Dear Access teachers,
One of the most resourceful online tools for teaching English is the blog. This week we will be exploring various educational blogs and will learn to create a class blog, a project blog, or a teacher blog.
Task 1: Watch the video below and explain in no less than 300 words how blogs can be used in the classroom. Post your comments below, as a reply to this post.
Task 2: Explore the educational blogs embedded below. Choose 3 you like best and explain why they caught your attention in no less than 300 words. Explain what the function of the blog is, what type of information is placed on the blog, how the teacher communicates with the students, how homework is collected and evaluated and which other online tools are connected to the blogs.
a) English Teacher's Blog
b) My Teaching Portfolio
c) Irina's Teacher Portfolio
d) Becoming a Better EFL Teacher
e) Sharing Learning
f) The English Blog
g) English for Everyone Blog
h) EL Civics for EFL Students Blog
i) Student Showcase Blog
j) English is Fun Blog
k) Learning to learn English
A few useful tips for you. Blogs can be used to:
- post student power point presentations, videos and pictures
- share homework with our students
- post books, articles, videos we want our students to read or watch
- give feedback to our students
- share what we do in class with parents and school administration
- collect the best student projects
- create our own digital CV / teacher portfolio
- teach in a creative, artistic way
- reflect what our school does
- collaborate with our colleagues
- post online flashcards and worksheets
- collect student responses (online quizzes and surveys)
- encourage our students to create digital portfolios
Good luck creating your blogs this week!
Task 3: You received an invitation by email to create a blog using Weebly. Accept the invitation, create a blog and follow the instructions below:
1. Create your own blog similar to the examples listed in Task 2.
2. Your blog should have at least 3 pages: Lesson Plans, Useful Resources and Student Projects.
3. Post one of your lesson plans on your new blog in the "Lesson Plans" section.
4. Embed a YouTube video and a PDF Book from Google Books (For example: English Grammar) or Scribd (For example: Grammar Games) in the "Useful Resources" section (See examples HERE).
5. Post a slideshow with pictures representing your students on your blog (See examples HERE).
6. Post the link to your newly created blog below, as a comment to this post.
Task #1
ReplyDeleteSince this on-line tool give the possibility to integrate variety in the Learning Process and there are few areas it can address: Listening, Reading, Communication Skills, Cultural Integration, I think blog can be used as a good on-line platform for teachers and students.
First, this on-line tool stimulates students to read a lot and write (when posting their opinions regarding on of the topics or simply replying to their colleagues’ postings). Within a blog teacher still have control over what his/her learners are reading and what they are writing. I would use these advantages to assess the homework if it implies consulting some supplementary resources and I don’t want my students to access useless or even harmful information.
Since most of blogs have a program that detects the spelling mistakes it may reduce the misspelling and make easier to follow students’ grammatical errors.
Another issue I could solve by integrating the blog into my lessons would be the Power Point presentations: usually it takes a lot of time when students are presenting their assessment in form of a Power Point, discourse, or text summarization.
If they record these presentations using an on-line tool like “movenote.com”, it will give the possibility to check all the students’ homework and I could avoid monotony during lessons.
On the other hand I, as a teacher have the chance to give feedback by posting my commentaries for each presentation apart.
Moreover, my learners could see their colleagues’ presentations, the commentaries to these presentations and even post their own opinion.
Respectfully,
Daria
Hincesti
Daria, I couldn't agree with you more! Blogs can be used to post and share powerpoint presentations, video projects and feedback. They do encourage students to write more and improve their English writing, speaking and reading skills. Good luck with Tasks 2 and 3!
ReplyDeleteTask #3
ReplyDeleteThis is my blog: http://littlemarmade.weebly.com/
Respectfully,
Daria
Hincesti
Hello Daria, I saw your blog and I liked it very much. Yes, you are right about the challenges of creating a blog. You need time, inspiration and patience, but when you have it done it will save your time and make lessons less boring. Good luck!
