Microblogging For Efl Alongside Plurk

Well I never idea I'd enjoin this, but I've travel a fan of Twitter vs Plurk comparison. Now almost half-dozen weeks later, I convey to enjoin that for me Plurk has come upwards out every bit a clear winner. Watch this exhibit to encounter why.

Here's a quick exhibit of Plurk together with some of the features.

• To sentiment the demo inwards a novel window click here (2.7Mb)
• Download the exhibit every bit Quicktime movie (4Mb)
• Download the movie for i-pod (5Mb)

What I similar near microblogging

• One employment that I constantly convey is the amount of data together with novel things I honour that I'd similar to portion but simply don't convey fourth dimension to enquiry together with write about. What I convey institute over the final few weeks is that mircoblogging allows me to portion this information, admittedly amongst less depth, but I've been able to portion links to resources that people powerfulness honour useful, but which I don't convey the fourth dimension to explore inwards depth.
  
• See my Plurk business hither if you'd similar to banking corporation fit out the sites I don't convey fourth dimension to write about: http://www.plurk.com/user/NikPeachey
  

What I similar near Plurk

• For me the best Plurk characteristic is the powerfulness to embed video from YouTube together with images into the Plurk. This enable users to scout the clip or picture without leaving the Plurk interface.
• I too actually similar the horizontal fourth dimension business together with the agency you lot tin scroll dorsum through fourth dimension lines together with thread inwards comments. Threaded give-and-take tin oft travel real disjointed together with difficult to follow on Twitter, but Plurk makes it much clearer which comments are related.
• I similar the distinction betwixt friends together with fans (friends Plurks tin too seem on your line, whereas fans simply subscribe to your feed)
• I similar the feel of accumulating 'karma' every bit you lot educate your plurk presence.
• I dear the Plurk widget (you tin encounter it embedded towards the bottom of the right manus column on this page).
• I actually similar that Plurk gives a alternative of verbs for the message
  

So how near using microblogging amongst EFL studnts
As a instructor you lot could operate microblogging to:

• Share resources together with links to useful websites or videos (they opened upwards inwards the interface together with then students don't convey to search around YouTube for them.
• Send out prompts together with reminders to students near assignments together with due dates.
• You could simply operate the social facial expression to portion a chip of what you lot exercise each twenty-four hours amongst them
• Send students images to comment on / describe
  
• Send out words together with inquire students to answer amongst a definition.
• Create unmarried judgement assignments that students answer to wit unmarried sentences.
• Create sentences for the students to correct.
• Create a collaborative story. You outset the floor amongst i business together with each educatee has to add together some other using the response feature.
  

Your students could operate microblogging to:

• Create a learner diary, recording briefly their linguistic communication learning activities together with insights through the day.
• Ask questions to the groups together with acquire back upwards amongst novel words they honour or things they don't understand.
• Post a brusque judgement each twenty-four hours using a dissimilar i of the verbs inwards the Plurk line
• Share expert websites etc.
• Share a footling of their the world together with what they exercise when they aren't inwards class.
  

What I'm non together with then certain about

• It's actually difficult for a contender similar Plurk to interruption into a marketplace that Twitter almost invented, together with then despite the fact that I operate Plurk to a greater extent than oft together with it seems to me a much improve product, I've got far to a greater extent than followers on Twitter than I convey on Plurk, together with then the audience potential is much greater amongst Twitter.
• As ever privacy is something you lot postulate to hold upwards careful of, together with I've institute that a few people who convey requested friendship exclusively exercise together with then to 'spam' my fourth dimension line. Though that's slow to form out together with stop.

Well which ever you lot use, whether it's Twitter, Plurk or something else I promise you lot relish your microblogging experience.

Drop me a business if you lot know of other alternatives, or if you lot convey used these microblogging applications inwards other ways. As ever you lot comments are welcome (though moderated!).

Best

Nik Peachey

Related links:
See Wikipedia's Definition of microblogging
See My Plurk microblog
See My Twitter microblog
See My Plurk exhibit video on YouTube together with catch an embed code.

Using Discussion Clouds Inwards Efl Esl

I've only discovered Prompting reading speeds

Animating vocabulary

Interactive multiple selection activities

Picture phrases

Activities for students:

• Learn Some Cliches
• Using Word Clouds to Remember Words
• Improve Your Vocabulary too Make Friends

Best

Nik Peachey

Artificial Tidings Chat Bots In Addition To Efl Esl

Earlier this calendar week I posted a short article to my AI as well as Chat Bots for EFL ESL

Video conferencing for EFL

A Virtual World for Facebook Users

Make your ain chat room

Best

Nik Peachey

Adventure Narratives For Efl Esl Students

For a long fourth dimension straightaway I've genuinely admired in addition to been fascinated past times the piece of job of Amanita Design. They convey a genuinely unique approach in addition to I dear the agency they blend photographic textures alongside cartoon images.

