About Me

My photo
Portugal
I am from Coimbra, Portugal, and am currently teaching in a school in Soure, about 30 km away from Coimbra. I have been a teacher of English for over 20 years and have already taught different levels and age groups. After all this time I can say I love working with adult groups because there are no coursebooks and I can create my own resources. I am an avid reader, a blogger and very curious about free tools and their implementation in the classroom.

Monday, August 11, 2014

New tool: Clarisketch


Have just returned from some days off and shared a guessing activity with my students in our class blog using a free Android app Clarisketch.


How?
1. Download the Clarisketch application into your tablet or smartphone. This app is for free and works on Androids 2.3.6 Gingerbread or higher.
2. Take a picture or use one from your camera.
3. Record your voice.
4. While adding voice to your pic, you can also draw on it highlighting details and commenting.
5. In the end, send or share it. No embedding, but a link to share. Here's my example - the one I used with my students:

http://www.clarisketch.com/sketch/7Y5Fla3i0h56U9N2yQXJ8N

What?
As you can see, it's very user-friendly and relevant for classroom use as a listening activity, eventually also combining reading; it can be used for tutorials, for homework, instructions, directions... or as a guessing activity. By the way: where was I???

Enjoy your holidays :)

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Printed Books vs Screen Reading

Hooray!
Time to celebrate: after some resistance, I’ve finally finished reading my first digital book and am reading a second one already!
For me it’s definitely an improvement, a step forward, which has taken place because I had no more physical books to read and love reading in bed. It was, therefore, a kind of last resort but, ok, I’m glad it happened and now I feel it was just a question of time. Besides it wasn’t that bad really.
As you all know, I am a huge fan of Gutenberg and his invention and am going to let him down. I don’t even own an e-reader (and don’t plan to buy one!) and the digital reading I’ve been doing is free. I’m not ready to pay for a digital file, a “book”, I can’t actually touch – at least not yet. What I did was therefore look for public domain ebooks across different platforms (some tips and links here and here from slide 34 onwards), chose the format and downloaded 2 ebooks I've been meaning to read for ages. Right now, I'm proud to "announce" that I've managed to read The Secret Garden from cover to cover, and am reading Room with a View .
I can't deny I' enjoying it. I am! At night, when when my eyes feel strained, I change to font size 36, the brightness of the monitor and / or lettering and keep reading for some more time. What about you, have you had a similar experience?
Though much has already been said about screen and paper reading, I’d like to butt in too once I’ve just had the experience. Quite clearly, both have advantages and disadvantages and ultimately it’s up to each one of us to evaluate our needs and decide.
Here is what I’ve come up with. I’m sure I haven’t covered all aspects and that’s exactly why I would like to ask for your contributions with comments. 


Please consider audiobooks, for example, from herethis linkand/or a recent publication by UNESCO "Reading in the mobile era" you can download  http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002274/227436e.pdf 
Thank you!
Happy holidays and happy readings, too.

Friday, July 4, 2014

4th July, US Independence Day

http://www.whitehouse.gov/
 After an exhausting school year and still recovering, a surprise arrives by traditional mail: an invite for a reception at the US Embassy Lisbon to celebrate the 4th of July.

4th of July is Independence Day in the USA, now over 200 years old! The aforementioned invite and its background have prompted this post but just to introduce some info on the topic once only in September will we be back at school. Besides, it is also a local holiday and if needed be, both can be used for lessons on Citizenship, on Celebrations, History...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_Independence_(Trumbull)
For history stuff, History.com is, for me, the most comprehensive and trustworthy site and it's no exception in what concerns the events that led to the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain in 1776. It includes several videos and lots of info also on Thomas Jefferson, a draftsman of the Declaration of Independence.


In biography.com, another great site, there is more info on the The Founding Fathers, the men behind the Declaration of Independence.

The US Declares Independence is one of the amazing videos shared by history.com and here you have in-depth all you need concerning the topic.

