Glogster- Poster Yourself

I have just learned about Glogster thanks to a tweet by @jenverschoor (thanks a lot Jen!). With this application you can create an online poster. You can mix graphics, photos, videos, music and text into slick Glogs.

The great thing is that now there is an edu-glosgter page. You are allowed to create up to 200 students accounts for free. If you are wondering why bothering to use Glogster, in their webpage they provide you with some reasons:

1. A fun, imaginative, and powerful learning experience which fosters independent creative self expression, positive learner-teacher relationships, and teamwork on collaborative class projects.
2. A vibrant, multi-sensory learning experience which integrates learner’s knowledge and skills into traditionally text-oriented subjects and motivates learner’s desire to explore topics in which they may previously have been less interested.

I think it is worth giving it a try. If you do, please share with us your experience. Maybe, we can also share ideas on how we can use it in our classes. Looking forward to your comments.

Twitter VS Facebook

I have been talking with @emapey about the differences between these two social networks and he has suggested me writing a post about this.  I am not very sure wether this is going to be useful for somebody or not, as they are just some ideas about how I use facebook and Twitter. I’m not going to give any recipes. This is just my humble opinion, but since he is usually right on his pieces of  advice and since it’s been a long time since I last wrote in my blog, I have decided to give it a try. I’m sure you are all familiar with facebook but if you don’t know what twitter is about you may want to have a look at this post: The English Language Teacher’s Guide To Twitter. I take the opportunity to strongly recommend you Karen’s blog. It’s great and full of thorough information.

Well, let’s go to the point:  differences between Facebook and Twitter…mmm

1) In Twitter I have professional contacts, people who I have known through the net in general. In Facebook I have my friends. The ones I know face to face. The people with whom I interact socially.

2) For that reason, in facebook I share my pics and things related to my personal life. I post funny links, pages and videos related to art, literature and things in connection with my personal likes. On the other hand, in Twitter I post things related to my profession and to the net itself.

3) In facebook I tend to write long messages and directed to a person in particular ( i.e. I leave messages in people’s walls). In Twitter I write short, impersonal and public messages.

Well, that’s all for today falks. Hope somebody finds this useful. What about you? What do you think about these two social networks? How do you use them?

Happy Teacher Day!

En Argentina mañana 11 de Septiembre se celebra el día del maestro y no quería dejar pasar esta oportunidad para saludar a todos los grandes docentes que me he encontrado en la vida cotidiana y en este maravilloso mundo que es la web 2.0. No puedo hacerles un regalo muy suntuoso, ya que como sabrán soy docente en esta Argentina siglo xxi… para que entrar en detalles… Bueno, asi que simplemente voy a retransmitir un pensamiento que me regaló hoy la directora del cole y aqui va…

Ser maestro es como ser un artesano cultivador de cactus:

Él trabaja con plantas que parecen fuertes, duras. Soporta los pinchazos de sus espinas a pesar de que se acerca con hacendosas manos para ayudarlos a crecer. Les arrima todo el sol del que es capaz y les ayuda a soportar las peores sequías… Todo eso, porque sabe que su interior es tierno, lleno de vivificante agua. Y porque sabe que un día, casi inesperadamente, les regalarán su inmensamente bella flor.

Les recuerdo y me repito a mi también… No nos olvidemos cuando nos desesperamos, cuando nos preguntamos ¿por qué no estoy enfrente de una computadora trabajando de 8 a 17?, cuando sentimos que no sirve lo que estamos haciendo, cuando queremos tirar todo por la borda porque la clase no salio como planeabamos, cuando no llegamos a fin de mes, etc y mil etcs que tarde o temprano nuestros cactus desplegarán su flor y nadie me puede negar que ese momento es totalmente mágico, inigualable, inexplicable y nos hace sentir que vale la pena seguir estando al frente de un aula. Es en esos momentos donde pensamos que ésta es una de las profesiones que mas gratificaciones le debe traer al ser humano y volvemos a elegir el ser docentes.

How to download You Tube videos.

I’m writing this post in answer to Larisa Bezrukova’s comment in the Monsters Inc. post. First, I’m going to tell you how I do it. Maybe it’s not the best way, but I’m used to it. I have downloaded a programme called Real Player. Once you have installed it, whenever you find a video on the net, if  you place the  mouse cursor on it, a button will appear which says “Download video” (“Descargar este video” in my case). You click on it and Voila! you’ve got the video saved in your computer.

