Constructing knowledge Constructing knowledge with blogswith blogs

GetxoLinguae 2009GetxoLinguae 2009

““It’s better to know some of It’s better to know some of the questions that all of the the questions that all of the

answers”answers”

James ThurberJames Thurber

Our priorities in educationOur priorities in education

YouTube - 3 Steps for 21st Century Learning

What should our priorities be for education in the XXIst century?

What are we expected to teach our students in their English class?

What might be the role of ICT?

How can blogs be of any help?

My prioritiesMy priorities

1.First teach them English, and this means, 1.First teach them English, and this means, reflecting on the language and developing reflecting on the language and developing their language skills, things which they can their language skills, things which they can further practice on the blog and on other further practice on the blog and on other sites.sites.

Why using so much paper?Why using so much paper?

((Explanantions, Activities and links to exercises on ESL SitesExplanantions, Activities and links to exercises on ESL Sites))

Internet: A window to a world in Internet: A window to a world in EnglishEnglish

2.Open for them a window to the world and 2.Open for them a window to the world and let them be in contact with the language, let them be in contact with the language, informing them about nice and interesting informing them about nice and interesting places where they can read in and listen to places where they can read in and listen to EnglishEnglish

((Links to interesting contentLinks to interesting content))

Essential competences: How to read critically Essential competences: How to read critically and develop students’ higher thinking skillsand develop students’ higher thinking skills

3. Help them to become critical thinkers and show 3. Help them to become critical thinkers and show them how to access and process information, them how to access and process information, evaluate it and create their own productevaluate it and create their own product Avoid the read and regurgitate syndromeAvoid the read and regurgitate syndrome Follow taxonomies to design activities which imply Follow taxonomies to design activities which imply

reading, processing and creatingreading, processing and creating Links to literacy and creative thinking sitesLinks to literacy and creative thinking sites Treasure hunts, webquests, webtaskonomies, …Treasure hunts, webquests, webtaskonomies, …((Bloom’s Taxonomy, Bloom’s revised, The three-storey intellect)Bloom’s Taxonomy, Bloom’s revised, The three-storey intellect)

We can’t let our students simply collect and copy data

There are complex cognitive process students need to follow to process the information and a good variety of things they can produce as a result

ICT allow students to follow these cognitive process and create a good variety of interesting productions

A life-long lasting task:Learners’ A life-long lasting task:Learners’ autonomy and self-assessmentautonomy and self-assessment

4.Teach them how to learn, specially a 4.Teach them how to learn, specially a language, and encourage them to become language, and encourage them to become independent studentsindependent students Learning to learn section:Learning to learn section:

►MI questionaireMI questionaire►Portfolio for self-assessment and giving them advice Portfolio for self-assessment and giving them advice

on how to develop their skills and how to make the on how to develop their skills and how to make the most out of resoucesmost out of resouces

Knowing the worldKnowing the world

5.Open their minds, let them know about 5.Open their minds, let them know about other cultures and people with different other cultures and people with different cultural activities, specially in English cultural activities, specially in English speaking countries.speaking countries.

Improve their factual knowledge of the Improve their factual knowledge of the worldworld

Change their attitudesChange their attitudes

Having funHaving fun

6.Make them forget old prejudices and make 6.Make them forget old prejudices and make them aware that you really can have fun them aware that you really can have fun learning a languagelearning a language

7.Make them love what they do7.Make them love what they do (They have videos, songs, games, …)(They have videos, songs, games, …)

Things I want to bear in mindThings I want to bear in mind

► Students are different, have different tastes and Students are different, have different tastes and preferences, and what is more important, they preferences, and what is more important, they learn in a different way (remember the tale about learn in a different way (remember the tale about the animals who tried to learn how to swim)the animals who tried to learn how to swim)

► Remember the famous proverb: “Tell me and I will Remember the famous proverb: “Tell me and I will forget, , show me and I may not remember, forget, , show me and I may not remember, involve me and I will understand”. Make my involve me and I will understand”. Make my activities meaningful and significative and involve activities meaningful and significative and involve them with their participation.them with their participation.

► There’s an excess of information and we have to There’s an excess of information and we have to guide them in their learning and teach them how guide them in their learning and teach them how to access it, no need to learn by heartto access it, no need to learn by heart

More things to bear in mindMore things to bear in mind

► That we can create a country of followers, we have to teach That we can create a country of followers, we have to teach them to be critic and think by themselvesthem to be critic and think by themselves

► That we have to help them express creatively and avoid so That we have to help them express creatively and avoid so many instructions (remember the Little Boy)many instructions (remember the Little Boy)

► And, however bad we are at technics, we can allow our And, however bad we are at technics, we can allow our students to remain illiterate. These are the tools they are students to remain illiterate. These are the tools they are going to need and we have to teach them how, and I don’t going to need and we have to teach them how, and I don’t mean technically.mean technically.

► Never think that you are not prepared to use computer and Never think that you are not prepared to use computer and that your students know more than you.that your students know more than you.

Why a blog then?Why a blog then?

