Qué habilidades, aptitudes y actitudes debe tener un docente virtual?

 

Es necesario tener en cuenta que hay dos aspectos muy importantes que el docente debe tener en cuenta con respecto a la enseñanza online y es que su rol y su metodología han cambiado. Actualmente el docente necesita ser mas un facilitador y monitor que un ente de producción de información debido a que hay muchas fuentes de donde los alumnos pueden recolectar información mas actualizada, detallada y evidenciada por lo cual su palabra de docente, a comparación de hace unas cuantas décadas, ya no es ley. En segundo lugar, la metodología del docente ya no puede ser la misma debido a que actualmente trabajamos mano a mano con las TICs de la educación y tenemos modelos comunicativos y colaborativos que hacen del alumno un aprendiz activo y participativo dentro y fuera de la clase.

 

Por ende, el profesor de una clase virtual es el que proporciona las herramienta necesarias para la búsqueda o el procesamiento de la información. Además, se propone un aprendizaje significativo y mas personalizado, enfocado en todos y cada uno de los alumnos del aula, atendiendo las necesidades ventajas y debilidades de sus alumnos para que mejoren su rendimiento. La tecnología sirve como herramienta para esta personalización ya que conecta y construye una nueva formade adquirir conocimientos. La recolección de conocimientos y la puesta en practica en la fase de creación o producción se ven alentados por el uso de aplicaciones, recursos y herramientas virtuales en donde se puede agregar, editar, diseñar, corregir, y compartir información de forma mas atractiva para los discentes.

¿CUÁLES SON LAS HABILIDADES QUE DEBE POSEER UN DOCENTE? | DOCENTES 2.0

Un docente virtual también debe comprometerse en crear y mantener una comunidad de aprendizaje cordial y la misma vez social, es así que su actitud debe ser muy motivadora para que sus alumnos compartan sus ideas, pensamientos y su nivel de interés en la clase. (Becerril Sosa, Delgadillo & Torres, 2015)

Bibliografia

Eva Morales ( 2018 ) Habilidades que debe tener un docente e-learning  https://fococonsultores.es/habilidades-docente-virtual/

Antonio de Jesus Angeles Villeda ( 2015) https://repository.uaeh.edu.mx/revistas/index.php/icea/article/view/3851

https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/861/86132269008.pdf 

http://cultura29noa.blogspot.com/2013/05/caracteristicas-de-la-profesion-docente.html?m=1 

    

BECOMING a 21st CENTURY EDUCATOR

Teaching & learning nowadays is no where near compared to how strict, rigorous, boring and painful it was 50, 100 or 200 years ago (20^th & 19^th Century). To make things worst, we still have 20^th Century teachers educating 21^st Century students so in many parts of the world Education is suffering a decline in its quality. Education reform must take place from the inside out. Teachers certainly have to change. 

Ubiquitous learning is irreversible as most of our students own personal mobile devices which are able to communicate, store and access information anytime, anywhere. Never before have we had a student as a provider of knowledge in the classroom. Back in the old days when I was a student, it was just the teacher's word and nothing else. 

Information technology skills (IT) have affected most of our students’ learning styles, thus Technology, media and digital literacy have become a fundamental tool of development for educating and connecting with digital natives. Project based learning; Inquiry based learning, CLIL, B-learning, M-learning, E-learning, and the Flipped classroom are some of the newest and most effective educational trends. The Cs or Social Skills involve Creativity, Communication, Collaboration and Critical thinking while Adaptability and Flexibility, Problem-solving, and leadership are proven to be Life Skills 21st Century students need in order to compete for jobs in a global market where these skills are the new basics. 

In this article I will summarize 21st century teaching skills into 3 categories that educators need to OWN in order to equip their students for being successful at school and later on in life.
As I said in my previous article let's keep in mind that apart from being Teachers of  English we are also Educators.

Information, Media and Technology skills
Today's teachers are digital immigrants teaching digital natives. Thus, every teacher needs to be aware of the latest methodologies, and to follow, adapt or design a curriculum which connects with students interests, and a real and globalized world so that students get to own skills for lifelong learning. It is no longer acceptable for educators to be technology illiterate.
It is crucial that we have knowledge of a wide range of electronic tools, resources, apps and websites so that when we are teaching we can interact and engage our students in our teaching and so their learning becomes more meaningful and memorable.
When we provide our students with the appropiate tools for their investigation we equip them and allow them to slowly become an independent learner, thirsty of knowledge. By doing this we empower their ability to find and select information so it is important that we evaluate their discoveries and now it is also vital that we give them immediate feedback, prize them and ask them to share and publish their presentations, projects or findings.