If you are not satisfied with that option, here you have a video Jamie Keddie has prepared. It is extremely clear. Have a look at it!

You may also have a look at Nancy Morales explanations. They are in Spanish but they are very easy to understand I believe.

If  you have any other idea, share it in the comments section. Remember that if you don’t have access to video in your classroom, there is also a way of just listening to the videos from you tube. For more information have a look at this post.

Monsters Inc. (Present Simple and Present Continuous)

As I have already told you in this post I love Claudio’s blog: Movie Segments to Asses Grammar Goals. I have been inspired by him so I will share with you one lesson plan I have prepared to revise the use of  Present Simple and Present Continuous. It is based on this scene from the movie Monsters Inc. You should start watching from minute 5 onwards :

And here go the activities:

1) Complete the sentences with the appropriate tense ( Present Simple and Present Continuous)

a)      Every day, Sulley _______________ (drive) to work. However, today they ____________ (walk)

b)      Right now, Mike _______________ (talk) to Sulley’s mum on the phone.

c)      Afterwards, they often ______________ (watch) tv, but today they __________ (also / star) on a tv commercial.

d)      Sulley and Mike _____________ (not exercise) together. Sulley ______ (do) his routine and Mike __________ (guide) him.

e)      Then, Sulley always ______________ (brush) his teeth.

f)        Sulley usually ____________ (get up) at 6:00 but today he ____________ (still/ sleep) at 6:05.

2) Watch the film and put the sentences in the correct order.

3) Write 5 sentences about what the monsters Sulley and Mike encounter on their way to work are doing at the moment.

4) Did you like the scene? Why (not)?

Hope you like it and find it useful. If you have used it, please share your experience with us. If you have more ideas to work with this particular film or with movies in general, don’t hesitate to share your views.

¿La escuela mata la creatividad? (Parte 2)

El post anterior dio mucho que hablar. Tuvimos muchas preguntas y pocas respuestas. Sabemos que la creatividad es un elemento primordial para motivar a nuestros alumnos y sacar lo mejor de ellos. Pero la gran pregunta es ¿cómo hacemos para ser más creativos? Una vez más,  Sir Ken Robinson me dio varias respuestas en este post de TED talks: TED and Reddit asked Sir Ken Robinson anything — and he answered . Es bastante largo y está en inglés pero es muy recomendable.

En unas pocas palabras él considera que lo más importante qué podemos hacer para favorecer la creatividad es empezar ya mismo desde el lugar donde nos encontremos. No esperar a que los cambios se produzcan desde arriba. Tres factores a tener en cuenta son:

• Estimular la imaginación
• Plantear problemas con respuestas abiertas
• Fomentar el trabajo en grupo

Espero que les haya servido el link. Cualquier idea, pensamiento o reflexión no duden en compartirlo…

¿La escuela mata la creatividad?

Necesitaba escribir este post en castellano. Creo que cuando uno toca un tema en el cual los sentimientos se interponen, uno necesita hablar en su propio idioma. Este tema me esta dando vueltas en la cabeza hace bastante tiempo. Hoy, viendo este video de Ken Robinson me dieron ganas de ponerme a escribir.

La verdad es que  tengo muchas  preguntas al respecto y pocas respuestas. Por no decir casi ninguna. Y van las preguntas…  ¿ El sistema educativo, la forma en que enseñamos en las escuelas, los programas que nos bajan desde el ministerio, etc. , etc, etc favorecen a la educacion de nuestros alumnos? ¿Nuestras escuelas no estan plagadas de situaciones en las que los profesores son los que poseen el saber y lo bajan a los alumnos de forma vertical? ¿No es hoy cuestion de sentido común que hay varios tipos de inteligencia? ¿No deberíamos favorecer el desarrollo de todas ellas y no solo el de las “socialmente prestigiosas”? ¿ No debería la escuela favorecer el desarrollo de inquietudes por parte de los alumnos y ayudarlos en la búsqueda de esas respuestas? ¿ No deberíamos los docentes aprender a decir con humildad “no se, pero juntos podemos encontrar la respuesta”? ¿ No deberíamos empezar a salir del aula cada vez más y favorecer la experiencia directa con el conocimiento?  ¿La escuela no debería ser el lugar donde se les presenten a los alumnos todos los caminos posibles para que ellos encuentren su vocación? ¿ Pero si hay materias que no se dictan en las escuelas secundarias (especialmente las relacionadas con las artes), como sabrán nuestros alumnos que esas también son opciones válidas? ¿ Por qué si hay muchas escuelas en las que los docentes de forma aislada estan tratando de buscar formas alternativas y mas efectivas de enseñar, desde arriba no se hace nada para que estas experiencias sean intercambiadas y se aproveche este nuevo conocimiento adquirido para cambiar nuestro sistema educativo que esta tan deteriorado? Y la última pregunta que da título a este post: ¿la escuela mata la creatividad?.

