Webquest for trainees 2008

We´re going to learn through a webquest how to plan reading and writing lessons for digital natives.

Try watching the video at teacher´s tv. Really helpful!

clipped from www.teachers.tv Synopsis A look at how trainee teachers can best prepare for their first school placements, combining advice and tips from established teachers with the real life experience of trainees. It's essential for trainees to prepare thoroughly for their school placement. In this programme, we follow a group of trainees as they are given a wealth of reassuring advice on how to do this. Amongst other things, the trainees are given suggestions on what questions to ask new colleagues, help with dressing appropriately, and tips on how to maintain good time-keeping, in order to make the first days of their school placement less daunting than anticipated. Top Tips for Trainee Teachers - School Placements

Principles and practices for successful blogging

clipped from blogging4educators.edublogs.org Integrate blogging to the rest of the work done by the class. Surprise your students. Make the content meaningful and relevant. Let the learner feel relaxed and confident. Build networks of learning that can cross continents. Develop an atmosphere that encourages and respects the learner and their ideas. Teach your students some blogging skills. Invite guests to post on your blog and to comment. Vary your post style. Give prompt feedback to commentators. Set tasks that lead to interaction. Use the blog for activities the students could not do in the classroom. Use syndication tools to keep track of posts and comments. Blog safely. Exploit errors, but do not correct students explicitly on blogs. Define who can comment in your blog. Turn on the word verification in your blog settings to avoid spam. Ask for permission to publish photos, videos, audio etc Attention to copyright issues! Add your email to receive notifications when someone leaves a comment on your blog. Always give credit to the source.

Blogs and Pedagogy

Interesting insights into the use of blogs in EFL

EFL course-wiki as writers community

Claudia Ceraso shares her experience on how a course wiki can help our students understand the process of writing.

Reflective blogging for teachers

Searching for your own voice is part of your job as a teacher. Blogging helps you find your inner voice, the one you will speak when you´re in the classroom. But, what is "reflective blogging"? How do you develop a "readerly voice"and a "writerly voice"to come out with a "teacherly voice" in the digital world? Paul Allison has shared his experience and provides a very useful matrix for us to keep track of our own processes.
Konrad Glogowsky´s helps us to reflect on how blogging is creating communities of learning, as well as changing the teacher´s role.

Reflections on Learning

As teachers we should be ready to keep on learning. A life-long experience. Learning how to read and write in the digital world can be overwhelming, but we should not fear what is becoming a matter of survival! I´ve been reading a lot about connecting, tagging, blogging, and as my enthusiasm grows, the technical problems in my area (no telephone line at home), force me to reflect, be patient and wonder about the little steps I´ll need to climb up this ladder!