Higher order thinking skills

http://www.questgarden.com/

WebQuests were invented by Dr Bernie Dodge from San Diego State University.  These are lessons based on web content, and from an ELT perspective I see them as a guided online reading task, which requires students to analyse web content, summarise and explain their findings to their peers and then work together on a collaborative task, such as a group presentation.  Learners are often assigned a role and then are signposted to specific websites in order to gather and sort relevant information, which they then transfer to the rest of the group.  Discussion is followed by a group project, which ends with a product. Possibilities are vast, but on the QuestGarden website we can see examples of travel plans (A trip to London), room design, an exhibition, story writing, putting together a time capsule.  The model is based on the assumption that

- authentic tasks are engaging
- collaborative tasks enhance learning
- evaluation of online data leads to higher order thinking skills

these are:

analysis:  sifting through online content and selecting relevant information

synthesis:  bringing information together, combining information into a logical pattern

evaluation: judging, comparing, reasoning, deciding

In this YouTube clip, Dr Bernie Dodge describes what processes need to be followed to produce an effective WebQuest:

"Been there, done it!"

I have used similar materials in my ELT lessons, without using a webquest site.  Just like the digital format, I have presented an idea to the class via a video or images:

 A worksheet has then guided them to a specific website for reading and information gathering (pairwork).

Worksheet

go to:  http://www.comicrelief.com/rednoseday

Have a look around the site and answer these questions:

1. In what year did the first Red Nose Day take place?

2.  Does this event take place every year?

3.  What happens on Red Nose Day?

4.  How can people raise money on Red Nose Day ?(list 4 different ideas) [what is the best link to click on to get this information?  Hint:  we are looking for ideas!]

i)

ii)

iii)

iv)

5.  What, in your opinion, is a good way to raise money?

6.  Link: =  Fundraising Tools.  Find a kit that will help you to raise money.

7.  Task: Present your fundraising ideas to the rest of the class.  

Summary:

I think this activity is very similar to the webquest model, in that:

- it uses authentic materials

- it uses information from the web

- it requires analysis, synthesis and evaluation of information

- it leads to a group discussion and a presentation task 

In conclusion, I believe that all the affordances of a webquest and the pedagogy and learning outcomes that underpin this tool can be realised without the $20 subscription to QuestGarden. It takes a considerable amount of time to design an effective webquest, whereas my collaborative Red Nose Day task (and other similar activities I've designed) was compiled in a matter of minutes. 

  

Flipping the Classroom

A great tool for the Flipped Classroom is mybrainshark:  http://www.brainshark.com/mybrainshark
Teachers can present language focus or ideas by video for students to work on before they come to class.  Once in the classroom, emphasis can be on group work.
Aaron Sams was the pioneer of classroom flipping and the rationale behind the flipped classroom model is explained very clearly in this YouTube clip.

I used mybrainshark to produce a short presentation to prepare my students for an upper intermediate writing skills class.  The rolling programme in my department means that students can enter a class at any time during the term.  There are frequent gaps in knowledge and learners approach language from different levels - some will be well acquainted with the language focus, whereas others might be meeting it for the first time.  Getting them to see the presentation at home, in their own time, allows each student to use the material to suit their individual needs, enabling the weaker learners to review the content as much as they need.  Students come to class prepared to move forward with differentiated group activities, with the teacher facilitating and supporting rather than presenting.

There are some obvious flaws with this model.  For example, just as we get students who don't do their homework, there will be students who come to class who haven't viewed the pre-session material.  This model also assumes that technology and internet connections are available to all.  Preparing materials is also an extra workload and burden for overstretched teachers.  However, it could be argued that presentation slides would have to be compiled for the lesson anyway and differentiated groupings in class could and indeed should be employed to allow individuals to work at their own pace.  Students who don't do the work at home, will simply not see such accelerated progress as those that do.  In theory, the  classroom that has been flipped becomes an active, collaborative, social environment, where students engage and are motivated to learn.  It sounds like a perfect model for language learning, and is something I will definitely try.  