Out students should have an understanding of global awareness, and every topic should drive for
a cultural and social understanding through an effective communication. Make them aware that their mobile devices are powerful weapons which can be used for good or bad and that they should be smarter than their phones. Working collaboratively in a project based learning is one of the best ways of working nowadays, allo your students to have their own research time and then allow yourself to sit down and really listen to them. Any social media can be of great use if you set the rules and know how to use it. It is time for our studens to voice their thoughts, embrace technology.
Avoid using papers and go for emails and word docs, tri google docs and blogging, this will save a few trees, dont you want to be part of the change?
Think about it!

Do you know this 11 basic technology skills?
1. Word Processing skills
2. Spreadsheets Skills
3. Electronic Presentation Skills
4. Web Navigation Skills
5. E-Mail Management Skills
6. Digital Cameras
7. File Management & Windows Explorer Skills
8. Downloading Software From the web (such as ebooks)
9. Videoconferencing
10. Coputer-Related storage devices (Cds, usb, drives, cloud, zip,etc)
11. Social media, basic apps and websites such as twitter, facebook, facebook pages, facebook groups, facebook games, blogs, snapchat, instagram, whassap, audiobooks, google, youtube.

Social skills - The 4 Cs


In order to build a community of education, learners have to master the 4cs. This will only happen when you, my dear colleague, start redesigning your teaching style. Update your process of teaching through technology. Technology enables collaboration between educators and pupils. Creating digital resources, projects and presentations together with other classrooms will make school activities resemble the real world. Collaboration is more than exchanging emails or creating power point presentations, it is inspiring, making students enjoy their subject, it is about motivating them to want to  participate and speak up.
What about activating students knowledge by starting your class with a question and after one simple answer, continue asking many more questions. Somebody said that if you want different results you need to try different things. Ask and allow your students to speak their mind. And you, Open your mind and be tolerant to new ideologies and opinions, after all you are interested in becoming a 21st century teacher right?
All in all, help your students to learn to work in a team because this is one of the most important values and characteristics employers seek in their employees nowadays.

Life and Career skills
Presentation skills:
I really dont remember who told me that the best Amerivan soeakers always starts their talks with a joke... I jhave given talks in Peru and in other countries and this strategy has certainly been a great card to play, but if we see the big picture this can also be applied in our classrooms. Having a great class starter will set our classroom mood. It is up to you to teach your kids how to give a presentation before expecting them to give a great lecture that deserves a standing ovation. Dont take things for granted.. Many of your students' previous teachers haven't taught them how to give a presentation even if you are teaching university students.
Body language conveys 70% of oiur message, tell your students that eye contact, the way they talk and even the way they stand matters. Tell them that self-confidence is very important for an audience to pay attention to the speaker. Preparation is key and ask them to remember that if they believe it they can achieve it.

Problem solving skills:
The purpose of teaching 21st century students is to get them ready for a fast forward ever changing world. Our purpose is to be the guide that prepares them to be successful and make a good living. Many of the current jobs require problem solving skills (if not all). From a tailor, to a psychologist, to an enginner to a doctor. You and your students need to know that your ability to identify the problem and opportunities and comeup with effective solutions will get you all hired or allow you to keep your jobs for as long as you want.
A few years ago I was taught to "own the problem", I give this credit to Royal Caribbean, they always encouraged me to identify any problems and have the initiative and proactiveness to try to solve it or to find the right person to deal with the issue. Another key factor is resourcefulness is easy now if we use the interbet's unlimited resources, determination and resilience is something that we need to learn as teachers when it comes to professional development. Let's teach our students to overcome the problems and resist the adversity. The next step in problem solving is looking for possible solutions, evaluating the risks and planning a good course of action considering the idea of trying new approaches. Finally the capacity of make a good decision is key to master this skill.    

Flexibility and adaptability
As English teachers we are bound to find different part time jobs or take a full time job but always look for an extra basket. The "school" policies vary from place to place and we need to be flexible and open to new ideas. Dealing with digital natives and heterogeneous classes usually puts us in a challenging situations specially when planning our lessons. Technology can help us adapt our teaching and turn a disaster into an amazing class. We just need to keep calm and take a new course of action. Adapt and change your classroom setting, vary your starters, your tone of voice, take a mindful moment with your students and start over again until you achieve your objectives. Try to get rid of that "Nope" and start saying "YES" more often.
If you want to be noticed then show your employer how eager you are for learning new procedures or techniques. How glad you are to have a new software or system to store and share information with the whole "school". Be tolerant with your colleagues, do not take things personally and always meed your deadlines. 

