Here’s my reply to you all about the Comment Challenge. Thanks for inspiring me to go even further now!
Archive for the 'webheadsinaction' Category
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Dear Colin, Inês, Sue and Kevin,
Here’s my reply to you all about the Comment Challenge. Thanks for inspiring me to go even further now!
Here’s my reply to you all about the Comment Challenge. Thanks for inspiring me to go even further now!
Just by being online, I can be everywhere. However, for the past two days, I’ve been to very specific destinations. First stop was Hanoi with Jeff Lebow’s vietnamese students. I could feel their excitement. They had very little experience with computers, and Jeff has led them to discover a whole new sphere of teaching and learning through blogging, bookmarking, podcasting, oovooing… Jeff has, like always, been fearless. It’s such a huge endeavor to teach at a distance teachers with low-tech skills and low connectivity. However, excitement and motivation surpass the technical difficulties. I still remember the goose bumps I had in my first voice chat, and now those Vietnamese were there bravely oovooing, skyping and laughing. What a joyous group! We planned to talk about blogging, education, EFL. We did a little, but, in fact, the teachers wanted to share about their personal lives and wanted to know more about Brazil, my life, Brazilians. Human touch in action orchestrated by Jeff’s flawless streaming skills and empathy.Next stop: Adelaide. Yesterday morning (for me!), Cris Costa, me and guests had a wonderful chatcast with Mike Coghlan about Australia, the Australian way of life, Adelaide, food, aboriginal people, kibbutz in Israel…Mike is simply a fantastic storyteller with sharp thinking with a critical view of the word. Lots of cultural information and awareness. But we went beyond as many of the topics gave a lot of food for thought and further reflections.
The first “People and Places” podcast is at http://peopleandplaces.bloxi.jp/a/australia/#comments
Meanwhille, we will keep exploring the world at a close distance and we’ve already started preparing for our next landing in JAPANESE lands.
Nothing can keep us from traveling the world these days with exciting cultural discoveries. The world is full of hidden treasures awaiting to surface.
I learned about this inspiring video via Vicky Davis.
It gives teachers a general view of possibilities the online world offers to provide the students with meaningful, contextualized, exciting learning. A world of explorations.
Download
It gives teachers a general view of possibilities the online world offers to provide the students with meaningful, contextualized, exciting learning. A world of explorations.
Download
So, what will YOU do today?
I’ve been shyly following the Comment Challenge 08, but certainly learning a lot from others as my main blogging point has been the connections. When I mean connections, it entails so many different nodes…First, you’re connecting to yourself, to your principles, beliefs, than you connect to others through blogging. And others might get connected to you, as well.
Certainly, we long for feedback, and I love to interact with my readers. However, I don’t write to get traffic, I was never worried about statistics. Blogging has just been a way I found to report, reflect, to keep memories, resources stored, to keep in touch with my own ideas, to not let some inspiration fade away in my mind. It’s a chance to share with others, and that’s where the connectivity part of it chimes in.
As I started to blog more frequently, I started getting more replies, but let us not forget that comments in the comment box are not the only feedback you have. You have pingbacks, trackbacks. Sometimes people mention that they read your blog, loved your post, but they never wrote a comment. I see so many educators frustrated when they start to blog because they say they don’t get a reply. Again and again I’ve mentioned the idea of blogging as a habit, and now I’m forcing myself to this other essential blogging habit of commenting. I read many blogs, comment in very few. So, the challenge has forced me to reconsider that to make my connections to the world and to people who really matter to me and had impacted on me I should be more visible, my ideas should reach unknown paths. My blogging connections have been changing since I have consistently applied the writingmatrix concept of using tags and technorati search, and now I want to refine them with this challenge.
I was glad to learn from Jeff Utech that
First, blogging is about us, then us connecting to others.
As I started to blog more frequently, I started getting more replies, but let us not forget that comments in the comment box are not the only feedback you have. You have pingbacks, trackbacks. Sometimes people mention that they read your blog, loved your post, but they never wrote a comment. I see so many educators frustrated when they start to blog because they say they don’t get a reply. Again and again I’ve mentioned the idea of blogging as a habit, and now I’m forcing myself to this other essential blogging habit of commenting. I read many blogs, comment in very few. So, the challenge has forced me to reconsider that to make my connections to the world and to people who really matter to me and had impacted on me I should be more visible, my ideas should reach unknown paths. My blogging connections have been changing since I have consistently applied the writingmatrix concept of using tags and technorati search, and now I want to refine them with this challenge.