I also notice their games quite addictive in addition to that's I character I e'er await for when trying to notice stimulating materials for students, thus I've been looking at how these games could used for linguistic communication development.

The 2 games I've chosen for this posting are Samorost 1 in addition to Samorost 2

Samorost 1 is based on the scenario of an asteroid heading towards a planet. The thespian has to click diverse elements of the covert in addition to notice out how to tending Samorost alter the direction of the asteroid in addition to relieve his planet.

In Samorost 2, Somorost's domestic dog is stolen past times aliens in addition to the thespian has to tending Samorost rescue the dog.

So why operate these games alongside EFL ESL students

• These games are fascinating in addition to really engaging.
• They are quite mentally challenging in addition to tending students to educate analytical in addition to critical thinking skills.
• They are beautifully designed in addition to should create your students imagination
• They are based around rigid narratives
• They genuinely are a lot of fun to play in addition to discover
• Online games are a pregnant business office of our younger students' culture

So how tin nosotros operate these games alongside our EFL ESL students?
Here are a few suggestions to cash inwards one's chips your students developing their speaking, reading in addition to writing skills.

• Tell the story - Split your degree into Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 in addition to B students. Get all the As to play 1 game in addition to all the Bs to play another. every bit they piece of job through the games they should proceed notes of what happens in addition to what they attempt to create to notice their agency through the game. Once they convey finished the game yoke 1 Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 educatee upward alongside 1 B educatee in addition to inquire them to retell the story every bit if they were Samorost. Once the students convey told their stories they tin alter over games in addition to run into if they tin piece of job their agency through the game past times remembering the narrative that their partner told them.

• Write the instructions - Split your students inwards to As in addition to Bs every bit inwards a higher house in addition to cash inwards one's chips your educatee to piece of job their agency through the games in addition to write instructions for how to consummate each level. They should thus hand their instructions to their partner in addition to run into if their partner tin operate the instructions to notice their agency through the game.

• Write a review of the game - You could inquire your students to write a review of 1 of the games. You could collect these together alongside reviews of other games in addition to pose out them every bit a pocket-size booklet.

• Following instructions - As a reading practise you lot could impress upward the 'walk through' instructions on how to consummate the games in addition to run into if students tin read them in addition to piece of job through all the levels.

• You tin notice a walkthrough for Samorost 1 here
• You tin notice a walkthrough for Samorost 2 here
  
  You could operate the walkthrough instructions from the start game every bit a model in addition to cash inwards one's chips the students to write a walkthrough for the minute game.
  
  You tin notice lots to a greater extent than links to games in addition to their walkthrough instructions hither at Games Online

• Write the story - You could cash inwards one's chips your students to play 1 of the games in addition to thus write the story. They could write it every bit a tidings study in addition to fifty-fifty operate a video photographic television receiver camera or spider web cam to create a tidings broadcast.

I desire this ebook

What I'm non thus certain about

• Students tin cash inwards one's chips a fleck excited in addition to carried away in addition to thus they forget to operate English
• The games are genuinely quite challenging in addition to students may good cash inwards one's chips stuck in addition to frustrated. If this happens you lot tin either permit them halt in addition to cash inwards one's chips them to terminate the story at that house inwards the game, or you lot tin hand them the walkthrough sheets to help.

Well I promise you lot bask these games every bit much every bit I do. If cipher else, they are a visual treat.

Related links:

• My eBook Bundle
• Exploiting 2 computer-based RPGs
• Games With a Purpose in addition to a Social Network
• 3B Village 3D browser
• Create your ain game

Activities for students:

• The Samorost Game Challenge
• Take a Quiz Adventure Journey

Best

Nik Peachey

Using Wise Quotes Alongside Efl Esl Students

I've ever flora wise (and sometimes non in addition to hence wise) quotes actually useful, both inside the classroom amongst students in addition to every bit a mode of introducing a theme when writing materials. I've used lots of dissimilar websites to honor quotes over the years, simply Get the News Through Images

Adventure Narratives for EFL ESL Students

Exploiting 2 computer-based RPGs

Exploiting Travel Images

Art Photography every bit a Basis for Language Activities

Create Image Books

A Picture's worth

Picture phrases

Best

Nik Peachey

Creating Social Phrasebooks Alongside Phraseum

I pass a lot of fourth dimension looking at dissimilar web-based tools in addition to apps in addition to thinking nearly if in addition to how they tin hold upward used for learning. Sometimes it takes unopen to thought in addition to at other times it’s actually obvious. With Phraseum it was straight off obvious that this was a actually non bad tool for learning.

Phraseum allows you lot to collect words, phrases in addition to sentences from anywhere on the spider web piece you lot you browse in addition to organise them into social phrasebooks.

Phraseum is a browser-based tool which tin hold upward activated from your browser toolbar. Simply create an concern human relationship in addition to and therefore drag the ‘Clipping button’ bookmarklet to your favourites bar on your browser.

