Session 13: Easy tools for connecting classmates and online quizzes

In the last session, it is emotional for us as this amazing course about elearning is ending. I learned the effect and essence of implementing elearning in a classroom. It is not as easy as just giving an iPad to the student, but teachers have to prepare well and have good command of the tools that they are going to use in the lesson.

I think most of you are familiar with this Google Forms. It is mentioned before in this blog before and many of the users have very creative of it. Here is an example of a survey made with Google Forms. The aim of the survey is to know more about my classmates’ leisure activities. With this tool, teachers can make similar survey for our students too. For example, It could be useful in peer-assessment when we are doing our post-writing tasks or even an online quiz for students to do at home. I have already tried to make online quizzes for my class and I also made instructions and workshops for my fellow colleagues to do the same. Please feel free to scroll down and take a look at the instructions if you are interested. 

Google Forms as a survey

Instructions for making an online quiz:

The other tool that we looked at today is the ‘formative’ online tool. This is an online interactive tool for teachers to create online interactive worksheets in a short time. Teachers can simply upload a file of .doc or .pdf and then add questions to wherever they like. Here is an example of a primary 2 worksheet. I believe this provides an easy way for new comers of using elearning in the classroom. By using this tool, elearning doesn’t seem as difficult as it sounds. Please feel free to explore my example. 

Session 12: A effective tool for lesson presentation

In this session, we reviewed another useful tool. I feel this particular tool is very feasible to use in my lessons. This tool is called 'Nearpod'. It is a presentation tool for a different devices at the same time.

With this online tool on your hand, you can forget the PowerPoint or the Keynote that you are still using at school. This 'Nearpod' provides you an easy way to show teaching materials to facilitate your teaching. Lessons can be conducted in your pace with students with their own devices. 

As some of the readers of this blog know, I am lucky to have a number of iPads to use in my school and teachers are free to use them during lessons. With this tool 'Nearpod', I believe my lessons could be more lively with more activities.

Please feel free to check the one I created for the coming P.2 lessons.

Session 11: The use of Padlet wall to present learning materials for students

In this session, we reviewed another two online tools that can help us present our ideas. The tools are Padlet and Prezi.

For those who have followed this blog for some time should be familiar with Padlet. It is an easy online platform that allows users to put different ideas on the 'wall'. This wall can be edited by the public if the owner sees fit. With the use of the Padlet wall, it is easy for teachers to present learning materials. Students can browse the 'wall' and download the necessary materials to aid their learning. Moreover, when the teacher wants to give out extra multimedia materials, they have a platform to do so effectively and efficiently.

The next tool, Prezi, is a reliable and has been online for quite some time already. The first time I used Prezi is in 2011. It hasn't changed much,, still user-friendly and it is still an interesting way to present ideas for students. Prezi works like PowerPoint, only better. It provides an innovative way for teachers to create an interesting slideshow with different motion. With this online free tool, teachers can use this alternatively with PowerPoint to keep students interested in the lesson.

Here is an example of a Prezi that can be used to teach P.2 how to tell time. Please feel free to click on the photo and look at it.

Session 10: The use of Online tools to promote story telling

In this session, we reviewed two more tools in helping us to tell stories in an interesting way.

With the use of Adobe Spark Video, teachers and students can easily make a short video quickly. The integrated functions of this online tool enable us to make attractive videos to tell stories in a short time. I believe this can be implemented in my school. As we have more than 300 iPads now, with 100 of them belong to the English department, we can easily let students to write their stories with the use of this app. It allows students to write stories in an interesting way. This can also promote their speaking skills as they read out their own writings with different intonation and highlight.

Here is an example of what the software can make, the content of the video is selected from the 5-frame story group from Flickr.

Link to Flickr Album:
https://www.flickr.com/groups/tellyourstorykids/discuss/72157614402219106/

The other tool that we reviewed this session is the online story book maker - My Storybook. It is a free online tool that allows us to make our own storybooks with cartoons and words. With the use of this tool, again, we can promote students' writing skills as they tried to make an interesting storybook with appropriate cartoons on it. With the use of this online tool, students are encouraged to make a book-like story like the ones that they read. They can exchange with their classmates after making their own books. This can encourage students to write more and practice their writing skills.

Here is an example of what the tool can make, please feel free and click on the photo to have a look.

Session 9: The use of elearning tools to create comprehension exercise

In this session, we explored different tools to create comprehension exercise for students. These tools are especially helpful in creating easy and user-friendly exercise that allows students to do them in their own pace at home and out of the classroom. 

The first tool that we reviewed is our trustworthy friend, HotPotatoes. This time we looked into the JCross and JCloze. 

Here are the screen capture of the two exercises, please feel free to click on the screen captures to take download them and try them out. 

JCross: 

 JCloze:

The other tool that we reviewed is an online tool. It is called Actively Learn. It is an online platform that works with Google classroom with well Google integration. Teachers can easily create comprehension exercises with the massive catalog or with their own texts. I prefer to use my own text from the textbook so I have created one on my own. We can easily add notes to specific places, questions to certain paragraphs and pictures to describe different vocabulary. 