I was glad to learn from Jeff Utech that
I got my first comment on my 10th post. I didn’t get two comments on the same post until around the 100 post mark. So it takes time, write because you want to, write for you, don’t worry about the comments. What I have found lately is how much I end up searching my own site looking for something that I wrote, a website I know I mentioned, or just to reflect on what I was thinking. I write as a way to store my thoughts, as a way to reflect on my practice and share with the larger community. If you decide to leave a comment great….if not I have my thoughts down to share with others if they ask.So, let us keep blogging and commenting, for comments are everywhere and as we mentioned so often in our blogging4educators session, each one of us needs to find his own tone, style and voice online.
Find your niche, find your purpose, and then just blog!
First, blogging is about us, then us connecting to others.
This video about student’s projects is what I believe in. It can tell much more about the power of learning than any educator’s discourse…
I believe in
- the power of students’ creations
- learning by doing
- creating connections among students
- monitoring their work rather than pouring information
- the value of each one’s discoveries
- the sense of being able to produce something of value to one and to others
- personalizing information
- letting learners find hidden worlds and exploring their own worlds
- helping learners develop their multiliteracies skills that will enable you to solve life-long issues in their personal and professional lives
One day things changed. I was doing this project with the class in which they had to plan and present and advertisement to the group raising awareness to a certain social issue. It could be a Turn TV off day, whatever. Well, we didn’t finish the project in one class, and I told them that they could think over during the week and if they wanted to present something in any kind of media, I’d bring my laptop the following class. Surprise. The cool, couldn’t-care-less dude left his classmates in awe with his topic and presentation.
Lesson: learners are paying attention to you. Just let them do something that taps into their interest, that drives them that they will surface and surprise you!
In my online listening class I gave the option for students to choose the listening practice of their preference in our delicious bookmarks. Seth’s audio about Trento was one of the options.
One of my students commented on it and asked some extra questions about Trento. Well, I decided to contact Seth to see if he could reply to her. I got his immediate feedback and here’s the wonderful information about Trento he recorded to Luciene.
Here’s Seth’s post and audio reply to Luciene.
Who said that e-learning isn’t personal, meaningful, contextualized, communicative, networked?
Thanks, Seth, for being such a generous Webhead! I’m sure not only Luciene will be thrilled for such a feedback, but also the whole group will profit from it.
Here’s an interview with Vance Stevens about Abu Dhabi.
He talks about:
the city
the multicultural population
religion
He talks about:
entertainment
other Emirates in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
the postal service
Thanks, Vance, for giving a broader perspective on Abu Dhabi!
Take a tour with Vance:
I've created this online quiz to go along with the interview. Feel free to use it.
I could be here preaching or saying nice things on how we could make this world a healthier, happier one. I decided for a minimalist approach with fewer written words and more of a message of hope from a little one who inspires me every day to be a better person in this world.
By listening to the little ones we can learn how to be good citizens in this world of hope and dreams. I keep dreaming on and teaching in the hope that I will make a small difference to the ones around me and that they can lead change. Changes of attitudes, thoughts, paradigms. Change of small individual worlds for an organic sustainable Earth.
Friends all over the world are giving their contribution. What’s your share?
Read Sasha’s inspiring post. Participate in Worldbridges Webcastathon. Read Cris Costa’s excited call to join earthcast08. Check our Earth Day discussions at the blogging4educators ning inspired by Ana Maria.
Check. Get inspired. Act.
I’m back to the hot waters of the Florida Keys after some cold, but from the humanistic perspective, warm days in New York. First, just freely wandering with the family, which was just a wonderful time together, then totally hooked to every interesting soul you can think of. Attending the TESOL Conference again and being into orbit around the two groups I’m really passionate about is simply a treat. The Webheads and my friends from the place I work in Brasilia, Casa Thomas Jefferson, kept my days in uplifting mode. I just didn’t want to sleep and miss the chance to hang out with them.
Ginga They are all inspired educators who know the exact meaning of GINGA, a word that I tried to explain to some during the convention, right, Jeff and Vance? In fact, these fantastic people are all full of GINGA – swing – in the way the face life, deal with daily tasks, their inspired teaching methods, their approach towards the future, which is one of a dreamer, their belief in the transforming power of education, as well as the way they have fun after a full tiring day of sessions, colloquiums, talks, presentations. Their ginga is what makes them open to possibilities, to challenges, to change. Having ginga – this swing that makes Brazilian soccer players so unique in the way they dribble or that allures the world when we dance samba – is what distinguishes these groups from others. I’m proud of being in full swing in learning every single day with these admirable friends who push me to my best self as a person, educator, professional. And Viva the Ginga movement in which we have more flexibility to deal with life, facing our challenges head up, laughing, having fun, being passionate about what we do! Webheads and CTJ friends rock, samba, swing, rule!
Thanks for an amazing connected time together!
Highlights of the human touch?
WebheadsReceiving red roses from my dear friend Dennis who so carefully planned everything.
Meeting THE VOICE, Jeff Lebow and his wife Sunny
Realizing that Graham Stanley is on the quiet side. Graham, you really surprised me!
