Bill Gates once said “Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important”. And that quotation clearly states the main purpose for me of this awesome seminar. Those wonderful days learning about the use of ICT as a big umbrella that convert teachers as resourceful ones, made me think that the solution to motivate students when learning English as an L2 was there.

First, it was a great challenge  because I have never worked and prepared materials for classes using technology, but then, when exploring different tools, apps, programmes, it was like an awesome experience. From that moment on, I think that using technology when teaching English efficiently leads to a successful learning and acquisition of the language. In fact, this seminar helps us discover a bunch of online resources available so as to work with them in a more interactive and technological class, thanks to its significant influence on the teaching environment.

In this blog, I am going to present all the websites we have explored and tools we have worked with. My comments, productions and opinion about them are also going to be shared here.

Let’s enjoy it !

Cools tools for schools: ToonDoo

From all the tools presented in "Cools tools for schools" that are divided into different categories, I have chosen ToonDoo. It is a drawing tool for creating cartoons online about any topic.

I have created one cartoon on the worrisome theme "NI UNA MENOS!", for students in the pre-intermediate level of English, to reflect upon and draw conclusions about it.

Moreover, I prepared another cartoon to introduce Christmas to my little kids.

In fact, , different groups will enjoy working on cartoon creations and also on thinking about them.

TED: Ideas worth spreading

This is a serious website where users can find many influential videos from professional speakers on education, politics, business, and other interesting topics.

What I really like about this site is that you have hundreds of videos available to use when teaching, and depending on the topic that you are working with, you can select a different video. 

I have chosen one called "The power of passion and perseverance", and I would really like to show it, first to my colleagues, and then to my friends, and to some of my students in the intermediate level. We will all end up learning about the significance of having those two qualities, i.e, being passionate and determined.

Prezi

Prezi is a presentation software where you can create great presentations for then, sharing them to other users in our virtual world.

I have used this tool for presenting a chapter from the book “Creativity in the English Language Classroom”.

I really like this took because you can use templates and different bubbles and colours to make a vivid presentation. However, some of the disadvantages of using it when we have to present a work on a certain topic is that we cannot download a prezi anymore, and also, these presentations do not work when we do not have internet connection.

So maybe, sometimes, instead of presenting this tool to students, we could work on other softwares where we can download productions. Actually, students will enjoy exploring those fantastic tools too.

In the following link, you could enjoy my presentation on the chapter:

"Personal and creative short-story telling: telling our stories":

https://prezi.com/djv_1worjli7/personal-and-creative-short-story-telling/

Technology resources awakening curiosity: PowToon

All the tools shown at the slideshare presentation "Technology resources awakening curiosity" are amazing.

To work with, I have chosen PowToon. This is a website where you can make videos in just a few minutes. It is free and easy to use. Moreover, you can use different templates, colours, pictures, videos, music, shapes, fonts, and other visual aids.

I have created a presentation on the"English Institute Rules", for showing it at the beginning of the next year. I think that students will enjoy it and they will also learn about what they should do and should not do in class.

I was amazed at this tool since we can create animated presentations in an easy and interactive way with just some clicks and following some steps. This is a great tool for introducing at secondary school where students can present their works or projects in a creative way. 

Photo Essay : Issu

A photo essay is a series of photographs that conveys a story, usually accompanied by a written text and published as a book. I have uploaded my photo essay on ISSU.

Issu is a digital publishing platform delivering exceptional reading experiences of magazines, catalogues, newspapers, etc. Or you can use it to create a personal library and follow cool publishers.

In my case I used it to share the short story I have written in English Language IV. After adding pictures to my word document, I converted it into a Pdf document and then I uploaded it to this great platform.

https://issuu.com/marimontenegro/docs/short_story_._montenegro

What is so outstanding is that you can share your production with different users all over the world with just sharing the link of it or sharing it on Facebook or other Social Networks.

Interestingly, the audience can enjoy the productions as if they are a real book passing pages with just a click.

I think that it would be great if we implement the use of Issu with adult learners or maybe with students at university of English language I, to share their narratives.

I would like to implement it with my 3rd grade group that are working with descriptions and then, creating an online book all together using this amazing tool.

