ELTchat Summary Ist May 2013 Criteria for Evaluating Web-based tools

May 1^st ELTChat Summary: What are your criteria for evaluating web based tools?

 The moderators of #ELTchat are still working their way through the wealth of material available from the video sessions of IATEFLonline.

This week was no exception and the discussion centred on Nik Peachey’s session on the criteria needed to decide which web-based tools to use for the classroom.

It seems as though many of the participants of the chat, although not all of them, were at the live session, which, for those who haven’t seen it, or would like to watch it again, can be found here http://iatefl.britishcouncil.org/2013/sessions/2013-04-11/evaluating-web-based-tools-language-instruction

So- the suggestion was to start by looking at Nik’s list, and then to finish up with our own criteria. Nik’s list was collated on tricider,an online poll/brainstormer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvLuwL9Quzw

Nik's List :  https://tricider.com/en/brainstorming/ntNY

Teacherphili  thought the list was thorough and covered all the bases.

Marisa_C  pointed out that the criteria would depend on the school or teacher  making decisions about what was workable in their situation. In schools which have equipment there would be different needs to schools which have little access to technology. She suggested that she would create a list to suit her own teaching situation.

Wiktor_K asked for the definition of accessibility, which theteacherjames explained as being a cross-platform application. This is an important factor, as students who bring their own devices will use a variety of ios and android systems. And in eannegrenoble’s case she has network security problems too. Some applications are only available on one operating system at the moment, which makes them less useful for class work.

So we started looking at our list.....

Are we looking at Apps or Web-based tools?

Both! Marisa mentioned that she doesn't have access to apps in class, so web tools were her preference. Others were more interested in apps, but the criteria applies to both of them. 

Apps can be used as a prompt for teaching language and digital literacy too.

                               

Does cost matter?

This question aroused plenty of responses. Did it matter if it was for the teacher’s use, or the student’s?  Most of us thought that it would be worth paying for tools if the premium version delivered a better product. 

hartle made a good point about the chance of free tools being withdrawn from the market. Or, once you are reliant on them, they could start charging. Marisa worried about losing content, and hartle agreed as she had also lost content when tools disappeared unexpectedly. 

Wiktor_K recommended a book http://t.co/1156orQsL7 

Another problem with free tools is the amount of advertising which creeps in. MrChrisJWilson suggested using the adblocker plugin for chrome and added a word of warning: apps with ads drain device batteries fast!

The point was made  that we often advise our students to buy a particular course book  so why not an app? In fact, these could be more effective, and less costly than said course book  It was also suggested that asking students to pay might be seen as discriminatory, so perhaps recommendations should suffice:-)

Shaunwilden mentioned some institutions which have sets of tablets, and who are willing to pay for useful apps. For most of us that would be a dream, but the reality is that it would be more likely to hit our pockets. For institutions who do buy the tools, it is possible to get a reduction for bulk orders.

How useful are bilingual apps?

MarjorieRosenbe worried that they might promote laziness. nfholloway_neil warned against mistranslations , particularly with higher level students. eannegrenoble agreed, and her comment showed that she had also had some experience with dodgy translations. Marjorie suggested that monolingual dictionaries and corpora were also valuable tools.

 So what would our criteria be?

• Usability – a good interface is rarely remarkable but a bad interface is the perfect excuse not to use the tool.(Wiktor_K) For my students: cost and ease of use are essential (hartle) simple tools work the best (teacherphili) If my students can’t use it then it doesn’t matter how good it is(MrChrisJWilson)
• Versatility – if we invest time and money,  the app needs to be able to have more than one use (naomishema)
•  Does something well – a great tool which does one thing brilliantly is a must-have (Wiktor_K)
• Engaging and motivating- Students like it – students need to be willing to use it, not just us (Notyetlanguage)
• Cross platform- is it difficult to find apps that work across all the platforms? (theteacherjames)
• Learning goals and outcomes- pedagogical value (teacherphili)It’s got to have teaching value (theteacherjames)
•  Useful and appropriate- or why would students use them (hartle)
•  Ownership :who owns the app/content/contributions?(Wiktor)