 

To finish off the best way possible, here's John Green's Crash Course on 4th of July - with his usual humour and irony. Delightful!!!
Happy Independence Day, Happy 4th July - whether in Coimbra or anywhere else :)

Sunday, June 22, 2014

ThingLink for Interactive Books

#1 What is ThingLink?
ThingLink is a free user-friendly digital tool that allows us to create and share interactive images. All can be done effortlessly and quickly and one can turn any static image into a multimedia rich interactive graphic by adding video, other images, audio, links to different sources...
In addition to the coloured dots / nubbins, ThingLink now has more graphic icons - we can therefore choose the one that best suits our purpose when tagging images.

#2 ThingLink in the Classroom
Its uses in the classroom are limitless. We can use it for any subject, any grade! Depending on our goals, we can tag the information ourselves or use it as a collaborative tool and ask our students to add /tag info. I've used it before with maps, with famous paintings as you can read here; I've used it with students for introductions as well as to introduce myself.

#3 Using ThingLink for Reading Suggestions
An interesting way of using this innovative and flexible tool in the classroom is also for Reading recommendations and suggestions. Bring books to life by collecting resources, challenging students / potential readers with questions, highlighting important info, presenting the author!
"Gone Girl" is a book I've finished reading recently and absolutely loved it. By then I wrote a short review here (please scroll down as there are already over 100 books!) and once the movie is going to premiere in the beginning of October, I thought about recommending it beforehand :) Here it is:

I'd be very glad to hear from you! Thanks :)
Many thanks to Susan Oxnevad for the #TLChallenge 

Sunday, June 15, 2014

How to take the most of THE WORLD CUP

2014 World Cup Mascot

With the World Cup in motion and our students enjoying their summer break (though not the teachers), time for fun and some learning in-between, don’t you agree?
I’ve collected some resources / links with stuff connected to football and the World Cup.

1. Let’s start with books - simple ones and not that expensive, ok?  ;)



Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby, is an award winning football classic.









Horrid Henry and the Football Fiend by Francesca Simon has a low level of English and is therefore great for newly confident readers.








The Story Of Football, by Rob Jones, takes a look at Football through the ages, from the Roman Army to the modern day.




The Story of The World Cup, by Richard Brassey, is definitely a book for all ages that I'm sure you'll enjoy.







World Football Facts and Records, unlike the previous books, is packed with info and stats on football.







2. In what concerns vocabulary - or games - there is absolutely no shortage, but quantity means we have to be very careful in selecting the most appropriate ones for our classes. 
Here you will find a very clear, simple and organised soccer / football guide. Do have a look! Also here you'll find basic football vocabulary.
However, the most comprehensive place for students to practise football vocab is at the British Council - check its variety and quality!!!

3. Now, finally, games:
Check FIFA! Yap, there you'll find plenty of interesting games for you to play.
There is another great place for nice games. At ESOL Games, especially under the heading "Activities for English Beginners and Elementary Students", the games are quite easy for 7th / 8th graders. Why not check this one or this to have an idea?
Again, the British Council has fantastic games for all to play here.

There are also movies. An example is "Bend it Like Beckham", a 2003 comedy about bending the rules to reach one's goals and explores the world of female football (some worksheets included here).

As a curiosity, I'm including a video about the introduction of QR Codes made with Portuguese cobblestone in Brazil  in order to guide and provide tourists with relevant information. Technology also at the service of the World Cup!
Now that so many of our students already have smartphones, QR Codes are also a great idea to use in our classes - for scavenger hunts, for worksheets, for pics...


Have fun and enjoy the matches!

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Narrable in my classroom

What it is
Narrable is an online platform that allows users to create narrated slideshows. It is very user-friendly and teachers may now create free unlimited projects.
How to create Narrables
Fast and easy steps to follow:

1. Sign up
2. Click “Create” in the top-right corner
3. Upload photos, pictures, images to start with
4. Resize your pics, change order
5. Record audio or upload a file
6. Share your narrable if you wish – by email, on Facebook… I am embedding my first narrable below J
Here is also a Tutorial by the Narrable folks on how to create a narrable.



