04 mar

Posted at 08:00h in Educational Technology by

Yes, I have just invented that word. Technology use in the classroom is debatable when it comes to usability and rationale of tasks. We (Active ELTers) have been discussing this topic for a long time now and one feature I believe is worth mentioning is that, if you use interactive boards, chromebooks, padlets, projectors, etc you are already using technology in your classroom. So, what’s new about that, you ask? I have been learning a lot from Alice Turibio, my partner at circular.club and as she is a...

16 dez

Posted at 08:00h in Classroom Experiences, Educational Technology, Games, Lesson Ideas, Resources, Technology by

If you have been teaching teens for the past years you have probably noticed how attached they are to their mobiles or tablets. To say that they love technology is an understatement. Playing video games, watching TV series and films or listening to music are some of the usual activities they perform in their free time and they all involve technology. But technology is not the only thing they are interested in. Take, for instance, teenagers who practise sports or even go to a dance school. Would it not...

07 nov

Posted at 12:43h in Classroom Experiences, Educational Technology, Lesson Ideas, Resources, Technology, Trends in ELT by

As a child, I was a tech enthusiast. Born in 1980, I am an active member of a lucky generation which could see the evolution of computers from gigantic monsters which could occupy an entire building so as to produce what we know today as a very limited amount of data, to micro technology,which enables us to store virtually anything in a “cloud” of information. When I started teaching, back in the last century (phew, I AM getting old), rooms were constituted of a blackboard, chalk, chairs and books,...

06 nov

Posted at 14:07h in Educational Technology, Resources, Sin categoría, Teacher Development, Technology, Trends in ELT by

Have you ever used Jing for anything in your language teaching experience? Have you ever heard of it? I am asking you these questions because I have been suggesting the use of this nice tool in my educational technology workshops for over 7 years now. But it's still interesting to notice that a lot of teachers all over the country have actually never heard of it, let alone use it. But don't worry, this is not an ad. Jing is actually a free tool by Techsmith, which makes it even nicer, isn't...

28 out

Posted at 16:01h in Educational Technology, Reflections about Education by

  Though the maker movement has been around for a long time now, and if we consider Dewey, Papert, among other educators, we'd say it's been around for decades! If we go event further and look at makerspace as those garages where kids used to work with their parents on projects, fix things and solve a problem, it's been really there for a long time.  However, the so-called maker movement in Brazil is really getting traction right now. Schools are making budgets, considering options to innovate, to change learning...

05 set

Posted at 07:00h in Classroom Experiences, Educational Technology, Speaking and Spoken Language, Technology, Trends in ELT by

 Joseph Pine II and James Gilmore’s article Welcome to the Experience of Economy has on its opening page the following statement: “As goods and services become commoditized, the customer experiences that companies create will matter most.” (Pine and Gilmore, 199:97) and much in  the same way, it is a positive experience  that learners also seek in our classrooms. This ‘economy experience’ concept (Pine and Gilmore, 1998) is not limited to a specific area but it ranges from going to an amusement park at the weekend and having fun, to classes...

01 maio

Posted at 10:16h in Educational Technology, Teacher Development, Technology, Trends in ELT by

I will begin this post with a confession: although I have been involved in EFL and digital education projects for quite some time, I am not a heavy user of technology; I don’t really own a myriad of smart devices and, most of the time, I tend to prefer taking notes on a good, old notepad. While not resistant to change, I believe I am fairly skeptical that one device or app, or digital service, will single-handedly change my classroom practice. This skepticism might come from my observation of...

28 fev

Posted at 10:00h in Educational Technology, Lesson Ideas, Technology by

It's been some years already that we've been talking about m-learning and its promises, but with not much consistent use of mobile devices as a learning tool with extremely high computational capabilities, sometimes even bigger than our own desktops (certainly this is my case!). There are simply countless ways to deepen the experiences and learning opportunities in class by using the power of touch, the power of hands. It's not from banning cellphones, for example, because of our own fears and feeling of powerlessness due to our vulnerable...

28 out

Posted at 07:00h in Educational Technology, Technology by

There´s nothing new on the use of Youtube for learning, but how often do you use its features beyond watching the videos? I´d like to suggest three ways to enhance the use of Youtube videos in the classroom. First, encourage your group to create a collaborative playlist about the topic they are studying. By doing that, the students are watching, analyzing and making decisions about the best option to add to the grupo playlist. How do you do it? Start a Playlist on Youtube by choosing a video and clickin on...

28 set

Posted at 13:37h in Educational Technology, Teacher Development by

There's no need to remind you that technology is pervasive in our lives. It's everywhere. However, my main paradox is that I see my kids going to school and having very little use of it as a tool for development, personal growth and inquiry. It is a huge paradox because for the past decade I've been working with educators and educational leaders to meaningfully incorporate edtech in their practices. Yet, in my own home reality is far from ideal. What I feel is that my kids are more...