Have a Great Summer Break!
Posted by Sandra Pinto Pires | Filed under Uncategorized
It’s that time of the year when everyone needs a nice break!
Right now, I’m charging my bateries and getting ready for another fantastic academic year packed with loads of e-challenges!
See you in September!
Thank you, Thank you…
Posted by Sandra Pinto Pires | Filed under Events
I could hardly conjugate verbs when I got the news!
I feel deeply honoured and grateful for LSIS recognising my work.
This award means a lot to me.
You know that normally men are more into technology and gadgets. My husband is one of those. And he used to spend hours talking about all these great things you can do with technology and all these indispensable machines. Normally, we women say: yeah, yeah… whatever… But my husband would never stop, so I decided to start paying attention and actually started to enjoy, I became a techie enthusiast and realised that I could bring these wonderful pieces of technology into my teaching.
So, the first person to thank is my husband.
I would also like to thank Scott Hallman, who was the first person who believed in my work and invited me to take part of the e-learning world.
A big thank you to my manager, David Goldenberg, for nominating me and being the best manager in the world for letting me do whatever I want and for supporting all my crazy ideas.
And last but not the least, thanks to all the teachers in WAES who are keen on everything I suggest in terms of embedding technology in their teaching. They are my NIKE teachers – they “Just do it!”
I wish all the teachers accepted change like this group of special people did… Because this is not about technology, it is about changing the way you do things, change the way you teach.
It will be a pleasure to carry on doing my best and contribute for a better teaching and learning experience.
Thank you! Thank you!
Tags: E-Guide award, Tony Burgess
Ways of using technology to enhance learning
Posted by Sandra Pinto Pires | Filed under Collaborative tool, E Learning, Interactive Whiteboard, Mobile learning, Moodle, Net Tips, Podcasts, Resources, Smart Board, Twitter, Web tools
Do your students use technology? How do they use it? Do you think they use it for learning?
Many different types of technology can be used to support and enhance learning.
Various devices, software and web tools deliver different kinds of content and serve different purposes in the learning process.
Technology exists in the classroom and in our students’ pockets.
Technology can be used in the benefit of learning – it does not only complement teachers’ instructions/delivery but also provides means for self-study.
Technology improves learners’ achievement and meets the demand for the 21st century skills.
This slideshow displays various and innovative ways of using technology as a self-learning tool, as an extension of the teacher and as an experience beyond the classroom.
Learn about the ways the use of technology support and strengthen learning.
Show this presentation to your students – it will, certainly, give them loads of ideas of learning in/outside the classroom.
Tags: E Learning, ILT, Mobile learning, Moodle, Resources, Smart Board, Web Tool
Dynamic Ways of Using Moodle
Posted by Sandra Pinto Pires | Filed under E Learning, Moodle
Do you still think Moodle is boring?
Do you run out of ideas of how to use Moodle with your learners?
Do you want to improve retention and achievement?
This slideshow will give you fresh and new ideas to boost up your Moodle course.
Find out why you should use Moodle to promote learning, collaboration and communication, discover how to support and engage your learners and how to offer an interactive and rich learning experience.
After watching the slideshow, you will have an idea of what Moodle is capable of. Your next step is to learn how to create the activities suggested, such as Forums, Chats, Quizzes, internet embedded content, etc…
In the videos’ section you can find already a podcast that shows you the potential of a forum, how to use it with your learners and how to create it on Moodle.
There are more podcasts being created that will cover other activities.
Moodle is here because it saves us time and makes things much better for your learners.
Now… click and enjoy the show!
Tags: collaborative, Communication, Content Creation, E Learning, Free Software, Moodle
TeacherBites – Creating a Forum in Moodle
Posted by Sandra Pinto Pires | Filed under Collaborative tool, E Learning, Moodle, Web tools
Another great episode of TeacherBites is out.
This time check out how you can create a Forum in Moodle in minutes.
Learn a few tips and ideas of how to use forums in the classroom.
I would like to thank Jane Conway and her ESOL group, teacher and students featuring in the videocast, for being so nice, for allowing me to film them and for sharing their great teaching and learning experience.
To watch the videocast, go to the VIDEO section.
Tags: CPC, e-cpd, Moodle, TeacherBites, Training, Videocasts
What is an e-ilp?
Posted by Sandra Pinto Pires | Filed under E Learning
The e-ilp is an absolute MUST for any forward-thinking education provider.
The e-ilp delivers greater efficiencies to colleges – it saves time and paper work and has a whole new different meaning for learners.
But, that’s not all…
Have a look at this short and clarifying slideshow to find out:
- What is an e-ilp?
