Category: classroom

Chris Mooney talks about using the iPads with students

Michael ChalkLeave a commentclassroom, technology

A while back, I asked Chris Mooney how she was experiencing the iPads in her English as a second language (ESL) classroom. She replied that so far, they have already been looking at YouTube videos and information texts, and it’s been fun. In future, Chris would like to find ways to: play interactive games on the overhead, get the group doing gap-fill (cloze) activities together, get into reading information texts as a group. You can hear the whole one-minute conversation here: What about you – what have you done with an iPad Read More …

Have fun with photos at photofunia

Michael ChalkLeave a commentclassroom, Uncategorized

I found this terrific “photofunia” site via Vivian, one of the teachers at Glenroy Neighbourhood Learning Centre. She uses the site for students when they first join a class there. The idea is that students upload a photo of themselves and do something fun with it, for example turn themselves into the Mona Lisa, or a design on top of a cappuccino. It’s kind of an ice-breaker, but people are also learning basic skills in web browsing and file management (upload, download files, remember where you saved it etc). Teachers Read More …

North West region “community of practice”

Michael ChalkLeave a commentclassroom, community, e-learning, Uncategorized

Victoria Market I’ve just met with some wonderful teachers and managers of the North-West region and Sue O’Brien of the NW ACFE regional office, in at the AMES “Multicultural Hub” opposite the Victoria Market. From the agenda, i was expecting to give a presentation with an overview of blended learning, and some examples of who’s doing it around the regions. Because it was about 10 of us around a table, the session quickly turned into a conversation where i hope most people had some input. We tackled the really fundamental Read More …

Get student feedback with google forms

Michael ChalkLeave a commentace, classroom, e-learning

For the first stage of our project evaluation (the “flexivet” project for flexible delivery in ACE), we had paper-based evaluation forms. This was fine.. until i realised it meant i would be the one to input the data into a spreadsheet. Yawn. So i’ve set up a form at google docs.. which inputs directly into the spreadsheet. We’ve embedded the form on the student wiki, and linked to it from all over the place. Delightful! Just a couple of problems.. 1) Several students don’t realise they haven’t fully completed the Read More …

Green is for listening? The trauma of windows volume control..

Michael ChalkLeave a commentclassroom, how to, technology

So Tina, one of our amazing English teachers at PRACE, comes in with our box of headsets, “Same question i ask you every Monday.. green is for listening?” This is one of the things that used to drive me crazy when we were running our Can You Hear Us? projects.. (No, not Tina.. the computers!!) (Beware: Rant Approaching.) Most of the windows/pc boxes have a colour coding for the audio sockets (green for listening, pink for speaking), but many headsets use a different colour code for their plugs (orange or Read More …

ESL teacher uses "Online Banking" resource

Michael ChalkLeave a commentace, adult literacy, classroom, e-learning

Inspiring adventures from Dale Pobega of Duke St community centre in Sunshine Victoria, who has recently started using blogger to engage and educate his English as a second language (ESL) students. Great to see Dale using the tremendous resource “Online Banking“. This resource came out of Olympic Adult Education about 6 years ago, and remains one of the best online resources for adult numeracy. There’s a few broken elements on the site (eg the bulletin board no longer exists, and the sim bank doesn’t work).. but much of it works Read More …

3 free worksheet generators for the classroom

Michael ChalkLeave a commentadult literacy, classroom

i admit, when i was teaching adult literacy last year, sometimes project work was too much work, and we resorted to literacy worksheets. People responded well, because they felt it matched their needs for less complex, more focussed activities. So i relied on a few websites to do the production for me. i’d take the current theme’s vocabulary list, and build up a collection of worksheets. Students can then choose which ones to do. Here are the main sites i would use: Worksheet Genius – on this site you can Read More …

Screencast [and budget] for fun

Michael ChalkLeave a commentclassroom, e-learning, how to

Part of the new PRACE flexible delivery project is about showing information technology teachers how to set up a screencast in their classroom. Because there are a few different products on offer, i thought it would be useful to trial some of them up front. Last year, we looked at Jing, as Lisa from Moreland showed her MYOB students some new skills. (Part 1, part 2.) This time around, the buzz is on Screencastle. Recording is straightforward and fast. You set the size of your screen grab and go. It’s Read More …

Yummy Web2 Session

Michael ChalkLeave a commentace, classroom, e-learning, innovation, professional development

At the recent ACE e-showcase, Michael Gwyther from YUM productions gave a great account of how they have used web2 technologies in one of their multimedia courses. Here’s the list of tools they’ve used: Blog Social Bookmarks (delicious) RSS Feeds Podomatic Slideshare Flickr Video RSS Feed reader! (Bloglines) The key for Michael is RSS feeds. As multiple students post their course reflections and assignments to their blog, he is able to read the updates from a single place .. his RSS feed reader. For a feed reader, i like google Read More …