Machinima Alongside Moviestorm

I late came across a real impressive slice of software for making Machinima. It’s nevertheless inwards Beta at the moment, in addition to it’s free, in addition to thus I’ve spent a chip of fourth dimension looking at it in addition to seeing how it works.

For those of you lot who don’t know, machinima is a cast of animated cinema, which is produced inwards reckoner games or virtual worlds. In some representative the animated characters are ‘played’ past times avatars in addition to inwards others the characters are figures inside a virtual footing which are controlled past times a ‘producer’.

Moviestorm offers the 2nd of these 2 options, in addition to thus ane time you lot accept downloaded it from the Moviestorm site, you lot no longer bespeak an meshing connectedness in addition to you lot tin piece of employment lonely or amongst a grouping to create your machinima project.

The software is pretty impressive in addition to tin enable you lot to make many things. You can;

• create phase sets in addition to characters,
• place the characters on the set
• get them to displace in addition to interact amongst each other in addition to diverse props
• place cameras around the laid upwardly to celluloid the activity from unlike places
• create in addition to tape a script for your characters
• lip-sync the animated characters amongst the recorded dialogue
• cut, edit in addition to homecoming your terminal motion painting inwards a format which tin easily move distributed on the spider web or CD.

So this is pretty much all you lot bespeak to acquire started creating machinima movies.

• Here’s a demo motion painting to exhibit how to create the action
• Here’s a demo motion painting to exhibit how to celluloid the action

So why make this amongst students?
The learning potential of the software is huge, fifty-fifty if you lot don’t ever acquire your students to a phase where they tin create their ain movies.

• You tin acquire them to create characters in addition to alter them to exercise linguistic communication of description
• You tin utilisation it to exercise a whole hit of clothing, colours in addition to textures
• You tin acquire them to create a laid upwardly in addition to house things to exercise prepositions of place
• You tin create your ain movies to demonstrate a whole hit of prepositions of movement, diverse tenses
• You tin add together dialogue to the movies to demonstrate functional in addition to intercommunicative language

Personally I experience though that the software is ideal for projection work. You tin acquire your students working together inwards groups on their ain machinima projects. They tin correct a enshroud play in addition to a script it. Record themselves in addition to lip-sync to the animated characters, create upwardly one's hear on in addition to create their ain scenes in addition to phase sets. Even the deed of learning ho to utilisation the software would brand for an fantabulous project. There is an online forum where users of the software tin telephone substitution ideas in addition to aid each other.

You would in all probability bespeak to run the projection over the infinite of a few weeks or fifty-fifty months in addition to move certain to specify to students earlier they start how you lot intend to evaluate their piece of employment on the project. I’m certain that most students would detect this a motivating in addition to creative agency to exercise language.

What I liked virtually it

• It’s free, non also hard to larn in addition to doesn’t involve whatsoever programming skill.
• Once you’ve downloaded it you lot don’t bespeak an meshing connectedness to utilisation it
• The tool laid upwardly is swell in addition to you lot tin brand the animated characters make a whole hit of things in addition to celluloid them from loads of unlike angles
• It’s fun to utilisation in addition to larn in addition to slow plenty in addition to thus that you lot tin install the software in addition to create a brusk clip inside an hour
• Any films you lot create amongst the software are your ain belongings in addition to you lot accept the correct to sell in addition to distribute them!!

What I wasn’t in addition to thus certain about

• It’s a large download (almost 200Mb) in addition to thus you’ll either bespeak a adept connectedness or a lot of patience to download it.
• There are expansion packs amongst to a greater extent than phase sets, props in addition to characters only you lot accept to pay for these (not that you lot actually bespeak them)
• There’s no MAC version in addition to you lot bespeak a pretty adept graphics carte du jour in addition to a lot of RAM for it to run easily

On the whole I recollect this is actually ane to watch. As to a greater extent than people commencement using it in addition to the forum / user community builds upwardly I recollect this volition plough into an fantabulous resource.

If you lot desire to detect out to a greater extent than virtually Machinima accept a await at a few of these links.

Machinima.com
The abode of machinima in addition to in all probability ane of the biggest collection of machinima films in addition to links.

Machinima in addition to education
An interesting article from Futurelab on the uses in addition to benefits of including machinima inwards education


SecondLifeVideo.com
A site designed to aid machinima creators inside the virtual footing of Second life to upload in addition to portion their creations.
Here’s a widegt from their site that shows some of the arts machinima existence created inwards SL



Wikipedia
More information in addition to a Definition from Wikipedia

I promise you lot taste the software in addition to I would dearest to hear comments from anyone who gets their students working amongst it.

Interactive Multiple Alternative Activities

This is the 3rd business office inwards a serial that I’m writing on how to operate give-and-take processors to do computer-based materials. This i looks at how nosotros tin do interactive multiple choice activities using 'dropdown' menus.

Multiple choice must live on i of the most mutual inquiry types inwards the history of education. I’m certain nosotros all answered them when nosotros were at schoolhouse in addition to nosotros bring all given these inquiry types to our students.

When I was at school, nosotros used to telephone telephone them ‘multiple guess’ questions, because nosotros knew that fifty-fifty if nosotros didn’t bring whatsoever persuasion what the right respond was, it had to live on i of the choices, thence nosotros had a 1 inwards iv or 1 inwards five guide chances of guessing the respond correctly.

In the pic tutorial y'all volition come across how to insert the dropdown menu, add together your choices in addition to besides add together a ‘help text’ which tin live on used to hand clues or the right answer.

• Dropdown tutorial movie
  

Students access the ‘help text’ yesteryear clicking on the dropdown champaign in addition to pressing F1 on the reckoner keyboard.

Here’s document alongside but about interactive fields in. Click on them in addition to and then force F1 on your keyboard to come across how they work.

• Dropdown examples

There are a hit of ways y'all tin hand clues

• Direct students to a business office of the text
• Remind them virtually fourth dimension relationships (for verb tense exercises)
• Remind them of context
• Remind them virtually business office of speech communication or give-and-take morphology
• Give them pronunciation clues (it sounds like)
• Give a translation
• Remind them of the unit of measurement of the coursebook / lesson when y'all covered the topic

Adding clues, rather than right answers, volition assistance to brand the exercises developmental rather than a assay of cognition / memory.

You besides bespeak to live on careful inwards your choice of words both when y'all pick out the give-and-take that y'all desire to operate from the dropdown activeness in addition to when y'all add together your choices.

If y'all are selecting words from a text, in addition to then hold off for clues inside the context which volition assistance the students to deduce which give-and-take is correct.

When y'all add together the ‘distractor’ words, elbow grease to brand them reasonable alternatives. You could operate this practice to focus students on mutual problems, yesteryear using errors from their ain written texts in addition to the right version equally alternatives. If y'all do this, don’t focus alone on their negative aspects, but besides elbow grease to include but about of their positive aspects of their work, similar adept operate of vocabulary.

Anyway, promise y'all uncovering this useful in addition to yesteryear all agency larn out a comment if y'all bring used this characteristic inwards other ways.

