LESSON IDEAS: WHAT'S IN YOUR FRIDGE?

This is a lesson plan that combines new technologies with classroom practice and introduces the concept of flipped classroom or student-centred learning where strong focus is given to the student whereas the teacher takes the role of the guide in the learning process. This methodology means a lot of work outside the classroom on the part of the student but turns into more engaging lessons for the. Click on this link to see a very helpful infographic about this concept of flipping your classes.

NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN THE CLASSROOM: USING EDPUZZLE

It seems all seminars and workshops being organised these days talk about the use of technology in the EFL classroom. Teachers seem to be eager to use new technologies and they demand more and more training on this topic.

KEEPING A CLASSROOM BLOG

cdistudentscorner.blogspot.com

This is a project that I've had in mind since last year and finally it has seen the light of day. I have started a classroom blog with my students. Why? well, first of all because it helps me keep a record of everything we do in class, I make myself post after every lesson with what we've done that day.

Secondly, thanks to google calendars I can keep all the students informed about the homework in the event they haven't come to class that day. It's much easier than sending out emails to all of them and, of course, they have no excuse for not doing it.

Thirdly, I can share with them any activities I've prepared myself for extra practice of reading, listening and writing. Embedding listening activities or grammar and vocabulary quizzes allows them to practise at home and get immediate feedback.

And finally, and most importantly, this is a place where students can share their written work with their peers. Sometimes we pay more attention to what our classmates are doing, just out of interest, than to the teachers explanations. Therefore, all students are contributors as well and they help to create content for the blog.

Anyone who wants to check it out please visit cdistudentscorner.blogspot.com

SEMINAR WITH BRIAN ENGQUIST

This post follows on the one I wrote last week about the Pearson event for teachers held in Valencia a few weeks ago. Brian Engquist, head of the teacher training department at Pearson Spain was responsible for this second seminar. The focus of the talk was how to integrate exam preparation into our day-to-day teaching. The title of the talk, Stay calm and teach: making exam skills invisible, already suggests that our main focus as teachers should actually be that: teaching, and that exam skills should be implied in the teaching process.

FOLLOWING THE IATEFL 2015 CONFERENCE FROM ABROAD

One week after Manchester hosted the 2015 IATEFL conference I can now talk about my experience following all the sessions and workshops that were available online. Thanks to the British Council, which offered many of the talks and lots of interviews live, the work of those who attended the sessions and tweeted the main events happening, and those have been actively blogging during the last week, I must say it has been a very enjoyable experience that has provided new insights and thoughts about the concept of English Language Teaching. I would like to express my gratitude to all the people that took part and made it possible.

AN INFOGRAPHIC IS WORTH A 1000 WORDS

I have recently discovered how infographics have become a very useful tool in education and how learners seem to like them a lot. The old saying "An image is worth a thousand words", which was first coined more than one hundred years ago, is still valid today and can be used in the English classroom.

IMPROVING STUDENTS' READING SKILLS WITH FLIPBOARD

I've recently read an article talking about how new technologies and social networks could be introduced in the classroom to improve teacher-student interaction and motivate them with apps they are familiar with.