A blog for the parents

My dear friend and colleague Dani Lyra, suggested that, along with my wiki, I also create a blog to post my students´work, so parents can see it. Here it is.

A blog for the parents

My dear friend and colleague Dani Lyra, suggested that, along with my wiki, I also create a blog to post my students´work, so parents can see it. Here it is.

My wiki - part 2

It´s been really exciting to work on the wiki . I admit that although I don´t have much time for that, I´m having a blast drawing the super duper character. Carla suggested that I created a character for my wiki, something that would be appealing to the students.I had never drawn something with such passion, passion that helps me create them very easily. Also, seeing the students work is a plus. Of course, there are just a few, but I´m not worried. I´m letting them take their time to get to know the wiki and use it. A few students have already posted some work in it, which they do at home, after I teach them in class . It´s been great to see their commitment to it. 

My wiki - part 2

It´s been really exciting to work on the wiki . I admit that although I don´t have much time for that, I´m having a blast drawing the super duper character. Carla suggested that I created a character for my wiki, something that would be appealing to the students.I had never drawn something with such passion, passion that helps me create them very easily. Also, seeing the students work is a plus. Of course, there are just a few, but I´m not worried. I´m letting them take their time to get to know the wiki and use it. A few students have already posted some work in it, which they do at home, after I teach them in class . It´s been great to see their commitment to it. 

My wiki

I finally learned how to use a wiki. After having an enlightening session with Carla Arena, I realized that the wiki I had created was all wrong. It´s great to see everything in the right place at last.As soon as I organize my students work in it, I´ll have it available here.

My wiki

I finally learned how to use a wiki. After having an enlightening session with Carla Arena, I realized that the wiki I had created was all wrong. It´s great to see everything in the right place at last.As soon as I organize my students work in it, I´ll have it available here.

Why teachers tend to avoid digital tools

We created this video to introduce our presentation in the 8th CTJ TEFL seminar. It was suppose to be our "hook". We liked this idea because it perfectly illustrates why teachers tend to avoid using technology in class. I was one of these people. However, if you stop to think about it, these reasons are not really obstacles for you to use webtols in class. Let´s see, shall we? Reason 1: It´s too difficult. (Well, actually, it doesn´t need to be. There is always someone who knows the tools and uses them effectively and who is generous enough to teach you. All you need to do is ask. Besides, there are online courses, take advantage of the courses offered in your school, for example.) Reason 2: It´s too slow. (Of course that you can´t always count on the internet in class, so choose activities that are downloadable. Keep them in a flashdrive and your problems are gone). Reason 3: I don´t have the time. (A possibility here is to adapt an activity you have already planned to assign, by adding a webtool). As you can see, you can at least try.

Why teachers tend to avoid digital tools

We created this video to introduce our presentation in the 8th CTJ TEFL seminar. It was suppose to be our "hook". We liked this idea because it perfectly illustrates why teachers tend to avoid using technology in class. I was one of these people. However, if you stop to think about it, these reasons are not really obstacles for you to use webtols in class. Let´s see, shall we? Reason 1: It´s too difficult. (Well, actually, it doesn´t need to be. There is always someone who knows the tools and uses them effectively and who is generous enough to teach you. All you need to do is ask. Besides, there are online courses, take advantage of the courses offered in your school, for example.) Reason 2: It´s too slow. (Of course that you can´t always count on the internet in class, so choose activities that are downloadable. Keep them in a flashdrive and your problems are gone). Reason 3: I don´t have the time. (A possibility here is to adapt an activity you have already planned to assign, by adding a webtool). As you can see, you can at least try.

Digital Communication: Our wiki

Our project is divided in four lessons, in which you´ll find a lesson overview, a final outcome (proposed by the teacher), resources (produced by the teacher) and the students´work. In case you want to take a look at our students´production, our wiki is http://www.tellingstoriesinclass.pbworks.com/ . Every picture is clickable. You click, and you´ll be there.When planning your lessons, you can adapt them to your students needs, but remember, young learners need to be guided, so the resources should be there, so they know what is expected from them.

Digital Communication: Our wiki

Our project is divided in four lessons, in which you´ll find a lesson overview, a final outcome (proposed by the teacher), resources (produced by the teacher) and the students´work. In case you want to take a look at our students´production, our wiki is http://www.tellingstoriesinclass.pbworks.com/ . Every picture is clickable. You click, and you´ll be there.When planning your lessons, you can adapt them to your students needs, but remember, young learners need to be guided, so the resources should be there, so they know what is expected from them.

Digital Communication: Our Final Project

Web2.0 and Young Learners

The computer went crazy again. Go figure! Anyways, these are just "some" of the tools we experimented with. There are so many more out there that you´ll be speechless. Scribd enables you to make a book with your students. Have fun.

The tool used here was Voicethread, which allows you to post a picture and record your voice to leave a coment. If you don´t want to record your voice, you can also type a comment.Take a look and leave a comment for us. We´d love to know your opinion.