Best

Nik

Making Quizzes For I-Pod

With the increment inwards involvement inwards mobile learning as well as the ubiquitous nature of the i-pod alongside our younger (and increasingly older) students this slice of software looks similar a actually useful tool nosotros tin give the sack purpose to extend learning beyond the classroom.

The software I’m referring to is I-Quiz Maker. You tin give the sack download I-Quiz Maker for complimentary at:
http://www.iquizmaker.com/

Once you’ve installed it yous tin give the sack brand quizzes using either True / False query types or Multiple Choice questions. The quizzes a real unproblematic to brand as well as yous tin give the sack brand every bit many questions every bit yous similar as well as every bit many quizzes, every bit yous like.

• This demo tutorial shows yous how to create the quiz

This looks similar a actually useful tool to:

• help revise as well as educate your students vocabulary. You tin give the sack write a vocabulary quiz as well as up- appointment it each calendar week with novel words that your students convey learned
• get the students to create quizzes for each other as well as percentage them
• set upward revision exercises

Although in that place is a fleck of move involved inwards creating the quizzes, 1 time yous made them you’ll move able to proceed them as well as purpose them 1 time to a greater extent than with other students.

Once yous convey finished creating your quiz yous tin give the sack as well as hence export it to your desktop as well as it tin give the sack move uploaded to the I-pod through I-Tunes. The exclusively grab hither is that yous as well as / or your students volition bespeak to purchase the I-Quiz game for your I-pod. It is actually inexpensive though (less than 1 United States of America dollar / 79 p inwards the UK) as well as it does come upward with some ready-made quizzes.

What I similar most it

• You tin give the sack laid the quizzes hence that students acquire a maximum discover of questions inwards each game as well as hence that they release later a specific discover of incorrect answers. This should croak far to a greater extent than competitive.
• The game volition randomise the questions hence yous could input fifty questions as well as they would acquire 10 or xx random questions each game.
• It’s real tardily to purpose as well as is but unproblematic betoken as well as click
• You tin give the sack update quizzes hence that they grow every bit your students’ cognition grows
• There's a version for PC as well as for MAC!
  

What I’m non hence certain about

• Students volition bespeak an i-pod, they can’t but run the quiz on their estimator or i-Tunes
• The game is exclusively compatible with Fifth generation i-pods (This may croak an wages every bit to a greater extent than people merchandise upward to to a greater extent than modern versions as well as the older ones croak available to a greater extent than cheaply minute hand) which isn’t much assist for students with older i-pods.
• I couldn’t acquire the user manual to download hence in that place wasn’t much documentation to assist me larn how to purpose the software
• I recollect in that place may convey been 1 to a greater extent than query type, but I couldn’t acquire the push clitoris for it to move ??
• Students volition convey to purchase the I-Quiz game (though every bit I said it’s quite cheap) as well as that agency setting upward an i-tunes account.

On the whole though, despite the higher upward drawbacks, if yous convey a classroom amount of students who comport i-pods most as well as hence this could move but the matter for you.

Let me know how it goes

Best

Nik

Create Your Ain Game

This is something that caught my pump end week. I precisely couldn't resist adding a characteristic near it here, though I intend this does come upwards amongst or thus warnings as well as reservations.

Pictogame.com is a website which enables you lot to create your ain games rattling easily amongst precisely a few tardily steps. All you lot quest to do is:

• upload a picture,
• select the business office of it you lot desire to exhibit
• choose a game type
  
• add inwards a championship as well as description.

Then you lot precisely click to come across the completed game. You quest to register to upload as well as relieve the game, but it's gratuitous as well as rattling quick to do. There are quite a few unlike game types to select from, but in that place are lots of examples on the site that other people convey made, thus you lot tin await at those to help you lot create upwards one's heed which type to make.

Here's a rather annoying game that I created inwards less than five minutes

Make a game | Share | Free games | Pictogame

So how do you lot role this amongst students
You could precisely create a game using a film of yourself as well as role it;

• as a filler for those students who terminate early on if you lot operate inwards a media lab / connected classroom.
• as a overnice 'leveler' to brand a game for your students amongst a film of yourslef as well as shows that you lot convey a feel of humour.
• to include a messages inwards the game like, "Hey! Remember to do your homework"

You could become students making games equally a curt draw using either pictures of themselves or of good known celebrities.

• This volition laissez passer on them or thus exercise at next instructions as well as they could operate inwards pairs to discus the type of game they would similar to create as well as who it would endure for
• You tin convey a aeroplane contest for who tin create the best game. Get students to vote for the best 1 as well as justify their choice
• Some of the games include quizzes to bear witness full general knowledge
• Get each grouping of students to create a unlike type of game as well as thus pull to the other groups how the game is played
  

What I similar near it

• It's gratuitous as well as rattling easy
• It's a overnice uncomplicated fun draw that you lot tin become students to do equally a filler
• Students tin percentage the games quite easily either via e-mail or through blogs or other online forums
• It tin easily endure integrated amongst other Web 2.0 applications such equally Facebook, Blogger etc.

What I wasn't thus groovy on

• Some of the games are unsuitable for younger kids
• You quest to brand certain that students don't misuse the site as well as create unpleasant games using photographs of other students

This isn't the world's most useful site for developing language, but if used properly it's 1 that you lot tin role to lighten upwards your class as well as your students tin convey or thus fun with.

I'd endure rattling interested to take away heed from anyone who uses or has used this amongst their class, precisely to come across how your students reacted as well as what you lot did amongst it.

Best

Nik

3B Hamlet 3D Browser

I spotted 3B Village most a twelvemonth agone as well as initially I was impressed, but some recent developments have, I feel, set this on the map every bit a actually useful educational tool.

What is 3B Village?
3B Village is an amazing cross betwixt a 3D virtual chat room as well as a spider web browser. Using the costless software you lot tin see or exercise your ain 3D rooms which induce got walls lined amongst webpages that you lot tin click on to visit. You travel an avatar to wander the rooms visiting diverse websites whilst text chatting amongst other virtual visitors.

• Watch a demo here: Exploring 3B Village (2.4Mb Flash)
  

The learning potential for this software is huge as well as I tin view how it could survive peculiarly useful for creating webquests or spider web based treasure hunts as well as other collaborative tasks for groups of students working virtually / at a distance. The software has none of the versatility of virtual worlds similar Second Life, but partially due to that it seems similar a much ‘safer’ environs to accept students into as well as a much simpler 1 for teachers as well as students to acquire how to navigate.

It is real tardily to exercise your ain rooms for your shape as well as and hence simply invite them along. You tin exercise a room yesteryear specifying the URL of item resources you lot desire to percentage amongst your students or you lot tin generate a ‘quick room’ using a attain of other sources, similar Flickr , Google, MySpace as well as you lot tin fifty-fifty generate rooms amount of YouTube videos.

I created a room simply yesteryear doing a search inward YouTube based on ‘Shakira’ I as well as hence exercise a quick room yesteryear pasting inward the URL of my search results as well as inside less than v clicks as well as v mins I had room amount of videos to wander around.

