Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Enjoy and be happy!


For a wonderful 2015, full of happy sincere authentic collaborative learning and teaching!

Thank you to all who, whatever the way, have been supporting me throughout 2014, which undoubtedly will always be a year to remember!





Wednesday, December 17, 2014

EVO 2015, coming soon!


The Electronic Village Online, a project of TESOL's CALL Interest Section, has been offering free online professional development sessions to language teachers worldwide for over ten years now.

January 2015 is bringing a new EVO Call, Electronic Village Online 2015.

This year, there is an offer of 13 incredible five-week sessions on a wide range of topics, including teaching pronunciation, international writing, using Moodle, creating electronic textbooks, flipped learning, making Machinima in Second Life, using Minecraft to teach English, and a lot more.

For the first time in my professional career I will be co-moderating three EVO sessions from January 12 to February 15, hand in hand with a fabulous team of educational leaders, all of them an inspiration for any ESL teacher, and thanks to Shelly Terrell and Dr. Nellie Deutsch, both of whom contacted me and opened a wide new gate towards online development before me.

My sincere gratitude to Shelly and Dr. Deutsch, to our EVO Mentors, our TESOL sponsors and to Nina Liakos, EVO Lead Coordinator.

I am nervously looking forward to starting it all but extremely full of joy to be part of it all too. Do not miss the chance to join these sessions:

Creating eTextbooks











International Writing Exchange







Moodle For Teachers







For a complete list of sessions and abstracts, visit the Call for Participation.

Registration for the sessions will take place from January 5 - January 11, 2015.
The sessions begin on January 12 and continue until February 15. To register for a session, follow the instructions on the corresponding session's page.

EVO sessions are free and open to everybody who wants to join; you don't need to be a TESOL member.

Put January 5 - 11 on your agenda and register for EVO 2015. Follow #evosessions and stay tuned for an awesome online experience! Do not miss it!

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Recording of Flip, Blend and Wrap it all up! is ready now

Last 1 December, my peer Billy J. Ramos, @somar0209, and myself copresented together the third live session of the series entitled The EduPower of Blended Learning at WizIQ.

In this last session, we gave tips about surviving through face-to-face lessons, combined with a virtual classroom at Edu 2.0, and through collaborative project blogging challenges.

For those of you who could not attend live, here you are the recording ready now:



We are looking forward to gaining your feedback and reading your comments!

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

The World is my audience


As you all know by now, the Twima Project has been going on  for a few months, along the last term.
In previous entries here, we have been following it step by step, from scratch to its web launch, until now, when it comes to its end with a wonderful collaborative iBook compiled with the contribution of more than 170 writers from all around the world, being smoothly coordinated by @theipodtecher, who was the one coming up with this wonderful globally connected idea.

Our contribution to #twima from Spain comes hand in hand with the online teacher training course 'Digital Storytelling For Teachers', run by INTEF, and hosted by an awesome team of instructors, who encouraged and fostered their trainees to play a part in a collaborative chain story, which has now gone global. I sincerely thank them for that!

A chain story is an easy way to have students learn vocabulary and work with their friends to create a collaborative story. In a chain story, the teacher begins the story, student A continues the story, student B continues where A stopped, and so on.  The students have to listen to each other and understand each other so that the story makes sense and flows.
For this activity, trainnees contributed to a collaborative web chain story, using an online tool, Padlet. This tool allows you to click on the web wall and add text, images, videos, and more. Trainees did not have to register, but they were kindly asked to include their name. Of course, they can contribute on any mobile device with internet access or on the web.
We had over a hundreed online course participants, divided into five groups, to whom we provided the same beginning of a chain poem, and whose chained outcome can be read at the different group poems below:
To contribute to the poem, our trainees had to read the entire story up to the last post, contribute with a chunk that made sense and continued the flow of the poem as well as being related to the previous post, and adding multimedia elements to accompany their part of the poem, but involving an added snag: their contribution should be at least 100 words long.
The collaborative poems that they have come up with are now part of the #twima iBook The World Is My Audience, live at iTunes, free to download on all iOS devices and Macs.




