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Friday, January 29, 2016

Gamifying your classroom

This ones for for all you ed tech geeks out there. Two posts, one from Education Week and the other from the British Council on how to integrate games into your classroom.  



http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/global_learning/2016/01/games_promote_learning.html




https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/blogs/raquel-gonzaga/gamifying-reading






10 educational trends of 2016

In this post from the etale.org website, the 10 most likely trends in education for 2016 are outlined.  I found this interesting because 5 of the trends are tech based. Click on the link below. 




http://etale.org/main/2016/01/13/10-educational-trends-to-watch-in-2016/

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Schools must get the basics right before splashing out on technology

Schools in Thailand run the gambit. Schools that have very little money and others have enormous budgets. Often times decisions on buying software or hardware are based on economic or bureaucratic reasons and not for the benefit of those who will be using these upgrades such as teachers and students. I remember a news paper article last year. 




 http://www.bangkokpost.com/archive/obec-wants-back-1m-tablets-given-out-in-yingluck-scheme/607480



where thousands of tablets were donated to schools around Thailand under a previous political administration. the article went on to say now that the political situation has changed and the company that donated the tablets now wants them back. Here is a post from the conversation.com talking about caution when investing in tech for schools. 



http://theconversation.com/schools-must-get-the-basics-right-before-splashing-out-on-technology-52994


Saturday, January 16, 2016

Thailand takes new tack on education

DESPITE all the discussion during the past two decades about how to implement reforms, there has hardly been any tangible success for Thailand's education sector. Click on the link for more information on this post from the Nation. 


http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Thailand-takes-new-tack-on-education-30276568.html

50 Incredibly Useful Links For Learning & Teaching The English Language

I have seen about half of these websites before. There is some really useful resources here if you have the time to sift through them. Some educators have commented that they prefer sites that are categorized to save time in looking for a particular resource, but not all sites have that feature. Also look in the comments section at the bottom of the post. Almost everyone suggested another site. So happy resourcing.  








http://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/50-incredibly-useful-links-for-ell-educators/#

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Ideas for using iPads and other tablet devices in ELT classes

Nowadays many language schools have a set of tablet devices, with iPads being one of the most popular choices. They are cheaper than laptops, more convenient than desktops and more tactile than both. They offer students real world practice, access to a plethora of authentic material and an engaging and often collaborative way of practicing the target language. Click on the link to read more.



https://textchatteacher.wordpress.com/2015/12/31/ideas-for-using-ipads-and-other-tablet-devices-in-elt-classes/

Readers comment on Thailand's English language woes

Students who will graduate in the next few years and enter the job market in Thailand will find it difficult to compete with other ASEAN countries. The language of international business is English and changes need to be made in the way in witch it is taught in Thailand. Click on the link below to read the article.  






http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/learning-from-news/814216/readers-comment-on-thailand-english-language-woes

Saturday, January 9, 2016

Free Technology for Teachers: 16 Ways to Use TinyTap in Your Classroom

TinyTap  is a fantastic free iPad app and Android app for building fun and interactive review games. With the app you can create games and more.

http://www.tinytap.it/