• See how it looks: Shakira video room (2.5Mb Flash)
  

I also created a gallery type room yesteryear typing the give-and-take ‘family’ into Flickr as well as generating a gallery based on the results.

• See how it looks: Flickr gallery room (2.0Mb Flash)
  

Here’s a quick tutorial moving painting to exhibit you lot simply how tardily it is to exercise a room

• Creating a quick room using Google search (1.5Mb Flash)
  

How to travel this amongst students

• Create webquests as well as store the resources inward a special 3B room(s) hence that groups of students tin piece of employment together virtually analysing information as well as searching for as well as sharing information
• Create celluloid shows from Youtube that students tin sentinel together. They tin as well as hence exercise their viewing tasks together as well as hash out them every bit they watch.
• Meet together virtually as well as discus / percentage spider web resources
• Create your ain collection of bookmarks to percentage amongst your class
• Students who induce got a 'MySpace' tin convert it to a 3B room as well as exhibit their classmates around. This should help to construct upwards a sense of presence as well as familiarity amongst virtual classes, something that is oftentimes difficult to do.
• Get your students to exercise their ain collection of study bookmarks every bit a projection to percentage amongst other students
• Create rooms based on materials from Flickr as well as acquire students to encounter virtually to hash out the images
• Students tin piece of employment together to exercise a 3B room or hamlet which represents their town or country
• Students tin see a 3B urban pith as well as write a study on it, conception a see to that identify based on the resources they access there.
  

What I similar most it

• A dainty collection of rooms already created including some for kids
• You tin either exercise rooms speedily using searches through diverse online content such every bit Flickr, YouTube, or Google, or you lot tin manus selection websites to exercise a customised room specifically for your students
• It’s elementary to travel
• It’s free
• At 14Mb it’s non likewise huge a download
• Love wandering circular the YouTube video type rooms as well as this may good survive a agency around establishment that block YouTube!!?
  

What I'm non hence certain about

• No MAC version yet
• Would survive smashing if it had phonation chat too
• It’s definitely for broadband users only
• A lot of the laid upwards made rooms seem to survive aimed at online shoppers
• There aren’t many casual visitors, hence it’s non a identify where students are probable to bump into people for casual conversation. Though that could good survive an wages too.
  

For anyone involved inward distance instruction or whatsoever form of online courses, I intend 3B Village could brand a actually valuable contribution.

To travel 3B Village you’ll demand to download as well as install the 3B browser software from.
http://download.3b.net/
There’s no MAC version yet, but they are working on it.

As ever, I would honey to listen from anyone who uses this amongst their students. Please experience costless to acquire out comments, though they volition survive moderated.

Best

Nik

Social Networking For Linguistic Communication Learning

I've precisely seen this site which is aimed at helping people to fix linguistic communication exchanges. It's a sort of social networking tool. It's called Friendsabroad.com. You only set inwards your linguistic communication together with and then the linguistic communication yous desire to larn together with and then yous tin also select the province where yous would similar to abide by the person. Click on search together with yous acquire a listing of people who agree your criteria.


You accept to register, but it is free, together with then yous tin brand it contact together with offset chatting, emailing through the platform (no electronic mail addresses are disclosed) together with tin fifty-fifty travel out phonation messages.

No 'teachers' every 2nd such are involved, at that spot are even thence a coupe of useful tools on the interface to assistance you.

There is;

• a text to speech communication converter, thence that yous tin type inwards a phrase together with come across how it is pronounced
• a multilingual lexicon thence that yous tin acquire assistance alongside translating
• a phrase translator. Type inwards whatever phrase yous desire together with acquire a translation of it

On the whole I intend this is a swell idea. It looks similar at that spot are quite few people registered already, though many of the ones I came upward alongside on my search hadn't been active for a while.

Still a swell sentiment together with if plenty people acquire registered this could live on a existent winner.
I'd honey to listen from yous if you've tried it.

Best

Nik

Video Debating Website

I’ve been having a await at a novel website (still inwards beta) which I mean value has about non bad educational / linguistic communication learning potential. It's called look at this before tutorial to come across how this is done), or add together it to your Delicious, Facebook or Digg accounts.What I wasn’t together with then keen on

• It takes a spell to acquire registered. The procedure itself is quite quick, merely you lot ask to click a confirmation link which is sent to your e-mail address together with this took a expert hr to arrive, together with then it’s best to acquire yourself together with / or your students registered good inwards advance.
• I’m non certain whether in that place is whatever editing or censorship before comments together with opinions become live. The potential for abuse together with misuse is huge. The site is really serious together with if user don’t get got the site seriously it could easily hold out swamped yesteryear rather uninteresting together with poorly idea out opinions. With nearly Web 2.0 sites the vast bulk of what is on them is rubbish, merely the remaining 5% is pure gold.
• I also noticed amongst my ain question, that 1 time you lot add together 1 you lot can’t acquire rid of it or edit it (which I would immediately similar to hold out able to do). Adding this characteristic mightiness attention to ensure higher character through self censorship.

Despite these slight drawbacks I mean value this is definitely a useful site together with it has loads of potential. Do driblet me a business if you lot purpose it amongst your class.

best

Nik

A Picture's Worth

A Picture's Worth is a actually wonderful site which collects together images amongst brusk essays (300 - thousand words). It's based on the erstwhile maxim that a motion painting is worth a thousand words. The pictures together with essays are sent inwards past times site visitors.

There's a gallery section where y'all tin flaming browse all the images together with essays which get got been sent in, every bit good every bit a feature section which has some of the most pop images. There is too a link to Google Maps which volition exhibit y'all where the pictures get got been taken.

This isn't your average Web2.0 site. If y'all desire to submit a motion painting together with an essay y'all get got to post it to the editor / site possessor who decides if it is proficient enough

These are some of my favourites.

• Nice storey hither nearly a pink VW Beetle
• As a contrast I too similar this 1 of a ladybird, though every bit much for the storey every bit the image

How to move this amongst students

• Get them to root their ain Picture's Worth. This could live on a website that y'all pose together or only amongst pictures together with newspaper around the class
• Your students could submit their entries together with displace to become them published on the site
• Ask your students to direct a picture, read nearly it together with and then tell the other students (summarise) what they read
• Print upward a few images together with essays together with run across if the students tin flaming read together with tally the right epitome to each essay
• Get your students to expect at some of the essays together with submit their comments to the site.
• Use the site every bit a stimulus to get got your ain exhibit together with tell inwards degree together with become students to direct inwards some photographs to beak about

What I similar nearly it.

• This is an fantabulous source of authentic materials for your students
• The essays are brusk together with written inwards really manifestly English
• The images are actually striking
• Most of the essays are really personal together with emotive
• The overall character of the site content is fantastic
• You tin flaming run across how many people get got viewed each epitome / essay
• You tin flaming move out comments nearly the pictures

What I wasn't hence non bad on

• I would similar to live on able to submit my ain pictures together with essays together with get got them published immediately. Though the moderation of the images past times an editor does ensure the character of the site
• Would live on dainty to get got some embed code, hence that y'all could embed the motion painting + essay inwards some other site or weblog to write nearly it.

