Classdigitools: Task 1

For our first task, which is make an introduction of ourselves, I decided to do something different this time. I´m used to draw or use images, but this time, I didn´t want to do that. I wanted to do something new, so I´ve written a song. That´s right! I wrote a song about my teaching experience with digital tools in class. Here is the result:

http://youtu.be/QQnSZgULXV8


POSSIBILITIES (By Cleide Nascimento)

My name is Cleide and I've been an EFL teacher for twenty one years now
And in case you're wondering...yes, I've had a blast!
Never before did I consider using technology in class
But something happened, things changed
All of a sudden I had available in my classroom
A computer, data show, and a flashdrive

In addition to all these things, I was introduced to webtools
I was so overwhelmed, but eventually, I got the hang of it!
I got the hang of it! I got the hang of it!

With the passing of time, I've come to realize
And got so excited about all the things that I can do!
I'm really excited about the possibilities!
There are so many possibilities!
My classes won't ever be the same with all the possibilities

With all the things that I can do! With all the things that we will do!
I will be a better teacher using webtools!

Classdigitools: Task 1

For our first task, which is make an introduction of ourselves, I decided to do something different this time. I´m used to draw or use images, but this time, I didn´t want to do that. I wanted to do something new, so I´ve written a song. That´s right! I wrote a song about my teaching experience with digital tools in class. Here is the result:

http://youtu.be/QQnSZgULXV8


POSSIBILITIES (By Cleide Nascimento)

My name is Cleide and I've been an EFL teacher for twenty one years now
And in case you're wondering...yes, I've had a blast!
Never before did I consider using technology in class
But something happened, things changed
All of a sudden I had available in my classroom
A computer, data show, and a flashdrive

In addition to all these things, I was introduced to webtools
I was so overwhelmed, but eventually, I got the hang of it!
I got the hang of it! I got the hang of it!

With the passing of time, I've come to realize
And got so excited about all the things that I can do!
I'm really excited about the possibilities!
There are so many possibilities!
My classes won't ever be the same with all the possibilities

With all the things that I can do! With all the things that we will do!
I will be a better teacher using webtools!

Electronic Village Online: Free Professional Development

http://classdigitools.pbworks.com/w/page/44702717/Welcome

Hi everyone!!! I´m back. Still on vacation from work, but for the next five weeks, I´ll be participating in the EVO. During this time, I´ll be connecting with other EFL teachers, sharing and learning as well.I´ll be participating in two sessions: "CLASSDIGITOOLS" and "STORYTELING4KIDS". I´m super duper excited and I´ll try to keep you posted as much as possible. One of our tasks is to create an online space where we'll keep our tools, reflections and material we produce. Since I already have this space, I´ll be using it!Hope I have a lot of fun and learn a lot! By the way, I´d like to apologize for not posting this before. I´ve just realized that would have allowed  you to join the group on Day 1.

Electronic Village Online: Free Professional Development

http://classdigitools.pbworks.com/w/page/44702717/Welcome

Hi everyone!!! I´m back. Still on vacation from work, but for the next five weeks, I´ll be participating in the EVO. During this time, I´ll be connecting with other EFL teachers, sharing and learning as well.I´ll be participating in two sessions: "CLASSDIGITOOLS" and "STORYTELING4KIDS". I´m super duper excited and I´ll try to keep you posted as much as possible. One of our tasks is to create an online space where we'll keep our tools, reflections and material we produce. Since I already have this space, I´ll be using it!Hope I have a lot of fun and learn a lot! By the way, I´d like to apologize for not posting this before. I´ve just realized that would have allowed  you to join the group on Day 1.

One more year is gone

Time really flies when you´re having fun! Boy..did I have fun! This has been a very productive year and I´ve learned so much. Hope next year is even better. I´ll keep sharing. See ya!

One more year is gone

Time really flies when you´re having fun! Boy..did I have fun! This has been a very productive year and I´ve learned so much. Hope next year is even better. I´ll keep sharing. See ya!

Glitches here, glitches there...glitches everywhere

OMG!!!!!! I struggled to post my students´ latest work. I guess something was wrong because the links I made for their projects wouldn´t open. I hope it´s ok now.

Glitches here, glitches there...glitches everywhere

OMG!!!!!! I struggled to post my students´ latest work. I guess something was wrong because the links I made for their projects wouldn´t open. I hope it´s ok now.

