ICT tools to share

 Good afternoon:

The blogs I commented on haven't reached module 6 yet, that’s why I would like to add some other activities I carried out in class previously. The thing is that my last ICT activity will be done in June, before the course ends, and it will be too late to be added here.

The inserted video shows the excellent work 4th ESO students carried

out last year, celebrating the 25th anniversary of our high school, IES Manuel de Góngora. It was made with www.canva.com, a wonderful web I suppose everybody knows. Learners also know how to make presentations, infographies, posters and many things thanks to this practical and useful web.

Besides, as a revision task I love using Kahoot! Because it is really

enjoyable and the teacher can include all the questions and points

students need to review. The only disadvantage is it takes a while to

create and, despite this, the game ends too fast. Here are the links to

some kahoots I created for 3rd PMAR:

https://create.kahoot.it/details/e84dd938-d04c-4ba9-a99b-353123e221ae

https://create.kahoot.it/details/74e512b6-776d-4adf-97b8-2b8af527ec2e

As I said on some entries before, I also love www.playfactile.com to

revise contents. In this case, it is laborious because the teacher must

make all the questions and answers, but the game takes much longer

than a Kahoot! one, so you take advantage of it:

https://www.playfactile.com/repasolenguatema33pmar

https://www.playfactile.com/repasogeografiatema4

Finally, just in case you don’t know it, www.baamboozle.com/games

is great for revising as well. There are plenty of games which you can

“borrow”, adapted to every level. Hope you like it!

 

DIGITAL MAGAZINE

 

During the second term, all the educational community celebrated our "Jornadas Culturales 2023" at our high school. We wanted to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Picasso's Death and that was our main subject. All our students carried out different workshops from every department and, for several days, they forgot about usual classes and turned into real artists. 

The reflection of all that work was displayed on our digital magazine, mainly created with 'Genially' and 'Bookcreator'. There you would see the English department works. Have a look!

https://read.bookcreator.com/abBta8ZYQ0RFcNWce0tYYJSTuo02/0K4EgRbdSuKCrbXSISqF1A

DEVELOPING WRITING SKILL THROUGH 'PIXTON'

As I said in previous entries, as a I teach English in 4th ESO, I can’t introduce this type of activities now the school year is finishing, but I have to say that I have worked with similar tools, for example, www.storyboardthat.com, and they are wonderful for developing writing skills.

The uploaded comic strips were made by myself according to the previous writing activity,

based on phobias (that’s what we're studying in class). I looked for a phobias joke in the  

Internet and I turned it into a comic (it might be a great activity for the last days of June).

I haven't been able to get a link from the web itself, I needed a monthly quote, that's why I took

some screen captures to show you the comic strip.

Definitively, Pixton implies an entire creation process that creates a balance between text and 

images and ensures hat there is not an overload of text with unnecessary images and vice

versa. As text is placed in a speech bubble, it limits the user from using a lot of text. Pixton can

be a resourceful tool as a creative way to have students retell what they have read, reflect on

the overall morals and lessons or identify key concepts in a given text. Moreover, Pixton can 

be a great tool to bring a learner’s original story to life, apart from solely working on a mini

story. I consider it a fabulous tool to be implemented in the classroom.

A SPANISH LITERATURE LESSON

Last year I taught English and Spanish to a small group of 4th ESO. Those students coming from 3º PMAR, repeating that course or with educational necessities had the chance of attending a 9-10 students group to improve their learning on those languages.

My experience with Edpuzzle was based on Spanish language, especially "Novecentismo y vanguardias". I got a great video from Miguel Fernández Collado on Youtube and I used it as a test, in order to achieve new ways of evaluation. The results were great: 

https://edpuzzle.com/media/620c10cc9c336b42e1c648eb

I hope it helps to show how effective this tool can be.

READING THEN AND NOW

Books have changed throughout decades, but reading remains the same, even though today it is challenging to be motivated to read a long book instead of watching the movie, listening to the audiobook, or watching a YouTube video.

Due to my age, I have experienced reading in the same as most of the photos shown. Regarding the first one, I went hundreds of time to my city library to spend afternoons discovering new books and I encourage my children to do the same. There is a great contrast between the third photo, a woman with an ebook, and the fourth one, children reading books at school, how they cooexist nowadays despite all the technological advances.

Nevertheless, the second photo is my favourite one because of my childhood remembrances in my village, my grandma was keen on children books and she made me love them. 

Thanks to those reading moments I gained valuable knowledge, exercised my brain. improved my focus (especially when reading English books) and my memory, improve my ability to emphatize, as well as my communication skills. I am sure than older people can reduce stress, improve their mental health and live longer because reading exercises brain power, did you know it?

HOLIDAYS ARE COMING

 

Who doesn't like holiday? Summer is the best season to practise English since you can travel around the world, meet new people and enjoy sun and beach. Here you will find some activities which will help to improve these aspects.

For example, have a look at these refreshing words:

Moreover, you can also check your knowledge by clicking on these links:

Holiday and travelling video

Holiday vocabulary worksheet

Holiday vocabulary test

Summer activities game