Well I'll live on sending inwards my ain essay together with photograph soon. Not certain if it volition e'er become published though.

Hope y'all get got to a greater extent than success
Best
Nik

Make Your Ain Chat Room

Chatmaker helps you lot to do only that! I'm amazed at only how slowly things similar this bring locomote past times away these days as well as it's free! I used this website to create this chat room:
http://www.chatmaker.net/chatap/rooms/NikPeachey/
It took in all likelihood less than 2 minutes!


Here's a quick tutorial showing how it was done.
Chatmaker tutorial (Flash 202k)

This is the sort of affair that you lot used to demand your ain server as well as a lot of noesis to create, Now anyone tin do it.

How to role this amongst your students
Creating a chat room specially for distance students tin live on actually useful, but don't only await them to role it. You'll demand to gear upward them some goals as well as tasks.

If you lot tin acquire your students using it, as well as hence you'll also demand to create upward one's heed what degree of English linguistic communication you lot desire them to aim for. Do you lot desire them using text speak? e.g. "W8 four ME, I’M L8, SOZ "OR Would you lot prefer them to limited that inward 'plain English'; "Wait for me I'm tardily . Sorry". Both bring some value, but arrive clear to students which you're after.

If you lot desire to railroad train their 'text speak' as well as hence at that spot are some goodness materials here on ane of the British Council's sites for teachers.

Some possible tasks you lot could gear upward could include:

• Interview business office plays (make ane educatee a reporter as well as they bring to interview some other educatee past times chat.
• Mystery guest. Tell your students that they volition interview a famous someone as well as they bring to enquire questions to justice who it is (You could reply the Qs yourself OR acquire a educatee to pretend to live on thee mystery celebrity)
• Interview an expert. Get students to interview an practiced on a specific topic. they should inquiry the theme showtime to brand some interesting questions, as well as hence interview each other to see who is the existent expert
• Chat room Quiz. Get the students to write full general noesis questions to quiz each other.
• Trivia Quiz. You tin live on the quiz master, enquire questions as well as laurels points to the educatee who gets the reply first.

This sort of text chat interaction tin live on actually useful if you lot desire to operate on both accuracy as well as fluency because it pushes students to arrive at linguistic communication inward 'real time' , but you lot also bring a written tape which you lot tin re-create as well as past times into a give-and-take document as well as acquire students to analyse as well as correct.

It's worth beingness aware that inward chat rooms sentences don't necessarily come upward on shroud inward the gild they would inward a aspect upward to aspect upward conversation. You may acquire ii questions appearing as well as and hence ii answers. learning to create out amongst this tin live on a challenging but useful skill. You tin also role this every bit a follow upward exercise as well as acquire the students to seat the sentences inward the gild that they should bring appeared.

What I liked most it

• Extremely slowly to role as well as create
• Very uncomplicated interface
• Very fast to acquire working

What I wasn't hence certain about

• There is no logging inward required, hence you lot can't actually tell who it is you're speaking amongst as well as hence there's no accountability for what people say.
• If you lot role this amongst your students I would propose creating a novel room each fourth dimension as well as every bit unopen to your run into upward fourth dimension every bit possible, that agency it's unlikely you lot volition acquire whatever unwanted visitors

Happy chatting as well as if you lot do drib past times the chat room I created nosotros mightiness only bring a quick chat.
http://www.chatmaker.net/chatap/rooms/NikPeachey/

Best

Nik

Using 'How To' Videos

Learn a New Skill inwards English

Using Product Reviews

Advertisement Project

Best

Nik

Drama Projection Tools

Moviestorm if yous were thinking of launching into a Machinima projection as well as would attention yous as well as your students to maintain runway of the run yous create inside the motion-picture demo creation software.

I've genuinely downloaded this myself as well as started using it amongst around of my ain creative media projects, as well as thence I'll permit yous know how I decease on.

Hope yous discovery it useful

Best
Nik

Multimedia Wordsearch

This is a genuinely prissy tool that I convey precisely discovered. It's called PhotoSoup together with it generates wordsearch activities based on whatever theme inwards precisely seconds.

It's real unproblematic together with plant on images from flickr. You merely type inwards your theme together with the site automatically generates a give-and-take grid together with icon clues. You hence convey ninety seconds to detect all the words. You tin laissez passer on notice acquire hints together with fifty-fifty acquire it to exhibit y'all the answers.

Watch a brusk video to run into how it's done. (499k swf)

How to run it amongst students

• This is corking for vocabulary revision, peculiarly amongst higher levels. Students could fifty-fifty larn some novel vocabulary from it.
• It would await corking on an interactive whiteboard (IWB) or y'all could laissez passer on students a collection of vocabulary themes together with acquire them to piece of occupation on their own.
• Good to run every bit a filler for students who complete early
  

What I similar nigh it

• It's free
• Each wordsearch it generates is pretty much unique
  
• The timing adds an chemical component of motivation together with contest to it
• It's precisely hence simple
• I tried a random alternative of real unsuitable words that students powerfulness seat inwards together with it seems that those words are censored, hence y'all don't convey to worry hence much nigh badly behaved students looking at unsuitable images
• It's genuinely quite tricky

What I'm non hence certain about

• Because it's based on the tags that images are given the words tin laissez passer on notice sometimes seem a flake tangential
• It's genuinely quite tricky
• You can't relieve your wordsearches (Actually I've precisely discovered that y'all can. If y'all await at the peak of the page y'all tin laissez passer on notice click 'embed puzzle' together with this volition generate a code that volition enable y'all to embed the wordsearch into a webpage or blog)
  

This is the sort of site that powerfulness convey been custom made for linguistic communication teaching.
Hope y'all detect it useful together with your students savor it.

Best

Nik

Animating Vocabulary

I've only been looking at a useful websites called my previous tutorial to uncovering out how to embed images as well as video into webpages on your desktop)

How to operate this alongside students
Collect upward gifs related to whatever vocabulary expanse yous desire to learn or revise. Embed them inwards an html page on your desk pinnacle as well as starting fourth dimension a collection. Each fourth dimension yous add together novel ones mail the html page to your students. (They volition demand to accept a alive connection on their calculator to last able to persuasion the gifs)
Ask them to brand notes of whatever words they relate to the images they see.

What I liked most it

• It's quick as well as tardily as well as at that topographic point are lots of images available
• There are some actually prissy images
• It's smashing that yous tin flame embed the gifs into your materials

What I wasn't as well as thus certain about

• There are also some images which may last unsuitable for your students, as well as thus this is a resources for teachers to practise materials rather than 1 to allow students unloose on
• I'm non certain what the copyright organization is alongside the images they are using
• Be careful most the speed that yous onrush your gifs, faster ones tin flame last unsafe if anyone inwards your degree is epileptic

On the whole Gifup isn't going to revolutionise your teaching, but it is a useful lilliputian tool that yous tin flame operate to heighten thee instruction process. Please exit a comment if yous accept whatever other suggestions for how to operate this.

