Tech Resources

To get started, here are three resources that any teacher can use in their classroom:

 

Blendspace: This FREE resource has many uses. Essentially, it is a slick, multimedia content delivery platform. For those at Ohio State, think of it as Carmen’s younger hipper little sister. Blendspace integrates with YouTube, Flickr, Google Search, Google Drive, Dropbox, and Vimeo allowing you to make “lessons” with an array of media files. You can even drag and drop files from your PC, so adding .pptx or .docx files is no problem at all. It’s as easy as dragging and dropping the content you want into a ready-to-use lesson tiled template. I’ve had students introduce themselves digitally. I’ved used Blendspace to create online study guides, which for limited English proficiency students has proven very helpful by isolating the information the students need to review before assessment. With more advanced students, I’ve had them create their own study guides to share with classmates. You can also search the Blendspace site (formerly EdCanvas) for “lessons” made by others. For example, my students really enjoyed the Grammar Rock videos from the 1980s which helped them review the parts of speech. I hope you will consider using this website, it’s too easy not to.

Sample “Lessons” on Blendspace
My Autobiography “Lesson”
Study Guide for Past Continuous
Grammar Rocks Videos: Reviewing Parts of Speech

 

PechaKucha: This might not be a “tech resource” so much as it is a presentation format, but nonetheless, I feel you should know about it and try it with your students. Most simply, it is a presentation with PowerPoint or Keynote (or some similar presentation software) of 20 slides, each advancing automatically after 20 seconds. It’s a fresh, enjoyable, efficient way of delivering information in an engaging way on just about any topic. Slides are usually high quality images and text is used minimally. This puts the onus on the presenter’s speaking skill rather than their PowerPoint animations and sounds. PechaKucha presentations began at an architecture firm in Japan in 2003 for young designers to meet, network, and show their work in public.PechaKucha nights have become common all around the world, now in nearly 700 cities. THe beauty of PechaKucha, IMHO, is that it can be used to present information on ANY topic. With PechaKucha you can advocate, educate, motivate, or simply entertain. Find the PechaKucha night in your community and start experiencing and practicing this “art of concise presentations”.

PechaKucha Links:
PechaKucha near you
PK on Human Trafficking: Force. Fraud. Coercion (sample presentation)
PK on Breakfast in Columbus: “Breakfast with Nick” (filmed at OSU’s Wexner Center for the Arts)
“Developing Oral Presentation Skills with PechaKucha” (Ohio TESOL 2012 poster presentation by yours truly…a large file, sorry!)

 

 

 

 

 

Google Voice: This is a convenient way of recording student speech, and best of all, it’s completely free! If you don’t already have a Google Account, it’s time to get one…welcome to the 21st century! Google has changed the way I find, report, and receive information. Now, it’s even changed they way I get voicemail. With Google Voice, I signed up for a Google telephone number and set up my voicemail, as I would on a regular phone. Then, I shared my new Google phone number (with a local 614 area code no less) with my students. The number is mine to keep as long as I have the Google account. With my classes, I have had students complete oral reading/recitation assignments to assess pronunciation, make oral introductions, practice upcoming oral presentations, or respond to an article or video. Anytime you want the students to speak about something and you want it recorded, you can use Google Voice. The advantages of using Google Voice are many: 1) it’s very easy to use for both student and teacher; 2) Google transcribes the voicemail messages, which can easily be emailed to the students with the audio; 3) it doesn’t fill your personal voicemail box with messages from your students; 4) (nearly) all students have this technology: a phone; 5) you can download and embed the files, as I have below, so that students can self evaluate their speech or invite others to review it.

Here are a couple examples my students let me embed on this page:

Transcript:

Good afternoon. Today, we’re going to discuss how creating a positive dining
experience is key to the success of your restaurant. A smart restaurant owner needs to
understand two major concepts about customer service: First, that there are many
factors that contribute to making customers feel satisfied. And second, that a successful
dining experience is built on contrast. Now what do I mean by “contrast”? By this I
mean the restaurant staff must work hard so that customers can relax. I can’t
emphasize this enough. For today’s lecture, I’d like you to take the perspective of a
restaurant owner. Pretend that you’re someone like me, who starts a small restaurant
because you love cooking and you love bringing enjoyment to people through food. Will
this be enough to guarantee your customers satisfaction and your restaurant success?
The answer is no!
(Lecture excerpt is from Contemporary Topics 2, Unit 4 – Owning a Successful Restaurant. Pearson.)

Still not sold? Watch this video!