- Why we need to have it?
- What are the benefits?
- What can you find there?
Tags: Management
Give Voicethread to your students!
Posted by Sandra Pinto Pires | Filed under Collaborative tool, E Learning, Web tools
Imagine being able to collect group conversations and share everything in one place, that can be accessed anytime from anywhere in the world.
All this can be done for free and without having to install any software.
Voicethread is an incredible web tool that has a great potential for the classroom.
What is Voicethread?
A VoiceThread is an online media album that supports any type of media, such as images, documents and videos, and enables people to navigate and make comments in different ways:
• Voice – recording with a microphone or telephone
• Text
• Audio file
• Video – using a webcam
The voicethread can be shared with your students or colleagues – They can record comments, doodle on the slideshow while commenting, or even use multiple identities, which is great for the shyer students. You can moderate all the comments.
You can embed your Voicethreads on to your Moodle course or website, or you can even export the thread to MP3 players or DVDs.
How can you use Voicethread in the classroom?
It is great for …
1. Collaborative digital storytelling
2. Discussions
3. Make suggestions
4. Problem solving
5. Peer review work
6. Identify keywords
7. Annotate and label images
8. View and discuss videos
9. Revision work
10. Book, Film, … review
11. Label people’s thoughts
12. Give opinions
13. Create digital portfolios
Check out some sample voicethreads here.
Here is a Voicethread for education.
It was created with the purpose of gathering examples of how teachers are using Voicethread in their classroom or for CPD.
Have a look and find out what other teachers have been up to.
Watch phone commenting in action
Watch presentations in action
Watch doodling in action
If you want to learn more about Voicethread and create one with your class, watch the short video tutorials on Voicethread site.
Click here to watch the tutorials.
Now, it’s your turn!
Have a go and add your comment to this Voicethread. Just click on the “comment” button at the bottom, choose the microphone, phone or webcam, or write if you prefer. Try it out. Let us know your thoughts.
Four New SoundBites Episodes
Posted by Sandra Pinto Pires | Filed under E Learning, Podcasts, Resources, Video
Especially for ESOL, EFL and Literacy teachers and students.
New videocasts on e-blahblah’s “Videos” section.
There are four different videos of the same type of phonics exercise – The Spoken Word Generator – four different levels to choose from.
Have a go… You can use them with your students as study aid or in the classroom.
Tags: efl, ESOL, Literacy, phonetics, phonics, pronunciation, SoundBites, sounds, spelling, Videocasts
PREZI killed PowerPoint! How to Integrate PREZI in the Classroom
Posted by Sandra Pinto Pires | Filed under E Learning, Net Tips, Resources, Web tools
This Web tool is the cherry on top of the cake!
I am fan of web tools, but this one wowed me!
In a nutshell, PREZI is a simpler and fancier version of PowerPoint – Instead of a slide based linear structure, it gives you a single big canvas to work on.
PREZI allows you to create unbelievably dynamic presentations, where you can zoom in and out across a large poster, create motion paths, add text, embed images and video files or YouTube videos…
There’s no need to install anything on to your computer – PREZI is delivered entirely online.
PREZI’s zooming feature grabs and holds the viewers’ attention. It lets you create a sort of walking path through your presentation that makes it engaging and striking.
PREZI is extremely easy to use and to figure out – just watch the 2 minutes tutorial and you or your students will be up and creating Prezis in no time!
Watch the tutorial …
Get some inspiration from the amazing things that others have used PREZI to create – Link to inspirational Prezis
And now you can even reuse the prezis already created. Use them as templates and just add your own content. Click on the prezi you like most and click the “Reuse this prezi” button to save a personal copy – Link to reusable Prezis
PREZI has now extended free licenses to student/teachers in the form of and Edu licence
Click here to get a license
HOW TO INTEGRATE PREZI INTO THE CLASSROOM
IDEA 1 – Excellent tool for vocabulary – Type in the word to be defined and then zoom in on the definition
IDEA 2 – Build vocabulary prezis for review and study
IDEA 3 – Search and display History information – show a date, place or person in History and then zoom into the facts and details
IDEA 4 – Display a biography timeline– create paths from the dates to the event description
IDEA 5 – Create a sort of interactive character map of any literature character
IDEA 6 – Geography – zoom into details around a map
IDEA 7 – Jewellery or ceramics – create path to lead through the creative method/process
IDEA 8 – Create an engaging online CV
IDEA 9 – Tell a story – use pictures and videos
IDEA 10 – Present the learning programme and material
IDEA 11 – Create a mind map
IDEA 12 – Create a storyboard including drawings, videos and written ideas
IDEA 13 – ESOL and MFL – Create a path to teach directions
IDEA 14 – Create live descriptions
IDEA 15 – Create a lesson introduction/starter
PREZI is a time saver and gives you so much pleasure creating your presentations.