· 

We then decided to share our favourite apps, in no particular order:

1.      Wiggio- for interactivity and a great variety of free tools

2.      Facebook (blocked in some schools, but not out of them)

3.      Edmodo

4.      Vicky Hollett’s One minute videos

5.      http://t.co/P1UOVygANO  Box

6.      Skydrive

7.      Dropbox

8.      Screencastomatic

9.      Youtube

10.  Ipad favourites from James http://t.co/7vqgTygCCK

11.  Shaunwilden’s blog http://t.co/QdTxRBdhHk

12.  voicethread

13.  blurp

14.  storywheel

15.  Jing

16.  Socrative

17.  Glimpse

18.  Evernote ( especially if used with its family of apps e.g skitch which lets you annotate photos)

19.   Voki

20.  Photobabble

21.  openCloud (but you need your own server)

22.  PEO (CUP website)

23.  Moodle (Although not everyone loved this one))

24.  IFTTT

25.  Zapier

There are many tools/ apps out there, which are not specifically designed for pedagogical, or andragogical, purposes. Using the above criteria it should be possible to sort out the wheat from the chaff, and make informed decisions about their value-to you as a teacher, or to your learners. HAPPy hunting:-)


Pictures used courtesy of #ELTpics.

ELTchat Summary 13th March 2013 :Essential/key tech resources in a developing teacher’s toolbox- memberships, gadgets, training, equipment etc. Recommendations for what to spend a personal resource budget on.’

ELTchat Summary Wednesday 13^th March 2013

So- you are teacher, looking for some on-line CPD (Continuous Professional Development)   

Where do you start?

I would like to recommend #ELTchat, which takes place on twitter each Wednesday at either 12.00GMT or 21.00 GMT.  There you will find many English Language Teaching professionals happily sharing knowledge and experience.

 The subject of this Wednesday evening’s discussion was ‘Essential/key tech resources in a developing teacher’s toolbox- memberships, gadgets, training, equipment etc. Recommendations for what to spend a personal resource budget on.’

Professional development can take many forms - it doesn't really matter what we do as long as we do something, according to @theteacherjames. As long as we can define what is needed and choose from the available options we will be fine. But new teachers need a starting point, a way to access the information and inform themselves about the scholarships and conferences which could be open to them.

What should be in a CPD toolbox?

1.     Social networking tools

We began by looking at twitter, and continued by looking at other social media sites. These are an excellent way to build your own PLN (Professional Learning Network).

We agreed that it takes time and patience to build your PLN if you want it to reflect your situational needs. A good place to start would be to follow the participants of ELTchat itself.

Twitter can help you find answers to professional questions in a very timely fashion.

Facebook was offered as another social tool; perhaps the character limitations of twitter could be a deterrent for some. Facebook offers the same PLN-building capabilities, and is also a useful way to share photos and video clips.

The professional site Linked-In was also mentioned. As well as containing some extremely good discussion forums aimed at teachers, it provides a great way to advertise yourself, or find out what is available in the job market.

Depending on your wishes, there are some free Nings and Yahoo groups worth investigating. And don’t forget Google + J

2.     Blogs

Reading blogs written by others provides a super learning opportunity, and commenting on them can be beneficial too. This makes your ideas known to a wider audience and gives you a shared sense of belonging. Of course, some teachers prefer to write their own blogs and these can facilitate reflective practice, as can any feedback from the commentators.

These are all great ways of networking with similar-minded professionals, and one of the advantages is the equality shared by all participants in the group. No-one stands on ceremony!

3.     Conferences and webinars

Another benefit is that you will be made aware of any upcoming conferences and webinars, both face-to-face and online. You will find out about interesting articles and new approaches to teaching and learning.

The above are all free resources, making our toolbox a bargain in terms of cost versus effectiveness.

4.     Membership of a professional body

But there is also the option to take out a membership subscription with IATEFL, an associate, or a similar, perhaps local, professional body. It was pointed out that the cost is not always within the reach of teachers in all countries, but fortunately there is free access to many of their webinars. @Shaunwilden pointed out that the elt publishers often run webinars too, and again, these are always advertised on whichever social media platform you  happen to use. The problem is that there are so many opportunities around, it is necessary to control the information overload and decide which webinars to attend.