Digital Projects 2/2011: Junior

Besides working digitally with my teens groups, I also assigned digital taks for my elementary groups. For three of the digital tasks carried out this semester, we covered the lesson, which included a grammar point and vocabulary. Then, students were assigned a written task, in which they were supposed to use what they had learned and which was corrected and then translated into a digital presentation. In order to accomplish that, a data show presentation was given, so students learned how to use the digital tools, they worked individually at home and when they finished, they presented ther final work to peers. However, other digital activities either didn´t take much time to be accomplished (SONGIFY and BLABBERIZE) for we finished it and presented it on the same day or were digitally made by me and then shown to them (PHOTOPEACH). Here are a few:


MIXBOOK: My breakfast - Students wrote about what they have for breakfast.

| View Sample Photo Books | Create your own Photo Book

PHOTOPEACH: Food Vocabulary - Students drew and wrote about their favorite foods.

The foods I like - 2/2011 (Class D9) on PhotoPeach

BLABBERIZE: The Third Person - Students learned the third person of the verb like to talk and write about a person´s likes and dislikes.

Digital Projects 2/2011: Junior

Besides working digitally with my teens groups, I also assigned digital taks for my elementary groups. For three of the digital tasks carried out this semester, we covered the lesson, which included a grammar point and vocabulary. Then, students were assigned a written task, in which they were supposed to use what they had learned and which was corrected and then translated into a digital presentation. In order to accomplish that, a data show presentation was given, so students learned how to use the digital tools, they worked individually at home and when they finished, they presented ther final work to peers. However, other digital activities either didn´t take much time to be accomplished (SONGIFY and BLABBERIZE) for we finished it and presented it on the same day or were digitally made by me and then shown to them (PHOTOPEACH). Here are a few:


MIXBOOK: My breakfast - Students wrote about what they have for breakfast.

| View Sample Photo Books | Create your own Photo Book

PHOTOPEACH: Food Vocabulary - Students drew and wrote about their favorite foods.

The foods I like - 2/2011 (Class D9) on PhotoPeach

BLABBERIZE: The Third Person - Students learned the third person of the verb like to talk and write about a person´s likes and dislikes.

Digital Projects 2/2011: Teens

Our digital projects were carried out the following way: We covered the lesson, which included a grammar point and vocabulary. Then, students were assigned a written task, in which they were supposed to use what they had learned and which was corrected and then translated into a digital presentation. In order to accomplish that, a data show presentation was given, so students learned how to use the digital tools, they worked individually at home or in pairs in the computer laboratory and when they finished, they presented ther final work to peers. Here are a few:

MIXBOOK: The third person - Students learned how to describe a person´s likes and dislikes.

Julia

| View Sample Photo Books | Create your own Photo Book

MOVIE MAKER: Superlatives - Students used the superlative form of adjectives to write about their family.






BLABBERIZE: Routine - Students wrote and talked about their lives.

Digital Projects 2/2011: Teens

Our digital projects were carried out the following way: We covered the lesson, which included a grammar point and vocabulary. Then, students were assigned a written task, in which they were supposed to use what they had learned and which was corrected and then translated into a digital presentation. In order to accomplish that, a data show presentation was given, so students learned how to use the digital tools, they worked individually at home or in pairs in the computer laboratory and when they finished, they presented ther final work to peers. Here are a few:

MIXBOOK: The third person - Students learned how to describe a person´s likes and dislikes.

Julia

| View Sample Photo Books | Create your own Photo Book

MOVIE MAKER: Superlatives - Students used the superlative form of adjectives to write about their family.






BLABBERIZE: Routine - Students wrote and talked about their lives.

The kids are on fire!!!

Unlike the previous semesters, this year I focused on working digitally with my teens groups. Boy, did they work!!! Of course, there were a few uncooperative students, either because they don´t have a computer at home, which would make it difficult for them to carry out tasks assigned for homework, for example) or because they were not interested at all. In other cases, there were some technical glitches on the way. Nevertheless,  most of them got involved, as much as possible, in each and every project proposed, which was a total of five. I had never thought it would be possible to carry out so many digital activities in one semester. I'm super excited to show you guys the result. The thing is... As soon as I organize everything in its place, I'll post it here. See you!!!

The kids are on fire!!!

Unlike the previous semesters, this year I focused on working digitally with my teens groups. Boy, did they work!!! Of course, there were a few uncooperative students, either because they don´t have a computer at home, which would make it difficult for them to carry out tasks assigned for homework, for example) or because they were not interested at all. In other cases, there were some technical glitches on the way. Nevertheless,  most of them got involved, as much as possible, in each and every project proposed, which was a total of five. I had never thought it would be possible to carry out so many digital activities in one semester. I'm super excited to show you guys the result. The thing is... As soon as I organize everything in its place, I'll post it here. See you!!!

