ELT Practitoner's Guide

Padlet Post your notes, ideas on Padlet Padlet is a web based canvas for constructing and collating ideas or information creatively. It is colourful and simple; students will be very enthusiastic to explore such a tool in class. To put it is easier words, it is more like sticking notes on a virtual wall. Padlet gives you an open canvas - the onus is on the users (You, the teacher or your students) on how they add content, materials, multimedia elements to it.  The padlet homepage usually looks like this. The number of padlets you will create or join will show on this page. Padlet offers some great options for you to organize your ideas on the canvas. It can be a grid, a stream (like facebook news feed!) or like a shelf. You can check the preview and choose the style your prefer. You can also ask your students about their preferences. After all, they are the ones who will lead the activities on Padlet. Why  would you want to use Padlet? Padlet allows you...

problem-solving task is an important feature of 21st century classrooms What is H5P? H5P is an open-source interactive content creating site. It is an abbreviation of HTML5 Package. The website allows users to create, design and share collaborative content using a range of content starting from games to social media. The gaming and quizzes involve problem-solving skills which is an important aspect of today's teaching and learning process.  List of contents in H5P Blended Learning H5P supports blended learning in a very smart way. Blended approach to learning emphasizes on multiple ways to deliver knowledge to students.  It combines classroom learning with online activities which give students the control, pace and time to work independently. In terms of pedagogy, it supports autonomous and experience-based learning through simulated activities online. Furthermore, students develop pro-social skills by participating in online interactive tasks. These ta...

Screencast-o-matic is an web based screen recording tool which is applicable for all processors including Mac and Chromebook. It is an easy-to use tool to online lecture capture, oral feedback, task based learning and online tutorials What is screencast? Before you use any such digital screencasting tool like screencast-o-matic, it is wise to know what is meant by the term screencasting and how we, as educators might use it in our teaching context. Screencasting is transmitting information through recording your own computer screen. As you navigate through your screen and talk, the screencast tool keeps on capturing oyur screen and voice. You can also use your webcam to build a more personalized form of screen-casting, if you like. It is even easy to create  and share multimedia presentations by screen-casting. This is a screencast tutorial created by me using Screencast-o-matic.  Many other online tutorials on Screencast-o-matic are out there, but I record...

Tubequizard is a great tool for intensive listening practice through videos. It has a bank of ready made quizzes on pronunciation practice, grammar, vocabulary in contexts and many more. All quizzes are based on YouTube videos of movies, songs, political speeches and a lot more. Not only that,  learners' language proficiency level (i.e. A2, B1, C1 etc.) can be chosen before you think of the type of practice (i.e. vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar for listeners, grammar in context etc. ) and categories (i.e. business, entertainment, film & animation, information technology etc. ) you want them to practice. Tubequizard promises autonomous learning in a very creative and interesting way. Student can engage in self-practice through this site and internalize grammar, vocabulary or pronunciation on their own by decoding.  Students  usually go through  the process of trial and error  when involved in autonomous learning and the activity design in Tubequizard ...

A word cloud on stormboard As teachers we all know how essential it is for students to brainstorm and generate ideas before they attempt to write any piece of writing. All we try to do, in a writing class, is to guide students to use mind-mapping or spider webs to plan their ideas! But have we ever thought we could engage our students in an online collaborative platform where they can freely construct and share their open thoughts and ideas through innovative 'sticky notes' ? Yes, Stormboard has made it possible for us! Let's find out how it can enrich our experience of teaching writing! Stormboard and its outstanding features Stormboard is a cost-effective virtual whiteboard that allows students and teachers to collaborate both in class and at home. Students can generate and share ideas either individually, pairs or groups and come up with conclusive points. What is the most attractive feature of this tool is the chance to post sticky notes or 'stick...