Once that’s done you lot tin simply collect whatever words or phrases that you lot respect online yesteryear highlighting them in addition to and therefore clicking on the bookmarklet. This opens upward a window where you lot tin add together tags to the phrase in addition to add together your ain soul notes in addition to annotations. The tags could hold upward a definition, translation, business office of spoken communication or something nearly the context inwards which it could hold upward used. You tin in addition to therefore salvage the phrase into i of your phrasebooks. The phrases in addition to phrasebooks tin hold upward soul or they tin hold upward made populace in addition to therefore shared alongside others.

If you lot desire to include specific words or phrases from a give-and-take document or PDF, you lot tin also simply type inwards the words or phrases you lot desire to include inwards your phrasebooks, but if you lot salvage them from the spider web in addition to therefore Phraseum also stores a link dorsum to the master copy source, therefore you lot tin become dorsum in addition to run into how the give-and-take or phrase is used inwards context. You tin also acquire a link from the phrase to a translation from Google Translate.

Phraseum is social, therefore you lot tin part phrases in addition to phrasebooks alongside anyone else on the site in addition to follow other people if you lot similar the kinds of things they are saving in addition to sharing. You tin also click on whatever of the tags on your phrase to respect other related words or phrases which direct keep been saved yesteryear other users in addition to add together those to your ain collection.

If you lot run social media alongside your students you lot tin post service the phrases you lot salvage through diverse social media channels therefore this is a non bad means to feed data in addition to activities into something similar a Facebook grouping or page or a Twitter feed that you lot run alongside students.

All of the entries you lot brand to Phraseum tin hold upward edited in addition to changed, therefore students tin e'er add together additional tags, alter them in addition to add together the same entry to multiple phrasebooks.

Phraseum also enables you lot to follow people inwards a similar means to Twitter or Pinterest. If you lot follow people you lot tin run into their populace phrasebooks in addition to continue up-to-date alongside what they are saving.

This is actually useful if you lot are using it alongside students, every bit yesteryear next them you lot tin easily monitor their piece of occupation in addition to run the comments characteristic if you lot require to help, back upward or encourage your students.

Here are a few examples of phrasebooks I've created:

• A collection of concern related collocations
• Quotes on education
• Words related to politics

How to run Phraseum alongside students

• You could acquire started simply yesteryear creating a few of your ain useful phrasebooks in addition to sharing them alongside your students.
• If you lot similar to pre-teach vocabulary, a expert means to exercise this would hold upward to create a vocabulary phrasebook from a item online article you lot would similar your students to read. They tin hold back at the phrasebook earlier they read in addition to banking concern tally they sympathise the vocabulary, or run it every bit a reference piece or afterward they read.
• You could also collect a phrasebook alongside a collections of to a greater extent than random words in addition to phrases in addition to run into if the students tin predict the genre or sort of text the phrases came from.
• You tin collect phrases into a phrasebook in addition to inquire students to propose appropriate tags to add.
• If you lot develop your students to run Phraseum in addition to therefore they tin foremost using it to create phrasebooks piece they read. They tin sort novel words into specific groups. They could hold upward grouped according to the source or theme or they could grouping words according to give-and-take classification such every bit parts of spoken communication or types of collocation.
• You tin acquire students to part phrasebooks in addition to crosscheck therefore that they part vocabulary in addition to banking concern tally that they direct keep similar definitions or translations of the words.
• You tin ship students on treasure hunts for specific things, for instance searching for concern related collocations. If they run this every bit the tag they volition in addition to therefore hold upward able to part their results together (any tag you lot click on shows you lot all other words in addition to phrases which part that same tag).
• Get students to run the phrasebooks to revise in addition to review their vocabulary.

What I similar nearly Phraseum

• I dearest that it industrial plant inwards the browser tool bar. This makes it actually slow in addition to quick to access at whatever fourth dimension you lot are online.
• I actually similar the social aspect too. Being able to part in addition to compare phrasebooks alongside other people is actually useful.
• It’s non bad that it makes it slow for students to become dorsum to the source of the give-and-take or phrase.
• Saving phrases actually encourages students to mean value nearly words inside lexical chunks rather than every bit independent entities.
• Phraseum tin hold upward used inwards multiple languages.
• It’s free.

I mean value this is a non bad tool to back upward to a greater extent than of a lexical approach to online learning. It tin also back upward students digital literacy in addition to written report skills. I promise you lot in addition to your students respect Phraseum useful. Be certain to part inwards the comments whatever ideas you lot direct keep for using it alongside your students.

Related links:

• Get Students Checking Grammar in addition to Collocation 
• How I run social media for my professional person development  
• Two Contrasting Views of Educational Technology 
• Online Teacher Development Works Best - xv Reasons Why
• Developing your digital written report skills

Best

Nik Peachey