Sunday, September 30, 2007

EFL/ESL and Google Docs

Although internet access at school for students is once again a non-starter, I have been thinking about how I could use the web with my private students who have internet access at home or perhaps those students at the school who want to do some extra practice.

As well as teaching them the basics of how to set up their own email/chat/Skype and blog accounts, I thought it might be a good opportunity to get them to collaborate on projects via the net. Taking as my inspiration the Flat Classroom Project I will try to get students, who live scattered throughout the city, to create something using Google Docs.

As lessons haven't really started yet this is not going to happen soon. However, I would like them to make their own presentation using Thessaloniki as a basic theme. One idea is that students each choose one aspect of the city to write about. This is then turned into a slide presentation complete with photos, video, text and voice other. Later on students take turns to proof read and correct the others work. Finally, the presentation is posted on all our blogs.

I think a good example of how slideshows can be used is to be found in the Magnum Photos site (click here).

I'm still in the process of working out the technical details and, of course selling the idea to the students and parents is going to be difficult as well. Yet I see a gradual opening up of attitudes as internet use becomes more widespread.

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