[sabridv85]

I'm planning to start a blog with my students and I would like to ask for advice. Are you using blogs in your classes? what are you doing? Maybe, we can share the addressess and ask our students to read each others blogs.

[michèle 2]

My students use my blog for writing. They write essays about their holidays, trips, experience ....
It has encouraged them to write more and they seem to like it because they can share with their family and friends...
Michèle

[susan53]

There's a useful article on the British Council site :
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/th...blogging.shtml

[sabridv85]

Thanks Sue the article was very clear and useful. Kind regards

[emile]

Generally speaking, if students write every day, their writing WILL improve, whether it's checked by someone or not.

If only for that, it's a great idea.

Sharing the blogs with other classes around the world is a great idea too. You could use a Delicious page to store all the links to the various blogs in one place, or you could have a 'masterblog' run by the teacher to collate the links.

Let me know how it goes because I'm working on a blog-related widget for my site at the mo. Maybe I could link to it from there.

[kimyushin]

This is an indirect suggestion about the use of blogs. Instead of writing blogs, my student and I watch a video in youtube; after watching I ask him what he feels about the content and concepts of the video.

I listen to his comment, then I repeat to him what he said. If my feedback coincides with what he said, I have him type the same comment in the comment box of the video. I edit his work after he is done writing


Notes:
1.This writing activity is short; it targets specific grammar points and writing points. Blog-writing provides lengthy writing practice- comment-writing won't.

Thus, use this activity as a supplement writing activity.

2.Ask concrete questions about the video's content. Asking students (which in my case Korean learners) "what do you think about the video?" results in vague and short responses.

With the exemption of advance learners, intermediate and beginner learners often have not yet harmonized their cognitive skills and their linguistic skills; they cannot yet express on-the-spot opinions. Using specific lead questions on them will yield specific , and sometimes lengthy, answers.

3. It is best to use movie trailers and music videos since both are rich in content and have plots that students can follow.

[susan53]

Nice activity - I shall try it with my one to ones. What type of videos do you generally use? And can you give some examples of the sort of focus questions you use?

[michèle 2]

Great idea!
I'll try with my students as well.
Michèle

[sabridv85]

I have already started the blog. We have decided to make one blog for the whole institute with the collaboration of all the teachers because it is our first time and in this way it will be easier. You are all welcome to have a look at it and provide ideas and suggestions for improvement. I will be glad if you can leave a comment for us. www.challengeeducation.blogspot.com Maybe, you can also get some ideas for your classes.

[emile]

Looks good so far. I love the simpsonizer and the clustrmaps plugin.

[sabridv85]

I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for the comment.

[HUE]

I've never used blogs in class, but I've occasionally used diaries. Writing regularly, along with corrections by me, really have helped students with their English... just another way to practice the language. That said, because blogs are much more interactive, they would naturally draw students more. Social network sites would draw students, too, I think.

[emile]

Social network sites would draw students, too, I think

Yahoo Answers is a great social network site. I've used it with my students and they love it.

When we do discussion questions in class, for example, I get them to post the questions on YA, and we look through the answers later. It's a good way to expose them to 'real English' and they can see how the answers differ from theirs in structure etc.

It also encourages them to give more thoughtful answers because they don't want to be outdone!

[DaveESL]

Great topic! Unfortunately, I can't see the blog as blogspot is blocked here in China, but I'm also interested in bringing blogs into the classroom. I also really like the Youtube and Yahoo Answers activities.

Thanks for the great ideas!

[rajen4]

It seems apparant from your posts that your classrooms or your students are fairly well equipped with computers etc. I am quite impressed that you can watch youtube videos in class in the phillipines seamlessly it seems. I mean in the US teachers seem to have problems starting the computers and loading powerpoint slides let alone use youtube. Isn't the connection/internet speed slow abroad though, except maybe for Europe and Japan.

[Eric]

Quote rajen4

It seems apparant from your posts that your classrooms or your students are fairly well equipped with computers etc. I am quite impressed that you can watch youtube videos in class in the phillipines seamlessly it seems. I mean in the US teachers seem to have problems starting the computers and loading powerpoint slides let alone use youtube. Isn't the connection/internet speed slow abroad though, except maybe for Europe and Japan.

I'm not sure about the Philippines but we were getting 100Mbps in Korea.

[sabridv85]

We don't have such problems here in Argentina either.

[DaveESL]

At my university in China, the school equipment is horrible, but at home I have a good internet connection.