The future of Education Technology

Learn about how intenet works now and how it will evolve into different and more complex ways of communication:

The internet

Online teaching

Online teaching is increasingly common at many types of higher education institutions, ranging from hybrid courses that offer a combination of in-person and online instruction, to fully online experiences and distance learning. 

Make a presentation graphic with Prezi (task)

Students: 10-year-olds or older
Topic: Ancient Greece (Social Studies)

1. Students have read about Ancient Greece in previous classes. They have focused on the following aspects:

Drama
Sports and leisure
Government
Daily life
Childhood and education
The role of women

2. The teacher has asked them to discuss orally about the differences between the Ancient Greece society and ours regarding the previous aspects. 

3. Now, the teacher devides the class into four groups. Two of them will work on Ancient Greece and the others on Current Society. They should make a mind map with Prezi and deliver an oral presentation to the rest of the class. The mind map should include both theory and images accompanying it. Text should be brief and clearly organized. 

Evaluation criteria
a) Accomplishment of the task
b) Appropriate use of the language
c) Appropriate use of the tool


If you are not familiar with this tool, see this tutorial

Have fun!

Make flashcards with Cambride English Online (task)

Students: 9-year-olds

Topic: the jungle (animals and fruit)

1. The teacher reads the rhyming story 'The Parrot Tico Tango' to the students once. Then, students and teacher sing the story out loud. The teacher focuses on items of food that appear in the story as well as animals, making them repeat that vocabulary as he/she tells the story. 

 Find the song HERE

2. Students are given a set of flashcards with pictures of different kinds of food and animals. They should select only those items that appear in the story, and leave the rest aside. 

3. Now the teacher asks the students if they could find all the animals and food that appeared in the story. She tells them to make those flashcards missing, using Cambridge English Online flashcard maker. She guides them through it, so they can insert the image and text intended. 

4. Students print and a colour their flashcards. Once they have finished, they retell the story using them. 

Evaluation criteria
a) Accomplishment of the task
b) Appropriate use of the language
c) Appropriate use of the tool

If you are not familiar with this tool, see this tutorial

Have fun!

Make a meme with Winflip (task)

Students: adolescents or adults
Topic: idioms 

1. Students have been taught several idioms with animals, such as 'as awkward as a cow on roller skates', 'as strong as an ox', 'smell a rat', 'the black sheep of the family', etc. 

2. Now, they should find images on the web that make reference to a literal interpretation of the idiom, for example: a cow on roller skates.

3. They should use the picture to create a meme using the idiom for the text.

4. Later, students will show the meme to their classmates (either a printed copy or from their computers using an overhead projector). They should explain the joke and also talk about the figurate meaning connected to the idiom.

Evaluation criteria
a) Accomplishment of the task
b) Appropriate use of the language
c) Appropriate use of the tool

If you are not familiar with this tool, see this tutorial

Have fun!

Make a poster with Postermywall (task)

Students: 10-year-olds or older.
Topic: enviromental issues (Natural Science)

1. Students have been working with content from Natural Science. They have learnt about the different landscapes (mountain, city, beach) and have investigated about the different problems that people may encounter when living in those areas. For instance: air pollution in the city, dirty beaches and polluted sea, etc.

2. As a final project, students make posters as if they were environmental activists and would like to paste the posters all around the city. In this case instead, students will paste them on the school walls.
They should be creative to construct a text accompanied by the propper background and images, with the purpose of suggesting people a way of taking care of the environment in a persuasive way. 

Evaluation criteria
a) Accomplishment of the task
b) Appropriate use of the language
c) Appropriate use of the tool


If you are not familiar with this tool, see this tutorial

Have fun!

Make a presentation graphic with Prezi (tutorial)

What is a a presentation software?

Presentation software (sometimes called "presentation graphics") is a category of application program used to create sequences of words and pictures that tell a story or help support a speech or public presentation of information.

Benefits of using Prezi

Prezi is a web 2.0 tool to create presentation graphics. It can be used for business and educational purposes. In the English classroom context, Prezi can be very useful for adolescents, as it promotes autonomy and the development summarizing skills. This tool can be used in a variety of ways. For instance, the teacher can ask students to make a presentation graphic about a certain topic of study, to be later used as visual aid in an oral presentation to their classmates. Also, Prezi can be used as a personal tool for students to study for exams. Teacher can also make presentation graphics to be used when introducing a new topic or at the end of a unit, as a way of summarizing ideas. Creators can play with the format of their graphics the way they want, relying on a number of templates helpful to start. Both the graphics and the way the presentation develops are appealing and useful to show how ideas relate to each other in a non-linear way. 

1) Getting started

- Enter www.prezi.com
- Pess on 'log in' in the right up corner to create an account or log in. You can also log in with Facebook or Linkedin. 
- Click on 'New Prezi' to start your project.

2) Make your presentation graphic

- Before you start, choose a template for the structure of your graphic. Click on it and then on 'use template'. You can also choose to start a prezi from scratch if none of the templates fits your purpose. 