Try PREZI here!
Tags: presentations, slideshows, Web Tool
Gizmoz Studio
Posted by Sandra Pinto Pires | Filed under E Learning, Net Tips, Resources, Web tools
Gizmoz is a free web tool that enables you or your students to create your/their own super fancy animations, slide shows, newscasts, documentaries or comedy sketches just by mashing up 3D characters, images, voice, videos, music and more.
You don’t need to be a “geek” to create amazing animations and use this easy piece of technology effectively.
I’m sure that once you watch a few samples and find out how Gizmoz work, you will think of different wise ways of integrating it into your teaching.
It, definitely, makes learning fun, engaging, creative, collaborative and communicative.
There is so much that can be done with Gizmoz…
Newscasts, advertisements, book reviews, introductions to lessons, traveling reports, motivational messages, delivering homework instructions, reflective assessment…
The presentations created by your students can ,easily , be kept as evidence of their leanring progress.
Watch these samples I created while playing with Gizmoz.
Trust me! it didn’t take me a huge amount of time to create these sample animations – Under 10 minutes.
Once you finish, save and publish your animation, you can send it via email, post it to YouTube, MySpace or Facebook, or embed it in your Moodle course or website.
Flip these pages to learn more…
Tags: presentation, Resources, Web Tool
Free online screencasting tool – How to integrate it in your teaching
Posted by Sandra Pinto Pires | Filed under E Learning, Web tools
Some time ago I posted a tip on the use of Camtasia screen recorder to provide feedback to your students. I thought it was great, but now there is a free online tool that is much easier, quick and simple to use – Screenr.
Screenr is a free web-based tool that lets you create screencasts without installing any software.
You should give it a go! Here’s why:
• It’s a freebie
• Screenr is extremely easy to use and you don’t need to download anything. You just have to click on the record button on the website and start narrating. There’s no need for training!
• You keep it simple. You don’t have to edit for polishing.
• You can share your screencasts on Twitter, YouTube, Moodle, Blogs, Wikis, iPhone or even download the videos as MP4 files
Let me share some ideas on putting video to work in your teaching.
• Give your presentation once and then share it as many times as you want
• Record a live lecture to give students a rewind button for the class. This will help them learning at their own pace or catch up if they miss the class
• Record video lessons that demonstrate visual or technical subjects
• Don’t take over all of this goodness. Have your students do screencasts to demonstrate their skills. It’s a brilliant way to reinforce their learning and assess their level of understanding
• Many mobile devices can play MP4s or videos from a website, so you can make your courses mobile
• If you have a tablet PC or something that lets you do pen input you can simulate a whiteboard. You only need a blank area to write and capture the video.
After pressing the stop button, Screenr gives you an embed code. That means you can insert your video to your Moodle courses, blog, wiki, or website.
Here’s a screencast on how to embed a Screenr video in Moodle:
Go to screenr.com to start screencasting
If you have any other idea of how to use Screenr with your learners, please share them with us on the comment box.
Let me know if you need a hand!
Tags: Free Software, Links, Resources, Web Tool
WAES Teacher E-Learning Handbook
Posted by Sandra Pinto Pires | Filed under E Learning, Interactive Whiteboard, Mobile learning, Moodle, Smart Board, Web tools
Check out this e-handbook for WAES teachers – The most expected support from the E-Learning department to help all tutors to cope with our digital resources.
The Teacher E-Learning Handbook is a practical guide on how to use the e-learning resources available in WAES to deliver and support learning. It is intended to help teachers of any subject who are seeking to use our various IT resources in their teaching – that is computers, interactive whiteboards, online resources, video cameras, and mp3 recorders.
This handbook will provide you with advice and instructions and will also help you to use the e-resources in a variety of ways to aid learning.
Click on the pageflip book and view it on full screen mode.
Tags: Moodle, Resources, Smart Board, Training, Web Tool
“Having an e-portfolio is like having Facebook!”
Posted by Sandra Pinto Pires | Filed under Uncategorized
I have been to the JISC “e-Portfolios: Effective Uses in Teaching and Learning” event last week in London where I learned a lot about e-portfolios. I now have a clear idea of what e-portfolios are and why we need them so badly. One of the thoughts that came out of the session was that having an e-portfolio was like having Facebook – Facebook for social life and e-portfolio for academic and professional development.
So… What, exactly, is an e-portfolio?