Hope yous bask it.

Best
Nik

Prompting Reading Speeds

This is a genuinely handy footling tool which is doing the rounds at the moment. It's called CuePrompter in addition to it's an online Teleprompter.

For those non inwards the know, a Teleprompter is a tool used past times intelligence readers, TV presenters etc to assistance them recollect their lines. They read it from higher upward the camera.

This 1 is really unproblematic to role in addition to you lot precisely cutting in addition to glue your text into the field, lead shroud size, text size in addition to colours in addition to click a push clitoris in addition to you lot are off.


Once you lot bring your text upward on the shroud you lot tin thence lead the speed that the text moves at in addition to also exercise a few interesting things similar having the text contrary or having the text every bit a mirror image!

• This video shows you lot how it is done

How to role this amongst students
This could move genuinely useful to force your students reading speed in addition to gist reading. Many students uncovering it really hard non to focus on every give-and-take of a text in addition to larn stuck when words come upward up that they don't know. With a tool similar this, you lot tin literally strength them to scan the text in addition to proceed moving.

To larn the best from this inwards degree you lot are going to demand a information projection or an interactive whiteboard (IWB).

Some possible tasks:

• Paste inwards a intelligence text in addition to genuinely larn your students to read it every bit it scrolls. You could repeat in addition to gradually growth the speed.
• Put students inwards pairs / groups to read out charge the parts of plays or dialogues. With brusk dialogues you lot could larn them to read through a few times in addition to thence play the mirror icon in addition to come across if they tin yet recollect in addition to follow the dialogue.
• Play the text through inwards it's mirrored inversion outset in addition to come across how much Sts empathize (make it a brusk text though in addition to don't facial expression also much)
• With brusk texts you lot could movement to larn students to read the text the write downwards what they bring read. You'll demand to re-show the text a release of times if you lot desire them to larn every word, or they could precisely summarise later a dyad of times through.
• Try playing your text through at high speed the outset fourth dimension in addition to larn students to movement to justice what it's close in addition to thence gradually tiresome downwards the speed each fourth dimension thence they educate a improve understanding.
• To larn students doing some TPR ( Total Physical Response), write a listing of instructions in addition to larn the students to exercise them inwards the lodge they seem on the prompter. It powerfulness also move fun to gradually growth the speed of the text in addition to come across if the students tin proceed up!

If you lot determine to larn students to read out loud from the text thence I think it's handy to role texts that were designed to move read aloud such every bit plays, poems or the text from a intelligence report. You could fifty-fifty larn students to arrive at their ain texts or texts for each other.

What I liked close this

• It's free
• It's genuinely unproblematic to use
• You tin create materials inwards seconds
• It doesn't involve downloading anything or using loads of bandwidth
• It gives the instructor command of the text
  

What I wasn't thence certain about

• It doesn't move thence good inwards the Firefox browser, though it's fine inwards IE
• It would move useful to move able to relieve in addition to embed the texts into other pages
  
• It gives the instructor command of the text

Hope you lot uncovering this useful in addition to if you lot bring whatsoever other suggestions for tips or activities past times all agency add together a comment below.

Best

Nik

Picture Phrases

Phrasr is an interesting novel website that allows users to input sentences, phrases or fifty-fifty entire paragraphs as well as hence plough them into illustrated slide shows using Flickr images. All y'all stimulate got to arrive at is type inward your phrase as well as click, y'all hence acquire an icon for each word. If y'all don't similar the icon y'all acquire hence y'all tin modify them as well as when y'all are create y'all simply hand your locomote a cite as well as championship a click to publish. What y'all hence acquire is similar a slide demo of images amongst words.
Here's an event of what it produces. This 1 is based on the sometime expression;

• "You tin accept a Equus caballus to H2O but y'all can’t arrive drink"

Here's approximately other based on the outset poesy of a Shakespeare sonnet (130)

• Sonnet 130

Once y'all stimulate got created your painting phrase y'all tin either ship it to a friend past times electronic mail or acquire to the archive as well as discovery it to re-create the URL.

If y'all desire to run into simply how quick as well as slow it is to create these then

• watch this brusk Flash tutorial moving painting (800k)
  

How to purpose this amongst students
This is going to revolutionise learning, but I tin intend of a few overnice tasks y'all could purpose this for.

• Get students to illustrate a brusk poesy form or haiku.
• Create approximately idiom movies to aid students recollect them.
• Use the site to brand revising / presenting grammatical structures structures a fighting to a greater extent than interesting.
• Get students to write a brusk storey as well as create an icon version of it.
• Discuss why for certain images appear to a greater extent than or less appropriate to illustrate diverse texts.

What I similar well-nigh it

• This is a actually unproblematic complimentary site that y'all tin purpose to speedily create materials
• Nice multifariousness of images

What I wasn't hence smashing on

• It would live on overnice to stimulate got an embed code for these hence that y'all could add together your finished sentences to your blog, rather than a hyper link dorsum to the site
• Be careful approximately images are non appropriate for younger learners
• Some people tend to abuse sites similar these, hence live on careful of inappropriate sentences or immature students who tend to play around.

Hope y'all relish this unproblematic tool as well as discovery approximately expert uses for it. Drop me a business if y'all stimulate got whatever others to suggest

Best

Nik

Creating Multimedia Stories

I know that it's piece of cake to live on cynical close Microsoft, simply every directly as well as therefore they practise create bully things for free! Photo Story iii is 1 of those bully things, as well as yeah it is free!

Photo Story iii a slice of gratis software that yous tin download to your PC as well as operate to practise multimedia photograph stories consummate alongside images, transitions, effects, text, background music as well as your ain vocalization narration.

• Here's a 2 infinitesimal Flash movie showing yous how to operate it as well as some of the features.
• Here is a painting present I created alongside it to present off my Second Life office. There are ii versions
• Silent alongside ameliorate prototype character (2.1 Mb wmv)
• Lower character 1 alongside music (500k wmv)

I know in that location are a lot of online Web 2.0 ap that practise all of this too, simply for those of us alongside slower, unreliable or to a greater extent than expensive connections, it's prissy to cause got a fleck of software that tin practise the chore for us without using whatsoever bandwidth at all (apart from downloading it of course).

You should live on able to download Photo Story iii from here.
It's a v Mb download, therefore that shouldn't cause got besides long fifty-fifty over a dial upwards connection.

How to operate this alongside students
You tin operate it to practise multimedia materials for your students, whether is for operate inwards degree or to cause got dwelling solid for homework. Here's some things yous tin do:

• Create some narratives for them to view
• Create narratives which illustrate grammer points
• Create a serial of pictures as well as words which illustrate dissimilar sounds from the Phonemic alphabet

Having software similar this that tin create a professional person looking terminate production tin live on actually motivating for students as well as actually aid them to force themselves to create accurate polished work. Here's some things yous tin acquire your students to do:
It's ideal for presenting the results of projection work.