Digital Communication: Our Final Project

Web2.0 and Young Learners

The computer went crazy again. Go figure! Anyways, these are just "some" of the tools we experimented with. There are so many more out there that you´ll be speechless. Scribd enables you to make a book with your students. Have fun.

The tool used here was Voicethread, which allows you to post a picture and record your voice to leave a coment. If you don´t want to record your voice, you can also type a comment.Take a look and leave a comment for us. We´d love to know your opinion.

Digital Communication: My Digital Journey

A year ago, if you asked me how I felt about the use of technology in class, I would definitely answer "I don´t know about that! It´s too complicated to deal with and time-consuming. I just can´t handle that. I have a 40-hour job and a tight schedule." When I look back and think about it, I´m flabbergasted to see how much I´ve changed, how the way I see technology in class changed. I absolutely love teaching and I don´t see myself doing anythingelse in life, but now I have something ELSE to help me get there, reach a teaching goal, reach my students.And all it took me was a little practice, time to use, explore the tools I had available and see what they could do for me. Choose from, experiment. And that´s what I did this year, while working on this project. I realize now that all I needed was a little push and  I realized it´s not that hard. We´ll never learn to do something unless we try. I was known as a digital illiterate (and there is still a long way, I know)and people might wonder why I am involved in a digital project. The thing is, I needed this little push to get started and the love for writing was what brought me this far.I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I did.

Digital Journey (Cool) on Prezi

Digital Communication: My Digital Journey

A year ago, if you asked me how I felt about the use of technology in class, I would definitely answer "I don´t know about that! It´s too complicated to deal with and time-consuming. I just can´t handle that. I have a 40-hour job and a tight schedule." When I look back and think about it, I´m flabbergasted to see how much I´ve changed, how the way I see technology in class changed. I absolutely love teaching and I don´t see myself doing anythingelse in life, but now I have something ELSE to help me get there, reach a teaching goal, reach my students.And all it took me was a little practice, time to use, explore the tools I had available and see what they could do for me. Choose from, experiment. And that´s what I did this year, while working on this project. I realize now that all I needed was a little push and  I realized it´s not that hard. We´ll never learn to do something unless we try. I was known as a digital illiterate (and there is still a long way, I know)and people might wonder why I am involved in a digital project. The thing is, I needed this little push to get started and the love for writing was what brought me this far.I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I did.

Digital Journey (Cool) on Prezi

Digital Communication

For this digital communication project, Dani Lyra and I expect to make our students go the extra mile in terms of writing. Besides the book, they´ll have the opportunity to create a piece of writing in which the grammar structure learned is used along with a digital tool. Each task is presented with a different tool, chosen by the teacher, according to its practicality.

Digital Communication

For this digital communication project, Dani Lyra and I expect to make our students go the extra mile in terms of writing. Besides the book, they´ll have the opportunity to create a piece of writing in which the grammar structure learned is used along with a digital tool. Each task is presented with a different tool, chosen by the teacher, according to its practicality.

A Fantastic Story

A Fantastic Story

A Fantastic Story

A Fantastic Story

Let´s get down to business!

My friend and I

Long time no see! Ok, here is some news. Daniela Lyra, a co-worker, and I are working on a digital communication project for young learners. Our main goal is to develop activities that promote the use of webtools in class in order to foster students´ writing skills in a lively and fun way. I am also working on writing tasks with my teen students. After learning the third person of the Present Tense, I showed the students two slides in a powerpoint presentation. I told my students that the first slide showed items that said something about me and the second slide showed items that were meaningful to my sister. Students were supposed to look at the slides and come up with sentences about me and my sister. For example, "teacher, you like soda" and "your sister likes juice", or "you don´t listen to pagode" and "your sister listens to gospel music.". As students came up with the sentences, I wrote them on the board in the form of a paragraph. I also added an introduction (My sister and I are different in many ways) and a conclusion (These are the reasons why we are so different). After checking comprehension of the verb forms used, students wrote a paragraph describing the differences between them and a friend or a member of the family. They were supposed to add the introduction and the conclusion.

Let´s get down to business!

My friend and I

Long time no see! Ok, here is some news. Daniela Lyra, a co-worker, and I are working on a digital communication project for young learners. Our main goal is to develop activities that promote the use of webtools in class in order to foster students´ writing skills in a lively and fun way. I am also working on writing tasks with my teen students. After learning the third person of the Present Tense, I showed the students two slides in a powerpoint presentation. I told my students that the first slide showed items that said something about me and the second slide showed items that were meaningful to my sister. Students were supposed to look at the slides and come up with sentences about me and my sister. For example, "teacher, you like soda" and "your sister likes juice", or "you don´t listen to pagode" and "your sister listens to gospel music.". As students came up with the sentences, I wrote them on the board in the form of a paragraph. I also added an introduction (My sister and I are different in many ways) and a conclusion (These are the reasons why we are so different). After checking comprehension of the verb forms used, students wrote a paragraph describing the differences between them and a friend or a member of the family. They were supposed to add the introduction and the conclusion.