Favorite Technology Tools
When I start thinking of “my” favorite technology tools, I must admit that I have become addicted to edublogs, wikis, and anything that has to do with VLEs. Understanding the kind of students that people our classrooms in terms of our generation differences, as educators, we must take advantage of all technology tools available in their world. Being able to understand how our Generation Y students behave with technology can plow the ground for their learning and our teaching, as well.
As I stated above, I must confess that I have become addicted to edublogs since I decided to create my own ones on www.blogger.com. It is my conviction that we teachers must profit from the many hours students spend online by having them work on online projects. For this reason, http://sites.google.com has been my course planning companion for a year in regards to wikis. Somehow both sites have helped me create an interesting PLE for my students each term I have them in very specific courses I teach: Reading Skills II (intermediate students, CEF = A2+ or B1-) and Pronunciation I and II (for beginners and intermediate students (CEF A1+ to B1-).
From all these experiences I have embarked myself into, I made the decision of keeping my own reflections journal (online). In hindsight, after a year in which I have really developed my tech skills, I must say that engaging students into using Web-based tools where they can develop their projects and then see the result of their efforts. Engage your students into something that is a bit challenging and technology-oriented and they will produce what is requested from them and more.
For e-porfolios, something I am now using, visit: https://posterous.com/.
For vodcasts for your lesson planning and class, visit: http://www.openculture.com/.
For composition or reading classes and do something different and original, visit http://scrapbooks.com/.
For students’ oral presentations, go to http://www.glogster.com/.
As a simple conclusion, what really counts on attempting to use technology to enhance student learning is mastering one and then moving into using another, to continue adding variety to your teaching. Using a whole bunch of stuff for the sake of using it is useless and directionless.
Jonathan
Costa Rica
