Collaborate Online via Voicethread

         

    Voicethread is an interactive collaboration and sharing tool that enables users to add images, documents, and videos, and to which other users can add voice, text, audio file, or videos, or video comments. The following is a speaking activity. Students leave their answers in comments. Student A asks his/her classmate about his/best friend by leaving a comment. Student B describes his/her friend in a comment. And, they swap roles.

Mind mapping

   Neuroscientists tell us that the brain connects and organizes information in networks and maps. Visual thinking and mapping tools, especially, mind mapping, help us manage information and transform it into knowledge in ways similar to that used by our brain.


                                                  Mind mapping and Neuroscience



What follows is how I used mind mapping in my lessons and how students used it.

Students have to complete this mind map from a text they read . The text is a story. One of the objective of the lesson is reporting. By completing the mind map in the handouts I distribute, the students will have a visual structure of the story that helps them to retell the story easily. Students become better thinkers by analyzing ideas connecting them, synthesizing and simplifying for a better assimilation.

        The following mind map was created by one of my students she shared it in her blog. It was part of a creative writing session.

This is a screenshot from my student's blog
click to read her story   :)

MOOCS For Learners of English

   
      Want to learn or improve your English?  want to work out your speaking, writing or your grammar yet, you don't know where to start? Have you thought of joining language centers but you couldn't afford it?  You can become proficient at English by registering in MOOEC, the massive open online English Courses.

Serious Games For Better English

Combining learning to play, the idea sounds great and appealing to teachers but especially to students!

  There are undoubtedly a bunch of free games on the web that kids and teenagers can play and learn English. I chose Trace Effects a free 3-D adventure game that works on Windows  and MAC platforms. Designed by the the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the game is good for English language learning and social skills. It sharpens the player's communicative and collaborative skills as well as their critical thinking skills.  The game is about Trace,  a university student from 2035 and who accidentally traveled back in time to the present. His mission is to change the future for the better. To be able to do so, he has to help six people accomplish great things and impact the future positively. It's only then that he could get back home. Give it a try!

Trace Effects

Powtoon for Education

Lesson 9 : Who was the Man?

Who Was the Man? A Detailed Lesson Plan from Hayfa Mejdoub


Now, assess your ability to choose effective verbs, adverbs and illustrations to increase the impact of a horror story and make it scarier. Explain the reasoning behind some of your choices.

Super stories: verbs and adverbs: assessment - (TLF L8469 v2.0.0)

Role Plays in the Classroom

An activity From Lesson 2, Unit One , 4th Year English Students'book SKILLS FOR LIFE

Objective: Developing students effective communication skills i.e. debating and interrupting.
Skills: Speaking
Aids; Handout1 , Handout2

Group work

Insructions: Are you for or against space travel?

Prepare a talk show with your group ( 5 classmates; a Presenter, two guests who are for and two guests who are against space travel.) and present it to the class. For this, you need to study handout 1 and choose your arguments, then, choose from handout 2, the expressions you'll use for debating and discussing. 

 Powtoon 4 edu

Piktochart

audacity

Gimp

Movie maker

PhotoPeach

Freesound.org

SoundBible.com

You tube

Blogger

Soundcloud

Google maps

Slideshare

Blogging Tutorial Slides in French

Blogging Tutorial Presentation (French version) from Hayfa Mejdoub