5.     Online courses

In January and February the Electronic Village Online (EVO) offers free 5-week courses on a variety of topics of interest. This is CPD of very high quality, with an option to become a Webhead at the end of the programme. The Webheads run a CPD workshop every Sunday throughout the year, as well as having a Yahoo group, Wiki and a Ning.

There are also programmes which lead to CPD such as the CertICT or CertIBET, but these are an expensive option when money is limited.

6.     Journals

There are journals where a subscription is necessary, such as ETP, MET and the ELTjournal. Signing up to  the digital edition of ELgazette is free and there are many other online journals which do not cost anything.

7.     Podcasts

ELTchat has a series of CPD podcasts available, http://t.co/OfBOH9W3hX

It is also worth looking in the i-tunes U collection for Open University podcasts. Just put English Language teaching into the search bar and it offers some interesting material.

How do you manage the sheer amount of material coming in your direction?

It would easily be possible to spend one’s day reading blogs or catching up with favourite articles. As most of us have a job to do as well, this means that we miss out on information, or would need to spend every spare minute glued to our internet access.

@theteacherjames suggested that you need to develop an understanding of what is relevant and useful to you, and what isn’t. It takes time to develop your own filters and become selective. Skimming what is available is fine, if you have the time to spare, but the key word must be ‘prioritise’!

A simple way to set aside material to read at a later time is to favourite it on twitter. It is then saved awaiting your convenience.  James suggested emailing it to yourself- as long as you have a policy of clearing out your account regularly. @joannacre suggested flagging the messages to not forget or delete them by mistake.

Personally, I like Google for bookmarking and rationalising things I find and want to keep.

@Marisa_C has been collecting curation tools at the following address http://t.co/TXFBjxNIvJ

@knolinfos offered us a scoop it selection too http://t.co/d7d1g0WX7p

Some useful links

What is a Ning                                             http://t.co/vIxItYIhfw

IATEFL BESIG Ning                                   http://t.co/BNkY6MgACQ

EFL Classroom 2.0                                      http://t.co/kBsxfqDfHu

A list of highly recommended Blogs               http://chiewpang.blogspot.com  

 I hope that anyone just starting out will find our discussion helpful and will be pointed in the right direction. Just remember that the ‘experts’ are just teachers like you, who believe in sharing and will welcome you to #ELTchat any Wednesday you care to join in. We don’t mind if you lurk for a while either 

#ELTchat Summary, 2nd session, 20th February 2013 Techniques and Tips for teaching large classes

Techniques and Tips for Teaching Large Classes.

Okay, I'm happy to hold my hand up and admit that this topic was my suggestion. My daughter is about to start teaching in China, and her classes will contain around 40 students each. Not able to give her advice from my own experience, I turned to the experts who take part in #ELTchat on twitter every Wednesday- and they came up trumps, as usual .

The chat was made up of teachers from around the world- some with experience of teaching large classes, ready to impart their knowledge. Others were there to gain information, or even just to commiserate with / take their hats off to those who taught large groups.

@Shaunwilden started the ball rolling by asking how these classes differ, apart from size. At this point the numbers began to appear: people taught classes of 25, 27, 32, 38 and 50. Classroom management appeared to be one answer to his question.

Another was the fact that these classes often contain mixed abilities, language levels, motivation, needs, interests, and goals. Certainly, many classes may present as mixed ability, but when working with 40 students it might prove difficult to measure effectiveness.

Does language acquisition actually take place in a large class?

How do you make opportunities for students to speak?

@SophiaMav and @AnitaJankovic suggested splitting the students into smaller groups. But it isn’t easy to monitor so many groups. Even spotting mistakes needs the teacher to be aware of what is happening in the class. @theteacherjames suggested that giving worthwhile feedback would be a challenge, and Shaun thought that monitoring wouldn’t really be much use.

Using the more able students as TAs was a popular idea, as was the idea of splitting the group so that the teacher could concentrate on the weaker students.