It’s no news that I am an avid reader and that I instill my students to read even if they start reading in Portuguese; it’s no news either that I love to showcase my students’ work, and not just what’s perfect, but our / their best efforts. Indeed, the students who have moved forward with these book recommendations belong to a very weak class yet they have shown some willingness to overcome their difficulties and improve. While recording – and some recordings took us well over 3 or 4 attempts – the students reported anxiety and trembling voices which says a lot about their commitment. They wish to feel proud of their work as they know it is going to be heard giving their best, even a special needs student included in this slideshow.  This has been our first attempt with narrable and, as such, for a new one, I will only use a mic and / or a mobile phone recording to add to the pics to improve sound quality.
Possible uses
Though I tend to use the web 2.0 tools I come across primarily for book recommendations in English (and in Portuguese for the school library), some other ideas for implementing this tool in the classroom are, for example, for digital storytelling, to tell a story using pics as prompts, to describe historical sites, to introduce yourself using personal pics, for physical description even if with avatars… an endless array of possibilities according to our goals, right?
Now my students' reading recommendations on Narrable.



Well, what do you think?

Friday, June 6, 2014

Book Challenge - WINNER

The Book Challenge for the "The Fault In Our Stars" is now closed - exactly on the day that marks the official release of its movie adaptation ;)

As promised, here is the missing info on the quiz: I am a registered member at Goodreads and there I find lots of reading tips as well as challenges like the one I used for the google form.
In 3 weeks the movie will debut in Portugal and those who haven't read the book still have some time to do it, also because they have now some weeks off from school. As for the winner of the current challenge - it's GABI!!! Here are her correct answers:


So, GABI, thank you for your entries and congratulations! Please come forward so that I can give you the deserved prize: a book to read (what else?) and some other stuff, including the traditional "paper and pen" for you to start writing your own book as well :)

Thank you, too, to all other participants.

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Book Challenge

In about a month, the movie "The Fault In Our Stars" (based on the book by John Green with the same title) will debut in Portugal. For those who have already read this amazing novel - as well as for those who still plan to do it before the movie come out - here's a quiz which may give you a PRIZE to be awarded in the beginning of June.
Disclaimer: I'm not the author of these questions, I simply created the form. The source will be disclosed along with the winner ;)
Good Luck!!!

Monday, May 12, 2014

The Fault in Our Stars - book & movie

»» Book Cover

I absolutely loved this book by American award-winning author John Green and am looking forward to watching the movie from June 26th onwards.
If you haven't read it yet, you should - either in the original version (please check this) or in Portuguese. This is a novel about 2 teens who meet in a cancer support group and fall in love. While it may sound a bit sad and heartbreaking - and it is - it is a beautiful story about being young and in love, about life and loss.


Here's a compilation of my favourite quotes from the book for you:

10 Inspirational Quotes from Alexandra Duarte
The book has also inspired others to bake cupcakes based on Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters's story as you can watch below (and a great idea for those who have vocational classes: instill reading and promoting their creativity by asking them to create cakes / cupcakes / tarts ... based on the books) :
Soon the movie will premiere and I am super excited to watch it.
Here's the trailer to whet your appetite for reading this novel while waiting for the movie.

 Only yesterday did I come across the official soundtrack and my favourite is the one by Ed Sheeran.  Listen:

Well, what are you waiting for? Read the book  :)
Happy Reading!

Sunday, April 27, 2014

4+ Ideas for Mother's Day

Though the date differs in other countries, in Portugal we celebrate Mother's Day every year on the first Sunday of May - in a week's time. This has led me to collect some materials and gather ideas to mark this date in my classes, but without spending much time with it and using the few resources we have.
I would like to start by sharing here a very clever ad (maybe you've already come across it) that left me speechless the first time I watched it. I plan to use it as a lovely motivation in my classes to challenge kids to thank their Moms.
See for yourself! It is just awesome: a touching and heartelt tribute to all Moms who have the toughest job in the world.



Here is also a fab infographic on Mother's Day and Motherhood, definitely worth checking, and a video with the history of Mother's Day.
As for "Thank You" ideas for our students and classes, some tips would be ...

