LET'S USE TECHNOLOGY IN OUR CLASSROOMS!

Introducing technology in our classrooms may be funny!

We can give ourselves and our students opportunities to work in a project about animals, for example, and have fun using tools such as the programs Crazy Talk, Blabberize or/and Quizzing (http:www.proprofs.com/quiz-school).

We can make a photo of an animal speak and post it on our class blog or challenge our students to play and create their own quizzes and then, share them by email, Facebook....

You can see some students' creations here:

  

http://saintexupery5.wordpress.com/

Fascinating results!! I wish I could engage my students in doing such creative activities!!

Have a look and enjoy!!

Technology in TPACK model

As Judy Harris explains in the video about the TPACK model (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDwWg_g0JGE), we should not build a house around a faucet. On the contrary, we should incorporate technology in order to enrich our classes taking into account our curricular and pedagogical needs.
According to this model, when we design a class we need to make three important decisions in the following order:

• curricular knowledge, i.e. deciding on the topic to be covered and the objectives to be achieved by the students.
• pedagogical knowledge, i.e. selecting the type of acticities we want to do, the final outcome, the teacher and students roles, assessment strategies, and so on and so forth;
• and only after all this has been set we can focus on technology knowledge, i.e. choosing and looking for the appropiate technological resources that will help us to achieve our aims for that class.

Even though these three elements are very important, the TPACK approach goes beyond taking them into account in isolation, emphasising the new kinds of knowledge that lie at the intersections between them, resulting in four other kinds of knowledge teachers need to consider when teaching with technology. In this graph you can clearly see them:

published by tpack.org

Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK): Knowledge that allows you organise and adapt the content in the best way to be taught.

Tecchnological Content Knowledge (TCK): Knowledge about how content and technology influence each other. It implies knowing what type of technology is the best for teaching the content and how to use technology effectively in the classroom.

Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK): Knowledge about how education and technology influence each other. It implies knowing what type of technology is available at the moment, and how it can be adapted for educational purposes, since most of it has not been created for pedagogical purposes.

Finally, the intersection of all three circles results in: Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK).

Let's incorporate technology into our classes, but only after we have made informed decisions about why and how we are going to use it. Technology is just another tool we should have at hand to be used when needed.

Today's (new) literacies

The new work environments require certain competencies and skills that are unique to the 21st century. These skills, which are uniquely related to the digital world, to exploring and being immersed in it, are based on the traditional literacies.
One of the biggest challenges that lies ahead for education is the ability to put into practice the development of these skills in ways that make sense, in the context of the classroom.

21st century literacies

Teachers must begin to approach the 21st century literacies if they want to meet the needs and expectations of their learners, and avoid being left behind in the inherent logic of the knowledge society.
                                                                   This is our choice!!!

More about techniques

This video shows how to make use of the TPR method. Total Physical Response method was developed by James Asher in the 60s and it is another tool we can count on when teaching kinesthetic and very young learners. Used alongside other methods and techniques, it enriches the learning-teaching process. 

Hope you enjoy it!!

  

Activity

Student behaviours, limited in time, preceded by some direction from the teacher, with a particular objective. "Teaching by Principles" Douglas Brown. This is an example of an activity I designed to include after the report about "reading and writing"

Reading-Writing Presentation

This Power Point Presentation is one more of the practical applications of CALL (computer-assisted language learning). I designed it as visual support to an oral presentation on the skills "reading and writing" which can be considered as a free, communicative technique (report)

Techniques

"A superordinate term to refer to various activities that either teachers or learners perfom in the classroom" "Teaching by Principles" Douglas Brown.

Children as learners

Amazing video!! Teaching young learners is really a very rewarding task!!

By offering children activities (stirring/settling, mentally engaging/actually ocupying)

which take into account their instincts and skills, teachers will help them to learn another language.

I wish I could ever be able to motivate and engage my students the way this teacher does

and feel proud of their achievements....

Why do I want to be an English teacher?

Brief description of the reasons why I chose to be an English Teacher.
   (video done by Gaby)

Macro-skill: Listening - presentation

Práctica 1 - Listening by Hugo Ariel Riccobene

Working with young language learners

Working With Young Language Learners by Hugo Ariel Riccobene

Young children do not come to the language classroom empty-handed. They bring with them an already well-established set of instincts, skills and characteristics which will help them to learn another language. As teachers, we need to identify those to make the most of them.

Doing some extensive listening

Amazing song!! Love you, Celine!!!
It's never too late to be whatever we want.
                                                                                                     Lyrics


                                                                    So you're thinking it's ending. But it's only just begun.
                                                                    Your whole life is there right. Right in front of you.
                                                                    Life's a story that is all twists and turns. All that
                                                                    matters is the lessons we learn. CHORUS:
                                                                   'Cause we're all  unfinished songs. Waiting for the
                                                                    best part to come along, hey, hey. And we're all
                                                                    pictures half drawn.  We can be anything we want,
                                                                    hey, hey.  Now is your time. It's your life. No
                                                                    one's living it but you. In your hands is your chance
                                                                    to live the life you choose. Life's like music. There's
                                                                    so much still unsung. Make it magic. There's so
                                                                    much still to come. CHORUS: You can write the
                                                                    song. And write the story. Live all of this life in all its
                                                                    glory. Take the time to make each moment count.
                                                                    It's your life. It's your call. Grab the chance.
                                                                    Have it all. CHORUS.
                       
                                                                    Written by Diane Warren.