Collaboration

Sharing ideas and opinions

Tricider is a very useful tool for collaboration, both inside and outside the classroom.  A question can be posed and shared via this online voting tool and students can post their ideas and responses and see the argument develop.  It's a constructivist approach to learning, in that students are working together, problem-solving, reflecting and building on each other's ideas.  Collaboration in this way gives all learners a voice, even those who do not usually speak out in class.

This tricision was designed to elicit ideas for a discursive essay.  Very often ideas are discussed in class and added to the whiteboard, but not noted down by students. The activity was taken a step further, in that the ideas and opinions were then used in a writing task.   By creating an online document and sharing with all the learners, they had access to the brainstorming they did in class when they were doing this writing task for homework.  The layout of the questions aimed to help the students to plan and structure the essay.  The linear aspect of this tool also enabled learners to focus on language used for linking ideas (showing constrast, expansion, examples etc). 

Another tool for sharing ideas and brainstorming is Padlet.  This can be used in a more visual way to stimulate discussion. 

Created with Padlet

ICT in the classroom - why bother?!

Is it worth the effort?

Before exploring this, please answer my extremely simple survey.

Imagine it's your birthday and you have two packages to open.  Don't think too deeply about this question....

Which would you be more excited about?

Package A                                                                                 Package B

                                  

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Survey Results

Thank you to everyone who took part in my survey.  I had 22 responses and here are the results:

I have to admit, I'm rather surprised at these results and really intrigued to know the reason for your choice.  I opted for Package A, because, for me, it promises something special inside, as whoever wrapped it up took time and effort to do so.  What informed your choice? 

My thinking was tied up with theories that assume that all 21st century learners are interested in, motivated by and experts at using digital technology.  (see my earlier post of Heidi Hayes Jacob's talk).  These theories are underpinned by the assumption that technology in the classroom excites and engages students.  Package A could represent a digitally-rich lesson, making use of different tools to present and play with language.  Package B is the session which does not make use of technology.  Does that make the content any less valuable?  Does it mean that 21st century students will not be stimulated or fully engaged?  As you can see from the results of the survey and the comments that have been posted, a large percentage are wary of ostentation.  It brings Shakespeare to mind:

All that glitters is not gold

This means that not everything that is shiny and superficially attractive is valuable.  Shakespeare demonstrated this in 1596 in The Merchant of Venice. It resonates today with my thoughts on ICT in the classroom. It cannot be used in isolation, but needs to be aligned to learning objectives.  Lessons of true value aim to accommodate all preferred styles of learning by following the teaching and learning cycle:  identifying needs, planning, implementing, assessing, evaluating.  All domains of learning need to be satisfied; cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills) and affective (emotional).  If digital tools can assist in achieving this, then they are adding true value to the teaching and learning experience.  However, the "wow" factor does not need to be present in a lesson in order to motivate the students and promote learning.  It's structure that makes a lesson great, not 'pizazz'! 

Blogging

Communication in action

This communication tool can be put to good effect in the ELT classroom.  Blogging fosters interaction and, a well-structured blogging task can build confidence in reluctant writers.  

Many students find writing the hardest skill of all, and some avoid doing writing tasks when they are set for homework.  Many writing tasks appear meaningless and outdated in today's digital world.  How many young people will need to write a formal letter of complaint?  Nearly all communication is done online nowadays and students need to be working in appropriate platforms in order to value their learning.  

Blogs (or web logs)  are very easy to set up.  Blogger is a Google application, accessed through Chrome, which simply requires a gmail account. Students can blog individually or as a group and chose who they share their blog with.  Sharing is an important factor, as fundamental to blogging is the role of audience.  This gives writing tasks a real purpose - not just to practise language and engage with ideas, but to use writing as a genuine means of communication - sharing ideas, discoveries and opinions with others and receiving comments in return. Receiving comments can encourage and motivate bloggers to write more, in that they feel their thoughts and opinions are valued and acknowledged.  