By using this tool, it is likely that students will find comprehension exercises more fun and interesting. Here is an example, please feel free to click on the screen capture and try it out. 

(Class code:  e12f9)

Session 8: Creating video by using Adobe Spark Video and Screencast-O-Matic

Nowadays, multimedia learning is not a fresh element in our English teaching curriculum. Students and parents expect more than a plain PowerPoint slideshow. By using some new tools like Adobe Spark Video and Screen-O-Matic, we can create sophisticated educational videos at ease.

The following video is created with Adobe Spark Video. It is a tool that helps you create video with recording. With its preset layout and theme, you can make a stunning and interesting video to talk about anything in the curriculum that catches your students' attention very well. Here is an example of a short poem video.

The other video is created with Screencast-O-Matic. It is a screen capturing tool that provides you the ability to record your computer screen. You can even make remarks and handwriting notes on screen real-time. Here is an example of a video created with this tool. It is a story taken out from a text-book.

By using these video-making tools, it is likely that students can enjoy and learn from these educational videos at home. They can watch these videos with their parents on their own pace. This enhances their learning experience and help them to learn better. 

Session 6: Enhancing students’ speaking skills through audio activities

Today I have learned a very effective way in helping students to speak better English with audio activities. In the English syllabus in my school, we actually have audio recording activity for every student. They have to read a specific paragraph from a book that we choose and send to the teachers through email. Students are surely having more practices through activities like this, but technically there are many problems like when the teacher has to sort out different students’ homework through email in the mailbox. However, this problem is solved today with a new website, Fluencytutor.

Messy files altogther

Fluencytutor is a free platform by Google that promote reading and speaking. There are different functions built in the system like reading-a-loud and recording directly. In this way, students’ recordings could be reviewed easily by the teachers. Teachers can view and grade students’ recording by using the teacher’s account. The in-built functions also help students to learn the script first before reading. This greatly helps students to learn the pronunciation of different words before recording. 

Fluencytutor reading page

The other thing I learned is the use of Audacity to make recording with background. This is especially useful when we are trying to make an example for students to follow first. By using this free tool, we can make a professional-level recording in no time. Please feel free to click on the photo for the link to hear my example. 

Session 5: The use of online tools to make listening exercises

In the latest session, two different tools that help making listening exercises are reviewed. They are Edpuzzle and TED Ed. These two tools provide an easy and user-friendly way to make listening exercise easier than ever before. Compared to the conventional methods which teachers have to prepare and record a script first and set questions on a paper, these tools provide a new way for students to do listening exercises.

In my own teaching situation, where students have to do online homework assigned by teachers, using the above two tools certainly makes my life easier. By implementing the tools like Edpuzzle, I can easily make a listening exercise tailored to my students’ level with already existing YouTube videos. For example, the attached exercise below. The main focus of my P.2 class for the current unit is the use of demonstrative pronouns, ‘This’, ‘That’, ‘These’ and ‘Those’. By using a video that explained the use of these pronouns first, students can revise what they have learned in school. After that, by putting some questions right after the examples given by the video, students can check their understandings as they listen to the explanation and look at the pictures. In this way, both students’ listening skills and grammar knowledge can be tested in the same exercise. I find this very interesting and easy to use. I am sure that my students would love it if I put it to use in my class.

However, teachers should carefully review the answers students give. A video is undoubtedly a very interesting tool, but it could also be distracting as students focus too much on the multimedia material. Some students may answer the questions without thinking as they want to continue watching the video.

(Edpuzzle exercise)

(TED Ed exercise for your reference - click on the picture)

Session 4: Tools that help teachers to introduce vocabulary

In this session, there are different tools reviewed that can enhance the experience of vocabulary teaching and learning. These tools are mainly Quizlet and 'bubbl.us', they help teachers to introduce vocabulary by creating flashcards, quizzes and mindmaps.

Embedded in this post below is a sample of a Quizlet task. There are actually four choices and here is the flashcard mode. By inputting the vocabulary that we want to teach our students, this tool automatically creates a set of flashcards with handy functions like photo-finding and reading aloud. Students can easily learn different new words by listening to the audio and looking at the pictures automatically prepared by this tool.

By implementing this tool in the vocabulary teaching, teachers' burden is immediately lightened as it provides a comprehensive and interesting way to learn new words. Furthermore, Students can learn out of the classroom at their own paces as well. In this way, the obvious benefit brings to the teachers and students is a more interesting and interactive teaching and learning experience.

Instructions:

The next tool that I want to talk about is the 'Bubbl.us' mindmapping tool. This online tool provides an easy and user-friendly way to create a mindmap at ease. Being collapsible and expandable, this mindmapping tool is interactive as well as appealing. Teachers can introduce complicated ideas and vocabulary with this tool by creating different levels of words. In this way, students can understand each level of words one by one. This enhances the learning process for the students and raises their interests in learning new vocabulary. By using this in our own vocabulary teaching, it is easier for students to understand the new words and ultimately improves their learning experience.

