Explore ePals!

I would like to say that ePals connects students to amazing learning experiences

ePals enriches K-12 learning in the classroom and at home with innovative web-based tools and the highest standard of children’s stories, games and digital media on the Web.

Teachers use the free ePals Global Classroom to create real world, culturally- enriching learning experiences for their students. With ePals classroom matching, a high school class studying Chinese can connect with a class studying English in China, or the classes can work on a special project together.

There are some projects from ePals. One of them is Class in Vermont, USA Seeks Cultural Exchange for The Way We Are PowerPoint Project.

To be specific, they are currently studying culture, focusing on ancient India, Greece, Rome, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and China. The teacher would be interested in having the students communicate with other class to learn about the modern day culture as well as share theirs.

Also another one I was impressed is World War II on the Home Front: Civic Responsibility--Smithsonian in Your Classroom. In this lesson, students learn about life in a time of national emergency by examining five full-page reproductions of posters, each of which urges civilians to take some kind of voluntary action to buy savings bonds, to plant vegetable gardens, to conserve materials, to give their all at the factory. The class considers the meaning of citizenship by focusing on an essential question”: How does volunteering demonstrate civic responsibility?

The lesson is part of a unit created by the Comprehensive Social Studies Assessment Project of the Council of Chief State School Officers titled “Liberty and Citizenship.

Using the ePals/National Geographic Project, The Way We Are, students engage in a collaborative learning experience. Through email exchanges, students learn about the daily lives and culture of students in another region of the world. After exchanging four emails with a partner class, students work in groups to make a PowerPoint presentation showing the similarities and differences they have discovered and highlighting a selection of their ePals letters that they particularly liked. Moreover, ePals includes a diversity of programs like writing center and science center, which is almost a real school!

Through ePal, I will be able to utilize authentic resources provided by different centers. For example, I can introduce my students various thoughts from Global Citizens and make them read some articles so that my students would be exposed to global people and cultures! 

Explore ePals! Click this-> ePals

Let’s get involved in Social Networking!

Let’s get involved in Social Networking!

Let me introduce Classroom 2.0! 

This social network is great for people who are interested in social media and participative technologies in the classroom. I can participate in the great discussions here, to receive event notifications, and to find and connect with colleagues around the world. They provide various functions such as search engine, resources, and sharing information! 

Now visit the website! Click this -> CLASSROOM 2.0

Enjoy the privileges from Network!

Enjoy the privileges from Network! 

It is evident that in our current society network has a tremendous importance in our education. Some people side with that there is low correlation between network and education while others do not. I however, believe that network is playing a significant role in our education and will become a more powerful mean in the future.

Firstly, a learner is like a tourist. This is because we can see and learn the world through network. Network has become part of our life. It is true and, personally,, I always carry the network like my backpack to go to school every day. According to George Siemens for the video that I have watched, We have a technology available. Through social software, we are able to connect individuals around world. Like his mention and examples that he can connect to someone in Australia or Canada, our connection individually as well as collectively is broader and allows us to embrace the diversity. I think that our education should not overlook this flow in our current society and take advantage of this, because learning is also the important part of our life!

Secondly, a learner is like a cell of a human body because learners consistently need nutrition to grow. To be specific, the writer mentioned that “Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning. I agree with this and network is one of the most powerful tools to facilitate this and I admit, therefore, network is important to forward the content.

Personally, it was the first time to encounter 'Connectivism' theoretically. Learning is not individual activity anymore and it is obvious that we are able to access to various knowledge on line around the world. This article and video motivate me to utilize Connectivism in my teaching in the future.

Article: Connectivism: A Learning Theory for theDigital Age, George Siemens
Video : The Network is the Learning,George Siemens

DIIGO and Pinterest

  DIIGO and Pinterest are interesting and useful tools for teaching. I think that both of them provide various functions and even their looking is sophisticating and fabulous! To compare those two programs, I would like to emphasize each of main fancy.

  First of all, DIIGO is one of the most powerful research tools as a knowledge-sharing community. When I encountered DIIGO at the first time, I liked the term ‘my library’ because it seems to be a personal knowledge management with multi tools. The function I was impressed from the website is that I can use multiple tags with highlights(annotation tools) and people can post comments to share ideas like a blog. Moreover, it provides a messenger program so I can manage my network with following others and send a message to people who I follow. Handling all functions such as posting the article managing multi tags and organizing information was easy.