Blogging can promote:

motivation      language awareness     self-expression      self-evaluation    learner autonomy

However, tasks need to be thought through and carefully managed, with learning outcomes clearly defined.  The teacher needs to guide and support, ensuring that peer-feedback and interaction takes place.  Teacher feedback will enhance self-esteem and promote motivation and lead to students evaluating their work, bringing higher-order thinking skills into play. 

I would use the following YouTube video to explain to my students what a blog is and why and how they are used. 

 

Blogging has the power to change your life!

In the movie Julie and Julia, we see someone's life turned around through the medium of blogging.   I'm not claiming that blogging will change my students' lives, but signposting them to the film could be a fun and engaging way to show the power and potential of this tool - with the added benefit of being immersed in the target language for entertainment purposes.  A lovely, heart-warming film - I recommend it.

Screen-capture

Tools to take learning beyond the classroom

http://screencast-o-matic.com/

With this tool you can present whatever is on your screen and talk your audience through it (screen-capture).  Producing a video of your screen and sharing it is very easy to do. There are several free versions available:  Screencastomatic, which I will look at in more detail in this post, and Jing, which works in a similar way.  Snagit is another excellent tool, but is not free.




Screencasting can be used to:

• flip the classroom

Language presentation can be received at home, allowing students the opportunity to follow it at their own pace, reviewing as often as necessary.  Class time can then be devoted to group work and one-to-one advice.  

• provide visual and verbal feedback

Teachers can talk through corrections on students' work, pointing out highlighted areas,  expanding on short written comments and making suggestions for improvement.  It's the next best thing to giving face-to-face feedback, which is not practicable in a classroom of up to 20 students.  

• recap

Salient points from a lesson can be highlighted, providing students with the opportunity to review at their leisure.  Pronunciation can be modelled, brainstorming ideas shared, together with vocabulary lists and grammar input. 

  

Here's an example of a screencast being used to recap points from a lesson.  This could be embedded into whatever learning platform you use with your class, enabling students to review language points whenever they wish. 

This tool can help students take ownership of their learning.  It helps with engagement, encouraging students to act and work outside the classroom.  Learners know that the teacher has put in a great deal of effort to provide such detailed feedback and recap opportunities.  They feel valued and the outcome should be that they value their learning.
Russell Stannard's article (2012) provides more details on how screen-capture can be an asset to  English language teachers and students.
Russell Stannard, The Guardian.com

Interactive White Boards

Promoting interaction and collaboration

A very expensive classroom tool, which replaces the traditional whiteboard and offers many more features.  It can be used in the same way as a whiteboard, with different coloured pens and an eraser which works just like a board rubber.  However, if the IWB is used in this way, it is not being put to good effect.  The board is touch-sensitive and is designed to enable users to interact directly with the different elements that can be incorporated: text, graphics, sound, animation and video.

A promotional video from Smart (other IWBs are available!) shows how IWBs can be used in a classroom, and clearly explains the affordances of this tool:

collaboration    active participation     engagement

For me, the most important factor is that the IWB can meet the needs all preferred learning styles, especially visual and kinaesthetic.   The stimulating, visual aspect can be used not only to present information, but allows learners to manipulate and work with images in ways that require higher order thinking skills. The tool fosters student participation and engagement and this leads to enhanced learning, as students who are engaged are more motivated to learn and therefore will be more successful in their efforts.    In the language classroom, learners can collaborate on the IWB to solve problems, sort, label and match vocabulary (many of these can be produced through Triptico) and their work can be saved, printed or shared electronically.  