Saturday, November 29, 2014

Practise your English pronunciation while you watch TV shows

PlayPhrase.me offers you the possibility to improve English pronunciation and patterns of intonation with your favourite phrases out of famous scenes of TV shows and movies.


Just key in the phrase or chunk of text you would like to practise and the tool will come back to you with the bits where the phrase was uttered by various actors and actresses at various films or TV shows. You will then be ready to drill the phrase as if it were a karaoke machine, as the phrase rolls down, highlighted below the sliding scenes out of which it has been singled out.


Quite a dynamic enjoyable way to keep your English intonation and pronunciation up. Enjoy it!




Friday, November 28, 2014

Flip, Blend and Wrap it all up!

Join us for this free live session at WizIQ on Monday 1 December, at 6pm GMT+1

The experience about blended learning we would like to share with you all in this live session entitled 'Flip, Blend and Wrap it all up!' is a range of learning challenges that we have accomplished flipping and blending lessons and breainstorming with you about your own e-learning challenges, how to set them up step by step, and offering tips on digital tools and digital assessment.




This is the third live session of the series entitled 'The EduPower of Blended Learning', a self-training online course in order to get ready for the Teachers Micro Teaching in Pairs series on WizIQ, hosted by Dr. Nellie Deutsch.

This live session is co-presented by @mjgsm and @somar0209.

Thursday, November 27, 2014

STUDENT BLOGGING CHALLENGE: WEEK 9

Almost getting to the end of this Student Blogging Challenge 2014, and it is time to be proud, spread the word and show off!

Don't hesitate it and go for the latest proposal of activities. Be happily succesful, and help heal the world!

Proud to be a Mentor for this Challenge!

Friday, November 21, 2014

Shape Your Online Classroom & Blend it with Hands-on Projects

Join us for this free live session at WizIQ on Monday 24 November, at 6pm GMT+1

The session entitled 'Shape Your Online Classroom & Blend it with Hands-on Projects' is aiming at sharing tips with online teachers about how to set up a virtual classroom using Edu 2.0, combine it with learning challenges, team e-projects and collaborative classroom blog.

This is the second live session of the series entitled 'The EduPower of Blended Learning', a self-training online course in order to get ready for the Teachers Micro Teaching in Pairs series on WizIQ, hosted by Dr. Nellie Deutsch

This live session is co-presented by @mjgsm and @somar0209.

Monday, November 17, 2014

17 November, #ConchitaForever

Lucky @blogmaniacos is retiring. Awesome!

Green with envy, I just wanted to say Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for sharing so much and doing it so humblily well!

Now, my own humble tribute to you. So many sweet memories every time you have generously agreed to come to this blog and such good virtual mornings, afternoons, evenings and nights that I have summarised for you in the list below.

Video Conference with Blogmaníacos

Support Learning with an App

¿Por qué corren?

The Sunshine Award

A Mobile Library for Blogmaníacos

Blogmaníacos' answers for BookMe-Library - And #2 - And #3

E-students connecting and creating

But there is much more behind, and you know there is.

Even I have never met you in person, I have always dragged you into my English world, and you have never said no, never complained, but rather the opposite; you have always jumped into it peacefully, quietly, smoothly, patiently, making my students and myself feel that we were important for you, that we were part of The Blogmaníacos Experience, graduation included.



I will never forget my graduation day at Blogmaníacos, never ever and that is why, not only today but for the rest of my life, I will be a fan of Conchita and Blogmaníacos, Forever!

Please, enjoy your retirement. And meanwhile, you know what: this is in English. As usual, your turn to translate. LOL.



Student Blogging Challenge: Weeks 7 and 8

Week 7: Let’s talk schooling


Go for it and be part of the GlobalEdCon taking place from 17 to 24 November 2014!



Week 8: Game and nominate

Please read the game rules carefully at the link above. Then, nominate once again before reaching the week before last for the challenge.


Have blogging fun!

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

STUDENT BLOGGING CHALLENGE 2014 - WEEK 6

 Let's celebrate at Student Blogging Challenge 2014. Week 6 is going to be open for two weeks. 