Mi única respuesta, mi humilde opinión. Yo creo que no es la escuela la que mata la creatividad. Lo que mata la creatividad es la construcción de escuela que nos metieron en la cabeza. La escuela donde hay que estar bien sentados y en silencio. La escuela donde el que se mueve mucho o no presta atención es el que se PORTA MAL. La escuela que no permite creer que quiza ese chico tenga otra forma de aprender. La escuela que considera que donde hay mucho barullo no hay aprendizaje. Esa es la escuela que no favorece la creatividad, que nos ata, que no nos deja pensar libremente, que no favorece la diversidad de opiniones, la diversidad de formas de llegar al aprendizaje, que no favorece la diversidad de nada. Esa no es la escuela en la que yo quiero estar. Espero que desde nuestros pequeños granitos de arena logremos construir una escuela donde haya diversidad y creatividad por doquier. Y yo me quedo pensando, y ustedes que piensan?

Si quieren seguir leyendo, en la segunda parte de este post aparecen algunas respuestas.

The Lazy Way to Planning Lessons with Films ( Part 2)

I have already posted about the advantages of teaching with films in this post. However, all the pages I have found in that occasion were commercial ones. FIRST PAY and then get the lesson plan. Fortunately, yesterday I  read a twit about two wonderful blogs with loads of lesson plans based on films. And what is more: they are free. I love this initiatives of collaborative learning in which we all get a benefit.

Well, let’s go to the point. The two blogs were created by Claudio Azevedo.  He introduces himself in his blog saying “I’m a teacher at Casa Thomas Jefferson, Brasilia, Brazil. I’m a Branch Coordinator and Teacher Trainer as well. I really like movies and seeing them with “different” eyes, trying to see how I can use them in my classroom.” Apart from that, he discusses the advantages of teaching English with films in this post.  What I like the most about his blogs is that he doesn’t only share the lesson plans, but he also gives tips on how to create our own lesson plans.

Well, by this point you must be all willing to know the addresses of his blogs. The first older one is ” Movie segments to assess grammar goals”.  It cointains a series of movie segments and activities to assess or practice grammar points through fun, challenging exercises. The new one, which is only one week old, is “Movie segments for Warm-ups and follow-ups”. The lesson plans found here are to be used to brainstorm, warm up, follow up, and activate schemata, preparing the students for the topic that will be discussed in class.

Well, that’s all for now. I hope you find it as useful as I had and please Claudio, keep up the great job you are doing. If you have a good lesson plan to share don’t hesitate to contact me or Claudio,  and we would be glad to publish it in our blogs.

How to make worksheets in a flash!

As we all know the best way of  improving our or our learners’ vocabulary is through fun activities. And if these activities required less than 5 minutes preparation even better.  So here I will introduce you to “a dream come true”:  Vocabulary Worksheet Factory. Many thanks to my friend Ceci who told me about it.

Vocabulary Worksheet Factory includes a database with loads of activity templates such as crosswords, anagrams, word soups, and so on and so forth. You can personalise the worksheets and create your own wordlists for each of your classes. Finally, you can print it with just one click. It is an excellent tool and you can get it for free in www.englishtips.org or download it from this rapidshare link. Hope you find it useful!

My First Online Exercise

You might be surprised at this! A great lover of the net has never prepared an online exercise. Well, it is said that there is a first time for everything and here’s my first experience!

Before sharing with you my first creation, I would like to introduce you to the webpage where I have placed my exercise. ESL printables is a great website created by Víctor Gayol an English language teacher in Spain. In his website English language teachers exchange resources: worksheets, lesson plans,  activities, etc. Their collection is growing every day with the help of many teachers. If you want to download you have to send your own contributions. I have found wonderful material there, and of course I have made my own contributions too. I strongly recommend it.

And here goes MY online exercise. The episode of  “Shaun the sheep” called “Still Life” is a great video to use with kids. It is mute, but they can practise farm animals, colours, numbers, parts of the day, sad, happy, angry. Hope you like it. Have a look at it and please leave your comments. All your opinions are  welcomed!