  • to create and send a free Mother's Day Animoto video: students surely have pictures on their own and with their Moms and those photos can be used by themselves to create a 30sec free video or they can also share those pics with the teacher who will then very easily create a video;
  • Students can also be challenged to (temporarily) swap their facebook covers to honour their moms using (the same) pics, whether with a simple photocollage or using a great free tool, Smilebox;
  • As mentioned before, a photocollage is always an amazing choice and there is no shortage of free tools, even for mobile devices;
  • The easiest, and also the most common, is to send a free ecard. There is no lack of alternatives here either, but sts can try 123greetings once it also includes some videos / songs.
  • ...
My Sts are not into drawing and Ts don't have much time now. These ideas will therefore save us time in class, motivate Sts for something so personal and we will be including something they all love: technology. Even if their moms don't have FB accounts or email addresses, our students do and can show them; besides, there is always the possibility of printing, at home or at school. What do you think?


Happy Mother's Day, y'all!




Thursday, April 17, 2014

Happy Easter... with Vine!

Easter is approaching and it’s high time I wished you all a very Happy Easter. This time I decided to do that with a new app which is also one of the fastest growing social networks (6 million members!!!), Vine.
Here is the result: my first Vine (ever!):


Please click on the top left icon for sound!

App Description: Vine is a mobile app owned by Twitter, available for Android  here, iOS devices here and Windows Phone here that lets users create and share very short, looping videos by pressing and holding our finger down on the screen. Even though videos are limited to six seconds, it doesn’t mean they can’t be beautiful and meaningful; besides, one can start and stop recording as many times as one wishes to during those 6 secs to include several different scenes.
Getting Started: download the app but do check if your version is compatible as not all devices are able to record (camera icon on the top right corner of your screen)
Then set up your profile and you can start creating Vines! Vine is video for the masses, led by youngsters all over the world, being Nash Grier 
the top viner with over 7,2M followers.
Just like in other social networks, use hashtags for your Vines; you can like, “revine”, comment, share and embed your 6 sec videos, and yes, uploads are unlimited.
Now, as teacher trainer, author, online professor Shelly Terrell points out, what are the benefits of 6 sec videos? What can be taught / learned with Vines?
Well, with so many social networks and easy access to new technologies, the truth is that our students spend more and more time connected and learning – the scary thing is that they may even learn more with the internet than with us in class… they love their mobile phones, their tablets and laptops, so why not make use of them to teach and learn?
Even with 6 secs videos there is a great potential for teaching and learning, and because vine videos are looped, they continuously play what one records which is great for the memorisation of concepts, of small chunks of language; we can also ask students to recreate scenes, events or characters from books, to record wishes (for instance Happy Easter), experiences or simply create something funny to share with the family and friends.

I have just challenged my students to create meaningful vines taking advantage of this Easter season, what about you?

Many Vines and Happy Easter!!!

Saturday, April 12, 2014

My son's 18th Birthday!

A different post today and for a very special reason.

My eldest kid turns 18 today! I'm so happy and proud of the young man he has become. Though it's his birthday, I feel I have received from God the best gift of all: two wonderful sons, one now to become an adult. All these years, João Diogo has been my right hand, a real blessing in my life. I'm the happiest and the proudest mum in the world, but so unwilling to let go...let's keep this short otherwise I'll keep on crying forever and ever!
Dedicated to him, a maginficent poem by Rudyard Kipling:

IF-

If you can keep your head when all about you   
    Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,   
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
    But make allowance for their doubting too;   
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
    Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
    And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:


If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;   
    If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;   
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
    And treat those two impostors just the same;   
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
    Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
    And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:


If you can make one heap of all your winnings
    And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
    And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
    To serve your turn long after they are gone,   
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
    Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’


If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,   
    Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
    If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
    With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,   
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,   
    And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!
Happy Birthday, my son!

Sunday, March 30, 2014

4+ Tools for Reading Reviews

While I haven’t had much time for reading myself lately, I’ve been instilling reading habits in my teen students.
To be honest, I’m not that demanding in what concerns language. In other words, whether they read in Portuguese or English, what really matters is that they start or keep reading. I do have one demand, though: whatever they read, they’ll have to present a review in English. Fair enough, after all I am their foreign language teacher.
For my students’ book reviews and recommendations, I’ve used the free tools below:

Animoto is an excellent tool for creating audio slideshows the only problem being the lack of space for writing / text; I have created 30 secs videos and  longer but only with an “Animoto for Education” account. 