@MarjorieRosenberg suggested that large classes can be livelier and more rewarding than reticent smaller classes. @shaznosel asked how it would be possible to ensure that the weaker students were engaged and producing language.

James thought that large classes gave reluctant students a place to hide.It was suggested that a group should only have 3 members to avoid any of the students coasting.

Sophia agreed that it was important to find active roles for students to avoid them ‘lurking’. @CotterHUE thought that teachers were not reassured that they could reach all students and help with their goals in large classes.

@timjteacher suggested alternate assignments to focus on different student needs. Again you have the problem of monitoring and giving feedback in an effective way.

Technology to the rescue?

@naomishema uses edmodo to help her students feel ‘noticed’. Her students have the perception that they are being given individual attention. The asynchronous communication ensures that everyone has time to connect with the teacher.

@joannacre suggested study groups with students recording themselves for homework.

Shaun thought that phones would be available so the teacher could utilise the text function.

How does the teacher cope with 40-ish names?

Naomi found remembering names challenging.

Anita found that seating arrangements were helpful.

@prese1 used a register with a photo next to each name.

At the very least name tags would seem to be necessary!

How can the needs of ALL the students be met?

Ask students to draw up class rules at the start. Turn it into a contract  so that they know what they are working towards.

Concentrating on the weaker students is alright up to a point. The more confident learners also need the teacher’s attention or they could become bored and disruptive. The teacher needs to know the class well enough to know who is weak and who is just underperforming.

@louisalix68 told us about a school where she worked with large classes. Each class had 2 teachers so each could concentrate where needed.

Naomi said that her breaks were always taken up by the weaker students.

Challenges are needed for all students, so providing material that lets learners progress at their own pace is key, but difficult for a teacher to prepare and stay on top of without putting in a lot of time in the planning and marking stages.

@toulasklavou thought that large classes are not ideal for learning unless the teacher is skilful and the students motivated.

Should you pair weaker students with stronger ones? It was suggested that the weaker ones could feel intimidated, so the pairing of complete opposites wasn’t very practical.

Is the situation easier with a class of teenagers or adults?

Tonight’s participants thought that teaching adults might be better, as paying their own fees would motivate.

They could also be more demanding as they are looking for good returns for their money. Teens could be more difficult to manage and are less tolerant of the differences in likes/dislikes of others. Finding topics to engage is more of a challenge. If the teacher has to be concerned with discipline issues it is harder to get them to learn.

So, activities?

Naomi suggested having an answer key on the teacher’s desk for a group using worksheets. Students send a representative of the group to check the answers or look at hints. As there are always fast finishers it keeps everyone engaged and busy- great peer work in action!

@vmorgana gave us a useful link   Large Teenage Classes: some strategies to enjoy the lesson! http://t.co/ocSnhO7T via @barbsaka in Japan.

@CotterHue offered an idea for students to work on a series of questions with a partner and then add follow up questions.

@lewiswaitt includes his students in the preparation of resources for class and limits the amount of pre-made material.

@leoselivan shared another useful link with many immediately applicable ideas and tips from Penny Ur http://t.co/txHxdHNgG5

@designerlessons  collaboration on projects. This would engage all the students but might be difficult to monitor effectively.

For some learners using drama or humour might work, but it wouldn’t suit everyone.

What about the Class environment?

 There was a discussion about the nature of the chairs and/or desks in the classroom. Being able to physically move the tables can turn a large class into small manageable units. Some of tonight’s contributors worked in places where this was not an option; chairs were in serried rows, bolted to the floor, or even had no appreciable space to set books out on. Some of the options were unsuitable for left-handed learners! Students being taught in a lecture hall have very limited options for collaboration in groups unless the teacher is creative J Anita explained that the online portion of her classes was essential. Did the setting also mean that some teachers lecture, or just go through the motions when faced with a large class in a unprepossessing environment.

 What should be avoided?

·        Correcting individual written work during class time

·        Activities that involve moving about the classroom

·        Going into class unprepared

·        Think about the syllabus

·        Mingling

·        Giving so much homework that you have no free time

What would you do for a first lesson with a large class?