"People do dumb things with smartboards" (Heidi Hayes-Jacobs)

The efficacy of IWBs has been questioned, with claims that they can promote  teacher-centred learning.  This is clearly in situations where this complicated piece of kit is being used solely to present information and ideas and not to promote interaction.  Teacher training is vital to ensure that money invested in an expensive tool is not being wasted, and this in turn makes the equipment even more expensive.  A teacher needs to invest a considerable amount of time and dedication to produce appropriate materials and activities that will lead to active participation and interaction, however the effective language teacher has always had to do just that.  The cards and labels we cut out and laminate, the pictures we collect - all of these can now be stored electronically and put to use on the IWB.  However, within a large classroom, where there over 20 students, not all learners can engage with the IWB at the same time.  This means that some students will be sitting passively watching their peers interacting with the materials.  With low-tech materials, such as paper and post-it notes, all learners can be active and engaged at the same time, working collaboratively in pairs or groups.  In this respect I see the IWB as a tool which enables the teacher to apply effective teaching methods in a different, more up-to-date way.  The effective teacher does not need an IWB to produce an interactive lesson and promote student engagement, but it is a tool (albeit a very expensive one) which can enable this.  

Classroom Resources

Triptico: https://www.tripticoplus.com/?

a selection of activities and resources to enhance student engagement.

Triptico offers a wide variety of collaborative activities and resources, which can be used with Interactive White Boards or computers with projectors (as long as there is an internet connection).  Resources are very easy to use and can be customised and saved for future use.  

The screen-capture above shows the variety of resources available.  Many are vocabulary and text based (quizzes, sorting and matching activities, games) and good for recapping, reviewing and reinforcing learning in an active and fun way. Game-playing increases interest and motivation, producing positive feelings towards the subject and the teacher.  The tool promotes group work, incorporating peer teaching and correcting, giving learners time to think, which builds confidence in weaker students and increases responsiveness to questions.  Group work affords individuals the chance to try out ideas before committing to sharing these with the whole class.  For the teacher, these activities allow formative assessment to take place throughout the lesson.  The strengths and weaknesses of individual learners can be identified and the teacher can check whether learning has taken place.

Students tend to chose to sit next to their friends when they enter the classroom, but the group-making tool assists in classroom management by randomising groups in a light-hearted and surprising way, ensuring that learners have the opportunity to mix and work with different students in their classes, making communicative tasks more meaningful.

The timers, which are good not only for timed activities but also to reinforce the importance of time-keeping at break time, which is an issue at my college.

Customising resources

It took me under 10 minutes to produce these activities.  The first is using "What's the Question?".  I can see this as being an entertaining way to check learning/recap a lesson focusing on question formation.  The activity can be customised according to the level of the students, who would work in groups to provide answers and gain points for their team.

In this activity teams have to form accurate questions in order to be awarded points.

Sound effects add to the excitement (a cheer for a correct answer, a groan for an incorrect one) and the teams can see their point scores throughout, adding an element of competition to promote engagement. 

Another tool I have experimented with is Word Magnets.  Again, it's very easy and quick to produce a group activity, with learners manipulating the words on the IWB to sort, match and order. Nik Peachey demonstrates how easy this resource is to use:

This activity is particularly good for low-level students, who have trouble with sentence formation.  Breaking the sentence down into composite parts, perhaps even colour-coded, can enable kinaesthetic learners in particular to manipulate words to produce meaning.  Learners can make changes and alterations as they process their thoughts - a form of rehearsal before formalising the learning - and giving learners time to think increases confidence and engagement.  

Initially I thought that Triptico provided behaviouristic activities, supporting lower order thinking skills (testing knowledge through games and quizzes), but as with most tools and resources, it all depends on how they are put to use.  If used constructively, group problem solving and discovery learning allow learners to analyse, synthesise and even evaluate their learning.

Vocabulary

How can I improve my vocabulary?

[* Wordle ( http://www.wordle.net ) word cloud being used here to introduce the topic in a visually stimulating way.  In class, Wordle could be used to compare texts from different genres or registers or to focus on key vocabulary from a particular topic,  eg "what does this wordcloud suggest this article is about?". However I do not think that this is a tool that should be used too often - the novelty value is the key.]

Back to improving vocabulary.....

