Using Podcast in teaching

As a language teacher, we all know that teaching a language is not only giving lectures on the linguistic feature, but also teaching a sort of culture to the people who are not familiar with the culture. Since language conveys so much of the culture history, culture customs, culture manners, a qualified language teacher need to be a trained inter-cultural educator. Here it is Absolutely-Intercultural podcast, you can find plenty of valuable information of inter-culture information on teaching, like this one--Absolutely intercultural 146, intercultural trainer , it is a interview between inter-cultural researchers and trainers, their conversation mainly focused on the importance of the biennial SIETAR conference which took place in Cracow, Poland at the end of September.

How could I use it in my own teaching? Compare to the tools that I learned in the previous lessons, I think I'll use this one more in my own improvement. It's a good resources to know more researches all around the world about inter-culture. I'm having an inter-culture class this semester in UB, but it is my last semester here, I have wondered what if I come back home, it means I will not have such a diversify discourse to get touch with people from different countries. And this podcast website plays a role to compensate a little bit, at least, they're all authority that made by distinguished educators and researchers.

ePals-a project based social learning network

ePals-The Safe Social Learning Network.
As it is described on the introduction, ePals has two main parts--Schools&Districts, and Companies&Organizations, the former one includes Global Community, School Mail, Learning Space, In 2 books.
I found a very useful function of ePals, the Global Community. When I first opened this website, I noticed there is a list of many countries national flags, then I know this the world's largest network of K-12 classrooms. It offers a service without cost that educators can access this global community to find collaborative projects, join discussions and search thousands of classroom profiles. And here is the important thing, it is not random content based, the project is authentic, so educators do not have to worry about if students will learn something not suitable. Moreover the lesson is quite beneficial to curriculum learning.
As a big fan of National Geographic fan, I already collected three years of whole collection issues, and watching its program for over ten years. I always thinking how can I incorporate this quite education program into my teaching. Now I found a useful tool step ahead of my thought--ePal.
This email-based collaborative projects with digital content from National Geographic, I can use the interesting topic from the issue, and raise some questions about the story, it is quite an authentic English reading material, it could be assigned homework reading, or intensive reading in classroom, after reading, teacher can analyze the content question or offer some new vocabulary. Through emails, students can exchange ideas about the reading, and there is no barrier between countries, age. How wonderful it is!

Story-telling in a multi-media way

Try our slideshow maker at Animoto.

After I did my first story-telling video as a photo book, I started to love making a video myself.
When I preparing my lesson, I always want to show some video or interesting picture to activate classroom atmosphere. Because you can imagine how boring it will be if you keep routine on curriculum without adding some vivid lesson materials.
And here it is video with music and well-decorated photos, it fresh your eyes.
I would like to use it as a pro-teaching part of my lesson for the first class of new semester. I think after a long summer or winter holiday, everyone may have something interesting to tell your teacher and classmates, it's a good way to make a presentation about the past days that you have. Within telling the story only by words, it will be some multi-dimensioned that if everyone can show some photos to the class, or it can be some introduction of one good book that you read in your holiday. It also can be some funny things about your pet that happened in your holiday. It can be everything. Through this presentation, for an ESL student, it could be a great opportunity to be more familiar with classmates, and a chance for them to practice English speaking skills.
I like the this visual and audio teaching tool.

Yellow Stone friends by HE CHEN :: bookr ::pimpampum

At first I want to create my own book, and I uploaded some fantastic photos that I took when I went to YellowStone National Park this summer, because I want to share the stories that I met a lot of cute animals there. And I think it will be very interesting to use in teaching low level English learners, especially for children. They can not only learn vocabulary about animals, but also see what animals U.S. has, since some of the animals are only exist in YellowStone. But I met problem with searching my photos, then I chose to use photos in Flickr library.

I'd like my students to create the story they like, I'll give them a topic, like your pet, your summer, your family, or any interesting topic they would like to share with their classmates. Through this way, students train to be familiar with how to use pictures appropriately online, how to search the pictures they want, how to organize pictures and words together, how to narrate the story, and how to tell the story for engaging listeners' attention. It's quite beneficial for both presenter and listeners, since presenters can be more logical and more familiar with digital story-telling, in the meantime, listeners can also learn from the story.