(Please feel free to click on the picture to go on the online mindmap.)

Session 3: Tools for making quizzes for students to finish online

This session is all about making quizzes and tests for students with various tools. Mainly they are the Google Forms and the Hot Potatoes. 

Google Forms is a more comprehensive and a user-friendly tool compared to the Hot Potatoes. The user interface of the Hot Potatoes feels outdated with its grey coloured buttons and layout. On the other hand, Google Forms feels like it is a tool from the future with its easy-to-use interface and customization. In short, Google Forms is the tool that I would use to aid my teaching in school.

Having these tools to make quizzes and tests is very handy in this technological era. Everyone craves for e-learning element in the school curriculum, including the principal and the parents. By using the Google Forms to make online quizzes, students can learn out of the class and finish tasks designed by teachers at their home with a computer. As students can learn at their own pace with the online quizzes, students are likely to learn better more efficiently and more effectively. I believe that by utilizing these online quiz-making tools, it is easier than ever before to make help students to learn in their homes and promote a better learning experience for them.

JQUIZ: It seems like something from the era of Windows 98

JMIX: It is made by the same developer of JQUIZ. Useful and handy, but it is not attractive for students.

Google Forms: With different options and automation in marking and producing statistics, it is the obvious choice.

Useful teaching tool: Another quiz for you!

Attached this time are some P.2 and P.4 quizzes !

These are made with the Hot Potatoes tool ! The sentence rearrangement is made with JMIX and the other multiple choice quiz is made with JQUIZ. They are very user-friendly and these quizzes can be made in a very short time ~ Please feel free to try them with your students~

The link to a P.2 sentence rearrangement quiz:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zdgtwk9puinmy3c/Sentence_rearrangement.htm?dl=0


          The link to a P.4 multiple choice quiz:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/44zhqpw4dkjf74z/MC.htm?dl=0

Useful teaching tool: Come and try this P.2 quiz !

Attached in this post is a P.2 English short quiz. The language focus of this quiz is the use of 'in/at/on' and also the use of 'do/does'. Try this out with your students when you have the time!

Session 2: The best online tool for learning English we reviewed

Having reviewed different online tools from session 2, I have found my favourite one to use for my own teaching.

The Corpus is an obvious choice out of the different tools. It provides a comprehensive and convenient way to review the use of language. By using the Corpus, it is easy for us to see how words are used by English native speakers over the world. Take ‘noodle and noodles’ as an example, we sometimes see both words are used in our daily conversation. If we type them into an online corpus, we can find how these words are related to the real life situation and how people usually put them in a sentence in an authentic context. It turns out that ‘noodle’ is usually used in a compound noun like in ‘noodle pot’ or ‘noodle bowl’ while ‘noodles’ is usually used as a standalone noun that refers to the food.

Without an online Corpus, there is no easy way to compare different words and phrases. An online Corpus allows us to look at words from an authentic situation and it changes how we learn English language. Therefore, I believe Corpus is the best tool reviewed in session 2. 

Teaching tips: Improving a passage with the use of online thesaurus

The following passage is enhanced with the use of an online thesaurus.

Original Version:

On the first day, we met our class teacher Mr Wong, we thought he would be very strict to us. After one week, we found Mr Wong was very nice! We like this secondary school and we like to be in 1A. This is a good school and 1A is very good. The teachers in this school are very kind and nice and our classmates are also kind, friendly and nice. We like each other very much.

Improved Version:

On the first day, we met our class teacher Mr Wong, we thought he would be very strict to us. After one week, we found Mr Wong was very charming! We love this secondary school and we are pleased to be in 1A. This is an exceptional school and 1A is excellent. The teachers in this school are very kind and gentle and our classmates are also delightful, friendly and nice. We like each other very much.

With the changes, the improved version has a more variety of vocabulary and their main ideas and meanings were not changed. In this way, we can see how a thesaurus can help with our writings.

Session 1: Prospects and Problems in using blogs as a teaching & learning tool

After having a fruitful and inspiring lesson from Dr. Paul Sze, I learned more about online blogging and the powerful effects that blogging could bring to our teaching. 

By using blogging, we can keep track of our pace and progress in implementing technology in our teaching. The powerful online blogging platform can provide a multimedia environment for our teaching and our students’ learning. Videos and recordings could be uploaded to the blog for students to view even out of the classroom. In this way, students can learn at their own pace in a comfortable environment.

With a constant updated online blog, students can get up-to-date materials from the teachers and this can provide positive effect in their learning. It is likely that students are more motivated and interested in language learning when technology is implemented.

This blog is set up to share with everyone about my experience in learning information technology implementation in the classroom. I hope more teachers can join me in creating a better learning environment for our students. 

I would continue to explore this aspect of teaching with technology in the coming sessions, stay tuned!