 Provide a couple of packs of cards. Deal one out to each student. The number on the card is the number of facts about themselves that the student has to share.

Rory’s dice – lots of them so they can be used in a large group- students can write up the story.

And don’t forget to check out the links above- some excellent ideas there!

Thanks to everyone who joined in the discussion. The tweets flew and the advice just kept on coming. I’m sure that this chat will help people who find themselves in the position of teaching large classes in the future J

  All photographs courtesy of ELTpics on flickr

Project #366 -The End and a new beginning:-)

I can't believe the time has come round and we have almost finished the year's challenge; only  a few more days to go...
It has been good to be at home this week as I had lots of things to sort out before the end of the year. The weather has been atrocious at times, causing havoc for those trying to leave the island to visit their loved ones.
Sunday 16th December
Today everyone has gone Christmas shopping, as the shops are open, and left me at home. I decided it was a good time to wrap my gifts while everyone was out. I have a theme of red and white this year, so all my wrapping paper matches:-) My best friends always ring up to check the colours, as in the past I have been known to re-wrap things to co-ordinate- yes, I know...very anal!
Monday 17th




Today was wet when I woke up. I prepared the wreath for the door, and then remembered that I had one from the year before which could hang in the hallway. This gave me one at each end:-)
It stopped raining for a brief period
and I saw the most beautiful double rainbow. It continued raining for most of the day, so I decided to make my last minute Christmas cake.It is a fail-safe recipe which everyone likes, so it doesn't matter how late I do it :-)

Tuesday 18th

We went shopping in the central market today. The place was decorated for Christmas and there were people collecting money for the Christmas Appeal. It will be our turn at the weekend!  Both cats were in the vet's having their teeth done, so we couldn't stay out too long, in case we had to collect them.

Wednesday 19th

We aren't alcoholics, by any means, but we are expecting lots of friends for drinks- both pre and post Christmas. I decided that it would be a good idea to tidy out the cupboard. I found a simple wine rack and  rationalised the alcohol into one space. I had no idea what we had beforehand, but now I can see what needs topping up, and what needs to be drunk :-) 

Thursday 20th 

Bad news from Carl today- He has hurt his back and will not be coming carol singing with us at the weekend. He has asked me to take my guitar to play for the two evenings, so I had a bit of a practice session today, to make sure that I would be okay. Normally I sing and Carl plays, and it isn't very easy trying to do the two at the same time :-)

 Today is also Lottery day. The results of the Channel Islands Christmas Lottery will be announced later today and I have all my tickets ready- fingers crossed! Okay-update- I didn't win anything :-(, although all of the top prizes were claimed in Jersey, rather than the other Channel islands of Guernsey, Alderney, Sark or Herm.
 Friday 21st

I decided that, as my family would be eating a lot of meat over the next few days, that we should have fish, so Cairis and I wandered down to the fish market. I was very taken by the lobster Father Christmas-  a quirky idea.
The fish was fresh, and many people were ordering their game for the festive period. We will be having duck- but I don't buy it- that's Miles's job. I'll check that he has it in hand when we go round the pubs tonight- he and I will be providing the music for the carols. We are visiting the pubs on the West of the island.

Saturday 22nd

Last night we collected £483 and a few pence. The pubs were busy, although the restaurants were empty. It could be that people were meeting in the bar beforehand, though. Everyone was very generous. We did the same again in the evening, but this time on the East of the island. It was more successful tonight and the final total was rounded up to £1050. Not bad for a small island! The people who came out with us tonight were different from last night, and it was fantastic to have Vanessa turn up with her violin:-)

Sunday 23rd

 My colleagues are going to do a course, starting in January and some of us will be tutors for them. One of my colleagues came round for a coffee and we watched a training video together. I then decorated my cake and went out for a nice walk in the fresh air along the North coast. This is a picture of Les Platons and the TV mast at the highest point of the island.
Monday 24th
 My neighbours are wonderful. I popped out to visit a friend and when I returned I found a large box of fresh vegetables from Liam's allotment, and an enormous mound of kindling and logs which he had chopped for me:-) Miles delivered the duck, and we have everything we need for tomorrow. Malcolm brought a present for the house:-) We have been complaining that the sound quality on our television wasn't very good, so he bought a Bose speaker thingy to go in front. It is very clear that we needed speakers to the front of the screen  after all!