An e-portfolio is the product, created by the learner, a collection of digital artefacts articulating experiences, achievements and learning. JISC
I would say that an e-portfolio is like a big folder where you keep information about a particular learner that can be added by the learner, teacher or organisation. This information consists of formal documents (certificates…), all different kind of media (audio, video, graphics, text) created by the learner, and an individual learning plan including past results and future aims negotiated between teacher and learner.
This video, created by the University of Cumbria, is really nice and easy to follow. It gives you a pretty clear definition of an e-portfolio. Have a look!
How do they work?
My brainstorm during the event:
What are the benefits?
• Learner-centred • Accessibility • Portability • Long shelf life • Increase learners’ technology skills • Better learner achievement and retention rates • Flexibility • Cost-effective • No more bulky folders or lost evidence • Increased motivation • Transparency • Greater appreciation of collaboration and collaborative learning • Time saving
Why?
Employers are looking for more than a degree grade. Here’s another brilliant video that show you the importance of an e-portfolio and it can be used by learners.
What does an e-portfolio look like?
Tags: E Learning, e-portfolio
WAES at The Language Show
Posted by Sandra Pinto Pires | Filed under E Learning, Events
This was WAES‘s second year at The Language Show in Olympia.
And, once again, it was a big success. Our snazzy stand caught everyone’s attention because of all the lovely people working there during these three days, the cost-effective prices and, of course, the famous fortune cookies – Delicious idea!
Loads of people approached WAES’s stand asking for information about all our different courses, certificates, venue, prices, and also offering to work with our team. Many flyers, prospectus and leaflets were handed out and will, definitely, start paying back.
Sharing of good practise…
I attended a few interesting seminars where the successful embedding of technology in teaching was on focus. There are lots of colleges doing different things with technology such as using web tools to create blogs, animations, comic books, web pages, voice threads, podcasts, wikis and so on. The main thought in all these projects was not to use technology unless it is really “Teachnology”.
Teaching creatively through contexts that are interesting for the teachers and learners is something that is kept in mind when using technology.
“Teachnology” is learner centred, progressive, guided, directed, shared, independent, experiential, deductive, flexible, personalised, assessment driven and ICT rich.
These seminars were very inspirational and I really wish we could do something E-special at WAES so that we can be at The Language Show in 2010 talking about our successful TEACHNOLOGY projects.
Here’s another nice video of our presence in the exhibition so you can have taste of what it was like.
It is a very informative and fun video. Have a look!
Tags: ESOL, Events, Languages, Seminars, Video
New SoundBites – Spoken Word Generator
Posted by Sandra Pinto Pires | Filed under E Learning, Podcasts, Resources, Video
You can find new videocasts on e-blahblah’s “Videos” section.
There are four different videos of the same phonics exercise – each of them are different levels of difficulty.
Have a go…
Tags: efl, esl, ESOL, letters, phonetics, phonics, pronunciation, SoundBites, sounds, spelling, Videocasts
Twitter for Teachers and Learners – Ways of using Twitter in the Classroom
Posted by Sandra Pinto Pires | Filed under E Learning, Twitter, Web tools
Are you using Twitter? Are you using it in your classroom? Are your students Twittering?
If you haven’t Twittered yet, you don’t know what you are missing!
An impressive growing number of teachers are using Twitter.
Just in case you can’t remember what Twitter is, here’s a short and simple video from the fantastic Commoncraft.
Teachers have been using Twitter as a micro-blogging platform on which they share text messages of no more than 140 characters to connect with colleagues from around the world and generate ideas for teaching and professional development.
Why should teachers use Twitter? What’s the point?
What do teachers normally complain about? Lack of time! Right?
Twitter can help teachers with their time management as it can be like a virtual staffroom, where they can step into whenever they want: On their mobile phones travelling back home or in the queue at the post office… They can access a stream of tips, links, ideas and resources from different professionals within seconds.
Share reflections, support and challenge each other. Reading other teachers’ experiences makes you reflect on your own practice and helps improving.
Gather a range of opinions and constructive criticism within minutes.
How do teachers use Twitter?
. Use it as a resource for sharing things quickly
. Follow teachers who teach similar subjects and levels or teachers who have the same interests (I follow e-learning people!)
. Turn to it when researching, as the sources are trustworthy (I’ve heard that it’s better than Google!)
. Create a professional network of colleagues all over the world when developing new lesson or curriculum ideas
. Carry out classroom tasks, such as voting activities, question and answer, creating stories…
How do learners use Twitter?
Learners decide when, where and what. They learn when they can.