As it is a festive challenge, we are extending it to an all-over-the-year celebration, I mean, it is not an open challenge, but a challenge that allows you to post about any kind of celebration that you like or that you are fond of and that takes place in winter, spring, autum, summer.

Do not miss the chance and surf around all the wonderful resources, tips and ideas that you have ready for you at the official Student Blogging Challenge 2014 blog, and get ready to enjoy and party all along!

Be festive!




Monday, November 3, 2014

MicroTeaching in Pairs. The Premiere!



Part of the Teachers Micro Teaching in Pairs thanks to Integrating Technology 4 Active Lifelong Learning

Read about the Micro Teaching official opening on 5 November, join, and do not miss our premiere on 3 November, 6pm Spanish time.

View the recordings and learn about how to get started.

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Blend, Flip and Boost Your Teaching Up!


Join The EduPower Couple! for a free live session at Wiziq on November 3 2014, at 18:00, GMT+1.

We are looking forward to sharing with you all at the kick off of our first ever micro teaching in pairs experience at WizIQ: The EduPower of Blended Learning.

This first live session in the micro teaching in pairs experience will be inntroducing blended learning through flipped classrooms, teamwork and project based learning methodology, all linked together via ICT.

We will be co-presenting about our practice with flipped and PBL methodology at University in Madrid, where Billy and I met as student and teacher, and how blended learning has allowed us to extend our relationship until becoming peer presenters and course designers.



This is the first tip about how blended learning might be the means for peer to peer teaching and learning. Or, would you rather think face-to-face sessions alone have the same power to keep students and teachers in touch in such a way as to start professional e-projects together after the classroom door closes?

If you'd like to share the answer with us, we will be more than happy to chat with you and all the attendees interested in having an interactive relaxed paired-up webinar.

Friday, October 31, 2014

The EduPower of Blended Learning


Brought to you by the EduPower Couple!



Course Highlights 
  • Advantages and drawbacks of blending learning with ICT
  • Blended learning using a virtual classroom
  • Collaborative blogging and teamwork
Course Description

The aim of this series of three live sessions is to go through the advantages and drawbacks of blending learning with ICT; to show a sample of blended learning using a virtual classroom, collaborative blogging and teamwork.

The classes have been designed for teachers who would like to gain confidence when going into blended or e-learning or need to give their virtual teaching a boost.

The topics covered in this series include tips, advice and resources to set up an online classroom, craft blended learning challenges and show real examples of this type of teaching. Core teaching methodology followed is prompting participants with lively relaxed educational pills, keeping up casual conversation and inspiring interaction.

This course is part of the 'Micro Teaching in Pairs on WizIQ' sessions, within the 'Learn to Flip & Blend with Technology' MOOC.

Timetable of Live Sessions:

3 November 2014: Blend, Flip & Boost Your Teaching Up

Live Session Highlights:

Introducing blended learning through flipped classrooms, teamwork and project based learning methodology, all linked together via ICT

17 November 2014: Shape Your Online Classroom & Blend it with Hands-on Projects

Live Session Highlights:

Setting up a virtual classroom using Edu 2.0, combine it with learning challenges, team blogs and collaborative classroom blog

1 December 2014: Flip, Blend and Wrap it all up!

Live Session Highlights:

Surviving through face-to-face lessons, combined with a virtual classroom at Edu 2.0, and through collaborative project blogging challenges




We are looking forward to sharing with you all. Please come, join us and share!

Monday, October 27, 2014

Halloween Festive Webmix

The Symbaloo Edu team has designed this fun webmix with with everything from costumes to DIY projects, to celebrate the creepy date with your students.

Enjoy it!


Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Learning to micro teach in pairs

On 20 October 2014, Tauseef Farook and myself were invited to a series of micro-teaching sessions to learn how to deliver a micro-teaching lesson. Tauseef and I had never met before but we were both attending this live session at WizIQ, hosted by Dr. Nellie Deutsch, from IT4ALL.

The session was part of a series of live lessons in preparation to be able to teach online, in pairs; an e-training initiative starting in November 2014, fostered by IT4ALL at WizIQ. 