Mindmap: Cacoo

Cacoo is an online diagram and flowchart software.We used it for creating a diagram on the book Seven complex lessons in education for the future by Edgar Morin.

This tool is easy to use and when creating your diagrams you can use pictures, different shapes, colours, and even emojis. All the necessary elements to create vivid mindmaps are there. Besides, it is useful to use it when students need to do a summary of any topic and they can collaboratively work and participate on the assignment without needing to be in the same place. In fact, from their computers, they all work at the same time. That is incredible.

I think that teenagers and adults can accurately work with such an amazing tool.

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For the birds (Short film to teach values)

Short films are and interactive tool for teaching and learning, and for me, “a must”, for motivating students and engage them on learning. Working with films is an eye catching way of working with different contents.

I have chosen the film  “For the birds” because this video made me think about the importance of teaching values at school. Unfortunately, most of children do not respect the other. One of my groups in my institute is sometimes laughing at others, so I think this is the great opportunity to change their view. I always speak with them and teach them about the significance of respect, but then, they do it again. So, I am going to work on this video for then reflecting.

By using Movie Maker, I have added to it some comment for making it like more interactive. For instance, after the title I wrote: "What do you think this story is about?". Then, when the birds laughed at the lonely one, I wrote "Why are they laughing at the bird?". In this way, the use of this video promote participation and also teach about values in a more attractive way.

Infography: Visme

Infographics are graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge intended to present information quickly and clearly.

I chose Visme to work with.

I designed an infography about "How to smile and live happily". I included different steps with a description and pictures.

We can use this exciting tool for presenting topics in an interesting and eye-catching way to all levels of English.

Created using Visme. An easy-to-use Infographic Maker.

Learning objects: Jigsaw Planet

I chose JIGSAW PLANET to work with because I think that students love playing with puzzles. They make them think carefully and they demands concentration from them .

In this webpage you can upload any image and create the puzzle with the difficulty that you want taking into account  the number of pieces.

In the following pictures, you can see that I create a puzzle with an image about “Animals under the sea” since I am working with students from my institute with that topic. In my opinion, this activity will help them revise all the names of the animals, and after putting the pieces back together, they can describe the animals and name them, thus remembering vocabulary and creating their own productions orally.

In fact, this activity can be used for any group to work with any topic and the only things we have to do are choosing different pictures and changing the puzzles’ difficulty. In the end, students will successfully revise concepts and learn as well.

Innovative Teaching Approach: Padlet

Padlet is an interactive and online wall in which we can organise our life. We can use it with phrases, with summaries for studying, and even with all the things that we have to do or goals to accomplish. We can write or express whatever comes to our mind.

This great wall will help us to arrange our whole life. Moreover, it can help our students to make summaries for exams or write down notes about any topic.

The padlet I created has phrases about Life, to cheer up our friends, mates or  family members.

Podcasting: Voki

Voki is a fantastic tool that let users create avatars in a creative and personal way.

When entering on the page, students can start creating their own avatars by choosing different characters and different backgrounds. Interestingly, they can add a voice to their avatars too. In this way, students can spend lot of time designing an avatar for then showing it to their classmates. In fact, teachers can propose students to use this wonderful tool with any topic they want.

I really liked this tool and I created one avatar for introducing my blog to the first year at secondary school group. As they received the netbook, I proposed them to create a blog for further practice.

If you click on the following link, you can look at my avatar: http://tinyurl.com/y6uszwo5.

Scoop it !

Scoop it is an interesting platform in which we can upload or share different contents according to our interests.

On my account (Mari Montenegro),  I created an album to follow with the topic "Teaching English at Schools", and inside it, the pages I scooped and rescooped appear.

I think that this site is amazing for being informed and discovering new trends and thoughts.

http://www.scoop.it/u/mari-montenegro

Word Clouds

Word it out is an online tool where you can make graphical representations of word frequency.

You can choose the colours and fonts, and creatively design a word cloud. They can help students when studying certain topic and revise important vocabulary.

I designed a word cloud with all the significant personal traits for teachers such as careful, wise and patient.

I could implement the use of word clouds in my classes as warm-up activities. For instance, with one of my institute groups,  I am working with animals under the sea, so after playing with the puzzle, we can make a word cloud all together for vocabulary revision and enjoyment.