USED TO and WOULD for Past Memories

My intermediate students are learning USED TO. Unlike last year, I gave them the opportunity to choose what to write about. They could write about a real past memory or create a story using the picture of the trees, the same picture I used before with my 2/2010 students (See Would X Used to).



                                                  

2/2011:

This semester, I gave the students the chance to choose what they would do as a written task in order to practice the structure learned "USED TO". They chose from writing a creative text or writing about a past memory.

When I was a child, I had good memories about my past. But there is one thing that I´ll never forget. It is my favorite place "the park. Until today, my parents go with me and make picnic, play and talk there, every Sunday. I really love this park. (Julia Serpa)

When I was a child, I used to go to a very beautiful forest. There, I used to play with the monkeys, climbing some trees or swimming in the river. But one day, everything changed. Two hunters entered in the forest killing and destroying all they could see. I was very angry, perhaps I couldn´t do anything. When I lost hope, the hunters drank the river´s water and something happened. In some minutes, the became trees. In a few years, the forest recovered herself and I could go there many times. (Marcus)

When I was a child , I used to play outdoors, go to school, draw a lot. It was cool. I used to wake up on Saturdays and see TV Globinho. I didn´t worry about the future. (Maria Carolina)

When I am walking and I see talll trees, I remember parts of my childhood. It was great. I remember that I used to climb a lot of trees as high as I could, but the fear of falling down when I was climbing down was terrible of course. The feeling of climbing the tree, the clallenge that the tree imposed to me was much greater than that little fear, and as long as I saw a tree, I was there climbing it. (Victor)

Sometimes we just forget about how powerful life is and appears in different ways, like a tree, for example. A tree used to be a seed first and it can be a seed for a long time without growing but it doesn´t mean that it doesn´t have any life. It´s like the sun. It´s not because it´s night that the sun is dead. A seed used to be a frozen form of the tree. Then, the tree grows and it´s as complex as an animal life. The tree is there, it can´t talk, it can´t move, it can´t demonstrate its life, but it´s breathing and nurturing, every single day, and it´s because plants exist that there are other forms of life. (Thainá Leão)

In the middle of a forest, near a big city, there used to be two trees. These trees used to shelter small creatures like little fairies, they lived there for many years and they were responsible for protecting the forest and controlling the seasons. One day, men from the big city wanted to destry the forest with machines to cut down the trees and remodel their houses, but the fairies were too small to defend themselves in a fight, so they reclaimed the source of power they had to protect the forest. In the end, they resolved the problem peacefully with the agreement they both left the forest in peace. After that, the place turned into a sacred place for both, representing their love for nature. This used to be a story told from generation to generation about those trees. (Maria Fernanda)

When I was younger, I used to play Super Nintendo. My favorite game was Super Mario World. I liked Rock  n´Roll Racing too, and all the five Bombermen Games. I played those games until today. The new video games aren´t so cool. (João Felipe)

One nostalgic memory I have was when I was a child, I used to live in São Paulo and I had a friend who lived in the same building. We used to go to the groundfloor and play games, ride a scooter and swim. It used to be fun and we spent a lot of time making jokes and having fun . That was one of the best memories I have when I was a child. (Rodrigo)

I used to have an imaginary friend, he was my best friend when I was 4. We used to play cards together and talk a lot , but when I was 5, I didn´t believe anymore in my imaginary friend. (Fernanda)

When I saw a tree,  I remembered my brother. When I was eight, we had one guava tree and we treated the tree like a person. When someone hurt the tree, we used to put one bandage. It was our friend and our club. We used to spend our afternoons on the tree. One day, someone cut down our tree and we stopped going out to play. That was a good time. Now, we can´t come back to this things because we have many things to do.(Dayene)

Mary was sitting under the trees. She used to think and read in a calm place. She used to see birds and the sunset. Mary thought it was beautiful. She would run on the long streets around the trees, sometimes she felt alone but the books had all kinds of characters and everytime she read a book, she used to have a new adventure. (Amanda)

When I was a child with my brother, we used to climb up trees to joke or pick some fruit or to take a break. Normally, we climbed trees to pick fruits and we sometimes needed to climb the trees to pick the ball. I love to climb trees, I´d like to do it now. In the picture, we can see two trees and the space between can be a goal and the trees are good for the environment and I already planted trees and I expect to plant others. I think that little children need to play outside instead of being in front of the computer and the TV. (Sebastien)

USED TO and WOULD for Past Memories

My intermediate students are learning USED TO. Unlike last year, I gave them the opportunity to choose what to write about. They could write about a real past memory or create a story using the picture of the trees, the same picture I used before with my 2/2010 students (See Would X Used to).



