"When one teaches, two learn"
All the info. about using technology in the classroom
Last week I reviewed and talked about a really cool tool where students can record their voice and see their speech as text – Synth. This week, I’m taking it two steps further. Showing teachers the new Google Slides functionality – Voice Typing and how...
I’ve been working hard, I mean really hard. Trying to realize my dream of a place of learning and literacy – an online library that all students can access for free. That dreams is on the edge of reality. Gif Lingua Books has over 3,000 leveled...
My Teach | Learn coursebook has been and is being used in hundreds of classrooms. So happy to get emails from teachers and to promote OER (open educational resources). It’s been a wonderful success. I sold 200 in the first week and that paid for...
There has been a lot of debate about the ideas of Sugata Mitra. He tends to get under teachers’ skins, especially those in ELT. Find a nice summary of these posts / discussions through this post. I’m kind of confused by all the kerfuffle. I’ve been...
I’ve long loved and supported the use of music in the language classroom. Check out my very popular guide or also any of my karaoke related posts here. Dubsmash is a very popular app where students lipsynch to popular movie lines, song lyrics and more...
I am a proud curator. Very proud. Making music from the noise out there. to cure: to make better. curator: someone who makes things better. So yep, I’m pleased to call myself a curator. Really will begin calling myself this rather than “aggregator” (sounds too...
My work building EnglishCentral and Gif Lingua have convinced me how images are so important for teaching language. The future of language learning and teaching is visual, is controlled reality. We teachers can provide so much context to teach direct and also the most salient features, points of...
Movie trailers are stellar for listening. Short, well produced, clear lines of language being communicated. Here is a quick lesson I put together based on a template I shared here previously for another movie trailer. Intermediate and advanced students will love this lesson. Don’t forget...
From time to time, I like to get personal on my blog. We are sharing and we should also share our selves as teachers when we teach. You’ll find a number of posts about my life and times on this blog. So in this spirit,...
There are many brands in the ELT universe. I got to wondering how well people actually recognize their logos, how well they’ve penetrated into the mindscape of teachers out there. So as part of figuring this out, I’ve created a quiz which will compile which...
Every year, I make a very practical, specific resolution for my teaching. Last year, it was to explore and practice the possibilities of using video in the classroom. This year, it is one big, inspiring one that I hope other teachers will join in –...
I’ll be posting less over the Xmas holiday. I want to bury my head deep into some ed tech projects I’m working on. One regarding short term memory and testing, the other fantastic curriculum for learners/teachers. Stay tuned for some big announcements in 2016. Wishing...
Every holiday season, our Christmas Karaoke voicethread gets busy with classrooms, students, teachers from around the world singing carols in English. So here sharing again this wonderful resource and way to practice English online. Enjoy. Have a great holiday season!
I’ve been busy building Gif Lingua on my weekends and evenings with a strong team of developers and content editors. Slow but sure. Over the next month, we’ll complete the first 4,000 words of English in Gif book form. See the first dozen books here....
I love this simple version of the Pass the paper game. After the music stops, the person with the paper has to sing and finish the Christmas Carol line. A lot of fun. EFL Classroom 2.0 members can download the PPT and get dozens...
The more, the longer I’m involved in education, the more clearly I’m able to see the forest for the trees. Truly. It’s something about just being there, mucking about, taking in loads of information daily that builds a soul inside oneself, the teacher. Not tooting...
It’s beta but Gif Lingua is open and ready for teachers and students. I hope you enjoy it and we are just taking the first steps in what’s going to be a wonderful journey building the site. We’ll need everyone’s help in doing so. Teachers...
I’m a big proponent of short intensive language lessons based on videos. So many great reasons to use video in this form instead of long versions/viewing. EnglishCentral does this well and teachers can get a downloadable transcript/lesson plan for each video – click “Video Details” on...
It’s back to school time and we have lots of new and old resources to help you get back at it. Here are a few updates and news on the community. 1. Magazines We have a new resources magazine and a professional development magazine for...
“Every journey begins with a simple thought.” – anonymous A new school year or semester on the horizon can be overwhelming. So much to do, so little time! However, don’t fret. Most can be done during the first crucial week in class – a...
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