A collection of TOOLS for EFL teachers (Part 1)

There are several tools available for the same purpose, however, each of them offer different features that can meet your specific needs at different moments. The ideal thing is to ask yourself what you would like the tool to do for you and then see which one meets your need.

For the next posts, I'll be arranging different tools according to categories: such as: interactive boards, poster, wordcloud, podcast, image editing, video editing, slideshow,  presentation, screencast and  taking screenshots.

NOTICEBOARDS

VIRTUAL POSTERS

70 Tools in 70 minutes (by Silvia Tolisano)

I'd like share this fantastic presentation by Silvia Tolisano about webtools we can use to help reach our teaching goals. Check out her wonderful blog "THE LANGWITCHES BLOG"

She says: "IT'S NOT ABOUT THE TOOL."
               "It's about looking at tools to see which one will help you accomplish teaching and learning of 21st Century skills & litteracies"

70 Tools 70 Minutes

View more presentations from Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano

20 WEBTOOLS applied to teaching

I´ve finally managed to finish the english version of the e-book I´ve published earlier this year.I describe 20 webtools I´ve tried out, give examples of how teachers have been using it and suggest other ways to use them in class.

You can order a paperback version or download it as pdf.

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/webtools-applied-to-teaching/15104257

Hope you find the suggestions useful.

E-BOOK: Best Student / Teacher web 2.0 lge learning / teaching sites

I'd like to congratulate David Deubelbeiss on his wonderful e-book and share it with you. He shares 60 GREAT WEBSITES. I've already discovered interesting sites to explore and try out in class. Thanks, David!

You can read the book online or download it.

Open publication - Free publishing - More web 2.0

My E-BOOK - WEBTOOLS = ferramentas de internet

In 2009, I started collecting webtools which I thought were very useful to language teachers in general and decided to share what I´ve been reading and trying out through a book. The reason I wrote in Portuguese is that there are various language teachers in Brazil , who teach languages other than English, and haven´t heard of the wonderful tools which could provide further learning opportunities to students.

I collected 20 webtools I´ve already tried , described them, provided links to examples and gave examples of how the tools can be used in the classroom.

I´d like to thank the various teachers who have authorized the links to their blogs and work:

• José Picardo
• Alexandra Francisco
• Nik Peachey
• David Deubeldeiss
• Dennis Oliver
• Ian James
• Sue Waters
• Bob Palmer
• Mary Hillis
• Mary Beth Hertz

 http://issuu.com/anamariacult/docs/webtoolsferramentasdeinternet

Technology Tidbits

Technolgy Tidbits - a blog I'd like to recommend.

Technology Tidbits: Thoughts of a Cyber Hero via kwout

While browsing through his blog, I learned about BookRix, a site which helps you create online books. You can download your own book or let the site help you create one. When the book has been created, you can share it in the BookRix archive, send the link to friends or even grab an embed code for your blog.

David Kapuler's online books on webtools is a must-read.

• Blog Companion Volume II
• Blog Companion Volume I
  

Carla Arena´s Potpurri of web tools

Carla has always been an inspiration to me. The more opportunities I have working with her, the more I see how much ground I still have to cover. I´d like to share her wonderful presentation at the Braz-tesol regional chapter which I still haven´t had the chance to really cover (each tool). Learn from the master (Carla) and enjoy.

A Potpourri Of Web Tools

View more Microsoft Word documents from carlaarena.

An Interactive NOTICE BOARD - Wallwisher

I came across this site via Nik Peachey and was planning to try it out. Next week, I´ll be talking about films with two groups of mine and decided to use http://wallwisher.com to have my students recommend films to the group.

Anyone can join us in our WALL by clicking on post a sticky and then double click with the mouse, write a description of the film and add the link to a youtube trailer. This is our FAVOURITE FILMS wallwisher.



