About Me

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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.
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts

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, 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?

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Christmas Wishlist


Christmas is almost there and it’s time to start thinking about what to offer. Books make perfect gifts and there are books suitable to every taste and pocket as well! Either with bookstore gift certificates, or taking advantage of book fairs, book sales, discounts or even second-hand books, there are no possible excuses for not choosing at least a book for yourself and/or for a Christmas gift.
Now, what books have caught your eye during 2012? Which ones are in your Christmas wishlist, either for you to buy / read or would like to get as a Christmas present? What book(s) are you most looking forward to reading on your upcoming days off?
My challenge and request would be for YOU to visit this  new wallwisher and simply write down what your choice(s) is/are. You just have to double click to add a new post-it or drag a file from your computer; If you wish to add any kind of multimedia file, at the bottom of the post, there are options to add a link, upload a file, or take a picture from webcam.
Why Wallwisher? Well, because it is so simple and allows you to publish anonymously. Experience tells me that many people visit this blog and one of the reasons some readers don’t leave a comment is to avoid being identified… That’s ok, I understand that - and exactly to try and persuade more people to collaborate and share their preferences, I’ve created this wallwisher. Nevertheless, if you lack ideas and/or have read a book recently, why not pay here a visit and (also) leave your recommendation(s)? 
Brace yourselves! Christmas is coming... and so (hopefully) are books!
Happy Wishing :=)

Friday, June 29, 2012

Stephen King on... books

--Books are the perfect entertainment: no commercials, no batteries, hours of enjoyment for each dollar spent. What I wonder is why everybody doesn't carry a book around for those inevitable dead spots in life.--

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Ray Bradbury on... books

--There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.--

Monday, June 25, 2012

Maya Angelou on... books

--For a person who grew up in the '30s and '40s in the segregated South, with so many doors closed without explanation to me, libraries and books said, "Here I am, read me." Over time I have learned I am at my best around books.--
                        Maya Angelou (on Facebook, Oct. 30. 2010)

Friday, December 16, 2011

8 days to Christmas

I'm grateful that my two sons love reading as much as I do and today's tip is one of the books I chose for them for Christmas - yes, for both because though the collection is more appropriate for kiddies (7-10) I'm sure my eldest son will also read it :) Geronimo Stilton Special Edition: Christmas Catastrophe. Hope you / your kids love it!
                *~* Happy Reading... and Happy Christmas *~*

Friday, April 23, 2010

WORLD BOOK AND COPYRIGHT DAY - April 23rd

Unesco has declared April 23 as World Book and Copyright Day, a celebration of books and reading.
To mark this date a poem by dub poet, Levi Tafari.

REACH FOR THE STARS

BOOKS ARE COOL
BOOKS ARE FUN
BOOKS SHOULD BE READ
BY EVERYONE

BOOKS ARE COOL
BOOKS ARE FUN
BOOKS SHOULD BE READ
BY EVERYONE

It's time to visit
your library
there you can borrow
BOOKS for free
BOOKS for the young
BOOKS for the old
in BOOKSHOPS
BOOKS are bought and sold

BOOKS on poetry
BOOKS about sports
BOOKS tha are long
BOOKS that are short
BOOKS for girls
BOOKS for boys
with sound effects
that make a lot of noise

BOOKS about ships
BOOKS on planes
BOOKS about cars
BOOKS on trains
BOOKS on animals
BOOKS on religion
BOOKS that give you
INSPIRATON!

BOOKS with Witches
casting spells
BOOKS that you can
scratch and smell
Picture BOOKS
that have no words
BOOKS on insects
BOOKS about birds

Autobiographical BOOKS
portraying someone's life
fictional BOOKS
putting you on the edge of a knife
Horror BOOKS
with a sting in the tale
BOOKS for people
who read in Braille

BOOKS on romance
BOOKS with passion
BOOKS on the famous
BOOKS on fashion
BOOKS on war and outer space
BOOKS about the people
of the human race

BOOKS that teach
You how to cook
You can even get books
BOOKS about BOOKS
Text BOOKS are used in education
they are filled with information

If you really want
to succeed
choose the right BOOK
and start to read
REACH FOR THE STARS
And you'll discover
Now digest that BOOK
from cover to cover.

Because...

BOOKS ARE COOL
BOOKS ARE FUN
BOOKS SHOULD BE READ
BY EVERYONE

BOOKS ARE COOL
BOOKS ARE FUN
BOOKS SHOULD BE READ
BY EVERYONE
                                LEVI TAFARI, July 1997
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish
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