It was an amazing experience, as it clearly showed the beauty of virtual professional life. How could you meet other teachers from the other end of the world and get ready to teach with them, apart from online? No other way! That’s the perfect added value of online teaching.


The session started with an overall introduction by the host, and then the attendants were just paired up to practice in breakout rooms for 15 minutes.

During that quarter of an hour, Tauseef and I discovered quite a few things about each other and discussed about challenges and benefits of micro teaching in pairs, as well as resources to acccomplish that type of teaching successfully. That was the proposal. After that time, we were taken back to the main room where the rest of the session was taking place.

And this is how Tauseef and I met, first time ever, and we discovered that both of us are ESL teachers, into ICT, and love our profession. We very quickly decided that one would tip at the chat room while the other would write conclusions on the whiteboard. That was the first outcome of micro-teaching in pairs: agreement!

Now, we are inviting you to have a look at our tips and conclusions, drafted in 15 minutes by two teachers who had not even known of the existence of each other until 20 October 2014. 

Isn’t it awesome? I thought it was fully enjoyable and inspiring!



So, first, the challenges to micro teach in pairs: reaching agreements, having a mind to bring together our different approaches. Finding a common topic to teach. Finding common time together, skipping time zones and so on, to plan, schedule, create, and so forth, and finally, finding a good way to engage and motivate learners in our online paired up lessons.

The benefits of micro teaching in pairs are quite obvious: team work is better, and richer than single teaching. Two minds are bound to produce double work than one. The workload is shared, so it runs more smoothly and we can support each other, putting into the lesson the best skill each one has.
Apart from that we can encourage each other if one might feel down and build the confidence for weak points to get stronger.

As regards resources to get ready for micro teaching in pairs and presenting, Google drive is a good option, to edit and create together, as it does not matter where you are based, you can still work together as if it were real time. That leads us to the design of presentations, tutorials and so forth inside our common Drive. And, finally, offering students real life situations, like the one we have just lived, is a good chance to make them understand the value of that being taught.

Thanks a million for your attention and to Dr. Nellie for the chance of finding each other and enlarging our professional teaching community.




Now, on 24 October, we feel ready to present our conclusions to the world. Come and join us!


Monday, October 20, 2014

STUDENT BLOGGING CHALLENGE 2014 - WEEK 5

Week 5 Challenge is going audiovisual!

This week we are dealing with using images, music and sounds in your posts. If you click on the link above, you are bound to find lots of tips and resources that will help you insert all kinds of pictures, and sounds when blogging.

Besides, you can also follow these lists and find lots of tools to work with images and sounds. I hope you enjoy them!

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Badges: Game, Reward, Professional Digital Credentials?







You are invited to join me for the free live class 'Badges: game, reward, professional digital e-credentials?' on October 4 2014, at 16:00 Spanish time.



Check your time around the world.




This free live class is part of the courseware of Moodle MOOC 5, hosted and coordinated by the team from Integrating Technology 4 Active Lifelong Learning from 1 to 31 October 2014, and I will be glad to share with you my experience and viewpoints on issuing and gaining badges at Moodle; connecting with your Mozilla BackPack, accepting your badges, creating a public collection and sharing your digital badges with the world.


My warmest thanks to Dr. Nellie Deutsch for inviting me to be a Moodle MOOC 5 presenter. I hope you enjoy it and find it interesting. Looking forward to meeting you all there!

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Student Blogging Challenge 2014 - Week 3

Tell us about your town and country for Week 3 Activities within Student Blogging Challenge 2014.

If you belong to the groups of students assigned to me, then I'm your Mentor!

Please, check the September 2014 Students entry to see if you are under this heading:



That's me, María, and I am looking forward to finding out a bit more about where you are from, what your town is like, so why not getting in touch through cross-commenting in our blogs? I can also let you know about my own country, Spain.

Get ready and choose one or more activities among those proposed for Week 3. Let me know that you are done by posting a comment in this entry, or leave me a voice message in the blog voice mail, and I will happily get back to you.

