The use of microblogs for my own professional development

Microblogging in Education

Nik’s Learning Technology Blog

Tips, resources and teaching materials to help EFL and ESL teachers use ICT and new technology.

I like the idea of using the 12 seconds TV, The new website for microbloggers. I can use this site in my classroom to review or teach new vocabulary words in Spanish. I could use it myself or have my students create video vocabulary records using the 12 second clip. Students will work on the pronunciation of the words on flashcards or saying the words in a complete Spanish sentence, recording it for self or classroom evaluation. This is a great tool for the Spanish classroom because this can prepare my students for the listening comprehension and the speaking part of the proficiency exam. The 12 seconds TV website for microblogger can also be helpful for substitute teachers. When I am absent I can create the lesson via the 12 seconds video and explain to the students what I expect them to do on that particular lesson. The foreign language classroom can benefit from this wonderful tool.

Can we use twitter for educational activities?

By Gabriela Grosseck and Carmen Holotescu

Definitively, twittering in the classroom and outside of the classroom is part of learning. As long as the students are aware of the danger of other twitters who are trying to be their age but are not. Students need to know from their teachers and their parents that they can’t be twittering with people who are using inappropriate photographs and foul language. Never then less, there are many benefits about twittering. Students can twitter in my classroom to be able to communicate in Spanish with a pen-pal or with someone in the community who speaks Spanish. Twittering in my classroom can change the classroom dynamics. Instead of the teacher centered, students will have the opportunity to be the one to show the teacher what they are capable of doing. Through twittering I can keep track of the progress my students make on the conversation they carry in the target language with their pen-pal, on a particular topic. I think my students and I are going to enjoy all the good points about twittering.