Here are two examples: 



This is a multimedia storytelling tool that allows us to easily tell stories including photo, video, music, voice recordings and text. Have a look at this bilingual book review:


Fotobabble allows us to create beautiful talking photos / pictures. Listen to this book review now:
Another possibility is the creation of ebooks, flippable PDFs. An example is the one below I created with youblisher:

Teacher Alex
Let's not forget Tellagami which is also possible for book reviews as I mentioned in this previous post.
Hope you enjoy these tools and examples I've just shared with you. What others can you share with me? Thank you :))

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Snapchat: ephemeral photos

Snapchat is an ephemeral photo-sending app and now a huge trend among our students: with this application, available for both iOS and Android, users / snappers can take photos, record videos, add text and even include drawings on the snap and finally send it to one or more recipients. The snaps are automatically deleted shortly after they are opened / viewed according to the time (1 to 10 secs) set beforehand by the sender. In case you do want to keep the snap you got, you can take a printscreen, but the sender will get that notification.

So,
1. Download the app here for Androids or here for your iOS. 

2. When you start the app, you’ll see a large round button on its interface which is the camera button. When you press it, a photo will be taken, and if you hold the button a very short video lasting up to 10secs will be recorded. After that, one can add text by tapping the snap and / or draw onto the image by using an icon on your phone’s top right hand corner. Snaps can be sent to the ones you choose from your list of contacts / other snappers!
I’ve “played” and experimented this app with my eldest kid and I believe we can also use this in class, for example, for a speaking activity if our sts also have it installed: take a snap and send it to students as a speaking prompt!
Check this tutorial, too:

Easy and fast, right? Obviously free to download and install, too! This is one of the coolest tools but also one of the most controversial.
Snapchat has quickly risen much like Instagram while, at the same time, teens are losing interest in Facebook… Indeed, the fact that it allows us to create perishable photos, gives parents and teachers huge headaches. If we think about this for a while, we easily reach the conclusion that if it can be used for fun and for educational purposes, it has been causing a lot of worries worldwide due to sexting and cyberbullying … perverts as paedophiles are also said to be among its top users…
In any case, here is an info guide for concerned parents and educators developed by http://www.connectsafely.org/ .
Happy Snapping :)                

Sunday, March 16, 2014

St Patrick's 2014

March 17 every year marks St Patrick's Day - a holiday not only in Ireland but also in the Irish Diaspora, namely in the USA. I've referred to this celebration in previous blogsposts and last year I published here a video, an infographic and then a googleform for visitors to fill in. It was great! This year, I prepared something different, easier stuff, considering I'm teaching younger groups - though basically they all have the same content, it's up to us to choose which worksheet to use :)
Now also watch this positive video "showcasing Ireland's strengths and highlighting the qualities that make this country a great place to be." I wish I could be that proud and positive about my own country...
Child Safe info on this issue here and here .
Happy St Patrick's Day, y'all!

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Tellagami - for writing and listening

It's not the first time I mention Tellagami as a fun way to tell a story or present a report. A couple of weeks ago in this post I used it for speaking and listening - for book recommendations, chapter summaries, a short story, picture description... Another possibility is to use the same mobile app por writing and listening, in other words: students choose and personalise their avatars, voices, backgrounds and are asked to type a short text about the topic being taught in classes. The text students introduce will turn into voice. Shall we listen?


Happy listening, y'all!

Sunday, February 23, 2014

And miles to go before I sleep...

When times are hard, when you're overwhelmed with work, and despair takes over you...one just feels that maybe "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, / I took the one less traveled by, /..." (http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-road-not-taken/)
I hope better times will come but, the truth is that right now, I see everything pretty bleak (is it also a reflection of the weather???). For this week, let me just leave you a poem...
Also by Robert Frost, here is another text I love and whose last lines make so much sense for me at the moment:

Credit: www.biography.com
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though:
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse may think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.