Twitter is a friendly place to take part. Learners can jump into the middle of conversations, turning it into a valuable moment.
Learning with Twitter means that learners are always being assessed. If students’ tweets are meaningful and useful, the number of followers will increase. If the quality of the tweets is not very good, the number of followers will stay the same or fall.
Learners can keep updates and developments of projects they carry out.
Check out this slideshow for guidance and practical ideas of how to use Twitter in your classroom
If you want to keep up and start your Twitter, here’s a great guidebook.
Click here to view the guidebook on the web site.
Tags: collaborative, ILT, socialnetworking, Twitter, Web Tool
Del.icio.us For Teachers and Learners
Posted by Sandra Pinto Pires | Filed under Bookmark, Net Tips, Web tools
I have been using del.icio.us for more than two years now, and I can’t stop being delighted!
I use del.icio.us almost everyday and I have nearly 500 bookmarks.
There are so many web sites on the net that we find and want/need to use wherever at anytime – it would be extremely difficult to remember the addresses of all of them.
And even if we add our preferred websites to the favourites or bookmarks on our web browser (Internet Explorer/Safari/Firefox, etc) at college, we wouldn’t be able to access them from home and they wouldn’t be well organised.
That’s why this is so delicious!
What is del.icio.us?
It’s called online social bookmarking.
It’s your personal web site where you can save and categorise your favourites/bookmarks.
But it is more than this… You can also find out what web sites others find interesting. So… Del.icio.us saves a link to anything you viewed on the web and allows you to share these links with other teachers or with your students.
And like all the excellent web 2.0 tools, del.icio.us is FREE.
It’s really easy to create an account and add a “bookmarklet” button to your web browser. Don’t worry if you have Firefox, the del.icio.us button is already embedded into its toolbar.
Watch this superb video if you still didn’t quite get it and to get started. The instructions are pretty clear and easy to follow.
Why should you use del.icio.us?
. Save and access your bookmarks anywhere you have web access on any computer
. Teachers and students can find resources at home and access them in college
. Share web sites with your colleagues and learners
. Find your bookmarks easily by keywords/tags
. Use related tags to narrow or extend your searches
. Add a description to a saved link
. Find out about new sites from other del.icio.us users
. Subscribe to other del.icio.us users
. Check out the most popular links
How can you use del.icio.us with your students?
. Create unique class tags
. Create a class network
. Tag by subject content topic
. Share web sites for students’ research or projects
. Recommend e-books
. Subscribe to favourite tags – helps with research
. Use the search box to make it easier to find useful web sites
Del.icio.us delights
- Your del.icio.us Network
The Network on del.icio.us connects you to other del.icio.us users. These can be your colleagues, other teachers you met in a conference or you bumped on to one of those net forums or even new people you come across when exploring del.icio.us.
Having a network allows you to collect your del.icio.us “buddies’” latest bookmarks.
- Your del.icio.us inbox
Here you’ll find bookmarks that have been sent to you by other users. Whenever you’ve got a bookmark in your inbox, the mail icon on the right top corner will let you know.
Sending a bookmark to someone else’s Inbox is easy: Just tag the bookmark with “for:” followed by their username, like “for:spires”.
If you add people to your “Network”, it’s even easier to send them bookmarks, because when saving a bookmark, the “People” tab will have their names and you can click those names to automatically add “for:” tags with their usernames.
- Your del.icio.us Subscriptions
Allow you to keep an eye on your favourite tags. You only have to add a tag to your subscriptions and del.icio.us watches for bookmarks saved with that tag and delivers them to your subscriptions page.
For example, I subscribe to bookmarks tagged with “SmartBoard” to check what everyone is bookmarking on Smartboard.
To subscribe tags that interest you, just go to “subscriptions”, click on “Add a subscription”, type in the tag and press on “add”.
- Your del.icio.us Search
The search box lets you explore the bookmarks of your or others’ page. You can search for del.icio.us user’s bookmarks, your network’s bookmarks or tags.
Here’s my del.icio.us link. Feel free to use it!
http://delicious.com/spires
Two New TeacherBites Episodes
Posted by Sandra Pinto Pires | Filed under E Learning, Interactive Whiteboard, Podcasts, Smart Board
Click on the “Videos” section to watch two new TeacherBites on how to create interactive exercises, such as the anagram and the category sort.
These are activities created on Smart Notebook Software in just a few minutes.
You can also see the interactive tasks in action being used in the class, as well as learners and teacher’s opinions.
Grab a cup a tea, sit back, relax and watch the 6 minutes videocasts. TeacherBites makes you save time and brings something new and exciting to your class.
Tags: TeacherBites, Videocasts