DeleteDaria, your blog is a great start! Please add more information about yourself, accompanied by your picture in the ”About” section: http://littlemarmade.weebly.com/about.html
ReplyDeleteThank you a lot for the tips and tutorials you posted.
DeleteCreating a blog is a little challenging and these prompts will surely make our work easy.
Respectfully,
Daria
Hincesti
Task #2
ReplyDeleteThe three blogs I liked most are: English is Fun Blog, EL Civics for EFL Students Blog and English Teacher's Blog.
EL Civics for EFL Students Blog:
It is a blog for teachers and less can be used by school students. Still it could be useful for University students, if his/ her future job will be the work with children.
Though the materials it provides are addressed to develop civic skills, I already “grabbed” some ideas and resources I could easily apply in my 5th, 6th forms. I liked a lot the “Hidden Picture Worksheets”, which are printable and free. The author suggests using these pictures when having lessons with pre-literate ESL students, but they could be easily utilized in 6th form when covering the topic “Traveling by Plane”, “Holidays”, “Animals”, etc.
English is Fun Blog:
This blog is addressed to students and it serves as a good tool for providing instructions and checking homework outside the lesson time.
Teacher has the possibility to assess students’ product (homework) without having a face to face discussion. In order to avoid the misunderstanding the instructions are clearly formulated, all the links to sites are given, so that students have no equations regarding “How to do it?” On the other hand, the learners are offered the chance to put to work a great variety of interactive online tools: they have to complete padlets or use Madmagz, Picturetrail, Voki when registering their opinion (reaction) or expressing their own definition for a specific term (types of arts).
English Teacher's Blog:
has a well structured interface that offers a clear picture of what material / task to each form is addressed). Students may perform their home task by posting their answers in the comments section or simply by copying the grammar exercise in their copybooks.
Respectfully,
Daria
Hincesti
Hello!
DeleteDaria, I am happy you found many interesting things on the blogs I shared with you. I hope they will inspire you to work on your on platform this and next week.
DeleteTask #1
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with these amazing kids about opportunities that blog provides: blogging is reading, learning from comments, spelling tips, building social relations with the readers and other bloggers in different communities around the world etc.
In classroom, blog can be used as instructional resources.
For example, blog provides a forum to allow students to leave comments and interact with the teacher, for this reason it’s a good opportunity to advance students English language skills by sharing their own opinion in a group discussion and to secure better benefits from writing practice.
I would like to mention that the blog is an effective tool to integrate both teacher's and students’ feedback practice into learning process.
Also, via class blog we can provide information about different topics, events, programs and to highlight different aspects, thus students are invited to express their point of view, impressions, expectations, and even their fears about it.
In addition, blogging you hang out with your friends and classmates, you make new friends and it is a lot of fun.
HAPPY BLOGGING!
Natalia, this is a great start! I am sure tasks 2 and 3 will be even more inspiring for you. Keep collecting great practical ideas from various educational blogs and start working on your own blog.
DeleteDear Natalia,
DeleteI am happy that you have found and listed so many ways to use the blog in teaching English. I wanted to mention one more advantage. When you post the results of your students' work on the blog- pictures, poems,essays, etc., it becomes an online copybook that parents can open anytime to see what their children do during their classes and how well they are doing it. Or, it may help the parents check whether their child has done his homework or not, if you post it online... We all know that, sometimes, students tend to lie and say they don't have any homework :)
I know how enthusiastic you are about creating your blog, and I am absolutely sure that your students will like it, given your willingness to come up with creative and interesting things for them.
Good luck!
Task #1
ReplyDeleteStudents enjoy blogging, as using a blog makes learning independent of time and place. It gets students engaged and boost their motivation while also promoting their communication skills.Just like other asynchronous media, blogs give time to the students to reflect on their work. Blogging also fosters the learning bonds between teachers and students. It gives a chance to shy students to participate with their peers and make their voices heard. Obviously, it also fosters the development of writing and research skills as well as digital skills.
