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Posts from ‘August, 2009’

Play With a Purpose–Projects in Children’s EFL

Aug 28th, 2009
by Barbara.
3 comments

My students and I love projects. For them, projects are the reward for working hard. For me, they’re the payoff for all the baby steps leading up to them, and a chance to see if my students can use English in “authentic” ways.
My kindergarten class just finished their first project. I’ve had these 5 and [...]

What I’ve Learned from My PLN (August 22, 2009)

Aug 22nd, 2009
by Barbara.
19 comments

Showing is better than telling. So, for teachers trying to decide whether having an online personal learning network (PLN) is worth the effort, I thought it might be useful to show some of what I learned this week from mine.

Life in the Virtual Teacher’s Lounge

Aug 17th, 2009
by Barbara.
4 comments

Part of the series Giving Second Life a Second Chance
I love teacher’s lounges in the same way I love coffee breaks at conferences. They’re great places to make friends and build professional networks (same people, different roles). The people I meet become my partners in learning.

Exploration for Personal and Professional Gain

Aug 12th, 2009
by Barbara.
2 comments

Part of the series Giving Second Life a Second Chance
Professional development in Second Life is generally one of two types: using Second Life as a place to learn about things, and learning how to use tools in Second Life to do things (like teach). In both cases, it’s the people you meet who matter most–they will teach you, learn with you, and [...]

International Conferences You Can Attend in Your Jammies

Aug 4th, 2009
by Barbara.
3 comments

Part of the series Giving Second Life a Second Chance
Once you feel comfortable moving around and interacting with objects (getting things, finding them in your inventory and using them), it’s time to enjoy some of the professional development opportunities available in Second Life. Again, I’m not trying to list all of the groups that host speakers, conferences, [...]

Giving Second Life a Second Chance

Aug 3rd, 2009
by Barbara.
2 comments

In an earlier post, I suggested that all language teachers would benefit from being in Second Life. Gavin Dudeney made a similar (albeit more articulate) argument as a guest writer on Burcu Akyol’s EFL Blog. 
So, let’s say you’re convinced, and have decided to give Second Life a try (or another try). What’s next?
You’ll probably go through [...]