  On the other hand, Pinterest is also a great online program which is a visual discovery tool that we can use to find ideas for all projects and interests. Personally, Pinterest is more focused on visual aspect and the interface of Pinterest is more user-friendly than DIIGO. At first, I can set my various interests and Pinterest provides some recommends related to my interests. Like DIIGO, I can organize the articles and information easily with pins. Also, with one mouse click, I can follow other’s board or articles!

  I am glad to know these programs and, obviously, would like to keep utilizing these fantastic online tools for my teaching. This is because these tools are able to motivate learners to get involved in studying with various ways. Therefore, by using these tools, I will be able to not only help my students, but also develop my teaching career. 

Are you in Social Media?

Video clip -> SocialMedia Revolution 2011

I expected that a large number of people involved in social media such as Face book, Google, etc. However, according to this video, it is quite REVOLUTION!!! 


More than 90% of marketers use social media, which means many people are exposed to social media! Social media is powerful tools that allow people to create, share or exchange information, ideas, pictures and videos in virtual communities and networks. Furthermore, social media depend on mobile and web-based technologies to create highly interactive platforms through which individuals and communities share, co-create, discuss, and modify user-generated content. They introduce substantial and pervasive changes to communication between businesses,organizations, communities, and individuals. 

For instance, looking back on my daily life, I always carry and pay  attention to an iphone in my hand, texting about my concerns or interests of everyday and sharing it with others. There are a bunch of apps I can enjoy and sometimes, I post dinner food on the plate in the nice restaurant. It seems to be that I cannot live without my electronic device. My opinion from this clip is that our life styles have been changing, so our education may reflect this major society issue!  

Future Learning in Our World!

Video Clip ->  FutureLearning Documentary 2012 

We have to consider the NEXT GENERATION who is the FUTURE!  To arm it with the relevant, timeless skills for our rapidly changing world, we need to revolutionize what it means to learn.
This clip shows about how technology plays a significant role in education. In this video, some educators mentions the function of technology like computer in our learning. They are redefining how we engage young minds for a creatively and technologically-advanced future. For example, one thing I was impressed is that, according to Seth Weinberger, we need to connect a computer to classroom itself. The goal of this is that  teachers do more higher order things and let the computers do more basic thing like all the practice. 
Through watching this clip, I think that technology can teach us many great things and this will definitely influence on our learning environment as well as life styles.
  

BLOG, Does it work? YES!

BLOG, Does it work? YES!

   A tool is very important when we learn English. This is one of the important motivations for ESL learners to get involved in the language. In particular, a blog is a fantastic tool to lead learners to study English in various ways as well as teachers to develop their professional with useful resources.
   Firstly, blogs have an easy access to studying English. Blogs can be run by one person or by a group of people who are invited to participate, and visitors can leave comments, thus creating a real space for discussion and collaboration. Blogs are archived, and access to these records of postings allows for consultation and research. Moreover, blogs provide links to other blogs, useful sites, photographs, images, audio and video. Educators from all over the world are taking advantage of this versatile tool to provide their students with the opportunity to communicate in meaningful interactive situations with teachers and other students of the language from all over the planet.
   Also, teachers can make full use of blogs for themselves. Blogging can give teachers valuable feedback one anther. As they gain feedback from a readership, they gain a sense of peer review, sometimes challenging and refuting their ideas such as tricky to handle, but be open minded and you will learn a lot from constructive criticism or affirming what you already believe to be true. some feedback from readers adds further value to their blog post, and it's there for all to read. Affirmation of their own beliefs can be a powerful enabler for them as a professional practitioner.

Performance Indicator - ESL.I.5-8.1.1.1:
Students identify and use reading and listening strategies to make text comprehensible and meaningful.

Performance Indicator - ESL.C.9-12.3.1.1:

Students develop and present clear interpretations, analyses, and evaluations of issues, ideas, texts, and experiences; justify and explain the rationale for positions, using persuasive language, tone, evidence, and well-developed arguments.