Last WeeK , week 10.   The End is here.

It is so hard to decide what was useful for me. It would be easier for me to say that the last useful issue was dealing with Rubrics, because Rubrics is a topic that I handle since more than two years ago.

The rest of the tools, and topic were so useful, and now are part of my teaching.

I used to use blogs, but only to inform my students about specific tasks, now I have the big picture on this great tool. I liked so much to write on my blog, writing down my experiences on a diary or journal.

The ABCD model is been so useful to, because it had helped me to narrow my expectations, on my students, what do I expect them to do, considering the Bloom taxonomy, and also the new digital taxonomy. The ABCD is helping me as a map, letting me know where I really want to take my students.

This course was also offering great tools for teachers such as Twurdy, this search engine is a big help telling us how difficult the articles are.

An amazing and incredible bookmarking DELICIOUS, WOW, I can say that I love it. This has been so useful, because where ever you are, you can check your links, and there on that page you can classify them, this is great!!!

All the links that the course offers me about listening and speaking are good tools. I couldn’t believe that at the web we can find esl-labs.

This course every week surprised me. When I was finishing a week, my thought was, well after this great topic, what else is coming? Because on that moment I thought that, the material for that week was the best, but it wasn´t there were more best coming…..

I can´t stop mentioning what else was amazing, but webquest, killed me!!!

I couldn´t believe when I saw my creation at the web, for the entire world, and I did it with the instructions, from this magnificent course.

The course was not only about links, ideas, it also contained good articles that teachers should know like independent work, PBL, assessments, projects, learning styles, ideas to teach large classes, how to use one computer at the classroom etc.

 As I mention before I can´t believed what the course invite me to create, I got surprised when I did (just as a sample, because it is short) a JEOPARDY game, yes, an interactive game!! Puff! Amazing, you can feel so good when you see the product.

I learned how to use Google docs. I got many ideas and links to create games, puzzles, crosswords, hot potatoes, etc.

During these ten short weeks, I had the opportunity to elaborate a project; I decided to use a webquest, to improve the reading skill at my students. As teacher I can mentions that this was a great experience for my students, they like the webquest, even though they did not realize that they were reading.

At the end I evaluate myself about how am I integrating technology in my classroom. I could see that I have too much to do, and this is my new and next challenge for me and also my students.

Everything on this course is through the web; through the web it is very easy to send links, instructions, task, etc. I wouldn´t be able to finish this course if I did not have a good teacher, a good leader, a good friend. Janine.

Janine you are so kind, I love the way you were leading this course.

Of course another part of this course was my nice, respectful, responsible and professional web classmates that now become my  friends.  

Now that I ask myself what is comming next? well, first I am going to have time enough to apply all these new knowledge, to practice, to implement and improve my teaching skills, and also I will look for a similar course, so good as this one.

                                                 WITH ALL MY LOVE SINCERELY      ANDREA.

                                                        WEEK 9  !!

It has been very interesting topic for this week. Learning style, I already knew about the topic. But I did never think on technology and learning styles. When I was writing my post at nicenet about what I read and what kind of activities can I use to connect learning styles and technology, I post some examples, but now I am thinking that I can plan an activity where all the learning styles were involve. Honestly something that I have done is after checking the predominant learning styles of a group I prepare my class focusing more on that dominant learning style, now after reading how important is and useful to give a class capture the attention of most of the students. But I was thinking that maybe I can use a tool where I call the attention of all kind of learners. It could be a PPT with music with visuals, graphics, and activities where the kinesthetic take part of them tool.

Maybe I am dreaming, but maybe we can, why not? If we do not try, who is going to do it??

Teacher Resources.

Right now I think that on this week 8 we got a long list of teacher resources.  What I think is that although these resources are on the web, free for everybody, we have to be conscious about the way we use these tools.  I think that we have to plan an ABCD objective for each activity, like puzzles, scrambles, bingo etc. I have seen that many teachers use them because they did not plan anything, or because they just want to wais time, to have students doing something instead of use them as a tool connected with our lesson plan programs.

I create a verb exercise, for one of my beginners group. I also practice with Google doc.

The idea to have these exercises done or to be able to elaborate yours covering your students needs is a time saving for teachers like us, who are busy all day all night.

This week is full of work.

I will start mentioning that my project was running so good, until I started writing down at the computer. On my journal report for this project I wrote clue words, phrases, sentences, some aspects for me, but when I started putting everything, in order, like translating from those clue words etc, took me some time, days later I decided to include the new tools that I learnt on this week, and as I did not have enough experience with these tools, it took me more time to do it. But I think that I am killing two birds with one stone, working and practice the new tools.

But the thing began to complicate a little more, when I saw these great virtual lab. How incredible it is that it exist something like this tool.  I asked at  nicenet  if after this course we will be able to use it. I need more time to go deeper with this tool, at first it was kind of complicated to understand how it works.