The relevance of PBL
Project Based Learning is a suitable approach for technology integration in the language classroom as it has many advantages. It gives the students the opportunity to collaborate and work in a group, solving real problems and encouraging self motivation and creativity.
I really enjoy using technology and I am all the time trying to learn about different new tools to use in my classroom. Throughout the WELL course, I have learnt to employ many new tools and I have used many others that I knew, but I did not use before. Sometimes because I lack the time to do it, or simply because I did not dare to use it.
I would really like to integrate all these new technologies into my classrooms, but to be honest, this does not apply to my reality nowadays. But as I have mentioned in some occasions, I am preparing myself for the future, as I will be able to put it into practice at any time.
This course gave me the opportunity to discover new tools and also to try them. I enjoy creating web lessons and collaborate in different spaces like Wikis and Blogs.
It is difficult to get myself up to date with all the Tics available, but it is easy to focus on my students needs and apply the most suitable ones for each group.
Doing this course made the difference, as I have learnt and reflect a lot. From now on I will try each TICs and analyse them to see whether they are appropriate for the task I am working on or for future tasks.

Are teachers preparing the students for the future?

WELL2: Goodbye Messages



Dear WELL teachers,

Here we are, reaching the end of these exciting weeks we have spent sharing, asking, analyzing, exploring and learning together!

We have ventured to new online territories, creating, posting, commenting, editing and building knowledge collaboratively.

The "formal" process may have come to an end, but our connections will remain because we own the spaces we have built together!

Thanks for your curiosity, commitment and enthusiasm!

Let's keep learning!

Love,

Carla

5 REASONS WHY EFL BLOGGING IS A GOOD IDEA

- It helps students perceive the importance of learning a language as a communication tool.

- It provides a very powerful tool by means of which students can create content and improve their knowledge of the foreign language by participating in meaningful conversations in the target language.

- It promotes the development of higher order thinking skills, as teachers and students need to post entries which increase reflection, analysis, discussion and synthesis in order to establish a conversation and construct knowledge collectively.

- It encourages natural conversations between teacher and students in the same class as well as in different classes and even in different countries, thereby increasing awareness of perspectives outside the classroom and promoting learning about other cultures.

- It gives teachers the chance to develop a much more personal relationship with students and to establish a different kind of rapport with and among their students.

5 reasons why I'd like to try EFL blogging:


· A blog is not difficult to construct and the teacher can organise it to have a collaborative learning environment.
· Blogs are useful supplementary tools to engage students in the learning process, as they are meaningful for them.
· A blog is easy to use from any place, as the teacher or students can enter the blog from any computer.
· An advantage a blog has is that the teacher can create, edit or delete the material added to the blog. So, in a way, the teacher can control the blog and offer feedback to students at the same time.
· In a blog, teachers can add pictures, videos and links to other WebPages, so students can quickly navigate the web and look for the things they need.

Welcome to a new WELL Module!


Welcome to our brand new WELL blog! An open online space to share our reflections and conversations with the world.

My name is Carla Raguseo and I'll be your online tutor. I'm an EFL teacher from Rosario, Argentina. In 2006 I started my first blog for an international online exchange for Argentinian and Brazilian students. Since then, I've started different blogs for my classes to facilitate connections and authentic communication.

Of course, there are no recipies or fixed guidelines for the use of blogs and wikis in education. However, we do need to understand how they work and what they mean to the learning process to take a sound decision on how to implement them in our classes.

Here's the recording of our Kick Off event last Saturday: An open talk with Claudia Ceraso to share experiences and to think together of new inspiring and innovative ways of empowering our students not just to learn the language but through the language and meaningful interaction.

Have a look at some of the examples we shared with Claudia during the conference:
http://fceblog.blogspot.com/
http://eltnotes.blogspot.com/

http://www.toeflibtprep.blogspot.com/




We'd love to hear about your experiences as well.
Please, write a short introduction and tell us about your experiences and expectations.

Have you ever blogged with your students or for your own professional development?
In your opinion, how can blogs and wikis be integrated in the language classroom?
What are your expectations for this course?

I look forward to learning together!