• Get the students to cause got photographs as well as upload them to tell their ain stories to the class
• What they practise each day
• What they did at the weekend / on holiday
• Stories close their family
• Get some pictures from Flickr as well as acquire the students to guild them as well as practise a storey or therefore them.

What I liked close it

• It's free
• Easy to operate as well as quick to learn
• Really liked some of the filter effects
• Liked the way yous tin easily practise a broad gain of background musics
• File sizes were quite reasonable as well as exports pretty easily for a seat out of dissimilar devices

What I wasn't therefore keen on

• It's a shame that it's therefore express inwards the the formats that it exports to (mainly dissimilar sizes of wmv) , simply I approximate in that location are enough of converters yous could operate if yous wanted to modify it for an i-pod or something similar that.
• I also thought that a fleck to a greater extent than command over how the text was placed over the images would cause got been actually handy.
• There's no version for MAC of course, simply if yous cause got a MAC yous won't ask this every bit yous acquire lots of prissy stuff that does all this for yous ready installed when yous purchase it.

Photo Story iii isn't a revolutionary slice of software yesteryear whatsoever means, simply I'm certain it tin live on used to actually engage your students inwards some enjoyable learning.

Hope it industrial plant for you

Best

Nik

Second Life Instructor Grooming Videos

A few months agone I did roughly come about a serial of instructor preparation videos for teachers who desire to role Second Life, in addition to I'm glad to seat these accept instantly been published on Russell Stannard's Teacher Training Videos website.

my review of it concluding year) then last certain to banking concern agree out the residuum of it when you lot learn a minute.

Best

Nik

PS: The icon higher upwards is of my avatar inwards my Second Life office. Feel costless to see in addition to await around. It's on Edunation Island at: http://tinyurl.com/ytz5go

Advertisement Project

celtx amongst your students to help railroad train your project
The ads on the site aren't of a terrifically high / professional person quality, they're mainly novel, thence it isn't beyond the agency of your students to compete amongst these.

• If y'all don't accept filming facilities / photographic tv set camera together with then y'all could simply larn out your students to accept a expect at the ones that accept been made inwards the archive together with determine which they recollect is most effective / which volition win.

What I liked close the site

• Really attractive together with user friendly interface
• Really really authentic, motivating together with a conduct chances to brand some money!!
• It's free
• It's slowly to larn out an embed code thence that y'all tin post away add together the videos to your ain materials if y'all don't desire your students to genuinely thought the site.
  

What I wasn't thence certain about

• Still early on days for this site, thence it could move a huge success or past times the fourth dimension y'all read this it may accept disappeared along amongst a nifty many other Web 2.0 type sites!!

Anyway, I promise y'all savour it together with larn out to role it earlier that happens.

Best

Nik

Soundscapes From Soundtransit

Sound Transit is a actually wonderful formulation of an idea. It's non simply a huge collection of Mp3 audio files from all over the world, but the sounds create got been tagged yesteryear province together with described together with a visitor to the site tin create got a audio journeying around the world.

You simply select your province of origin, your goal together with how many stops you lot desire to make. You together with therefore larn offered a alternative of itineraries alongside stops at diverse destinations together with descriptions of what you lot volition hear there. You select the 1 you lot desire together with and therefore the site edits together the private sounds to create a unique audio journeying for you. You tin together with therefore download your mp3 audio journey, withdraw heed to it online or shipping it to a friend.

• To endeavor this larn to the Book a Transit purpose of the site. It's simply similar booking a flying on an airline website (except that it's gratuitous together with a lot to a greater extent than user friendly!!)

Alternatively you lot tin search the database of private files yesteryear country, keyword or creator together with simply download the sounds you lot want. All the sounds are licensed nether creative common 2.0 therefore you lot tin relieve together with reuse them according to the limitations defined yesteryear that license.

• To access the database of sounds larn to Search for sounds.

How to utilization this alongside students

• You tin utilization the sounds for visualisations. Get the students to withdraw heed alongside shut eyes together with therefore write nigh what they heard. Or they tin create a storey from what they heard.
• You could collect 4 or v clips for students to withdraw heed to together with and therefore larn them to create a chapter / episode of a storey around each one.
• You could utilization them for grammer do ( e.g. introduce continuous "Someone is speaking." etc.)
• You could larn the students to utilization the site to conception a vacation alongside 4 or v destinations together with therefore utilization the descriptions inwards the itinerary to state what they 'will / are going to' do at each place. They tin together with therefore select the best holiday. For yesteryear tense do they tin tell other students what the did on their vacation piece the students withdraw heed to the sounds.
• For vocabulary do they could simply withdraw heed together with state the things they hear. This volition in all probability involve a lot of guessing, therefore you lot could extend this for do of modals of probability (e.g. It powerfulness live on somebody eating, It can't live on inwards Argentina. That must live on a auto door etc.)
• You could utilization this site to plough over students inspiration to collect their ain sounds together with to tell the residue of the shape nigh them. They could fifty-fifty upload them to the site together with portion them.
• They could create their ain audio journeys ( e.g. Going to school, what they did at the weekend etc.)
• You could play 'Guess the sound' equally a warmer alongside educatee together with laurels points to each educatee or team.
• You could inquire students to respect their favourite sounds or verbalize nigh what the sounds remind them of. (e.g. This is 1 of my favourites. It's the telephone phone to prayer. This 1 was recorded inwards Delhi, but it reminds me of when I lived inwards Cairo. I went out to Giza 1 eventide together with listened equally thousands of mosques from all over Cairo erupted inwards to a grand symphony of sound.)
  Listen here
• You tin utilization the sounds to create atmosphere for storey telling activities or educatee plays
• You tin play the John Cage game together with simply larn the students to sit down silently together with withdraw heed to the sounds around them inwards the schoolhouse classroom ( for 4 mins together with 33 seconds) together with therefore verbalize nigh what they heard. You could equally good tell them nigh the famous John Cage composition 4'33" later together with inquire them what they cry back of it.
  
• You tin play "Where am I?" yesteryear playing them 1 of the sounds together with bespeak them to estimate where you lot are. Try this one. I'm inwards a cafe inwards Moscow getting some coffee

What I liked nigh this site

• It's a wonderful gratuitous resources alongside a huge collection of sounds.
• It tin actually larn students thinking nigh the audio surroundings they alive in.
• I dear the consider that the sounds are tagged to countries together with that students tin majority a audio journey.
• The creative common license

What I wasn't therefore certain about

• Some of the audio journeys are quite long if you lot add together a lot of stops
• Some of the sounds are quite odd together with could require quite a high grade of linguistic communication to describe, but I cry back this simply way that you lot create got to select the action that you lot utilization carefully together with live on selective.

Anyway. This is a site that I actually enjoyed together with I'm immediately determined to operate out together with firstly recording some of my ain audio adventures. As I'm based inwards Kingdom of Morocco I consider I would complete this posting alongside the sounds of the Marrakech market recorded yesteryear Reza Tahami.

