Tagged: reading

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Reading & Remembering – Two Tools. Synth and Sans Forgetica

Reading. It’s been something I’ve been passionate about as an educator. Probably ever since I picked up a copy of Frank Smith’s “Understanding Reading” in anticipation of Teacher’s College some 30+ years ago. In the interm, I’ve read, studied and become convinced that technology can...

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Use The Gif Lingua Reading / Writing Library

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...

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Where’s Travolta?

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....

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Teacher Training

Please see my Teacher Training page for loads of presentations I’ve created and delivered throughout my teaching career.   My new glossary is also a steadfast reference. This list and video library of Educational Thinkers has a lot of valuable learning. Please be sure to...

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5 Myths About Learning

I spent part of the morning rereading Frank Smith, particularly his thoughts about how we learn. Delightful, insightful, thoughtful.  Here’s an excerpt from his book: Comprehension and Learning but I also highly recommend his book about whole language, Understanding Reading. One of the things that...

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Linguistic Chauvinism

I just finished watching my daily hour of PBS news and I’m irate. Sometimes American insularity and small mindedness is cute and amusing (as De Tocqueville imagined) but sometimes it isn’t. Listening to a Republican senator ramble on about how “English First” is what true...

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The #1 … ( authentic book for teaching ESL/EFL)

** Not your ordinary, endless list – just what’s number 1. Hana’s Suitcase Forget fiction/non-fiction, if I had just one book to insist teachers of all levels share with their students – Hana’s Suitcase would be it.   A personal aside: I’ve always had an...

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Extensive Watching

The last few years, I’ve been very focused on the role and possibility of video in the classroom. Thus, my recent work developing Gif Lingua and EnglishCentral and my focus on the potential of a “Flipped Classroom“. I had an interesting skype discussion with Dan...

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Bests Posts 2010-2011

I’d like to share as the year comes to a close – My best “Teaching Advice” blog posts. Also, my best “Practical Teaching Posts”. [Next – I’ll outline the Best posts about “Language”. ] Note: all posts link to the EFL Classroom 2.0 blog which...

Cue Prompter and Transl8it.com 1

Cue Prompter and Transl8it.com

Today, two quick tips of two very innovative and adaptable tools. The Cue Prompter and Transl8it.com. Listen/Watch as I show you them and suggest some uses. Get the dialogues mentioned HERE. Hat tip to @russeltarr for the tip about the prompter!

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Abracadabra – Self Directed Learning

One thing that I’m very convinced of, is the notion that us teachers are “motivators”. It is our job to motivate our students, to lead our students towards becoming self directed learners, learning for themselves, intrinsically. Oh sure, we have to do all the regular...

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An Amazing Teacher

I think it so important now that teachers have access to streamed video – so important for teachers to watch other teachers. Here’s a player I’ve made as a start. These videos are revealing and helpful for teachers, watching, we absorb and see the little...

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The #1 …… (story for predicting)

** Not your ordinary, endless list – just what’s number 1. The Eyebrow Story by Peter Reynold’s This story highlights the power of prediction for engaging students in a story and prompting them to produce language. Simply get a student as a reader (with a...

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THE POWER AND MAGIC OF SHARED READING

Someone once quipped that genius was “seeing the obvious”. Or as William James added, “the ability to overlook the irrelevant”. Well, by that criteria, I think I’m up there with Einstein and Hawkings because not a day goes by without me being astounded by the...

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R U Online? R U “really” Reading?

The N.Y. Times article below describes different sides of the reading debate regarding online vs books. A nice general read highlighting both arguements (though missing some points I believe). Also, I don’t think it should be a debate of “either / or”. Both have their...