Week 2

 

• Live Session                                                                                                                                                                            
  
• Using Twitter to expand your PLN by Graham Stanley on Elluminate
• This is just a general impression from what I could get from reading the chat - had horrible audio problems,

                             which persisted when I tried to hear the recording, as well. Graham gave us some really impressive examples

                             of what you can do with Twitter, starting from scratch! We were shown how it can bring teachers together,

                             given some very practical, technical advice and even given some tips on how to explore its potential with our students.

                             More importantly, we caught a glimpse of what a PLN can do for you and of the amazing array of tools at our disposal

                             today. Finally, we were given some links to further exploration and some more expert advice and we were introduced to the

                             first European project exploring PLNs, APLaNeT.

                             A very thorough presentation, chock-full of valuable information and, incidentally, lots of fun, too!

 

 

• Week 2 Readings:
• Blogging for ELT, by Graham Stanley:  http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/articles/blogging-elt
• A very comprehensive post on why and how to use blogs with your students,

                             including some great ideas, practical advice and tech tips.

• The Use of Blogs, Wikis and RSS in Education: A Conversation of Possibilities,

                    by Peter Duffy & Axel Bruns:   http://eprints.qut.edu.au/5398/1/5398.pdf

• A highly polished piece of academic writing, focusing on similarities, differences and educational potential

                            of these three online tools.

• 7 things you should know about wikis: http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7004.pdf
• A quick look at the main advantages of wikis, not forgetting to mention the downside!
• Microblogging for Language Learning: Using Twitter to Train Communicative and Cultural Competence,

                    by Kerstin Borau, Carsten Ullrich, Jinjin Feng and Ruimin Shen: http://www.carstenullrich.net/pubs/ICWL78.pdf

• A very interesting case study, confirming what we've always suspected: Twitter is a great communication tool that

                             promotes cultural awareness. 

•  A Teacher's Guide to Twitter, by Kate Klingensmith:  

                      http://onceateacher.wordpress.com/2009/02/18/a-teachers-guide-to-twitter/

• All you ever wanted to know about life on Twitter, with tons of links and comments.

                                      Addressed to both newbies and more accomplished Twitterers.

• How blogs can make the link, by Chris Alden: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2006/jan/09/weblogs1
• A very interesting article from The Guardian, citing real-life stories and examples 
• Where do I start? Blogging Basics, by Melanie Nelson and Karen Lewis:

                    http://www.bloggingbasics101.com/how-do-i-start-a-blog/

• The absolute guide for the newbie blogger! Indispensable!