This is a question I get asked a lot as a language teacher.  Obvious answers include read and listen (graded readers, newspapers, documentaries, ANYTHING!).  Follow that up with practice (repetitions, using new lexis in context, immersing oneself in a new culture).   A language teacher needs to find different ways to introduce and present new vocabulary and there are many online tools available for students to build their vocabulary and practise new words in context. So much language learning can take place outside the classroom and those students who take the time to chat with native speakers, watch television, listen to the radio and read newspapers are going to improve at a much faster rate.  Teachers could signpost their learners to:

Go to the Duolingo website

"Learn languages completely free, without ads or hidden charges. It's fun, easy, and scientifically proven."

Online learning

The site claims that if you use Duolingo for 34 hours you learn as much as language as you would in one term at university.  I decided to try out the Duolingo App and see whether this approach was indeed "fun and easy".  My experience of basic Spanish was initially quite exciting.  I could chart my progress and I was encouraged by being awarded badges to acknowledge my success.  A daily email would remind me to spend some time practising my new language and the phone app was convenient and easy to use.  The initial excitement, however, soon wore off.  I found the Duolingo translation approach very formulaic and repetitive and I was not producing my own language, but reproducing language that had been introduced to me.   Duolingo's approach to language is very lexis-orientated. With no explanation of grammar rules a learner has to absorb grammar by association and I feel that this tool does not provide the strong foundations upon which a language learner can build their own knowledge.  It's also a very lonely language-learning experience, with no interaction or social engagement built in, so it is very difficult to maintain motivation.

That said, I think that it can be useful for learners to enhance the skills and practise language they learn in the classroom.  The repetition aspect is good for pronunciation, spelling and an awareness of  word order.  Advanced lessons are classified according to topic, so learners could use the app, not in the linear way that it has been designed, but to cherry pick topics and structures they need to improve.

This article from the Guardian explores learning a language using an online tool.  Duolingo features in the article, which questions whether a language can be mastered using only an online tool:

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/feb/21/can-i-learn-a-language-online

The reflections of Alan Haburchak, who spent 4 weeks trying to learn Spanish with Duolingo is also an interesting read:

"This app has taught me a ton of vocabulary, but I'm still not sure I know any real grammar – I don't exactly know why the conjugation of verbs that come afternosotros (we) are how they are. Or what the system is that governs the other verbs that might follow that pattern."

The full article can be accessed here:

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/apr/12/i-need-verb-tables-to-learn-spanish

Practice makes perfect?

Quizlet

www.quizlet.com

With this tool students can hear, practise and recap words and lexical chunks.

Quizlet enables teachers to produce flashcards, which can be used by the student in a variety of ways.  This is all about learning through repetition and drill and the main difference between signposting students to this site rather than Duolingo is that the teacher has control of the vocabulary input and can therefore customise activities to suit the level of the learners and the specific topics they are working on.  It took me a few minutes to produce a set of 10 flashcards for students to use in their own time if they wish to practise question formation.  This activity also reinforces simple sentence structure, ensuring there is a capital letter at the beginning and that correct punctuation is used.  The format is very formulaic and if used too often I think students would quickly tire of this.  However, it could be put to good use on a few occasions to encourage learners to practise vocabulary, spelling and lexical chunks in different ways.  

A link to a quizlet can be emailed to individual students or shared via Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest.  The URL can also be embedded into a Wiki or Blog:

Practise forming questions on this Quizlet. You can learn the phrases through flashcards and writing exercises, play games and test yourself.

Click here to go to Quizlet: Asking Questions 2

The site gives learners feedback on their progress, highlighting phrases or words they might be struggling with.

Quizlet promotes behaviourist learning, but gives learners the opportunity to engage with vocabulary and spelling skills in an environment that has elements of gamification.  I can see it being beneficial for those learners who make repeated spelling mistakes, seemingly unable or unwilling to learn from corrections.  Arab students, in particular, struggle with spelling and I think they would enjoy this gamified aspect to vocabulary input.  It's certainly more fun than learning vocabulary from a list and it could therefore be suggested that the tool can promote engagement and autonomous learning.  To use it in a more constructivist way, a teacher could get the students to produce their own quizlets, based on a certain topic or language focus.  This would not only reinforce language learnt in class,  but also require the students to reflect on their own learning. 