                                                  

2/2011:

This semester, I gave the students the chance to choose what they would do as a written task in order to practice the structure learned "USED TO". They chose from writing a creative text or writing about a past memory.

When I was a child, I had good memories about my past. But there is one thing that I´ll never forget. It is my favorite place "the park. Until today, my parents go with me and make picnic, play and talk there, every Sunday. I really love this park. (Julia Serpa)

When I was a child, I used to go to a very beautiful forest. There, I used to play with the monkeys, climbing some trees or swimming in the river. But one day, everything changed. Two hunters entered in the forest killing and destroying all they could see. I was very angry, perhaps I couldn´t do anything. When I lost hope, the hunters drank the river´s water and something happened. In some minutes, the became trees. In a few years, the forest recovered herself and I could go there many times. (Marcus)

When I was a child , I used to play outdoors, go to school, draw a lot. It was cool. I used to wake up on Saturdays and see TV Globinho. I didn´t worry about the future. (Maria Carolina)

When I am walking and I see talll trees, I remember parts of my childhood. It was great. I remember that I used to climb a lot of trees as high as I could, but the fear of falling down when I was climbing down was terrible of course. The feeling of climbing the tree, the clallenge that the tree imposed to me was much greater than that little fear, and as long as I saw a tree, I was there climbing it. (Victor)

Sometimes we just forget about how powerful life is and appears in different ways, like a tree, for example. A tree used to be a seed first and it can be a seed for a long time without growing but it doesn´t mean that it doesn´t have any life. It´s like the sun. It´s not because it´s night that the sun is dead. A seed used to be a frozen form of the tree. Then, the tree grows and it´s as complex as an animal life. The tree is there, it can´t talk, it can´t move, it can´t demonstrate its life, but it´s breathing and nurturing, every single day, and it´s because plants exist that there are other forms of life. (Thainá Leão)

In the middle of a forest, near a big city, there used to be two trees. These trees used to shelter small creatures like little fairies, they lived there for many years and they were responsible for protecting the forest and controlling the seasons. One day, men from the big city wanted to destry the forest with machines to cut down the trees and remodel their houses, but the fairies were too small to defend themselves in a fight, so they reclaimed the source of power they had to protect the forest. In the end, they resolved the problem peacefully with the agreement they both left the forest in peace. After that, the place turned into a sacred place for both, representing their love for nature. This used to be a story told from generation to generation about those trees. (Maria Fernanda)

When I was younger, I used to play Super Nintendo. My favorite game was Super Mario World. I liked Rock  n´Roll Racing too, and all the five Bombermen Games. I played those games until today. The new video games aren´t so cool. (João Felipe)

One nostalgic memory I have was when I was a child, I used to live in São Paulo and I had a friend who lived in the same building. We used to go to the groundfloor and play games, ride a scooter and swim. It used to be fun and we spent a lot of time making jokes and having fun . That was one of the best memories I have when I was a child. (Rodrigo)

I used to have an imaginary friend, he was my best friend when I was 4. We used to play cards together and talk a lot , but when I was 5, I didn´t believe anymore in my imaginary friend. (Fernanda)

When I saw a tree,  I remembered my brother. When I was eight, we had one guava tree and we treated the tree like a person. When someone hurt the tree, we used to put one bandage. It was our friend and our club. We used to spend our afternoons on the tree. One day, someone cut down our tree and we stopped going out to play. That was a good time. Now, we can´t come back to this things because we have many things to do.(Dayene)

Mary was sitting under the trees. She used to think and read in a calm place. She used to see birds and the sunset. Mary thought it was beautiful. She would run on the long streets around the trees, sometimes she felt alone but the books had all kinds of characters and everytime she read a book, she used to have a new adventure. (Amanda)

When I was a child with my brother, we used to climb up trees to joke or pick some fruit or to take a break. Normally, we climbed trees to pick fruits and we sometimes needed to climb the trees to pick the ball. I love to climb trees, I´d like to do it now. In the picture, we can see two trees and the space between can be a goal and the trees are good for the environment and I already planted trees and I expect to plant others. I think that little children need to play outside instead of being in front of the computer and the TV. (Sebastien)

Why are they such a pain?