In the classroom, we can use activities, games, puzzles to enrich the students' learning experiences. Moreover, we can post weekly challenges such as a riddles or brainteasers that require students to think creatively and critically. Students could post their answers on the blog and then discuss the solutions with the whole class at the end of the week. This might tremendously improve their problem-solving skills while keeping things interesting.
Hello Margarita, you are working as an experienced teacher. You have found the most useful and interesting ways of using blogs in the classroom. I think your ability to combine students' and teachers' needs and interests are amazing.
DeleteThank you, Daria! I'm flattered to hear such things from professionals. Well, I work with a great teacher, so you could say I learn from the best!
DeleteMargarita, what a nice list of ideas on how to integrate blogs in teaching English! Good luck with Tasks 2 and 3. See you tomorrow online, through Google Hangouts.
ReplyDeleteHi!! Thanks a lot for the amazing video, as well about the provided information. I completely agree that using blogs in teaching English is a great innovation. Publishing assignments,sharing resources, also keeping up-to-date the students, as well their parents to the coming events, special dates for their class makes teaching more accessible and effective for everyone: teacher, student, parent. Students get access to publish their written tasks, also to comment their peers on a particular topic which make them feel quite important in the whole process of teaching-learning. The only challenge I personally can see for our ACCESS group is lack of Internet access for some of the students. As ACCESS students were selected as the students coming from social-vulnerable families, we can't expect each of them having and using moderm technologies at home. We also can't exclude the students who don't use the Interner because of their family/tradition/religion prohibition. So here I'd like to ask a question to those who's had this situation. How should we proceed not to discriminate these students and exclude them from the group?
ReplyDeleteSvetlana, one of the advantages of using blogs is the fact that students can work online any time they have access to a computer and from anywhere, home, school, library, public wi fi network. At this point you need to find out where your students could have access to the Internet: is there a computer lab in your school? are there computers in the school library? is there an American Corner in your city or village? is there a Novateca library with computers in your city or village, etc.
Deletedear Daniela. Thanks much for your promt answer. Yes, I understand they can work from somewhere. But we're not at school and not all of them have internet at home. At their school they have no possibility to use the computers. To use public Wifi they need to own moder gagets - unfortunately they don't have them I dont speak about the majority. These are just 2 of our students, they live in the villages, have no novateca library in their community. They can't come to the town for Inetrnet access, as it costs too much for their families. About the American Corner - we don't have it neither in Causeni nor in the villages. But haveing even at least one students with disadvantages I feel very uncomfortable to ask the whole group to do any online tasks at home. So this is the question, how to implement these tasks with ACCESS groups? I understand that a regular student nowadays have more than enough at home, both laptop, and a smartphone... but we work not with regular students, but those with disadvatages and we can't hurt them and feel even worse getting impossiblle to do tasks. thanks. Svetlana
DeleteI am sorry to hear that, Svetlana. I wish all your students had access to computers and Internet in their local school, which would have saved the problem of not owning a personal laptop, tablet or cell phone connected to the Internet. Let's hope that soon all schools around Moldova will be properly equipped, so that teachers can prepare the students to succeed in a digital world. Keep your hopes up!
DeleteDear Sveltana, we face the same challenges of technology access here in the US, there are many assignments that require computers and about 20% in my city only have limited access in school. Additionally, many teachers are communicating through social media or secure school Internet programs with the parents. Once again it puts the families that do not have access to computers at a distinct disadvantage. This is a real problem, and I personally think we need to be very cognizant of it or the divide between the "haves" and "have nots" will only deepen.
ReplyDeleteBest,
Sheryl
dear Sheryl, thanks for your answer. I really appreciate your answer!!
DeleteAll the best!
Svetlana
Svetlana, I've really enjoyed hearing your comments - it's a pleasure!