Meet my gremlin

Scepticism

This is my main barrier to accepting new digital tools.  As I review the tools we are introduced to throughout the MA/ICT course, I'm going to allow my sceptical voice to have a say, but try to ensure that it doesn't dominate.  I hope that this will open up discussion with my peers.  This was very useful yesterday, when I couldn't see the point of Glogster.  Discussing this with someone who had used the tool to good effect really helped to convince me that it could also be incorporated into my practice.  Far too often my critical thinking turns into criticism, and wonder whether this has something to do with the digital divide, with age putting me on the wrong side of this phenomenon.  Warschauer (2004) focuses on the global, economic divide between the "haves" and the "have nots", but Hargitti's study (2002) refers to a second-level digital divide, identifying age as being negatively associated with ICT skills.  However, digital competence is not just about basic hardware and applications skills (procedure), it also consists of having an understanding of how to use appropriate tools to communicate within a digital context.  From a teaching perspective, it's not just about presenting information, but providing effective strategies for learners to find the answers for themselves. A teacher needs to use technology not just to assist language learning (CALL approach) but to provide an environment or context in which language exists and is used.

Podcasting Tools

As I write this I'm still waiting for my trial recording to download. Every time the download is near completion, there is an error and it all starts over again. Not only is this very frustrating,  I find this tool quite complicated. However, the added value of being able to offer written feedback to student's recordings makes it worth persevering with.

All students learn English to be able to communicate in the language, and speaking is probably the most sought-after skill and sometimes the most difficult to get to grips with.  There's a lot going on at the same time - forming ideas and appropriate words, putting words in a coherent order, producing the necessary sounds and appropriate stress and intonation.  There's also register to think about.  Self-confidence also comes into play, with some students preferring to remain silent rather than utter an inaccurate sentence.  Exams focus is on accuracy in pronunciation, grammar and lexis and being fluent involves being able to keep talk flowing without hesitations.  I remember the stress of my French A-level orals and wish I could have had access to the technologies available today to practise and rehearse.

Podcasting Tools

Audio Recording

A very easy audio tool, which I can see as being useful for speaking practice, focusing perhaps on pronunciation.  Students can save their recordings and use them to track progress. The recording can be shared or downloaded onto MP3.

Audio recording software >>

Listening Skills

No more worries about archaic tapes and missing CDs!  There is now a plethora of authentic listening material on the web, which learners can access at any time and use in ways to suit themselves.  Learners can choose what they listen to and when and how they do it.  This turns them into active listeners - not the passive recipients of the outdated listening materials we have in class.  It gives them time to reflect and having control enables them to pause and replay, allowing them time to understand the content. 

www.audioboom.com

Audioboo is a podcasting site, which not only provides lots of listening materials but also where teachers and students can make and post and share their own podcasts.  It could be used to send a pre-session listening task or listening materials could be sent after a lesson for students to review and develop.  

More ideas on how to use Audioboom and easy-to-follow instructions can be found on Russell Stannard's Teacher Training Videos site: http://www.teachertrainingvideos.com/audio-podcasting/audioboo.html

Asking the right questions

A lightbulb moment (thanks to Russell Stannard)

I think my acceptance of the implementation of new technologies into the classroom has been hindered by the need to justify it with proven added value.  Why bother, for example, to use "Tricider" to elicit ideas and promote discussion, when a simple low-tech brainstorm using post-it notes could produce the same results?
Russell put forward a very interesting idea on Friday regarding the questions we should ask ourselves......

The question shouldn't be whether or how technology improves learning.
The question should be how technology makes learning relevant for today's learners.

This is very helpful for me and I believe I can move forward in a much more positive way.

Will teachers be replaced by computers?

The Future of Educaton?

