MyBrainshark

MyBrianshark----Presentation can be fun!

1. What is it?

MyBrianshark is an online tool which allow users to upload their documents such as pictures or powerpoint slides and add audios, and then they can share the video presentations with others through email, facebook or other communicative media.

2. How to use it?

Click the following video to have an idea of using it.

3. Why is it relevant to ELT class?

• Basically, it can be used to prepare a presentation, and then the presentation can be sent to teacher or shared with peers.

• Teachers can use it to deliver a lesson outside classroom, especailly useful in distant learning. Teaching materials can be shared such as powerpoints, document or videos in previous lessons, so that the viewers can have a vivid learning experience.

• It is a good way to have students do some collaborative activities. They can share their ideas of a particular task or an activity with their partners and accept their feedback or comments as well.

• Some classroom performances such as role play or debate can be recorded and uploaded so that parents or other students who have interest can have a look at it.

4. Benefits or using this tool

• It's free and hands-on.
• It can help students to overcome their shyness of doing presentation in front of people.
• It can increase students' motivation to do more reflective thinking about a group work.
• It saves a lot of time for teachers to arrange an activity in the class.
• It offers teachers an opportunity to add some relevant information or materials outside classroom.

5. Limitations

• It may take a lot of time for students to accomplish an online presentation.
• It requires stable Internet, so home or office may be the better places of using it.
• It can only record 15 minutes, perhaps it's not long enough for teachers to deliver a complete lesson.
• It is quite time-consuming for teachers to give individual feedback on students' work.

Wall of wishes!

Padlet (Wallwisher)

Let's start from here!

1. What does it do?

Padlet (Wallwisher) is a free online tool where anyone can build a wall, and it allows users to write, collaborate and share content on an empty canvas. It was originally popular for birthday celebrations, ceremonies or other wishes. Nowadays, it is widely used in English language teaching classrooms.

2. How does it work?

Click the following video, you will get a clear idea of how to use it.

3. Why is it relevant to language teaching?

•  Teachers can use it for brainstorming. For example, students can join one wall and take down their own opinions of one topic. It is a good way to do a warm-up activity.

• Teachers can use it to distribute a group work to students. Because of the collaborative feature of Padlet (Wallwisher), it brings a lot of fun to students to accomplish a project work with their peers.

        Here is an example of students' group work. Hola Barcelona.

• Teachers can use it as a resource sharer. There are a lot of things can be shared such as exam practice sites, videos for training their listening skills and web quests.

• Teachers can use it to carry out speaking activities. Posting debate topics, creating stories, organizing role plays are good choices.

• Teachers can use it as a real notice board. In this case, teachers can put up the class and school rules, make a class timetable, and notify students or their parents of homework assignments and keep them up to date with what's happening in the classroom.

• Teachers can use it to train students' writing skills. It is good for lower level students to focus on writing a short sentence of two with great accuracy, it is also an easy way to do dictation and poetry exercise.

4. Advantages of using it

• For students: 1) It is good for collaborative work.

                                2) It enhances creative thinking. 

                                3) It accelerates reflective thinking.

• For teachers: 1) It brings much more fun to the classroom.                      

                                2) It is a good way to keep in touch with parents and   update students' learning outcomes.

                                3) It is easy to carry out communicative teaching, such as giving feedback to students and getting feedback from students.

                                4) It provides a good opportunity to do evaluative and  reflective thinking.

5. Limitaions of using it

• It takes users a lot of time to modify the layout.
• It has word limit if teachers want to give assignment homework.
• It requires a well-equipped facility in a classroom with Internet.
• It may bring out some inconvenience for users to work together because the "wall" may be messed up.