Welcome All!

Hello to you and welcome to my blog!

This blog is aimed at those ESL teachers who are interested in going beyond the usual classroom work. In it, you will find different web-based tools that can help you complement and enhance the regular classroom work.

Ever since the 1990s, the Internet and technology have offered a great number of possibilities to use web-based tools to apply to the teaching of a language. It presents opportunities for communication and collaboration, it allows teachers to present students authentic material and tasks as well as providing new ways of practicing and assessing performance. In addition, technology has become an integrated part of our students’ life so the use of technology increases motivation as the student’s outside world is brought into the classroom. Because of this, we find that Web 2.0 tools can be a great way to integrate technology and education.

But, what is Web 2.0? The Web 2.0 is mainly defined by the interactivity it provides. Users have a more active participation as opposed to the Web 1.0 were users were limited to the passive viewing of content. Web 2.0 tools are online programs that allow users to interact and collaborate as well as create and publish content. Most of these tools do not require downloading; they are most of the time free and only require creating a user account. Some Web 2.0 sites include social media, blogs, wikis, video sharing sites, among other platforms.

When thinking in terms of education, we find that Web 2.0 tools allow exposure to authentic material suitable for our students with real content in them, they encourage creativity as genuine products are created, they allow for collaborative work between students and between students and teachers, they widen they possibility of socialization and they allow students and teachers to share their work.

With all this in mind, I encourage you to explore this blog and find some useful web-based tools in order to bring technology into the classroom. Even though you might feel that this approach to the teaching of language is out of your element, this blog will offer you simple and easy web-based tools along with tutorial and possible activities to apply so don’t miss the opportunity to benefit from the wide range of ICT tool. Thank you for taking the plunge!

Make sure to check out this WIKI to learn more about the different tools available to you!

http://teach-with-internet.wikispaces.com/Home-+TWI+Wiki
http://teach-with-internet.wikispaces.com/How+to+use+Penzu+%28Video+Tutorial%29

References:

• Chapter 1, “Technology in the classroom” in How to Teach English with Technology (Dudeney & Hockly, 2007)
• “Web 2.0 for teachers” (Peachey, N. 2010)
• A practice-based exploration of technology enhanced assessment for English Language Teaching. Chapter 6 in in Innovations in Learning Technologies for English Language Teaching (Motteran, Ed. 2013)
• Weblogs for Use with ESL Classes. (Campbell, A. 2003)