ReplyDeleteBest,
Sheryl
Task #1
ReplyDeleteTalking about importance and use of blogs in our classroom it is worth starting from the very definition of the word. It is a network journal, a journal of events,that has its main content , where comments are added regularly, along with pictures,images,opinions,news. Its functions vary, starting from entertainment, self-presentation, writing memoirs and coming to self-development, getting together and communication. It is important to say, that blog of course has its pedagogical value when we talk about studying English.
When we use blogs in the classroom, we combine both traditional approach of Teacher –Student interaction and we use many (if not all) on-line instruments, such as internet,video,audio,subtitles and others. For children such approach becomes an appropriate one, as it is not only new and different, but it is easier for them to comprehend the new information through what they see, watch, listen and discuss simultaneously. Moreover, teacher is always aware about the progress of the students and they are constantly communicating.
This type of work is appropriate for all the subjects. However such approach in English class makes this an interdesciplinary subject. It helps both teacher and students to develop those important skills, such as reading,writing,speaking, listening and of course critical thinking, that is so important in today speedy developing world, in which children are living.
To discuss a book,a movie, to teach grammar rules,to describe a person – all these and other topics can be taught using blogs, where visual and audio support is beneficial for our students. And incorporating blog into classroom activities—is a fantastic and important way to teach students and develop themelves as well.
Welcome back, Emma! I am sure your experience in the EFL Blogging School project is going to be of great inspiration for your new Access colleagues.
DeleteDear Emma,
DeleteYou described in a very explicit manner the importance of using blogs in our teaching world. The very definition of the blog clearly shows all the advantages of the platform's usage, and you depicted it very well.
I liked how you wrote in detail about the directions of operating a blog: discussing books or movies, teaching grammar rules or describing a person. These topics are random, but represent some interesting ways of learning online, and the students would certainly be interested to find out more.
Best Regards,
Margarita
Daniela, yes, you are absolutely right-- this is very inspiring indeed !!!! And thank you for being this inspirational Element (if I may put it so with your permission) for me !!!
ReplyDeleteTask #2
ReplyDeleteAll of the investigated blogs are really very interesting and each has its unique value.
I would stop on the following: English is Fun – is a blog of one of our colleagues from EFL Blogging School—the fact that seems to me should be mentioned. From the very first page it is seen that the teacher has a special charisma towards the work she does. All the pages and the background and colors with the words – are deliberately chosen. All the assignments have certain pedagogical purpose and the instructions are described properly. It is an educational blog and there are also the elements of entertainment, that plays the attractive role for the target group. One can find various tools here, like video, audio, glogster along with some traditional approaches, that are also of a great value. The on-line communication through blog helps the teacher to always be aware about the students’ progress and tempo and keep in touch through evaluation and interaction.
Becoming a better EFL teacher Blog—attracted my eye with its articles, that touch various serious issues, topics, where the ideas and expressions are difficult but challenging. The level of vocabulary is rather high. Some articles are for self-development, the others are scientific. Within an article we can see the links and accessing them brings us onto another level, other topic. As a teaching tool it can be used to improve and raise the level of both vocabulary and knowledge.
The English Blog – is another resource for both teachers and students. Each article has either a video tool or pictures with the explanations and description. What is very useful is that there are samples with short quizes that is an immediate support for both teachers and students. This blog is both teaching and informative, can serve as help for English classes and the other subjects, as it has a huge amount of topics.
Emma, you are an expert on bloggin already and I hope that working with Access will offer you the opportunity to engage even more students in exciting online activities!
DeleteDear Emma,
DeleteYou describe in details your colleague's blog and I appreciate this. You are right to point out first of all the way the blog is designed, because this is really importan, but not less important is the content. Good luck in using blogs for future.
As for me, English is Fun Blog is one of the best.
ReplyDeleteThis blog is addressed to students and it serves as a good tool for providing instructions and checking homework outside the lesson time.