Talking to elegant Aiden and her sister during the Thai dinner
Learning more about pubs in New York with Vance, Rita, Nina, Teresa and João, Dafne, Jeff, Sunny, Patricia, Graham and Isabel, among others
Everybody keeping cool and laughing even when the waiter at Becco was being rude and screaming in our ears
Meeting Claire, Clarinha, and realizing how funny she is! Talented, I knew she was!
Meeting sweet Mary Hillis and learning that she’s an organization freak and is F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C to keep track of huge bills at the end of the night
Connecting to Mike Coghlan, a very special soul, with wonderful photos
Watching Rita’s latin ways. So familiar to me!
Having fun with João and Teresa
Meeting Robert Squires with his melodic Scottish accent. He who was so afraid to submerge into the webheadosphere as he couldn’t understand the dynamics of these crazy people who were so professional and so personal at the same time. Welcome, Robert!
Meeting Jen Madrell (edtechtalk), whom I was only able to meet and invite others because of Twitter!
Just being in the Electronic Village, chit chatting, and learning from the simultaneous rotating sessions
Appreciating Moira’s cool colorful glasses
Meeting Ronaldo and talking about all kinds of professional matters and trivial things
Learning that Serpil and Secil are, in fact, sisters and they work together
Listening to Thomas Leverett talking about blogs and meeting his talented musician sister who knew all about “choro”, a very melodic genre of Brazilian music
Watching David Winet with his laptop, hat and headsets!
Meeting Buth and talking to Laine at Becco
Learning that Bee’s husband is an artist (just like her!) and getting as a gift his wonderful artwork
CTJ Friends
Checking Vânia’s, Márcia’s and Margaux’s daugthers’ wish list! Huge ones, but always ending that they knew their moms couldn’t buy everything, that a little something would be fine.
Meeting cheerful Patricia and happy Maria da Luz
Meeting Isabela at the CALL-IS colloquium and having her realize how much she already knows about edtech
Having brunch with my family, Margaux and Paulo at Le Pain Quotidien and a stroll at Central Park. A perfect film script!
Going out with Bené, Margaux, Paulo, Robson, Ronaldo, Isabela, Aline, and my sister Justine. Lots of laugh and funny stories
Going to Moma with my sister, appreciate art and laugh of what we really couldn’t consider art!
SoHo with Margaux, Paulo and my sister. Unforgettable
SoHo during the day with Margaux and Paulo window shopping admiring those funky stores. Indelible moments
Sunset at Brooklyn Bridge walking with friends and sister. Priceless!
Ginga They are all inspired educators who know the exact meaning of GINGA, a word that I tried to explain to some during the convention, right, Jeff and Vance? In fact, these fantastic people are all full of GINGA – swing – in the way the face life, deal with daily tasks, their inspired teaching methods, their approach towards the future, which is one of a dreamer, their belief in the transforming power of education, as well as the way they have fun after a full tiring day of sessions, colloquiums, talks, presentations. Their ginga is what makes them open to possibilities, to challenges, to change. Having ginga – this swing that makes Brazilian soccer players so unique in the way they dribble or that allures the world when we dance samba – is what distinguishes these groups from others. I’m proud of being in full swing in learning every single day with these admirable friends who push me to my best self as a person, educator, professional. And Viva the Ginga movement in which we have more flexibility to deal with life, facing our challenges head up, laughing, having fun, being passionate about what we do! Webheads and CTJ friends rock, samba, swing, rule!
Thanks for an amazing connected time together!
Highlights of the human touch?
Webheads
CTJ Friends
Betty Azar
Keith Folse
Michael Swan
http://azargrammar.com
http://keithfolse.com
balancing communicative practice grammar instruction
errors as a natural part of the process
Speeding things up-being efficient- need to teach grammar not an either-or situation – deductive and inductive approach – interplay
grammar is what glues all lg skills together
grammar class-developmental skills
a grammar class makes lg less daunting for new students
students bored when teachers face grammar as subject matter
this setting changes when there is variety, interaction, negotiation
exercises with self-monitoring and peer correction – ex. Grammar monitor in the group
observing other colleagues
Even sentence level grammar can be contextualized ex. Can I go outside?/Mom, can I go outside to play?
choose your battles wisely!
balancing communicative practice grammar instruction
errors as a natural part of the process
Speeding things up-being efficient- need to teach grammar not an either-or situation – deductive and inductive approach – interplay
grammar is what glues all lg skills together
grammar class-developmental skills
a grammar class makes lg less daunting for new students
students bored when teachers face grammar as subject matter
this setting changes when there is variety, interaction, negotiation
exercises with self-monitoring and peer correction – ex. Grammar monitor in the group
observing other colleagues
Even sentence level grammar can be contextualized ex. Can I go outside?/Mom, can I go outside to play?
choose your battles wisely!