myBrainshark (Week 5)

Hi, today we gonna look at myBrainshark website. It is cool because you can combine both presentation slides and your own voice in it.

What?

myBrainshark is a tool that allows users to insert narration to their powerpoint presentation, word document, video or photo album. The tool is suitable for primary or secondary school students aged between 10 to 17 years old. It can also be used for adult learners.

myBrainshark

How to do it?

Step 1: Go to myBrainshark webpage and you can see like above
Step 2: upload your document that you want
Step 3: Add your audio on your document
Step 4: Share your myBrainshark with others via e-mail or embed it on blog

*For more information on how to use it, you can visit Russell Stannard website which has First and second part of it.


Suggested acivities:

1. Teacher can use brainshark during oral activity. Teacher may ask students to talk about their own life such as family background, hobbies or leisure time. It can help students to reflect their own oral presentation in using a target language.

2. It can also be a homework for students to work out by their own. It needs a quiet environment for students to add on the audio in the document. So, home is the best moment of it. Besides, it provides a platform for shy students to express themselves in the video. Teacher can give a personal feedback when the students email it using their brainshark.


I like it because:

1. It involves multitasking skills of students. For example, Oral skills when they add on the audio and writing skills when they want to describe the slide show

2. The tool can reduce affective filter of students. This is because students are free from all the pressure to speak as they can do it by their own. It makes the fluency of the speaking become clearer.

3. The 'Product' of learning can be shared with the others such as via e-mail or embedded it into blog.

I don't like it because:

1. It needs a proper technology facilities to do the task such as internet connection and microphone. If the students do not have it, it will demotivate them to explore more on the language.

2. It takes time for students to narrate their document and finish up their work. Teachers need to have a better time management plan if they want to do it in a classroom

Reference site:

Watch myBrainshark on Youtube


The example of myBrainshark:

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.