Teacher has the possibility to assess students’ product (homework) without having a face to face discussion. In order to avoid the misunderstanding the instructions are clearly formulated, all the links to sites are given, so that students have no equations regarding “How to do it?” On the other hand, the learners are offered the chance to put to work a great variety of interactive online tools: they have to complete padlets or use Madmagz, Picturetrail, Voki when registering their opinion (reaction) or expressing their own definition for a specific term (types of arts).
When we use blogs in the classroom, we combine both traditional approach of Teacher –Student interaction and we use many (if not all) on-line instruments, such as internet,video,audio,subtitles and others. For children such approach becomes an appropriate one, as it is not only new and different, but it is easier for them to comprehend the new information through what they see, watch, listen and discuss simultaneously. Moreover, teacher is always aware about the progress of the students and they are constantly communicating. n the classroom, we can use activities, games, puzzles to enrich the students' learning experiences. Moreover, we can post weekly challenges such as a riddles or brainteasers that require students to think creatively and critically. Students could post their answers on the blog and then discuss the solutions with the whole class at the end of the week. This might tremendously improve their problem-solving skills while keeping things interesting.
Dear Vera, one of the advantages of using blogs is the fact that students can work online any time they have access to a computer and from anywhere, home, school, library, public wi fi network.
DeleteWish you good luck!
Vera, I am glad you identified easily the key components of blogging as a teaching tool. We will be looking forward to following your teacher blog and all the interesting projects you will be publishing online. Good luck!
DeleteTask #1:
ReplyDeleteUsing blogs is a very useful and free of charge tool to implement our projects/ post homeworks at a higher speed and with more possibilities. A blog has many advntages as: posting links, texts, audio files, videos,,,; giving feedback to all the students' opinions, links, homework; solving faster some trobles/ misunderstanding regarding some of the discussed topics. When using a blog not only teachers are active, but students as well, via posting comments, sharing links, posting their homework, project ideas.... and this way making the process of checking and sharing a more interesting and effective one. Everybody has the chance to see, comment and colaborate while working on such a online tool. so, it's fast, efficient, open and limitless.
Respectfully, Gheorghe
Gheorghe, I couldn't agree more - blogging is limitless in terms of offering valuable educational experiences to students. I hope that this assignment will encourage you to run your own blog and to post various interesting materials online.
DeleteGherghe , I also agree with you that the using blogs has a lot of advantages.Through this method are present the teacher's and students' work. Through implication in blog the students represent their skills and their activity .Analyzing students' work the teacher can check their grammatical mistakes and know that to draw attention to the lesson. An important advantage is that these activities can see everyone.
DeleteTask #2:
ReplyDeleteThrough the given resources, I really like the English is Fun blog. It has its unique approach regarding some points. It's a great method to share information as links, audio files, videos, write about the lessons' plans, activities, plans and homework. I think that the great thing about this blog is in it's design and usefulness. The peson who is responsible for managing it is atentive on every single posting, image, color, size and shape of the info. It is attractive and includes some stuff dedicated just for lessons, classwork and homework, but in the same time some awesome links for self-improving and students' integration while working on some specific tasks. It's open and free of useless information, everyone would like to work on such a blog because of the teacher's interest and activism. I think that teacher is always a model, and when students see that they are helped, adiviced, taken into consideration and there is absolutely no discrimination or difference between any of them. That's great. I believe that blogs are of a real use especially after exploring this well-organised, well-working one.
Task #3:
ReplyDeleteThis is our blog. Hope you like it.
http://www.accesscauseni.weebly.com/
Dear Svetlana and Gheorghe,
DeleteI loved the pictures and ideas on your blog! The students all look so happy, you can tell that it is a wonderful group. I think your links have great potential, the ideas on the "Useful Resources" were creative, they were definitely food for thought. I know this is still a work in progress, I wish you the best as you continue.
Best,
Sheryl
Dear Svetlana and Gheorghe,
DeleteI found your blog beautiful! All the pictures portray the happiness that the ACCESS project usually brings, and it's heart-warming to see a group of young students being involved and working together! Keep up the good work.