You are also welcome to visit my About me page and leave your comments. Or, if you'd rather have a look at new tools and widgets, here you are my list of tools and resources to create quizzes or other types of digital content. Would you like to give it a try? Why not using it for accomplishing one of Week 3 activities? Check it regularly, as it is frequently updated.





If you need help, just let me know, I am here to give you a hand.

All along the week I will be paying a visit to your blog and commenting on your entries too!

Keep the conversation up, comment, share and get engaged. Connected blogging is fun!






Monday, September 29, 2014

Recording of the free webinar 'E-connection are essential'

Last 21 September 2014 the Fall Blog Festival webathon, hosted by IT4ALL at WizIQ, took place for 12 hours non-stop.
I had the honour to be presenting 'E-connections are essential' then, and today I am humbly sharing the recording of that live session with all of you, hoping you find it interesting.



I would also like to invite you to view the whole series of recordings that IT4ALL have generously gathered together in this YouTube Playlist, so that you have the chance to revisit or visit for the first time, if you could not attend live, the blog festival event that showcased bloggers, their work, and valuable tips when blogging for reflective practice, work with students, business and other purposes.




Thank you very much to all that attended the live session, and to the hosters for their kind invitation, their warmth, availability and generosity throughout the whole festival.

Friday, September 26, 2014

European Day of Languages 2014

26 September is bringing celebration back to Europe, as usual for the last 13 years, since the Council of Europe launched this initiative back in 2001.

So, join in, celebrate the Day along with 800 Europeans from all over the state members and say hello!



Pick up your camera, move your learning, and take part in the awesome 2014 photo competition. The European Day of Languages Photo Contest 2014 is intended to illustrate language learning in action in different environments. The competition is open to persons of all ages living in all Council of Europe member states and observer states.

Do not miss this wonderful chance to interact with language learners across Europe. There is a wide range of fun events to be part of. Let's celebrate together!




Webinars for IATEFL YLT SIG

Join me on 28 September 2014 at 7 pm Spanish time for the free live session: The timeline of an e-connected story.












Check your time around the world.



This live session is part of the YLT Webinars and I'll be sharing the story of an e-connection that starts in a University classroom (URJC) from Madrid, with a group of future CLIL teachers taking a Master's Degree on The Use of ICT and Web Resources in Primary Bilingual Education, which spreads towards real CLIL classrooms from Colegio San Gregorio in Palencia (Spain) and their designing digital storytelling together.



Thanks to all my Master's students and to @somar0209, @javiramossancha and @julisanzmamolar, who have generously collaborated in this digital e-connected adventure that brought University and Primary Education together.

Read more YLT Webinars.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

October is round the corner, and so is Moodle MOOC 5

 Moodle MOOC 5 starts on October 1, 2014 on WizIQ. The theme of the current MOOC is collaborative learning, reflective practice, connecting online for instruction and learning. 

The MOOC focuses on connecting online for collaborative learning and teaching through Moodle, Second Life, Mahara, Google Drive Docs, and Google Apps, Mobile Devices, Virtual Classes, and other online learning environments for face-to-face, blended, and fully online learning. The live presentations include the speakers’ reflective process on teaching and learning in fully online and blended learning formats. 

Moodle MOOC 5 also includes Moodle for Teachers (M4T) courses for beginners and advanced Moodlers. The courses is asynchronous (Moodle) and synchronous (WizIQ) with recordings of live classes on WizIQ, YouTube, and Vimeo, just in case you cannot attend on the spot. 

There are two learning areas: WizIQ course area and Moodle for Teachers (M4T) Moodle website. The live online sessions and recordings, tutorials (courseware) and ongoing discussions (coursefeed) are available in the WizIQ course area. 

Unlike the traditional MOOCs that stress content and course delivery, Moodle MOOC focuses on active learning, reflection, sharing, and collaboration. The aim of the course is for the participants to learn through meaningful connections and social interactions. Participants who wish to receive a certificate of participation will be required to document their learning experiences by keeping a blog, wiki, website, or any other artifact that will include a description and reflection of the live sessions and/or recordings. 