Leadership:
All good leaders require a set of soft skills in order to be able to manage grouos or team. It is your job as a teacher to epower your students to become a well-rounded citizen.
Do you feel like testing your leadership skills?
Take this short quiz: https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_50.htm

As you can see becoming a 21st Century educator is not easy task. We need to make a personal change and try to see the big picture. What is it that we need to do in order to achieve our goals as teachers. I believe helping our students to survive in this jungle is not enough. First we need to help ourselves to become 21st century teachers and then our students will feel motivated to want to leanr from us.

Siorella Gonzales

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. ”  Alvin Toffler

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept09/vol67/num01/21st-Century-Skills@-The-Challenges-Ahead.aspx
https://www.teachingquality.org/about/teaching-2030
http://www.macmillanenglish.com/life-skills/examples/ 
https://biginterview.com/blog/2014/02/behavioral-interview-question-problem-solving.html 
https://www.thebalance.com/workplace-flexibility-definition-with-examples-2059699

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT with EFL students

 "Classroom management refers to the ways in which student behaviour, movement and interaction during a lesson are organized and controlled by the teacher” Richards (1990, 10)

Classroom management is more of an art than a science and what can work with one class can sometimes ruin another. I've been teaching for over 10 years and I can honestly say I have loved teaching almost every class I've had however there have been some situations where I thought I was going to lose it. I remember it wasn't that easy but it wouldn't have been if only I had know that they key for a great class was Classroom management.
     In the following lines you will be able to read and get tips for 10 essential categories for an effective classroom management.

1. Planning and preparation
The most important element for a teacher to get hold of a good class is to have an organized lesson plan. This lesson plan should have a select set of hands-on activities to be performed during class. As far as teaching EFL is concerned having clear learning goals and/or weekly objective is a must. It is also crucial to focus on transitions from one activity to the other. Materials such us photocopies, power point, wall charts, markers, USB, visuals should be checked before starting your class so that you don't panic when a kid asks for an extra worksheet.

2. Consistency: Setting up a routines & instructions
The only way to establish consistency in your classroom is to be consistent. The way you set the rules and instructions in the classroom should be given at the beginning of the class, once, twice, three times or more if necessary, until you and your class get your morning (or afternoon) routine clear.
Routines should be concrete, should be learned in a visual way, should first be modeled by the teacher and then be told or modeled by the student.
Start with something as simple as the beginning of your class (starters). Do it today, tell your students that there will be some changes in your class format and from now on you will do as written on the board. Actually, you can even ask your students to create their own rules and then sign it as a contract. Remember to stick it somewhere visible for as long as the course takes.

Display any of these sets of instructions on the board for a 1, 2 lessons or even a week and I can assure you they will learn the routine. In addition, when setting rules, students should have a clear understanding of the consequences of breaking your classroom rules.


3. Discipline
Complimenting a positive attitude should be publicly rewarded. If you have a noisy class and want them to start (or continue) working then praise someone out loud. Call out his/her name and tell everyone "wow, it looks like Carlos is ready, keep it up Carlos" this will foster discipline, students will turn around and imitate that behavour. 
Another tip would be writing Carlos' name on the board next to a +1 , everybody loves merits or extra points, this works great in my classes (and it also works well the opposite way Carlos -1).

Try to come up with a discipline systems such as 3 warnings and you are out. First warning call their attention by name, 2nd warning move him/her to another place, 3rd warning give them time out, or as I love to call it "Reflection time", this means allowing the student to step outside the classroom and breathing fresh air and reflect on their current behaviour. If he/she continues then demerit, detention after class or a visit to the head of discipline is recommendable. 

* If you are the technological type of teacher you can create an edmodo account and keep everybody controlled with merits and demerits, attitude and effort records online.

4. Student-centered environment
According to J. Harmer (1990, 2001) the teacher can have the roles of controller, assessor, organiser, prompter, participant, resource, tutor and observer. 
According to me, the 21st century teacher should be a facilitator of the language, monitor, guide, role model, collaborative, innovator, risk taker, a good listener, a truth detector, creative, critical thinker, researcher, inclusive, open minded and a user of technology.  

We need to be able to create classes where our students feel safe and fee to participate and voice their opinions. Working collaborative nowadays is a must in EFL classes. It is a proven fact that our students learn better by working in pairs if paired wisely. Even when the weak student is paired with the strong one, the strong one will play the role of a mentor and relearn everything learn while reproducing it while working in pairs. Group work is really effective with large classes and for project based learning and research. 

Teacher talking time, TTT, should be minimum and use for instructions, now we have technology and can insert audiobooks, videos, songs, or esl online games for students to be more engaged and exposed to the language. Let's incorporate research into most (if not all) of our classes and allow students to find the answers by themselves. Millenials are the first generation of students who are producers of knowledge in the classroom. I am pretty sure that if we keep this in mind we will no longer have chaotic classes but active and participatory learners. 