Best Regards,
Margarita
Svetlana and Gheorghe - what a great start of your blogging experience! I am sure your blog will become a valuable online place for your students to access interesting resources, to publish their homework, to comment on each other's projects and even connect to their peers from other countries.
ReplyDeleteTask #1
ReplyDeleteNo doubt, blogs are a useful online tool that allow both students and teachers organize their time properly. I mean, using blogs we can kill two birds with one stone. Students read other students' opinions and write theirs; they can post all the kinds of homework(links, videos, PowerPoint Presentations) there and the teacher is able and available to give feedback for their comments very fast. I think, reading others' comments students unconsciously develop their writing skills, because they try not to repeat the words of their colleagues, or at least they try to repeat the same thing through different words :)
Students get used to collaborate with each other and frankly speaking, they are more willing to work within a blog, than simply writing the homework for regular lessons.
In conclusion, I'd like to mention that using blogs is a perfect way to turn on students' activity.
Absolutely true - blogs can help teachers combine traditional teaching with digital instruction, writing on a blackboard and posting comments online.
DeleteTask #2
ReplyDeleteThe blogs that impressed me most of all are: "English is Fun Blog", "English for Everyone Blog" and "The English Blog". The first thing I've paid attention to is their content - the core of a blog. That's what people basically want to see in a blog, but its design is important too. Students won't like using a blog which seems unattractive and sophisticated.The blogs I've chosen are easy to surf on and they contain tons of useful stuff.
The meaning of all blogs is sharing whatever information. These blogs have the meaning to teach not only students, but also teachers. They have all the content we need: Lesson plans, Videos, Podcasts, Games, Tests, Tips for using several online tools, links to other useful resourses etc.All of these are sorted in That's amazing! Everything we need is on our screen. We certainly profit from using blogs. It's easy to share all the kind of content I've mentioned above and to check the homework written in comments by students. The search engines of the blogs ease the process of searching content within the blog.
Mike, you are the first to point out that blogs also need to be well designed and should not be too sophisticated. I can't wait to see the blog you will create!
DeleteMike,
Deleteto have a blog means to be well-organized. Of course, there are contents that might be used for the English lessons, if they are very well structured on a blog pages and very easy to use. When you build your blog, you will need a huge motivation and little time every day.
Task #3
ReplyDeleteThis is my Blog, that was created while being EFL School Project participant.
And now I will start to create and adapt some pages for the Access goals.
But because it is Task #3, so i post the link.
http://emmamatreniuc.weebly.com/
Emma, your Voki looks exactly like you! :)
ReplyDeleteOh,Daniela, it reminded me on how hard i tried, how many times I tortured you with my complainings that something didn't work and I was confused..... Thank you now again and again for being soooooo very tolerant !!!!!
ReplyDeleteTask #3 -- some new pics as an addition to Blog
ReplyDeletehttp://emmamatreniuc.weebly.com/themes-for-english-classes
Emma, you have a nice blog. Continue enrich it with Access students' activities. You may also include their skype homeworks as well.
DeleteThank you,Svetlana! I have been observing how our students behave and are involved into skype lessons and the topics, you offer them. They seem to be very interested and we see how they put down and make notes on what you are telling them and the tasks you suggest. For them this is an absolutely new way of learning and they are feeling really unusual indeed. However, naturally seem to be a little awkward. We will continue on this path further. Thank you .
ReplyDeleteTask #3
ReplyDeleteThis is our blog
http://accessribnita.weebly.com/
Good job, Mihai!
DeleteEverybody will see the work you, as a team, do. Nice pictures and inspiring work.
Success! I will keep following your activities on the blog.
Task #3
ReplyDeleteI'm very proud to present our amazing blog "LOVE TO LEARN ENGLISH" ;)
Thanks a lot for guiding and supporting us during this hard way.
Looking forward for your appreciations ;)
http://love-to-learn-english.weebly.com/
ReplyDelete