MailVU (Week 9)

What?

MailVU is the greatest tool I ever seen in my life. It is a website that allows users to create a video message on their own preference. The website is free and users friendly. What you need to have in order to record you video is a webcam. After finish recording, you can send it to others via e-mail. The activity is suitable for secondary students age 14-17 years old.

MailVU webpage

How to do it?

Step 1: Go to MailVU website.
Step 2: Click at the record button and start record
Step 3: Send you 'product' to others via e-mail

* If you want to have a clear instruction on how to use mailVU, you can visit Russell Stannard's website

Suggested activites:

1. The best activity that can be used with the tool is speaking activity. Students will talk about their background using mailVU. After finish the recording, they will send an e-mail to the teachers. Teacher can give a feedback if necessary.

2. Moreover, it can be used as a listening activity. Teacher can create an information gap between students in a task. Students need to listen to the video made by their friend in order to complete the task.

I like it because:

1. It creates variation of learning styles in a classroom. It makes the learning become meaningful to the students.
2. Personalization in learning happens as students freely can choose their own topic of the video as long as it is relevant for them as student. It motivates them to explore more on the language
3. It provides an authentic listening materials for students. It puts their language leaning in a meaningful context.
4. It suitable for all level of students. Students will speak using their own level of competency. The affective filter may reduce as there is no stress at all for the students.

I don't like it because:

1. some technical problems whereby the website is not suitable with certain browsers
2. It cannot be embedded into blogs.

Reference Site:

mailVU on Youtube!

Wallwisher (Week 5)

Hi everyone, we meet again. this time, i am going to tell you about a tool called wallwisher.

What?

Wallwisher is a Web 2.0 free online tool where anyone can build a “wall”. Discussing a new idea? Taking notes? Giving feedback? Voicing opinion? Wishing a happy birthday? Your students can then go onto the internet and stick post-it notes electronically onto your wall. The notes can include linked pictures, You Tube videos, PowerPoints, PDF documents, Excel Spreadsheets, or web page links.

wallwisher webpage

How to do it?

Step 1: Browse to wall wishers website.
Step 2: Create an online noticeboard and check out ideas for using Wallwisher with the students.
Step 3: Have students add to teacher's wall/notice board.



*If you want to know more about wall wishers, you can view This site taken from eduTecher.

Suggested activities:

1. Teacher can use wall wishers as a platform of feedback from students. At the end of lesson, teacher gives time for students to reflect their own learning by put it up on the wall board.

2. Teacher can use it at the beginning of lesson. Wall wishers being used to generate ideas or points to write such as during writing activity.

I like it because:

1. Students can express themselves on the 'wall' even the quiet or shy students in a classroom
2. Good ideas to get feedback from students during lesson.

I don't like it because:

1. During discussion, students may post unnecessary comments on the wall. Teacher needs to make sure that the students do not lose focus in contributing the ideas.
2. Teacher find it a bit difficult to identify the students if they use an anonymous name to post on the wall.

PIMPAMPUM Bubblr! (Week 5)

Hi, we meet again. Today, we will explore a tool in learning language which called PIMPAMPUM Bubblr.

What?

Bubblr is a tool to create comic strips using photos from flickr.com. There are plenty of pictures that we can choose and add bubbles to it to describe what the picture is all about. The tool is suitable for a young learner in the age of 9 to 13 years old. It may not be suitable for adult learners as the activity is too easy and they may feel bored when doing it.

PIMPAMPUM Bubblr

How to do it?

Step 1: Go to PIMPAMPUM Bubblr website and you can see as above.
Step 2: Type on tag column any specific topic that you want to search for the images
Step 3: Choose your pictures and add bubbles to describe what it is all about.
Step 4: Publish your images and sent it to others.

*If you want more explanation on how to use this website, you can view this Video


The example of Bubblr:



Suggested activities:

1. This tool can be used as supplement task in class after doing the main task. The teacher may ask students to sum up the learning objectives that they learn in a mini comic strips and present it in front of class.

2. It can also be a homework for students as it can creates autonomous learning. Teacher will ask students to sent their 'product' of learning via e-mail. Teacher can give a feedback for students if necessary.


I like it because:

1. It promotes students creativity in designing order of the pictures based on their interest. It also creates personalization in learning. Thus, it boost students' motivation to learn the language.
2. Students can do it during a leisure time. In other words, it promotes autonomous learning.
3. There are lots of pictures to choose based on their interest. Students enjoy what they are doing!
4. It is free to use and everyone can use it.

I don't like it because:

1. It may take times for students to finish up the work as there are lot of choices of pictures if teacher wants to do it as an activity in a classroom.
2. Teachers cannot control students' preferences of topic and the use of inappropriate language.
3. It may look boring for advanced learners as the activity is all about pictures and description of it.

Alternative way

Instead of using Bubblr, you can also use Bookr as it function exactly the same.