Sugata Mitra’s “Hole in the Wall” experiment (1999) aimed to prove that children nowadays do not need teachers to enable them to learn. Mitra claims that, with motivation in place and working collaboratively, children can learn from computers. Although these ideas (Mitra, 2003) have been criticised, particularly with regard maths and other skills, the fact that children needed to gain an understanding of English in order to navigate the kiosk computers does add weight to his claim that if children have interest and motivation, education will happen with or without a teacher. In Hyderabad, Mitra conducted an experiment to prove that computers can be used to adapt pronunciation. Children were observed learning to modify their speech in order to interact with the computer. Compared with the behaviourist activities of model and drill in the ELT classroom, this perhaps offers a much more effective, constructivist way to engage learners?  Mitra's TED talk is very interesting...

Education for the 21st Century

How we need to re-think pedagogy

Heidi Hayes-Jacobs is an American educator, who in this clip maintains that we are still teaching within 19th century conditions, using low-tech materials (pen and paper) in a standards-driven climate that cannot prepare students for jobs in the 21st century and beyond.  Curriculum design is currently based on the assumption that learning is taking place and assessment serves to validate this by measuring achievement.  An upgraded curriculum should be mission-driven, reflecting the new literacies (digital, global and media-related) and be immediate and authentic in order to respond in real time to any gaps or repetitions.  Jacobs is an inspiring speaker and I particularly like her comment "people do dumb things with smartboards". The most important thing with digital tools is knowing how to use them in a way that adds value to the learning experience.   If I'm being honest, I currently only use technology to enhance presentation: a PowerPoint is more vivid than a whiteboard, and YouTube provides entertaining clips to give students an experience upon which they can reflect and subsequently work with and build on.  I use these resources to introduce new vocabulary, model pronunciation and demonstrate intonation and stress - but these are all forms of presentation.  Entertained they might well be, but are the students are still just passive recipients?   The new generation of learners live in a world where social networking prevails and they are comfortable with this form of communication and able to make immediate use of new, innovative technology and web-based applications.  The challenge for the language teacher is to align new technologies with theories of language learning. This blog will evaluate different tools, considering both the practical aspects and the benefits they offer to the language learning experience.  

Rethinking Pedagogy for the Digital Age

Changing Paradigms in Education

Let's begin by defining "to teach".

www.oxforddictionaries.com provide the following definitions:

1.  impart knowledge to or instruct someone how to do something.

2.  give information about or instruction in (a subject or skill).

Oh dear!  If this is the definition, then we're all potentially redundant!  A teacher cannot be a source of knowledge and instruction - everything anyone needs to know (and more) is available on the Internet.  I fully accept that our roles need to change.  Teaching needs to respond to the new needs of the millennial generation, who are growing up in a digital world.  This is why I have begun my journey to see how new technologies can be incorporated into my practice in ways that ADD VALUE to the learning experience.

My inspiration

This talk by Sir Ken Robinson started to get me thinking about the way we educate.  This was my starting point, and the reason I have embarked on my techno-journey.

Making Changes

Dinosaur No More

I've been teaching ELT since 2002 and over the years have accumulated a significant amount of paper:

My groaning resource shelf!

Does my ELT resource shelf need to go?  These resources have been collected over 12 years and I'm questioning whether they continue to have any relevance in the digital world.  Getting rid of these is going to be hard - they've served me well over the years.  When I was a CELTA trainee I was shown how to use photos and pictures to elicit response and bring out language and I would spend hours browsing magazines to pull out suitable images.  Thankfully, I've been able to ditch all of these dog-eared pictures, thanks to the vast image bank on the Internet.  It's so easy to find stimulating visual resources that also fit into the Equality & Diversity agenda.
The question is....
...will the digital tools and resources that we are about to be introduced to enable me to replace these old resources?  It will be nice to clear the shelf and get rid of clutter, but can all of these be replaced in a way that ADDS VALUE to my lessons?  My techno-sceptic self thinks not.