11 posts tagged “blogging”

Earlier in the semester I asked you to post some teacher blogs that you found on the internet. I tried to find where that is on my blog, but I can't. Anyhow since this is the end of the semester I thought I would link to a few blogs that I enjoy reading. I'm sure that if you read these blogs and follow links to other blogs you will find something interesting for you to add to your RSS reader. If you find a blog I don't list that looks really great, please let me know.

• Aaron Campbell
• Autono Blogger
• Becoming a Better EFL Teacher
• Blog of Proximal Development
  
• Cool Cat Teacher
  
• ESL Superblog
• Japan Action Research in EFL
  
• Language Hat (not ESL but language oriented)
  
• Language Log (not ESL but language oriented)
• Langwitches
  
• Teacher Dude
• Teacher in Development
• TEFL Logue
• The Thinking Stick

In today's class we will look at ning and specifically EFLclassroom which was made with ning. Also be sure to check out the post on blogger tag.

One of the teacher blogs that I regularly read has posted an interesting article today. This teacher is teaching English in Greece and his blog entries are always interesting and informative. About half of the entries are directly related to teaching the other half are photoblogging around Greece and pictures of his daughter.

I want you to read this article and then respond back here with your thoughts on what he has to say to his students on the first day of class. Also feel free to leave comments for him directly on his blog - who knows maybe he will enjoy reading your blog or one of the readers of his blog will visit yours.

Getting Started - comment with your thoughts and ideas. When you graduate in March and become English teachers in public schools would you be able to do something like this, why or why not? do you agree with what he says, why or why not? What would you add or change to his post, if anything?

Looking forward to your responses. Please reply to this post before class on Friday. If you found this post interested why not subscribe to his RSS feed. BTW I'm looking forward to the results of your web quests.

As I mentioned in class on Friday, I will provide the blogging guidelines here as well. However before starting I want to remind you of your homework to find a blog run by a teacher. Tifa has already finished it. don't use the same blog as her - go find another one - have fun.

Blogging Guidelines

• three entries every two weeks is the minimum - not just photos, but you should also write something of substance.
• more entries are good
• Every three weeks students will submit a form with entries to be graded - form to be submitted by email before 9pm on Saturday of the assigned weeks.
• If you do not have your entries completed in a timely fashion they will not be graded. Last semester many students waited until 2 days before the deadline to write 10 - 15 entries. This is unacceptable.

In the comments below please include a link to your vox class blog and then follow your classmates blog and add them to your neighborhood.

Welcome Students to the class blog. You will sign up and start you own blogs in class on August 29. I hope you find blogging a rewarding and positive learning experience. In this class we will be using the internet to explore various ways to expand your opportunities to practice and use English in a natural manner with a special focus on using the Internet to teach English.

I have four blogs, other than this one, that I maintain. I won't share those links with you as they are personal. However I would like to say that I find blogging to be very fun and helpful in many ways. It is particularly useful for language learners as you will discover of the next four months and hopefully aftewards.

If you would like to learn more about me, you can visit my teaching site that I use with PEC1 students and other classes during the regular semester: Seans Online English Class. I additionally have a biography page where you can read about me and my time in Korea.

much of this entry was copied from use in my summer 2007 class "English Communication". And in fact much of what I used in that course will also be used here, but with some changes and the additional focus looking at the pedegogical principles in using the Internet to teach English. Our primary focus will be in looking at a blended learning environment. I hope you find this class rewarding and beneficial and I look forward to teaching you over the comming semester.

07-may-037

In the final assignment about half of our class told me that they would continue blogging during the summer. it's already  been one week and not one update - so sad.

In other news I quit coffee for five days and suffered brutal headaches, but am now back to drinking it. I can't stop. Coffee is the perfect beverage: good flavor and zero calories.

Your final blog evaluations are due on Tuesday at 12:00, lunch time. This time when you send me the file please rename it with your student number and name. Also the entries that you previously sent me should be highlighted in a different color.

If you have any questions please ask in class tomorrow.

RSS is a fantastic bit of internet technology that allows you to gather information from many sites into just one site. Essentially RSS allows you to bring all your favorite blogs and news sites to where you want them.

If you know what RSS is great, then you can help out your classmates. If you do not, then you should pay attention to what Sean is saying and then sign up with Bloglines or Google Reader which are both RSS readers. I use Bloglines, but either site will be helpful for you.

Excited2.jpg

I'm excited to be teaching this class and I hope that you will enjoy blogging with me for the next three weeks.  I encourage you to do more than the minimum and look for as many opportunities as you can to use English outside of class.

For easy access to all the sites that we will be using during the semester visit my regular teaching site. THere are plenty of resources here to help you with your presentations. You will also find resources that we will not look at in class.

Anyhow our first class is almost finished and we will go home. I encourage you to visit your classmates blogs by viewing my neighborhood and then leaving comments there.

When I get home I will write another blog entry, but this time it will be more personal about what I did this last weekend. I promise to write at least 15 entries over the semester just like you.

Good luck and have fun.