Nik Peachey has also started a great wall about WEB TOOLS for teachers:



This is Nik´s wonderful post about WALLWISHER

WEB TOOLS for language learners

"Web tools to develop projects with language students"

This flowgram was meant to share some web tools I´ve been using with my students in order to develop projects (long-term/ short-term). Some are great to practise reading/writing and others speaking/ listening.


http://www.flowgram.com/p/4jtztzwvrpjvd7/

Blip.fm

Blip.fm | Global Music Radar | Page 1 of 1063 via kwout

For those who like music and meeting new people, blip.fm is the site for you. I decided to write about it only now because I´ve been noticing how much pleasure it gives me to discover and rediscover songs through people´s suggestions. You can give people (DJs) props for songs you like and also add them to your favorites. The image above was taken from my blip.fm channel. BLIP.FM is also connected to other social network sites such as twitter, pownce, friendfeed, so whenever you blip a song, your updates go directly to the sites you´ve selected in your settings.

Give blip.fm a try!

How can we use this site with students?

• Well, I guess if you discover your group is really interested in music, and most of them do, then you could have your students share their favorite songs with each other.
• They can use the blip box to write about the song or the band using English.
• Any other ideas?
  

101 Free web tools

This is a great slideshow created by Zaidlearn and embedded in his blog. I really wanted to have it in my blog in order to share it with other web2.0 lovers. Have a look at the tools he suggests for 101 usages.

101 Free Learning Tools

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: teaching thinking)

Web 2.0 and Language Learning

I´ve just come across this video made by Graham Stanley and decided to post it in my blog in order to share it with other teachers interested in edutech. His video is very clear and it gives us an overall idea of what is going on in the internet + education.

Tokbox.com

This is a talk box where you can connect to me in real time. You can also use tokbox.com in order to send video messages to e-mails and receive them as well. I´m still trying it out. There´s the possibility of inviting people to a conference room with images where more people can discuss together. Interesting tool!

Utterz.com

Decided to write about a tool lots of edutech enthusiasts have been trying out and tweetering about. It´s http://utterz.com.

With Utterz you can create a discussion which people can reply to using text, video, pictures or/and audio. It´s very simple to use and it´s really interesting to hear and see what people have to say. You can get a widget for the sidebar of your website so that you and your readers can follow what people have been saying there.

As you can also record it from your cell phone, it´s very practical and offers great opportunity for authentic language practice.

How to use it with students?

• create threads where students can write about topics you start like: describe your best friend (add picture), talk about your favourite food/dish (+ picture), describe your family (+picture), share your favourite song and so on.

• discuss topics using text, audio or video.
  

Creating online books with MIXBOOK.COM

I´ve just heard about Mixbook in the Langwitches blog. I imagine you can create wonderful books with students using images from the web or even downloading images from your computer. You can write stories collaboratively, publish them, get the embed code or URL and even have the option of buying a printed copy of the book you have created.

You could:

• write stories with your students.
• write funny stories which students have to continue using their creativity.
• have students create dialogues with drawings they have done...

Have a look at this mixbook created by Third Grade students starting poems with " Roses are red, Violets are blue ..."

GLOGSTER making web-posters

Glogster - Poster Yourself via kwout

A friend of mine, Lívia fernandes, found out about Glogster in Facebook and decided to try it out with a project for mother´s day. She asked students to write a short text about their moms, then she scanned the texts and made a poster with their work. It´s so cute!!!!

Click on the link to see the full image
http://livinhaz.glogster.com/mothersday-pt1a/

Then as I wanted to try it out too, I made a present to e-colleagues of mine from the Learning with Computers community using Glogster.
http://anamariacult.glogster.com/LWC-divas/

Carla Arena after hearing about it also put her hands to work and created he own poster to send a message to her students.
http://carlaarena.glogster.com/message-to-students/

Then yesterday, I came across this really cool glog made by photographer Jan von Holleben. It´s enchanting! Loved the photographs!
http://patrix.glogster.com/Dreams-of-Flying-by-Jan-von-Holleben

Besides being visually appealing it is so much fun making the posters! You can add images, videos, audio to preset cool templates.

HOW CAN WE USE IT WITH STUDENTS?

• You can publish your student´s work.
• Students can make their own poster on an specific topic.
• You can send messages to students.
• USE YOUR IMAGINATION