To download whatever of the sounds you lot simply demand to correct click together with and therefore click 'Save As..'

Best

Nik

Personalised Flashcards

Flashcards lead maintain e'er been i of my favourite educational activity tools too amongst the FaceinHole website I've works life a house where I tin apace do my ain personalised ones.

The site is tardily to use. You simply necessitate either an epitome of yourself that y'all tin upload or a webcam that y'all tin accept a film with. Then y'all lead the film y'all desire to pose yourself into too upload your image. With a chip of resizing too coloring adjustment y'all tin lead maintain a fix of your ain personal flashcards inwards simply minutes.

Then y'all tin either embed them inwards a webpage similar these ones, lead maintain a link to them on the site or impress them upward to usage them inwards bird equally flashcards.

How to usage these amongst students
These kinds of flashcards tin hold out used for a multitude of purposes.

• They are dandy for generating stories / personal anecdotes ( The fourth dimension I met Paris Hilton etc).
• You tin usage them to do a hit of grammer structures. The ones below could all hold out used for 'used to' too students could either inquire virtually the sense or y'all could brand upward anecdotes to tell them.
• You could acquire your students to do their ain flashcards using their ain images too therefore come upward to bird too tell the bird virtually their imaginary experiences.
• Often when students lead maintain to verbalize virtually their ain experiences, they can't intend of much to say. Hopefully these flashcards volition get their imagination too they tin lead maintain fun making upward stories too anecdotes.
• You could fifty-fifty cause to convince your students that some of these are true! (I genuinely used to lead maintain long pilus too acquire dancing amongst Paris Hilton!)
  

Here are my 'used to' experiences.

• I used to play football game for Manchester united
  
• I used to acquire dancing amongst Paris Hilton.
  
• I used to hold out a stunt man.
  
  
  
  • I used to lead maintain long hair.
  
  
  
  
  • I used to hold out a chip of an ogre.
  
  
  
  
  • I used to play inwards a band.
  
  
  
  What I liked virtually it
  
  • Lots of dissimilar pictures to lead from
  • Quick too tardily to do the flashcards
  • Lots of fun for costless too registration necessary
    
  What I wasn't therefore certain about
  
  • Would hold out dainty to lead maintain some to a greater extent than ordinary images too mayhap dissimilar places around the world.
  • It alone worked amongst jpg images, non amongst gif
  • Watch out. Some of them are less suitable for younger learners
    
  There's therefore much y'all tin do amongst proficient images too personalised ones tin hold out fifty-fifty to a greater extent than stimulating. I promise y'all notice this useful too y'all acquire your students creating too talking virtually some dandy images.
  
  http://www.faceinhole.com
  
  Best
  
  Nik

Tackling Political Issues

Video debating websiteHope these are useful

Best

Nik

Top Tools For E-Learning

For a piece immediately Jane Hart over at Jane's E-Learning Pick of the Day has been collecting the superlative 10 favourite tools of a hit of people involved inwards e-learning.

These create got been compiled into a top 100 from, would y'all believe it, a directory of over 2,000! Anyway, I'm proud to tell that I create got immediately also contributed my ain superlative 10 to the collection. I intend this is a bang-up idea thus create banking concern check out the collection. The collection of 2,000 is also categorized, thus if y'all are looking for something particular, similar a tool for blogging, (there are to a greater extent than than seventy of those) or a Virtual World tool (there are 31 inwards this category alone!) too then it's a bang-up identify to look. Anyway, if you'd rather non become through all those at the moment, here's a await at the 10 I submitted equally my superlative 10 tools.

Nik's Top 10 Tools equally at twenty March 2008

1. Blogger: This is my basic essential survival tool for writing my blogs. As I await unopen to to a greater extent than I realise it's in all likelihood non the best tool inwards the Blue Planet for creating blogs, but it's for sure an tardily tool to purpose too 1 that does the chore good too doesn't terms anything.
2. Second Life: I seem to create got gotten drawn into Second Life, despite the fact that it's far from my favourite virtual world, too I immediately rent my ain portion infinite there. I was drawn inwards past times an increasing amount of course of teaching blueprint travel that I acquire related to it too a fascination amongst the interface too the illusion of 3D. Great identify to create got a coming together too, much prefer it to using Skype.
3. NVU: This is a novel tool that I've started using of late for spider web management too development. I create got been using DreamWeaver for quite some time, but decided to construct the switch to a gratuitous tool that I could purpose on both PC too MAC equally my re-create of DreamWeaver became increasingly out of appointment too unstable. So far it's worked out pretty good too the learning flexure has been quite uncomplicated to bargain with.
4. Instapaper: This is some other gratuitous tool which I purpose almost every day. It's a variety of cross betwixt a temporary favourites page too an annotation / bibliography tool. It creates a pocket-size plug inwards for my Firefox task bar too whenever I topographic point something I desire to read I click on a read afterwards push clit which saves the link to my Instapaper page. Then when I create got some fourth dimension I tin become dorsum too read through the articles too either delete them, annotate them equally a bibliography or only acquire out them equally read.
5. Stumble upon: This is 1 of my favourite plug ins for Firefox. It's a bang-up agency to notice novel sites too I purpose it when e'er I create got a gratuitous moment. You tin create your ain favourites page too percentage the sites y'all notice equally good equally adding novel sites too reviewing them. But the best characteristic is only clicking on the Stumble push clit too looking at random sites that matches my involvement criteria
6. Google Browser sync for Firefox: This is some other bang-up plug inwards for Firefox too it enables me to sync history, favourites, passwords etc across my Firefox browser on whatever computer. I often create got a MAC too PC running at the same fourth dimension too thus this keeps all my browser data synchronised without me having to create anything apart from install the plug in.
7. Google analytics: This is a bang-up agency to rails stats for websites too blogs etc too it's free. The data is a lot to a greater extent than accurate too inwards depth than many paid for tools too gives me loads of data near my site content, where my visitors are coming from too what they are looking at etc. I'm addicted to it!
8. Hottnotes: Juggling lots of dissimilar projects along amongst identify unit of measurement commitments too running my ain work organisation tin acquire a chip overwhelming sometimes. Hottnotes truly helps me proceed on superlative of things too recall those meetings too telephone conferences. I tin create post-it type reminders for my desk superlative or to-do lists too programme them to remind me when specific tasks should survive done. Essential stuff, only a shame in that place isn't a MAC version.
9. BBFlashback: This is the only tool inwards my superlative 10 that I create got truly paid for. It's a software tool for recording shroud cast tutorials too I've used it for all of the tutorials on my blog. It's tardily to use, reliable too adding branding, call-outs too good is all pretty easy. It also exports to a lot of dissimilar formats including Flash swf files too avi files. I tin also import curt avi video files made on my digital photographic television camera too edit them too and then export them to Flash (I notice that useful honest!)
10. My Yahoo Feed Reader: I'm sure this in all likelihood isn't the best feed reader inwards the Blue Planet but MyYahoo homepage is what I started amongst too I've got comfortable too stuck amongst it. RSS is 1 of those truly big fourth dimension savers too I tin scan all of the novel content on my favourite sites too blogs inwards only a few minutes too selection out the things I'm interested inwards reading, non to refer my horoscope too Blue Planet news. It's saved me hours of going from site to site.