Sunday, February 16, 2014

More Students' Readings

Another book recommendation.
Another talking photo.
Another photobabble.
Catarina, a 15-year old student of mine and one of my tenth graders' avid readers, has read a heartbreaking book, based on a real story. She liked it so much that she would like to tell us about it. Listen:


Soon it will be available in our school library as it is included in our PNL (Plano Nacional de Leitura).
So, what do you think about this one?

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Fotobabble - talking photos

By Christmas I left you this post, namely a talking photo, my personal Christmas card to all of you. To do that I used Fotobabble a very easy tool to use. After registration, 
1. Upload a picture
2. Choose Theme
3. Give it a title
4. Write tags
While one does not necessarily need to follow this order, I did leave the recording for the end. Just click on Record (Orange Icon) and then stop in the end. To check it, click on Play. After all steps, don't forget to save (right corner, below)! Easy, fast and FREE!
We can use it in classes for a listening activity; students can do it as well and share their recordings with the teacher and fellow mates and all can be embedabble into blogs – tutor blogs, class blogs, whatever. A great tool for students to develop fluency, to engage and attract!
My latest Fotobabble was to promote a book / reading for the school library ;)

The student didn’t want her own picture and therefore I just uploaded the book cover and then recorded her voice with my own computer. Please listen:


So, what do you think?
Two remarks: a bit fast, yep, I know, but the student "read" instead of simply using the info ;). The book cover is in Portuguese because I couldn't find any in English ):
Let me know what you think, will you? Thanks.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Tellagami for listening / speaking

Some of my academic readings have recently included the listening and speaking skills. As much as I like
designing activities and developing materials, I have to admit that these two skills have been somehow more neglected. I have therefore decided to invest more and more time and effort to activate them.

I shall start with Tellagami, a free mobile app, that lets you share a quick animated video, a gami.
In education gamis can be easily created by students as a speaking / listening activity; as a teacher and having my last blogpost in mind, I came up with a book recommendation.


Here it is:

Procedures
First of all, download this app for your Android (version 4.1 and above) or iOS and then you can start creating  your gami in 3 easy steps:
1. Customise a character and choose your background; alternatively, you can personalize with a photo background (I chose the book cover);
2.  Record your voice or type a message for your character to say;
3. Share your gami on FB, Twitter,… or send it by email; there is also an embed code available.
Steps 1 and 3 were fast and fun but step 2 took me longer than all the others: the recordings have to be real short (around 20secs) and I had some problems stopping where I should as there was so much to say.
Hope you enjoy. Please share your links and/or resources, too.

Thanks to Zeljko for sharing the link J

Sunday, January 19, 2014

The Book Thief


About a year ago, I read and published in my one of my Padlet walls my recommendation of an awesome book, The Book Thief by Australian writer Markus Zusak.
I absolutely loved every page but do not wish to tell you more than the site has published because you should really read it. According to the official website, "The Book Thief" "tells the inspirational story of a spirited and courageous young girl who transforms the lives of everyone around her when she is sent to live with a new family in World War II Germany". It has already been translated into Portuguese and already belongs to our PNL (Plano Nacional de Leitura) for our 9th graders. In case you do wish to read it, or have read it already, I've embedded below a discussion guide.



Anyway, this week, on Jan 23rd (Thursday) the film will be screened around the country and I'm looking forward to watching it! Here's the trailer. Mind you, young Liesel Meminger, aka Sophie Nélisse, has won the "Breakthrough Performance Award" for her work in "The Book Thief" movie at the Satellite Awards in 2013!



Further info / links:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-07/the-book-thief-reveals-australian-connection/5189576 - interview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75qIV9qM228 - a relevant bit from the movie: it's a dictionary!

Sunday, January 12, 2014

ExamTime

For their Christmas break, I asked my 10th graders to watch the movie Spanglish, and to prepare a 5-minute presentation on it. I would be naive if I was expecting all students to do it... so, I created a set of flashcards using ExamTime for review and consolidation.
ExamTime is a free tool that allows us (or the students themselves) to create, share and discover resources and in which we can build mind maps, flashcards, quizzes and notes - all for free. It's a very user-friendly tool, but in the cards in which I chose to introduce images, I couldn't add any text, ie, a question.
Below is my first set of flashcards with Examtime!


by Teacher Alex
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