- Now, you can start filling in the chart. You can insert a title or add more bubbles. 

- When working on each of the bubbles, you can adjust the features of the text as you like using the set of options given. 

- You can also customize the background image and theme by clicking on 'Customize' on top of the page. 

- If you click on 'Insert' on top of the page, you will find a set of options for you to add elements such as: images, symbols and shapes, a youtube video, draw arrows or lines, highlight text, add background music, etc. When clicking on any of those, a side window will appear for you to choose the image you like, for instance. 

3) Finally

- Once you have finished, you can have a preview of your presentation in full screen. 

- Then, you can share your prezi on facebook, present it remotely, download as a PDF or download as portable prezi.  

- There is no need for you to save it because it saves automatically in your prezi account. So now you can simply press on 'exit' in the right up corner. There you will be able to have a look at your prezi finished. You will be given the same options for saving or downloading as before. You can simply press on 'Your prezis' and there you will find all your projects together with this new one. 

Have a look at a sample presentation graphic by clicking HERE!

See an Activity on Prezi

Have fun!

Make a poster with Postermywall (tutorial)

What is a poster?

A poster is any piece of printed paper designed to be attached to a wall or vertical surface. Typically posters include both textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or wholly text. Posters are designed to be both eye-catching and informative. Posters may be used for many purposes. They are a frequent tool of advertisers (particularly of events, musicians and films),propagandists, protestors and other groups trying to communicate a message. 

Benefits of using Postermywall

Postermywall is a web 2.0 tool to create online posters. It can be used for fun, for business or for educational purposes. This tool can be very useful in the English classroom, as it enhances creativity and the use of the language in a meaningful way. Those students who love working with graphics and drawings will surely enjoy using this tool. However, for those that are not so good at these kind of creative activities, the tool provides them with a variety of templates that helps them a lot so as not to start from scratch. This is why, I personally find this tool very useful in the English classroom context, because students can focus on language, while having fun designing the poster.

1) Getting started

-Enter www.postermywall.com

-Press on ‘Create your poster now!’

-Press on one the category that best fits the purpose of your poster: 

Halloween, Football, Concert/bands, Event Flyers, Retail, Small business, or See more.

- Select the template you like the most and press on ‘create’.

 2) Make your poster

-  Now, you can start customizing the template the way you like:

You can change the text by pressing on it. There will appear a set of options on the right for you to adjust the size, font, letter spacing, line spacing, alignment, visibility, and position. You can also remove the text or send it behind the image. You can also add a piece of text by pressing on ‘add fancy text’ on the left of the page. There, you will find a set of options for you to choose font, colour and colour effect. 

     

-You can add a clip art to your poster, by pressing on ‘Add a clip art’ on the left. There you will have to write any topic you like, such as ‘joy’, ‘party’, or ‘food’, and there will appear some images related to it. You select the one you like and press ‘add to poster’.

-You can also add a photo by pressing on ‘add photo’ on the left. There you will be asked to choose from where to take your photo: the net, Facebook or your documents. You should press on the option you like and follow the instructions (if you choose to take it from Facebook you will be asked to login).

-You can change the background by pressing on ‘background’ on the left of the page. There you will be asked to pick a background from different sources: just choose a solid background (single colour), combine two colours with a fading effect, choose an image from a set provided, choose a photo from the net, or upload a background image from your documents. 

-As you customize your poster, you can undo any of the changes you have made by pressing on ‘undo’ on the left.

3) Finally

- When you finish, you press on ‘save draft’ to save it. There you will be asked to login. You can do it using your Facebook account, your email, as a student.

- If you want to download the poster in your computer, you will be charged. As an alternative, you can take a screen shot of the web page and save the image as a .jpg document.


Have a look at a sample poster created on Postermywall!

See an activity on Postermywall

Have fun!

Make a meme with Wigflip (tutorial)

What is a meme?

An Internet meme is an activity, concept, catchphrase or piece of media which spreads, often as mimicry, from person to person via the internet. 

Benefits of using Wigflip meme-maker

Wigflip is a web 2.0 tool to create memes and other kinds of visual media. It can be used for fun, as well as for educational purposes. Students can play with words and pictures to work on meaning in a fun way. Teachers can create their own visual material by combining image and text. The interesting thing about working with memes is that there is always a joke implied, rather than just the literal interpretation of the text included. Memes are very popular on social networks and kids and adolescents usually exchange memes even in their own language. In this way, working with memes in the English classroom becomes very motivating, in the sense that the concept is familiar to students and close to their immediate reality. 

1) Getting started

-  Enter www.wigflip.com
- Select the option 'Robot-Meme generator'.

2) Create your meme

- You can start your meme using a random picture, a picture from the web or a file picture from your computer. Select the option you want and press ‘go’. In the case you want to use a picture from the web, you will need to introduce the link to the picture and then press ‘go’.   

-  Once you have the picture, you can add some text to it. You can customize the font and size of the text. So as to add it, you just need to type the text in the bar on top of the picture and then press ‘add text’. You can position the text wherever you like on the picture. 

