I’ve just discovered an amazing tool you can use for collecting resources and organising them neatly in sections and on virtual shelves. You have access to binders of other teachers and educators from all over the world for free. LiveBinders – http://www.livebinders.com/ offers a free and a paid plans. A free option gives you access to unlimited binders and unlimited shelves and up to 100 MB storage (files are usually websites with activities or docs so they don’t take up a lot of space). A paid option for educators costs around £9.00 a year and offers you bigger space– 500MB, plus you can upload your private files (pdfs, docs etc). It also allows you to make your binders totally private or share them only with people you choose. The best option for me is that you can share them with other people and you can use other people’s binders if you need some ideas. 
Monthly Archives: January 2013
INFOGRAPHICS
An excellent collection of infographics collected on http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=412294
MODALS OF PROHIBITION and OBLIGATION
Why don’t you teach modals using this excellent video clips “Dos and Don’ts when using social networks” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqezbib5qpQ. Ask your students to write sentences using “can’t/should/shouldn’t/must/mustn’t”
25 JANUARY – RABBIE BURN’S NIGHT
ð You have to check this out!!!!! Robert Burns INTERACTIVE – good for listening and not only http://www.scotland.org/burns-night/interactive/ –
ð MY LOVE IS LIKE A RED, RED ROSE and many more, all in audio and video http://www.robertburns.plus.com/voicemyluv.htm
ð http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/robertburns/burns_night_running_order.shtml – a collection of wonderful resources – articles about Burns, video clips, Brurns’ poetry etc.
ð The Address to A Haggis a video clip http://www.robertburns.plus.com/voicemyluv.htm
ð ROBBIE BURNS on ESOLcourses – lots of online activities for different levels – pre-intermediate http://www.esolcourses.com/content/lifeintheuk/scotland/burns-night/lesson-activities.html and intermediate http://esolcourses.blogspot.com/2010/01/january-25-burns-night-english-lesson.html
PLUS
ð Masses of materials for interactive white board on http://www.prometheanplanet.com/en-gb/Search/resources/language/english/?Keywords=Robert+Burns&SortField=relevance&ViewType=ListView
ð A new documentary presented by David Hayman will exclusively unveil what Scotland’s most famous poet, Robert Burns, really looked like. In Search of Robert Burns is set to air on STV on January 22 at 8pm. http://entertainment.stv.tv/tv/208687-stv-goes-in-search-of-robert-burns-to-reveal-the-face-of-scottish-poet/
NB: all the pictures come from my private collection, you can use them freely
NETIQUETTE – how to behave and how not to while on FACEBOOK
A funny video clips about not so funny things that can happen to Facebook users. Watch the video with your students and practise MODAL VERBS – can’t, should, shouldn’t, mustn’t, etc. and other PROHIBITION/OBLIGATION structures
http://mmebonfils.free.fr/cours/terminales/facebook/facebook.html
IDEAS FOR 15 JANUARY – MARTIN LUTHER KING’s birthday
An excellent listening and reading comprehension activity. Finding the differences between the text and Martin Luther King’s speech, spelling exercises etc. http://michel.barbot.pagesperso-orange.fr/hotpot/mlk/dream1.htm
Considered to be the best speech of the 20th century, “I have a dream” – video http://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/#/i-have-a-dream-martin-luthe/4567647625
Listening, reading comprehension and vocabulary materials – Martin Luther King http://www.eslholidaylessons.com/01/martin_luther_king_day.html
Various resources at different levels : http://www.esolcourses.com/topics/martin-luther-king.html
AUTHENTIC MATERIALS
British Red Cross shares a series of short and simple video clips on EVERYDAY FIRST AID giving advice how to cope in case of asthma attack, stroke, choking etc. . Excellent idea for listening activities introducing learners to a range of structures which might then be applied in real life LEARN ENGLISH and USE IT!!!! Learn Everyday First Aid at http://www.redcross.org.uk/What-we-do/First-aid/Everyday-First-Aid
MY STUDY LIFE PLANNER – online cloud planner
ONLINE TOOL
For those feeling overwhelmed with various classes, assignments, tests My Study Life might be an excellent idea. It is a free cloud planner for students and teachers. It stores different classes together with various assignments, homework, revision and exams. Classes, tasks and exams are integrated to show not only the information for the class, task or exam but also related information such as the tasks due for a class. Currently, My Study Life is in beta testing and there are already numerous new features and improvements waiting including My Study life on Androids and iPhones in 2013. It’s on windows phones already. Make your students plan their study lives – no more forgotten homework assignments, deadlines and important dates. The only thing you/they need to do is sign up on https://www.mystudylife.com/ AND IT’S FREE!!!!
“Our Town Stories (Edinburgh)” Number 1 choice
Next to Bobby – with my Dad
I have just discovered an absolutely fascinating website http://www.ourtownstories.co.uk/ exploring Edinburgh’s history through Stories, Images and Historical Maps from Edinburgh Libraries.
Ideas for activities:
“Greyfriars Bobby trail” – learners can do it independently in class or at home. They can read the story page by page. Every page features a picture/pictures of Edinburgh from the 19th century shown simultaneously on the Google map plus pictures of people involved in the story. My favourite is the one showing Bobby sitting on the chair beside the kids of Mr Traill, who kept feeding and looking after him till Bobby’s death. http://www.ourtownstories.co.uk/#page1 There are other stories including stories of remarkable women from Edinburgh or Robert Luis Stevenson.
“Now and Then” – by moving a slide learners can compare images of the same place from now and fifteen decades ago. Excellent for compare and contrast activity.
Stories, timelines, images, you names it – everything working perfectly well provided that you have the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer or Safari.
World Religion Day – 21 January 2013
21 January is the World Religion 2013 Day. As stated on the Education Scotland website, “the aim of World Religion Day, (…) is to promote inter-faith understanding and harmony.” My NC 4 ESOL for Employability students are preparing a collaborative project on different religions using resources from http://www.worldreligionday.org/
I am also going to use the three beautiful interactive resources from http://www.bl.uk/learning/cult/sacredbooks/sacredintro.html. The 1st one “Sacred texts” allows you to read and listen stories from Buddhist, Muslim or Christian texts. You can explore twelve animated stories from six different religions. The 2nd, animated site as well, lets you investigate a range of religion or faith issues from the perspective of faith leaders, educators, young people, theologians and an atheist philosopher. Finally, the 3rd one “provides background and contextual information for each of the abrahamic faiths”. This can be done in class or can be set up as a self-study activity.
All the copyrights rules are described on http://www.bl.uk/aboutus/terms/copyright/index.html in case you want to publish/copy any material.
It’s not rocket science to …… understand some grammar rules!!!!
It’s not rocket science to …… understand some grammar rules!!!! So – is it difficult or easy? “BBC learning English” features an excellent series “The English We Speak” explaining a number of similar structures used informally. http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/theenglishwespeak/
Writing a film review using authentic materials
Why don’t you use some authentic material to teach your students how to write short film reviews – http://www.rottentomatoes.com/. Two worksheets attached. Plus Elsflow has shared a nice lesson on how to write film reviews http://www.eslflow.com/Vocabulary_for_reviewing_films_and_movies.pdf
WORDLE for teaching vocabulary
Get students thinking about the vocabulary they are studying. Try http://www.wordle.net/ and create “word clouds” with words – from the text, new vocabulary, prompts for discussion, grouping activities etc.
NEW YEAR’S “REVOLUTIONs”
Maybe finally I will learn how to blog?