Moodle for Teachers Learning Experience (M4TLE) is an asynchronous component of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on WizIQ for teachers and anyone interested in teaching online using Moodle, WizIQ, and other web technologies. 

The MOOC takes place from 1 to 31 October 2014. It is in the spirit of open education and completely free. 

Participants become acquainted with Moodle as a course and learning management system. They learn how Moodle can be used in fully online, blended learning, and the flipped class. 

The MOOC only includes asynchronous (not dependent on time) elements on a Moodle site called Moodle for Teachers. The rest takes place at WizIQ.

The MOOC is self-paced with ongoing discussions and facilitator and technical support are available.  It is coordinated by Dr. Nellie Deutsch and Tom Hodgers.

Enroll now and join an engaging MOOC. Do not miss it!

Monday, September 22, 2014

Are you in my group of mentees? Student Blogging Challenge 2014 - Week 2

Let's get started with the conversation for Week 2 Activities within Student Blogging Challenge 2014.

If you belong to the groups of students assigned to me, then I'm your Mentor!

Please, check the September 2014 Students entry to see if you are under this heading:



That's me, María, and I am looking forward to starting a conversation with you all, so why not getting in touch through cross-commenting in our blogs?

Get ready and choose one or more activities among those proposed for Week 2. Let me know that you are done by posting a comment in this entry, or leave me a voice message in the blog voice mail, and I will happily get back to you.

You are also welcome to visit my About me page and leave your comments. Or, if you'd rather have a look at new tools and widgets, here you are my welcome flyer for you. I has been designed with Tackk, a very easy digital tool that allows you to create your own events, announcements, posters, portfolios and so forth and embed them in blog entries. Would you like to give it a try? Why not using it for accomplishing one of Week 2 activities?
If you need help, just let me know, I am here to give you a hand.

All along the week I will be paying a visit to your blog and commenting on your entries too!

Keep the conversation up, comment, share and get engaged. Connected blogging is fun!






Thursday, September 18, 2014

Friday, September 12, 2014

YLT Webinars : The timeline of an e-connected story

Join me on 14 September 2014 at 6 pm GMT+1 for the free live session: The timeline of an e-connected story.

Check your time around the world.

This live session is part of the YLT Webinars and I'll be sharing the story of an e-connection that starts in a University classroom (URJC) from Madrid, with a group of future CLIL teachers taking a Master's Degree on The Use of ICT and Web Resources in Primary Bilingual Education, which spreads towards real CLIL classrooms from Colegio San Gregorio in Palencia (Spain) and their designing digital storytelling together.



Thanks to all my Master's students and to @somar0209, @javiramossancha and @julisanzmamolar, who have generously collaborated in this digital e-connected adventure that brought University and Primary Education together.

Read more YLT Webinars.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Fall Blog Festival 2014

 

The Fall Blog Festival (FBF) is a one day blog festival event showcasing bloggers, their work, and valuable tips for blogging for reflective practice, work with students, business and other reasons. 

This event takes place online on WizIQ, on September 21, 2014.  

Highlights include:

  • Blogging to enhance reflective practice and/or teaching
  • Blogging Tips, ideas, and Projects
  • Connecting with the World
  • Expert Advice on how to Set-up and Maintain a Blog for Any Purpose
  • Emerging Technologies and Trends in Blogging



The Blog Festivals, organised by Dr. Nellie Deutsch and Prof. Ludmila Smirnova from IT4ALL, take place twice a year, in spring and autum, and include a webathon of live classes showcasing a wide range of blogging projects, practices, experiences, tips and so forth. 

Participants have several workspaces available to work and enjoy: the content and discussion area, available before and after the live sessions; the live classes themselves, to which every webathon participant is invited to view and actively interact; Twitter, disseminating and sharing with #fallblogfest.

All the live sessions are recorded, so they are at hand any time after the Fall Blog Festival is finished at the end of 21 September. 

Meanwhile, have a look at the recordings of the previous Spring Blog Festival and meet the presenters that will be with you all the next Fall Blog Festival, on 21 September 2014, from 8 am until 8 pm EST.