I love using videos in the classroom: they are engaging, multi-sensory and provide quasi-authentic language. The question of course is what do you have students do while they're watching the videos? Well, one tool I've come across recently is videonot.es.Videonot.es is a web app that allows users to take notes of online videos (Youtube, Khan Academy, Coursera, Udacity) and then store and share their notes using either Evernote or  Google Drive. Why would you want to use this site?Ease of collection - Instead of carrying paper copies, you just have students "share" their work with you (more on that later).Tracking the process - If you are having students write essays on videos, it is a lot harder for them to plagiarize if you are tracking their work from the very beginning. Collaboration - Students can share their notes and ideas with each other nearly instantly.Safe Keeping - Students "misplace" their paper notes all the time. Unless a student consciously deletes the file from their Google Drive account, their video notes aren't going anywhere.So how do you use Videonot.es?1) Go to their website videonot.es and press "Connect with Google Drive"Read more »

If you work at a large institution, you have access to experienced teachers, in-house workshops, seminars and (possibly) travel assistance for presenting at, or possibly, attending conferences. Additionally, your line manager has probably assigned you a mentor who can answer the day-to-day questions like "What happens if I need a new CD?" as well as fill you in on the "culture of the school" or the "unwritten rules."Yep, if you work at a school with a growth mindset, you will always be reminded that a teacher is a learner first and foremost and, therefore, will always be challenged to improve not only their content knowledge but also their pedagogy. In this type of school, in-house professional development workshops will be mandatory and there will be competition to see who can generate the highest turn-out for workshops.Do you do things because that is how they have always been done?But what if you don't work in "that" school? What if you work in a school that has a fixed mindset, one that believes that if you have a BA/BS in anything and a CELTA or TESOL Cert then you know "enough?" What if you are THE English teacher at your school? Well, in that case, you can either:choose to be the valedictorian of summer school (aka "the biggest fish in a small pond") or  embrace the web and create your own personal learning network (PLN). Since you're reading this post, you're in group 2. The problem with the web isn't the lack of information, it is actually the opposite: known as The Paradox of Choice, the number of options is so overwhelming that instead of doing something, people feel overwhelmed, don't know where to begin and ultimately do nothing. The goal of these posts is, if you're a new teacher, to point you in the direction of some resources that could REALLY help your teaching. If you're a more experienced teacher, maybe you'll come across some sites that will help you fill in some of the holes in your game or get you to rethink something you've been doing. Additionally, please feel free to post your favorite sites in the comments section below but beware, I have final say on what gets posted. Translation: if it's off topic, or off color, it gets deleted. Without further ado, lets begin.Read more »

Jeff sits down with Corstiaan Hesselink to learn why Reflect.io is the perfect companion to your Evernote account.

Teaching IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 can be challenging. At least with Task 2 candidates can give their opinion but when it comes to Task 1 it's "Just the facts, ma'am." Luckily for both students and teachers, lessons don't have to be dry just because the material is.I have used the lesson plan below several times to teach process writing but with a few tweaks it can be used to teach any genre of writing because, as Miyamoto Musashi said,"if you know the Way broadly you will see it in everything."InstructionsBefore Class:1. Make enough copies of the picture cards1 Image via IELTS Buddy and sentence strips so that each pair/small group of students can have their own set.2. Cut up the picture cards and cut the sample essay into strips. In Class: Read more »

Is Periscope just another pretty app or is it the latest social network that will take education by storm?

Peer review is an important an beneficial step in the writing process if done effectively. The question then becomes how can you do it effectively? Today I'll provide three examples: Checklists, Write Like a Reader and Paramedic Editing.Checklists  Why should you provide students with a checklist? First, checklists identify the key ideas/components/aspects that should be in a students writing. Second, providing students with explicit instruction increases the likelihood of them remaining on task. Basically, if you want students to be on task, make sure they know what the task is and how to do it. 1Read more »

Jeff sits down with Brittany Oler to discuss how Kids Email is helping teachers and parents create safe and secure email addresses for students ages 5-13.

I have been keeping a journal off and on since I was kid because, as everyone knows, sometimes you just need to talk to someone who isn't going to talk back. You can find famous examples and samples here and here. I wish my handwriting were that nice.Nowadays, I keep a very specific type of journal. In it, I write about how what happens inside and outside the classroom affects my students and how I and my students interact with the activities, materials, and technology I/we select. The effects of keeping this journal have been profound which is in line with research:Read more »

In todays show, we ask the question "How can our school districts use WordPress as our main website platform?"

I would like to thank all of our EduFriends who have sent emails, texts, and tweets to check in on my wife and I. They are greatly appreciated.