltechnologyinelt.blogspot.com/2010/01/40-things-you-can...
Vicky
Always in the spirit of sharing, I would add other useful tools:
Voxopop http://www.voxopop.com (podcasting)
Xtranormal http://www.xtranormal.com (making movies)
Bitstrips for schools http://www.bitstripsforschools.com (making comics - it's not free, unfortunately)
One more to help students remember and study:
http://headmagnet.com/
ATTILIO
For creating comics I like www.makebeliefscomix.com and www.toondoo.com. They are both easy to use and produce some fun effects. Students usually love them!
I'd just like to add www.goanimate.com It's another useful site, which is great for projects to enhance learning opportunities. However, being a non-techie person at heart, it takes me much longer to create the animations.
Hi Each
I think an IWB thread would be useful Shaun. It helps bring online tools into the class much more effectively and gives a different dynamic to the classroom. This would be nice to discuss. Maybe we could use Vicky´s list and start from there to see the difference in their use from simple data projection (thanks Vicky I liked the list.
I´m going to try out the cartoons thanks Janet but have a look at the zimmer twins it is relatively controlled with simple language and the content is monitored so it is great from children and young teens.
Here is one of the blogsI contibute to which is run by a co-worker of mine http://www.feedtheteacher.blogspot.com/. Lots of material and items about our interest
Hi Shaun and each
Thanks for all the links! I'll be looking into them. I have heard of the Zimmer Twins but haven't tried them out yet. Sometimes I feel a bit overwhelmed with all the great tools out there waiting to be explored and I am doing my best to get to know a few gradually. I particularly like Animoto and have made quite a few shows. I love the ease of using this tool and it's very effective especially with the jazzy background music.
I have actually just been to investigate the Zimmer Twins site and I was immediately hooked into it. I joined up and then created this little animation which I will use for phrasal verbs exploitation. It was surprisingly easy to use and I enjoyed the experience very much.
Phrasals in the Jungle! http://www.zimmertwins.com/node/949035
Hello I amd Elena from Spain and I'm new.Thanks very much for all the links. I will definitely try the beamer and the interactive whiteboard.
I use cell phones in my lessons to improve speaking skills.
How about Personal Learning Environments?
Cheers,
Elena :)
Hi Elena
Great to have you on board this forum! It would be interesting to find out more about how you exploit cell phones in class to improve speaking skills. Do you have any special lessons that really go down well with your students? I am certain students would love this kind of practical hands-on type of activity. I have to confess, I have never tried it, but maybe I could in a few weeks' time when I'm back to the chalkface.
You ask about PLEs. Do you ask in the context of cell phones, or as a request for a separate thread? Please do let us know. I think it would be a good idea!
Janet
Hi Janet, I asked about PLEs as a request for a separate thread. However and due to the technical features of cell phones PLEs can be accessed from the cells themselves.
As for my experience with cells and promoting speaking skills. I work with large monolingual groups and speaking activites are almost impossible to monitor, report and give feedback. What I do is asking my students to record their performances during the lessons and they have to send it to me via bluetooth at the end. In this way, I am sure they speak in English and I can report and give feedback more easily. It works really well!
Thanks for your interest!
Elena
Hi Elena
Great idea how you get your students to record themselves via their cell phones for future feedback in English. I like this idea! There's a really good discussion going on concerning Blackberrys and iphones on another thread in this forum, which you might like to have a look at. I
I will start up a new thread on PLEs as you suggest. I am sure it will be a great topic of interest.
Best
Janet
Good! I won't miss it.
Elena
Hi all ,
Great tools have been introduced here .I'd like to share a compilation of videos and links to some webtools I found interesting http://allsharing.ning.com/
Mbarek
Perhaps mobile?
Augmented reality is perhaps a bit further out on the horizon, but i think twitter (and other networking / messaging) and general web/web2.0 access are already reliably available for out-of-class and and in-context learning.
Howard