3) Finally

-  If you are not satisfied with your work, you can start again by pressing on ‘start again’ below the picture.  
-  When you finish, press ‘save picture’. You can save it in your computer, post it to Facebook, or save it to Flickr.


Have a look at a sample Meme created on Wigflip!

See an activity on Wigflip

Have fun!

Make flashcards with Cambridge English Online (tutorial)

What is a flashcard?

A flashcard or flash card is a set of cards bearing information, as words or numbers, on either or both sides, used in classroom drills or in private study. One writes a question on a card and an answer overleaf. Flashcards can bear vocabulary, historical dates, formulas or any subject matter that can be learned via a question and answer format. Flashcards are widely used as a learning drill to aid memorization by way of spaced repetition.

Benefits of using Cambridge English Online flashcard-maker

Cambridge English Online flashcard-maker is a tool aimed at teachers and students of English. It allows them to create images acompanied by text, useful for the teaching and learning of vocabulary items. Teachers can use this tool to create visual resources for their lessons. In this way, the teacher can create the exact images she/he needs, instead of relying on some ready-made material that may not fit his/her purporse. Besides, students themselves can also profit from this tool. They can create their own visual material. In this way, students get engaged with the course material, becoming active participants in their learning process, rather that objects of lecture and textbooks. 

1) Getting started

- Enter www.cambridgeenglishonline.com
- Select the option 'Flashcard Maker' in the middle of the page.

2) Make your flashcards

- Now, you will see four options: '1 A4 card', '2 A4 cards per sheet', '4 A4 cards per sheet' and '8 A4 cards per sheet'. Choose the one that fits your aim best and press on the label.

- You will be given a set of options on the right of the flashcard/s. In each of them, you can insert an image, text and the correspondent phonetic script. You can draw your own image or choose one from the library. So as to adjust each of these options, you have to click on the labels.

- You can start by introducing a picture. When clicking on 'Use image library', you will be given a list of words for you to find what you need to be represented. For instance, if you choose the word 'out of', you will get the drawing of a ball out of a box. Otherwise, if you click on 'Draw your own picture', a blank window will appear, together with a pencil and some other options to adjust colour and size, erase and position the drawing on the sheet. Once you have finished, press 'Apply'.

-  To introduce text, press on 'Text' and write what you like on the box bellow, they press 'Apply'

- To introduce the phonetic script, press on 'Phonemic Script' and click on the symbols on the grid one by one in the order needed. Then press 'Apply' to inset it in the flashcard.

3) Finally

- Once you have finished, press on 'Print' if you want to print them at that moment, or take a screen capture, if you want to save it in your computer files.


Have a look at a sample product from Cambridge English Online flashcard maker!

See an activity on Cambridge English Online

Have fun! 

What is this Blog about?

Introduction

The purpose of this blog is to provide English teachers with a number of Web 2.0 tools useful in the EFL classroom. The first four posts are Web 2.0 tutorials that may be handy for students when using the tools. The last four posts are examples of EFL tasks for different levels and ages, implementing the use of the previous tools. 

The Web 2.0 tools chosen for this blog are:

1. Cambridge English Online  - Flashcard Maker
http://www.cambridgeenglishonline.com/Flashcard_maker/

2. Prezi - Presentation Software
http://prezi.com/

3. Wigflip - Meme Maker
http://wigflip.com/roflbot/

4. Postermywall - Poster Maker
www.postermywall.com

Why using Web 2.0 tools in the EFL classroom?

As Nik Peachey suggests,Web 2.0 enables:

• Socialisation - Through socialisation our students can use the language and skills they are learning to build networks and develop relationships with real people.

• Collaboration - They can work together with others to construct and share real knowledge.

• Creativity - They can create genuine products, in a wide range and combination of media to high standards, which will have a real audience.

• Authenticity - The tasks and activities they do and the people they communicate with to do them are real and motivating.

• Sharing - They can share what they create and learn from each other.

Michael Thomas claims that Web 2.0 tools enhance learning by allowing students to engage in self-directed learning and gain skills and resources that are transferable to their informal, lifelong language learning.He coincides with Owen in that nowadays, students must develop 'the resources and skills necessary to engage with social and technical change, and to continue learning throughout the rest of their lives." He explains that 'pedagogy based on a learner-centric, social-constructivist (Vygotsky, 1978) approach and supported by tools readily available online and part of the every-day lives of students can help create an active learning environment in which students and instructors work together to solve problems contextualized in the real world.'

How can Web 2.0 tools be implemented in the EFL classroom?

As Paula Ledesma suggests in her article 'Creative Applications of Web 2.0 Tools in ELT (2012), there are plenty on websites that allow students to work with language in various ways. For instance, storytelling techniques can be fostered when using flashcard makers. There are also other examples such as comic makers and poster makers, wich can be easily implemented in many different ELT activities. These Web 2.0 tools 'help students develop communication skills as most of these tools facilitate the creation of user-generated content and its publication,' P. Ledesma explains. Examples of different tasks including the use of Web 2.0 tools will be displayed in this blog.