10 very real teacher ailments and diseases

Here is an irreverent look at the difficulties teachers face. Some of them seem plausible. Click on the link below. 

http://thelifetopthings.blogspot.com/2016/07/10-very-real-teacher-ailments-and-diseases.html 

Critical Thinking and English Language

I completed my masters in TESOL in 2001. Critical thinking was a staple of our training and it is nice to see new research being explored. A good article in 2 parts. The link from EFL Magazine is below. 

 http://eflmagazine.com/critical-thinking-english-language-teaching/

Putting Students In Charge: 3 Ways the ESBC is a Model for Education Reform

From a website called "Live Tiles"
Education reform is an extremely important issue. Whether it be digital classrooms or mobile learning, 21^st century education reform is usually tied in some way to digital innovation. However, despite the ever-increasing presence of technology in the classroom, the most important element is the human element.

http://www.livetiles.nyc/blog/3-ways-esbc-model-education-reform/ 

Having problems with your students and their writing? Read, Write, Think can help.

From Free Tech for Teachers by Richard Byrne

Read Write Think's Compare & Contrast Map is a template for creating a comparative essay. Using the template students are guided through writing three styles of comparison essays. To get started students identify two things that they wish to compare and or contrast. Then they choose if they want to write a "whole to whole" essay, a "similarities to differences" essay, or a "point to point" essay. Whichever essay type they choose, students are guided through the types of information they should put in each part of their essays. When their essays are complete students can share them via email or print them.

I have used Read,Write, Think in the past. There many templates in the resources section on the site. Check out the video and links for more information.

   
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/

Free Professional Development for Teachers

EdmodoCon is a live online global event where educators from around the world connect with each other to share how they’re using Edmodo and other digital tools to personalize learning. The educational professional development event of the year, EdmodoCon will help you collaborate with other teachers, discover valuable new resources, and inspire you to harness the power of edtech in your classroom. The event is August 2-3 some of the sessions are for the English language classroom. Click on the link for more information.

https://www.edmodocon.com/

Tech for teachers: a website review

Formative is a website that could make a good alternative to Google Docs, Moodle or other on-line educational management systems. One difficulty is student participation. My school uses an electronic management system for homework and only 50% actually do their homework. Please check out the post on "Free Technology for Teachers" by Richard Byrne. There are also links to the Formative website and a "how to" on YouTube. 

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2016/06/5-features-to-look-for-on-formative-in.html#.V4HJ3aKIXYo      

http://goformative.com/  

 

Project Based Learning

Project Based Learning has seen a comeback in recent years. There have been several stories in leading Thailand newspapers on how wrote learning is hurting the education system in Thailand. With Thailand seeking membership in the ASEAN community and many soon to be graduates entering the business and trade job markets it seems project based learning is a good thing to be teaching (at least part time) in the Thai school system. As it is now, a teacher lectures and lectures, students listen, and then understanding of what has been said is tested. Soon after what is learned is forgotten. The method in PBL is to set a task, with minimal guidelines and supervision. and let the students discover the topic themselves and try to develop a solution on their own. Then what is learned is retained for much longer time. Watch the video below for a basic introduction to project based learning.  

     

Critiquing Your Critiques: What to Ask Yourself Before Giving Written Feedback

How do you mark your students writing assignments? What type of feedback do you give them? At my school there are many different teachers from many countries. And along with that comes different ways of being trained, how to mark student work, and giving beneficial feedback. There is no real standardized rubric from grade to grade. So here is a post from TESOL to help you think about how educators mark and give feedback on written assignments and tests. 

http://blog.tesol.org/critiquing-your-critiques-what-to-ask-yourself-before-giving-written-feedback/ 

Websites and Apps for Making Videos and Animation

Here is a list of websites and apps from Common Sense Graphite for video animation and production. Some on the list are free and free to try, but like all internet entrepreneurs, the premium features are not free.   

https://www.graphite.org/top-picks/websites-and-apps-for-making-videos-and-animation?utm_source=What%27s_New_in_EdTech_2016_7_01&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly 

'Teachers must embrace new technology or risk becoming obsolete'

It is true I am slipping in this area myself. As an educator at 50 something I have had to slowly teach myself these new technologies. It is also true (like in a previous post on this blog) that my students are more adept at this tech than I am. Read the full post by clicking on the link below. 

https://www.tes.com/us/news/breaking-views/teachers-must-embrace-new-technology-or-risk-becoming-obsolete?utm_content=buffer2fbd4&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin.com&utm_campaign=buffer