Hope y'all taste these.

Best
Nik

Iatefl Online Conference 2008

Well apologies to whatsoever regular visitors who convey noticed the lack of action her over the end week. This is mainly because my fourth dimension over the side yesteryear side yoke of weeks is beingness consumed yesteryear i of the biggest meetings of English linguistic communication language teachers inwards the World. The IATEFL annual conference.


I've been working every bit utilization of the online editorial squad for the resultant in addition to in that place are at i time approximately really active, give-and-take forums going on a whole hit of ELT related subjects. Over the side yesteryear side week, the confront to confront resultant volition start out in addition to when it does nosotros promise to endure broadcasting in addition to archiving a whole hit of the alive events including video in addition to well of interviews, plenaries in addition to workshops.

So if you lot don't convey the fourth dimension in addition to coin to larn along to Exeter United Kingdom of Great Britain in addition to Northern Ireland of Britain in addition to Northern Republic of Ireland from at i time until 11th April, in addition to hence come upwards along in addition to sign on for the gratuitous online conference in addition to larn the chance to part experiences alongside teachers from all over the world.

Come in addition to bring together us at: http://exeteronline.britishcouncil.org/

And if anyone is going along to the confront to confront event.

Hope to consider you lot there.

best

Nik

Your Big Carbon Feet

I’ve merely seen this novel website called the Carbon Account. It’s assort of an ecology 2.0 social network. Once you lot register you lot fill upwards inwards details close your solid in addition to your travels, the meter readings for your bills in addition to the sum of miles you lot go inwards your automobile etc in addition to it volition in addition to then calculate your carbon emissions for you.

You tin hand notice run into what the carbon emissions of other users are besides in addition to operate at reducing your carbon emissions. You also conduct maintain the pick to network alongside other site users to offering back upwards in addition to encouragement, thus the site is a fleck similar a weight watchers for the environmentally sound!

If you lot desire to run into how it industrial plant in addition to then conduct maintain a await at the video on the site at:

• http://www.thecarbonaccount.com/

The site also has or thus good written information on what carbon emissions are and how they are calculated. The site owners tin hand notice also assistance ready exceptional accounts for groups in addition to hand tips on reducing emissions.

This is a actually expert site to base of operations a bird projection on.

• Collecting in addition to inputting the relevant information provides a lot of rich vocabulary operate for linguistic communication learners every bit good every bit having a meaningful outcome, in addition to edifice awareness of the surroundings in addition to our behaviour on on it.
  
• Students could monitor their carbon emissions over the course of written report of a few months in addition to run into who tin hand notice cut back them the most.

The solely matter that does bother me close the site, is that it involves parting alongside quite a lot of detailed personal information, but they create appear to conduct maintain a audio a really reassuring privacy policy. So why non hand it a attempt alongside your students.

Hope it goes well

Best

Nik

Iconic Teen Video

Using video clips amongst teenagers tin locomote enormously motivating for them, IF you lot larn the correct content. Getting the content correct involves taking a await into the lives of our students too finding out what sort of things they are watching.

One of the most high profile examples of this is LonelyGirl15.
LonelyGirl15, which became a Youtube phenomenon, depicted a immature teenage daughter talking to her photographic television set camera too discussing some of the intimate, bizarre too oftentimes incredibly petty issues of her life. The ‘show’, a serial of 2 -4 infinitesimal clips, was shortly attracting audiences of millions too it shortly emerged that it was a ‘fake’ too that the LonelyGirl15 was an actress working amongst a pocket-size cinema crew too script writer.
Since thence the exhibit has transformed into a sort of on going thriller. at that spot is straightaway both a United Kingdom of Great Britain too Northern Ireland version, KateModern equally good equally the master copy LonelyGirl15 series.
For to a greater extent than data on the plot too background see: LG Pedia

These ii shows furnish a huge potential source authentic linguistic communication equally teenagers inward the United Kingdom of Great Britain too Northern Ireland too North America speak it. It’s too wrapped upward inward a context too genre which teenagers / 20-somethings tin lay to. Though using this stuff isn’t without its pitfalls too drawbacks.

What I similar almost it

• The clips are short, but self contained too volition download quite quickly.
• They truly exhibit the agency that English linguistic communication is beingness used yesteryear immature adults.
• The clips are quite enigmatic too the storey is inferred too implied rather than depicted, thence the stuff tin locomote useful for developing students thinking too deductive skills.
• Many of them bargain amongst immature people’s issues too attitudes
• The characters appear similar really ordinary people
• The clips tin locomote really engaging

Here’s a only a distich of examples, from a collection of hundreds of clips which I mean value could good locomote usable.

From LonelyGirl15: Boy problems



From LonelyGirl15: Parent problems



From KateModern: H5N1 proposal



From KateModern: The order




Some ideas for using this stuff amongst students

• Students to sentinel a unmarried clip too brand deductions almost the story, what’s been happening to the character, what the relationships are to other people mentioned etc.
• Students to sentinel dissimilar clips thence construct upward too telephone commutation grapheme data too motility to attain upward one's hear what the relationships are betwixt diverse characters
• Students persuasion the clip without audio too brand deductions almost the topic too mood of the person
• Create essence or specific data questions
• Get your students to sentinel too thence write questions that they would similar to inquire the character
• Get your students to attain too video their ain reply to i of the characters inward the videos
• Get your students to sentinel for cultural data too await for things that would locomote dissimilar amongst their ain civilization (clothes, family objects, agency people interact, gestures etc.)
• Get students to sentinel too compare a clip from the United Kingdom of Great Britain too Northern Ireland too the North American serial too lay differences inward the role of language.
  
• Get students to sentinel too compare a clip from each serial without audio too await for cultural too environmental differences betwixt United Kingdom of Great Britain too Northern Ireland too North American culture
• Create give-and-take classes around some of the issues touched on inward the clips
  
• Students attain their ain localised version of the series.

What I'm non thence certain about

• Some of the clips comprise violence too bad linguistic communication too exhibit immature people drinking. This is something you lot mightiness truly emmet to bargain amongst inward class, or avoid altogether, thence locomote careful which clips you lot choose.
• You mightiness convey to locomote prepared to defend your role of this sort of stuff if your students larn habitation too foremost watching it inward front end of their parents
• Much equally I uncovering this persuasion into the the world of 'young people today' (Did I truly write that?) quite intriguing I too uncovering it slightly disturbing

Anyway, whether nosotros similar this sort of content or not, it does appear to locomote the sort of matter that is becoming increasingly pop equally meshing entertainment, too if nosotros truly desire to engage amongst our students too engage them inward our classes, I don't mean value nosotros tin afford to ignore it.

I would too honey to hear from anyone who has been using LonelyGirl15 or KateModern amongst your classes, thence delight ship service a comment too portion your experience.

Best

Nik