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.

Photo Assignments For Efl Esl Students Inwards 2D Life

One of the things that I actually similar virtually Teaching Speaking inwards Second Life

Materials blueprint for Virtual Worlds

Teaching English linguistic communication inwards Second Life

Second Life Teacher Training Videos

Looking at There.com

Machinima amongst Moviestorm

3B Village 3D browser

The videos used inwards this posting were originally commissioned past times The Consultants-E together with are business office of an introductory flat for teachers they deliver on Edunation Island II together with are used amongst their variety consent.

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

Animated Efl Esl Writing Prompts

Here's something that's fun for the weekend in addition to beyond. H5N1 site amongst a collection of icon in addition to gif generators that y'all tin customise amongst your EFL ESL students in addition to add together their texts to. This is an example i I created amongst Animating vocabulary

Make y'all ain animated movies

Picture phrases

Activities for students:

• Extending a Sentence
• 60 Second Writing Activity
• Create an English linguistic communication Cartoon

Best

Nik Peachey

Text To Speech Communication Movies For Efl Esl

Yesterday on my Text to Speech for EFL ESL Materials

Creating audio-visual monologues

Drama projection tools

Make you lot ain animated movies

Developing screencast tutorials

Extending a Sentence

60 Second Writing Activity

Create an English linguistic communication Cartoon

Best
Nik Peachey

Revising Brusk Texts Together With Syntax On Iwb

Extending a Sentence. You could propose a give-and-take to add together to the judgement together with and therefore students tin create upward one's hear how together with where they larn far gibe together with what other words they involve to add together alongside it.

Focus on classify - You could purpose it to focus on classify past times creating an practise using examples of sentences alongside a specific construction that yous desire to revise. Get the students to conform the words of the sentences together with therefore highlight similarities inwards structure.

Parts of speech - You tin larn students to coloring code the parts of speech communication inwards the judgement of coloring highlight collocations, etc.

What I similar well-nigh it

• Word magnets is free, slow to use.
  
• You tin purpose it to create materials together with exercises almost straight off without whatsoever preparation.
  
• Once the Flash swf file is opened upward it industrial plant speedily inwards your browser together with therefore doesn't require a fast connector or whatsoever software downloads.
• It tin force students to actually shout upward well-nigh syntax together with collocation without having to focus also much on applying sets of rules.
• It makes text much easier to manipulate on an IWB (if yous receive got e'er tried to create an practise similar this on an IWB, you'll know that it takes a long time).
• You tin larn students upward to the board together with moving the words around together with changing the colours themselves.
  

What I'm non therefore certain about

• It's a shame yous cant salve activities, only at to the lowest degree this agency that yous aren't violating copyright past times cutting together with pasting text every bit all activities are transitory.
• It would endure useful to receive got a solution push that yous could click together with run into the words inwards the correct order. Again though this could also endure a do goodness because it encourages students to continue trying rather than plough over upward together with larn the answer.

Translate Shakespeare two Text Lingo iv Twitter??

Goolge Maps for Directions

Prompting reading speeds

Comparing Texts to Aid Noticing

Write Your Own Quick Biography

Animated EFL ESL Writing Prompts

Text to Speech for EFL ESL Materials

Creating audio-visual monologues

Drama projection tools

Best

Nik Peachey

Peer Editing Inward Digital Too Mobile Environments

For years immediately I cause got been happily using EtherPad based services similar http://primarypad.com/ and http://sync.in/ to acquire participants on the grooming courses I deliver to piece of work collaboratively to exercise in addition to peer edit texts. Increasingly though I've been having problems alongside the reliability of the complimentary services these companies furnish in addition to the lack of reliable compatibility alongside mobile devices.

At concluding it seems that immediately I cause got a really elegant solution inwards the shape of https://quip.com/.
Quip looks a lot similar Evernote in addition to has a similar interface alongside documents contained inwards notebooks, only i of the large differences is that Quip was designed specifically to enable peer editing in addition to collaboration on documents in addition to has a really clear agency of showing in addition to tracking the changes.

Here's a brusk tutorial showing y'all how it works:


Why should nosotros acquire our students peer editing?

• It improves their awareness of accuracy
• It tin hand the axe improve the character of their writing
• Pushes students to convey that writing is a procedure that needs revisions in addition to redrafting
• The mightiness to collaborate inwards digital environments is probable to live on an of import existent footing digital literacy

What kinds of peer editing activities tin hand the axe nosotros exercise alongside students?

• We tin hand the axe hand them texts alongside planted errors (10 - 20) inwards to piece of work on a notice in addition to right together. These could live on the lyrics of songs they similar or stories or articles they cause got read.
• We tin hand the axe acquire students to right each others' compositions earlier nosotros await at them.
• We tin hand the axe hand them texts alongside specific features missed out in addition to acquire them to piece of work together to add together them. These could live on linking or referencing devices, punctuation, vocabulary words, grammatical features such every bit prepositions or articles etc.
• We tin hand the axe acquire them working together to rearrange parts of a text into a meliorate guild or structure.
• We tin hand the axe hand them the bare construction of a even out in addition to inquire them to embellish it in addition to acquire inwards to a greater extent than descriptive in addition to interesting.

What I similar almost Quip

• It's free
• Nicely designed interface
• Works in addition to looks good inwards both tablet  app shape in addition to inwards the browser
• Clearly tracks in addition to highlights changes to documents yesteryear dissimilar users
• It looks secure in addition to enables y'all to limit who sees in addition to works on the document spell editing
• Has a sort of chat messaging characteristic which works along side the notes for changes
• We tin hand the axe usage it to acquire students collaborating in addition to working together exterior the classroom

What I'm non in addition to then certain about

• It requires registration, which tin hand the axe tedious things downward inwards class, only it does every bit good add together a grade of security
• I haven't tried it alongside larger groups all the same in addition to then I'm non certain how reliably it volition piece of work when scaled upwards to country having a whole shape piece of work synchronously on a unmarried document
• Not certain how long it volition remain complimentary (There is a Quip Business already available)

I'm immediately looking forrad to my side yesteryear side class in addition to then that I tin hand the axe endeavour Quip out in addition to acquire a fleck to a greater extent than experience alongside it. I promise y'all every bit good notice it useful alongside your students. Do drib me a employment in addition to permit me know how it goes.

Related links:

• What exercise y'all experience are the primal digital literacy skills that 21st century learners need? 
• Get Students Checking Grammar in addition to Collocation 
• How I usage 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
• Temporary Bookmarking
• Creating a personal homepage
• Social Networks in addition to the Web 2.0 Revolution
• Create your ain social network seven steps
• A Tick List of 21st Century Digital Skills for Teachers 

Best

Nik Peachey