I would use this in my future teaching.

Be a new story teller

Photo by Pratham Books
According to Fleming's VARK model which is one of the most common and widely-used categorizations of various types of learning styles. There are three main types of learners: visual learners, auditory learners, kinesthetic learners or tactile learners.

How to attract learners' attention all the time in the classroom is the first job for a teacher, without learners' attention, there is no input at all. So educators are always searching the way to make their classroom as interesting as possible to catch learners' attention. However there are diversify learners' types, it's difficult to get all of the attention, still there is a good way to attain it--Digital Storytelling. Why I think it would be a good way to catch learners' attention is first learners like to hear the stories, stories are often more appealing than abstract content of the textbook, second Digital Story-telling contains audio clips and visual pictures, it's a stimulation to active learners' schema, especially for visual learners and auditory learners.

In accordance to Center for Digital Story-telling, a digital story is first person video-narrative created by combining recorded voice, still and moving images, and music or other sounds.(Center for Digital Story-telling) How interesting it is! Using videos, pictures tell the storiesit will be absolutely more attractive than reading out the content of the textbook. Be a digital storyteller seems challenge for an internet stranger, however if you are familiar with internet and using computers, I think it will be very beneficial both for educator and learners to use digital story-telling in the classroom.

Actually I used the story-telling in presentation before, but not used for classroom teaching. However presentation has same salients like teaching, both involve demonstration, introducing something new to your audience, and showing visual concepts. So I will use it in pre-teaching, for example the lesson is about the English language history. Learners may not have any idea about this, and for the purpose to make the content a little bit familiar for them, I can show some pictures with audio scripts about some invasion events in British land hundreds years ago, because it relates to the origin of English. And this is digital-telling! It's not that hard. It works well for teaching. And the most important thing is it is easier for learners to acquire than simple words.

I found a quite useful and interesting website for teachers Free Technology for Teachers.
HOW CAN YOU BE A SUCCESSFUL TEACHING IN 21st CENTURY?
The answer is: USING TECHNOLOGY!
So where to find the proper technology tools for teachers? Online!
It is different from decades ago, teachers spent plenty of time cutting cards, writing on blackboard, carry radio devices from one classroom to another classroom. Now we only need computer with connecting with Internet. You can find thousands of pictures you want, you can download hundreds of video clips relates to your textbook. Even you could use vivid cartoon images on your demonstration to get students' attention, involve in your activity. All of these things make teachers' lesson more attractive and easier than before.
In this website, teachers share valuable technical tools including videos, apps, and so forth. You can embrace everything you want, and they're totally free. Of course, if you have some useful tools that never recommended by other teachers, or you have some genius ideas about using technology in classroom, please be generous to offer. That's how the website was built, that's how we improving education in 21st century, that's how we become a successful teacher.

All knowledge resides in humanity

Maybe about three years ago when I first heard Twitter I registered an account, but I have no friend use that, also I don’t know how to follow the person that I’m interested. At that time, I thought Twitter is only used for friends who knows each other. After one year, Chinese network censership walled Twitter, until now it is not allowed to use in mainland of China, because Twitter is a free place to contribute any idea, and Chinese government regard this a danger to them. So I ended up with my Twitter life, now I only have couple of native American friends use that, however I’m still not that used to log in. When I was reading the article "Can we use Twitter for educational activities?” I feel that it was such a pity that I would not use Twitter very well, since it is such a great tool for people to communicate very directly and immediately.

Though I’m not a teacher now, on one hand, I have academic and practical teaching knowledge to share with people; on the other hand, many quite experienced language teacher contribute their ideas, teaching videos and bunch of valuable resources on Twitter, I learned a lot from them.  Exactly as Free Technology for Teachers: Twitter - Expanding our Classroom

the words say: “No one knows everything, everyone knows something, all knowledge resides in humanity” It is the magic of social network, and Twitter plays a crucial role in today’s world.

Let teachers play Twitter magic!