► It allows me to organize the information for my It allows me to organize the information for my studentsstudents

► I can design activities for them to develop their I can design activities for them to develop their skills using different kinds of mediaskills using different kinds of media

► It meets my needs and helps me achieve my goalsIt meets my needs and helps me achieve my goals► It allows different kinds of interaction, from It allows different kinds of interaction, from

individuindividu► I think it is easier to use and looks attractive for I think it is easier to use and looks attractive for

studentsstudents► It’s enviromentally friendly, I thinkIt’s enviromentally friendly, I think► I think it’s a big step for future educationI think it’s a big step for future education

Things I have doneThings I have done

► Selected links for language practice and development of Selected links for language practice and development of skillsskills

► Selected links with interesting contentSelected links with interesting content► Prepared explanations on grammarPrepared explanations on grammar► Created first blog: CyberEnglishCreated first blog: CyberEnglish► Started Learning guidesStarted Learning guides► Done some research on ICT and MI and to get ideas to Done some research on ICT and MI and to get ideas to

design activities for my students and encourage my students design activities for my students and encourage my students design their owndesign their own

► Read on ICT and collaborative and see how I can organize Read on ICT and collaborative and see how I can organize project and critical thinking activitiesproject and critical thinking activities

► Tried to get things in order, so I can help other teachers on Tried to get things in order, so I can help other teachers on how to get startedin this new worldhow to get startedin this new world

Kinds of blogsKinds of blogs

►Kinds of blogs (see Fernando Zayas mind-Kinds of blogs (see Fernando Zayas mind-map)map)

►My different blogs:My different blogs: Ana’s Corner, a place for teachersAna’s Corner, a place for teachers Anuskis-Cyberenglish, a site for Intermediate Anuskis-Cyberenglish, a site for Intermediate

students of Englishstudents of English Anuskis’ How to blogAnuskis’ How to blog My students blog: Cyberstudents IntermediateMy students blog: Cyberstudents Intermediate

A blog for teachersA blog for teachers

►Ana’s Corner: My reflections on education Ana’s Corner: My reflections on education and language learning and teachingand language learning and teaching

httphttp://://www.anuskis.blogspot.comwww.anuskis.blogspot.com//

A blog for studentsA blog for students

Cyberenglish: A guide for my Intermediate studentsCyberenglish: A guide for my Intermediate students httphttp////www.anuskiswww.anuskis--cyberenglish.blogspot.comcyberenglish.blogspot.com

Links: Sidebar and filesLinks: Sidebar and files Folders:Folders:

► Language practice: explanations and exercisesLanguage practice: explanations and exercises► SkillsSkills► TopicsTopics► Learning guidesLearning guides► Learning to learnLearning to learn► Having funHaving fun► Tasks, instructions and link to students’ blogTasks, instructions and link to students’ blog

My students’ blogMy students’ blog

Cyberstudents IntermediateCyberstudents Intermediate httphttp.//.//www.cyberstudentsintermediate.blogspot.comwww.cyberstudentsintermediate.blogspot.com

A blog for my students to publish their own work:A blog for my students to publish their own work:

InstructionsInstructions List of activities to choose fromList of activities to choose from Sending invitations and registering administratorsSending invitations and registering administrators Sessions at the multimedia roomSessions at the multimedia room

A new creation: a tutorial blogA new creation: a tutorial blog

Anuskis’ How to blogAnuskis’ How to blog http://www.anuskishowtoblog.blogspot.comhttp://www.anuskishowtoblog.blogspot.com

► Step-by-step tutorial on how to :Step-by-step tutorial on how to : set up a blogset up a blog write a postwrite a post host and embed a filehost and embed a file create links and insert imagescreate links and insert images ……

► Links to hosting sitesLinks to hosting sites

Some examples of things we can do Some examples of things we can do on the blogon the blog

►Let’s go to Cyberenglish and see some Let’s go to Cyberenglish and see some examples!examples! What’s on my blog?What’s on my blog? Tools and activitiesTools and activities My students’ taskMy students’ task

httphttp://://www.anuskiswww.anuskis.-.-blogspot.comblogspot.com

My plans for the futureMy plans for the future

► Finish my learning guidesFinish my learning guides► Finish my Portfolio for Intermediate studentsFinish my Portfolio for Intermediate students► Create different blogs for the different sectionsCreate different blogs for the different sections► Create more tasks to help students develop their Create more tasks to help students develop their

reading and critical thinksreading and critical thinks► See different possibilities to set up collaborative See different possibilities to set up collaborative

different tasks and projects, and teach them how different tasks and projects, and teach them how to communicate with different toolsto communicate with different tools

► See how I can make students forget about paper See how I can make students forget about paper and getting them closer to the scree, which is a and getting them closer to the scree, which is a much enviromentally friendly resourcemuch enviromentally friendly resource

Other Teachers’ blogsOther Teachers’ blogs

►The best way to get started: Following The best way to get started: Following somebody’s stepssomebody’s steps

►Teaching Cyberteachers: our workshopsTeaching Cyberteachers: our workshops►Surfing for blogs: Educastur, …Surfing for blogs: Educastur, …►Tutorials online, ….Tutorials online, ….

For more information visit my For more information visit my blogsblogs!!

You’ll find links to other blogsYou’ll find links to other blogsIdeasIdeasToolsTools

……

Ana Sancho May 2009Ana Sancho May 2009