Tuesday 25th

Christmas day! Cairis was given a kindle for Christmas, as she is going off to China soon. Miles bought her a  rough guide book about China and a set of Mah Jongg. This was very fortunate, as we discovered that our phone line and internet were down. After a lovely meal with our friends we settled down to relax. The weather was atrocious and no-one wanted to venture outside. We lit the fire and the candles and curled up in front of the tv for a while, then spent the rest of the evening playing Cairis's game:-)

Wednesday 26th

Boxing day always starts with M going off to Morris dance in the town centre, leaving me to clear up the mess from the day before:-). We then meet up with the other morris families for lunch and a session of carols and seasonal music. I gave my new guitar case an airing, and we went off to the Farmhouse pub on the north coast. It was nice to see Carl out, although he was still walking gingerly. The Jersey Lilies, the ladies morris dancers, were all dressed as elves. We still have no internet connection, although the phone line is up and running.Everything is closed until tomorrow anyway, so we are just going to relax and catch up with
all the tv we have recorded.
Thursday 27th 

First thing- a call to the ISP company, who have suggested that our router is kaput! We took it down to be tested and had to cough up for a new one. Of course the cables weren't long enough, but we scrabbled around until we managed to get it up and running and we haven't seen Cairis since! She had so many people to catch up with on social media! Now my printer is on the blink!!
Friday 28th

The run of bad luck for our technology continues apace. I dropped my kindle this morning and it is in pieces :-(. When I telephoned Amazon they were very helpful and offered me a replacement at a very reduced price!. We are tidying the house today. There is a lot of rubbish to get rid of at this time of year, and the Scot in me likes everything to be perfect for the New Year. We have piled up all the rubbish to take to the recycling plant this afternoon. Tonight we are going to play music in the pub- and not to collect money:-)

                                               Saturday 29th

Yacht club for breakfast. There isn't a lot of room for parking as many of the boats are out of the water to be worked on over the winter. We caught up with some friends we hadn't seen for a few weeks and invited them to dinner  during the holidays. It is a good time to do dinner parties before I get too busy at work

Sunday 30th
M and I popped down to the fish van for a salmon for tomorrow's dinner party. As the resident Scots, we often have the party at our house, if we are not booked to do a ceilidh. This year we were asked- but said no, as some of our musicians are away. We stopped for a quick coffee in the yacht club, and met Peter who had been sailing on one of the tall ships. He had lots of good stories to tell:-)

 The fish was too big for the fridge, so, as it is quite cool outside, I wrapped it up and put it on the back deck- high up so that the cats wouldn't have any interest in it. We then sorted out the rubbish for recycling and took it to the dump. In the new year we are planning to move my office upstairs and there was quite a lot of paper to scan in and then shred..
Monday 31st December 2012 Hogmanay!

 I spent a lot of today making sure that the house was straight for the end of the year, and that all the washing was done. I think it is a Scottish superstition, but my grannie and my mother used to do it too. In the evening Cairis went to her friends house and our friends arrived to eat with us. They are all musicians, but we told them to leave their instruments at home and relax. We are usually so busy when we are together that we don't have time to chat much. We sat at the table for hours, eating, drinking and generally enjoying each other's company. Around midnight we moved to the sitting room to watch the fireworks on television, and then chatted until about 3a.m. The whisky flowed and no-one wanted to go home:-)
Tuesday 1st January 2013
Cairis woke me up at 8.30 as she came home from her party! Time was, when I could stay up that late but we didn't go to bed until about 4a.m. so I was still a bit tired. I got up anyway to find that the weather was bright and clear and mild. Long may it continue.
 Thank you all for sharing this year's journey with me. It has been fun to do the challenge, and I now have a year of interesting things to look back on. I also now have the habit of carrying my camera with me at all times.
***Happy New Year***, and I hope that 2013 will make your wishes come true:-)