Collage & Banner

For making collages and banners, I have used Canva. It is an exciting website that makes design simple for everyone. You can create designs for webs, blogs, banners, collages, posters or invitations. It is easy to use and also, it is incredible as users can create what they want in a fast way.

When I first explored the site I was amazed with such a thing. I wanted to design something that calls the attention, but at the same time, that makes readers feel happy about it.

With creativity, I design like a welcome collage to a city called “Happiness” and in it, I show pictures of its inhabitants giving some pieces of advice when visiting the town.

I can use it for students as a warm up for then, let them describe the town as they wish, using descriptive vocabulary, feelings and their opinion.

Welcome to happiness! de Mari Montenegro

Flipped Classroom

When using Flipped Classroom, we implement a new way of teaching and learning through watching some videos online, usually at home.
On the one hand, it facilitates our students’ learning, and at the same time, it motivates them to work.
On the other hand, when giving students videos to work at home, we need to take into account that not all students have internet connection, so saving videos on a CD will be an option.

For using this incredible method, I will work with the video called "Momentos" and I will present it to a group of teenagers, who are learning English as a Second Language. By using the video, we can work on questions and make students think about the story deeply.

1) Why is the video called Momentos?

2) Why is the man homeless? What is he doing there?

3) Why does he smile when watching a little girl on the tv?

4) How did he feel when meeting his daughter?

This activity would help students to learn new concepts such as "homeless", and to participate more in class and interact with their classmates

Creativity in the English Language classroom

This is an interesting book from the British Council, edited by Alan Maley and Nick Peachey. It helps teachers to develop creativity in the language classroom, which is not an easy task to accomplish.

I have chosen one chapter from the book to analyse and then, I created a prezi presentation: https://prezi.com/djv_1worjli7/edit/#1_95982358.

Chapter 5: "Personal and creative storytelling: telling our stories", was written by David Heathfield. He states that story telling is a deeply creative part of being human and that, we learn about ourselves from the stories we are told and the stories we tell. What is important to mention is that he tells readers that the classroom is seen as a good environment for storytelling, where students learn to communicate creatively in English.

In my opinion, this chapter is great because we, as teachers, can find many small group activities for students to speak, thus promoting creativity in our classrooms and engaging our students on learning. As David says, "we need to encourage students not only to pay attention but also to build on each other's responses and develop as a community of learners".

Webquest

A Webquest is an inquiry-oriented online tool for learning, that has to do with research and involve group work. The information required comes from sites already selected by the teacher.

During the Seminar, I prepared a webquest with one of my classmates about "exploring cultures", in which students will have to do a research about culture and then, analyse three different ones.

Definitely, working with webquests sounds interesting as students can be motivated by having all the instructions there, and then working on the internet. So, researches will be done in an accurate and creative way.

"Exploring Cultures" from Beluky

Slideshare

Slideshare is a useful site for uploading documents, pdf and videos, and then sharing them with other users around the World. When I first used it in Practice II, I thought that it was a difficult site to work with, but now, I really like it and I use it with my blog. In my opinion, this site is so nice for uploading books or texts when being teaching at secondary school since students are constantly using the website, and even they prefer reading bibliography online.

When attending the Seminar on ICT, I have uploaded the questions on the video about ubiquitous learning. You can also find on my slideshare a lesson plan based on a short story, in which students listened to the story "Giraffes can't dance" and then, solving some activities.
Moreover, we can use it for sharing some presentations or steps to do a given task

This wonderful tool helped teachers organise themselves and also for providing students important documents to read or guides and activities to do.




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Ubiquitous learning. from Marilina Montenegro

Short Story telling, Giraffes can't dance from Marilina Montenegro

Exploration of visual presentation tools: Slides

By exploring and using this incredible tool, I created an eye-catching presentation for students to let their imagination flies and create their own story. 

I used amazing and sweet pictures and I wrote some hints to fill the gaps such as title. 

In this way, students can write different productions according to their ideas. 

As teachers, we can use slides for different contents, and with just a click design our own material for an interactive teaching. Students will end up enjoying the topic and learning as well.