Sometimes I wonder whether teens wake up in morning saying: Today, I´m going to make someone´s life very difficult!!!! It´s amazing how good they are at pushing our buttons (by the way, they know exactly where each button is) , even the most experienced teachers have to figure out ways to deal with their constant nagging, candy eating - which they insist on doing although you have told them a million times not to - their eye rolling and more than ever before, their fiddling with their cell phones. Urghh!!!!!!! Those cell phones!!!! It makes me wonder what´s so important that can´t wait till the end of the class. Task assigned today: a written one. They were supposed to discuss and write about an ad for a travel agency tour. When I said the word write, they all started whining...annoyingly by the way. They only gave in when I told them what that writing would become afterwards. A digital project, in which they are expected to make a poster (with GLOGSTER) with information on the tour and which will provide them with an opportunity to use the vocabulary learned in the lesson. GLOGSTER (www.glogster.com) is a tool that allows us to create colorful posters with pictures, text and videos. Totally awesome. 

Why are they such a pain?

Sometimes I wonder whether teens wake up in morning saying: Today, I´m going to make someone´s life very difficult!!!! It´s amazing how good they are at pushing our buttons (by the way, they know exactly where each button is) , even the most experienced teachers have to figure out ways to deal with their constant nagging, candy eating - which they insist on doing although you have told them a million times not to - their eye rolling and more than ever before, their fiddling with their cell phones. Urghh!!!!!!! Those cell phones!!!! It makes me wonder what´s so important that can´t wait till the end of the class. Task assigned today: a written one. They were supposed to discuss and write about an ad for a travel agency tour. When I said the word write, they all started whining...annoyingly by the way. They only gave in when I told them what that writing would become afterwards. A digital project, in which they are expected to make a poster (with GLOGSTER) with information on the tour and which will provide them with an opportunity to use the vocabulary learned in the lesson. GLOGSTER (www.glogster.com) is a tool that allows us to create colorful posters with pictures, text and videos. Totally awesome. 

Keep swimming ...keep swimming....

Every time I watch the animation Finding Nemo, I have fun with Dory. Especially because she reminds me of myself (I also happen to be forgetful and absent-minded), but recently, I have been experiencing her persistent optimism. There are times when teaching becomes really difficult, a struggle per say, either because we have to deal with so many different people at the same time - people who have different ways of seeing the learning of the language and I dare to say that some resist that in every way - or because all the aspects involved in this craft  demand attention, responsibilities, time, response and dedication. And I have been trying to insert my students in this world called "digital". Writing digital to be precise. And I got to tell you all that "keep swimming" is my latest motto now. I have an intermediate EFL group and since the first week, I´ve been persistently encouraging them to post material in my wiki. I assigned two activities actually, in which they were supposed to describe  a party they´ve been to and also post a link or a picture of a popular festival around the world. At first, nobody did it, which did not surprise me. I expected they wouldn´t. But after some time, little by little, (I mean "reeeeeeeeeally slowly) they started posting. Even the ones I thought would absolutely not do it at all because they didn´t care. For my surprise, they did. And Dory came to my mind. Keep swimming... keep swimming... I´m glad I persisted and I´m happy with the responses I have had so far. 

Keep swimming ...keep swimming....

Every time I watch the animation Finding Nemo, I have fun with Dory. Especially because she reminds me of myself (I also happen to be forgetful and absent-minded), but recently, I have been experiencing her persistent optimism. There are times when teaching becomes really difficult, a struggle per say, either because we have to deal with so many different people at the same time - people who have different ways of seeing the learning of the language and I dare to say that some resist that in every way - or because all the aspects involved in this craft  demand attention, responsibilities, time, response and dedication. And I have been trying to insert my students in this world called "digital". Writing digital to be precise. And I got to tell you all that "keep swimming" is my latest motto now. I have an intermediate EFL group and since the first week, I´ve been persistently encouraging them to post material in my wiki. I assigned two activities actually, in which they were supposed to describe  a party they´ve been to and also post a link or a picture of a popular festival around the world. At first, nobody did it, which did not surprise me. I expected they wouldn´t. But after some time, little by little, (I mean "reeeeeeeeeally slowly) they started posting. Even the ones I thought would absolutely not do it at all because they didn´t care. For my surprise, they did. And Dory came to my mind. Keep swimming... keep swimming... I´m glad I persisted and I´m happy with the responses I have had so far.