5. Developing relationships
James Comer says that no significant learning can occur without a significant relationship. It was my first bimester teaching the Diploma Program to 16-year-old kids and believe me they wanted to learn as much as I wanted to teach them. I came up with the idea of applying for an scholarship program for www.Knowmyworld.org and have my G11 students connected with a class in another part of the world. The first bimester didn't work as well as I planned but in the process of trying them to introduce themselves and relate to other culture I got to meet each one of them. Needless to say, I am about to finish the third bimester and I love my students just as much as they love me. They enter the room with a hello, they ask for my weekend, they chat and they even wish me a good day when they leave. The fact that we've become more connected in a student-teacher relationship has helped me own my role as a guide and role model and now they don't just sit there because they have to but because they are eager to know what my next class is going to be about and how it would help them in their future. 

However, you must be careful and learn to draw a very clear line between your student and you, the teacher. Teachers have a position of trust and a duty of care to the pupils. You can listen to them when they feel down or need advice and always talk to their tutors, your coordinator or the school psychologist. Always remember your role as a guide or even a coach but not as a psychologist.     
  
6. Motivation
By building relationship I'm pretty sure you must have found out what interests and motivates some of your students; if not, do activities where students define their preferences, life objectives and dreams. Adapt or adopt new strategies in your classes so that your students feel more eager to participate.

Motivation are the internal and external factors that stimulate the desire in people to continue interested and committed to a goal. In order for your students to continue feeling motivated to attend your classes (and be participatory) you should address to them by their names, reward their participation and efforts, use interesting, relevant, and/or controversial topics to encourage speaking through debates or discussions.

Start your class by explaining your lesson objectives orally, it is not enough to just write them on the board... Stand up and walk around, pad them on the shoulder if they did well, smile. Encourage them to give the A+1. Thank them for their participation even if the answer was wrong. Make eye contact, give them constant feedback and make sure your class is going to be helpful in their life. Make each of your sessions memorable, I know you can do it!

7. Differentiation & Mixed-ability classes
Heterogeneous classes are classes made up by students of different level of proficiency however Penny Url suggested in the early 90's these term is misleading as no learners are really alike and "homogeneous" classes don't actually exist. Every time I train teachers I tell them every student is unique, every student is a different world. Thus, we have to consider their level of language proficiency, background, learning styles and even maturity, so we should be smarter and anticipate the problems that dealing with these differences might arise. 

Find a good course book that can supplement your school one and always trust on it for extra material. Also, an effective seating arrangement will help your student stay more focus in the task and the way you draw their attention should be consistent so that everybody pays attention to your instructions. 

The following sites will help your students practice and improve their English at their own pace:
Writing: storybird.com (my students love it!) /   makemynewspaper.com /   storyboardthat.com
PUZZLE: www.eslgamesplus.com/crossword-puzzles/ 
http://esl-galaxy.com/crosswords.htm  / 
Listening & reading: learnoutloud.com    / discovermagazine.com Lit2go: http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/books/  storynory.com (for children and teens, I love it!)
Vocab & Grammar through  Youtube: real english  / tutor time (great videos for conditional sentences)  / teacher mark 
For Children: http://pbskids.org/

8. Drawing attention
1, 2, 3 who's ready? - This attention getter is one of my favorites! As I said at the beginning "consistency is key" and we need to get them used to our tricks. Some teachers use a whistle, some scream out loud, I just stand up in front of the class very serious looking and put my hand up up counting 1, 2, 3... always works. I remember I taught these kids to respond to my Are you ready?? - I was born ready - Then I said awesome! and started telling them what my class was going to be about. I think I've tried many things through out my career starting from the 1,2,3 to songs to even a 10-minute yoga session, you just need to have them aware that you want their full attention. 

Using an Online Stop Watch also helps: 
http://www.online-stopwatch.com/countdown-timer/

9. Seating arrangement (S.A.)
Your seating arrangement says a lot about you, whether you are an authoritarian, a team player or a careless teacher, this will be reflected also on your classroom environment. Remember that the place where your students sit should not only work for you, but for them too so by selecting the appropriate seating arrangement your students learning and production process will be more effective. There are many ways for S.A., here you can see some of them: 

10.  Teacher's Confidence
Every time I have to show up for the first day of class I make sure to wear my best suit, and prepare a great lesson carefully. Students know when you are not prepared, doubtful so you need to fake it until you make it! I mean you really should think about how to build up your confidence otherwise students will tear you down. 

Don't play the arrogant or know-it-all teacher instead focus on your students strengths and give them leadership roles, say thank you for their participation and encourage them to continue working well. Be enthusiastic and show concern about your students'  lives, they will look up to you for that. 
If your students are complaining about something you are doing in class and according to them it's boring, ask for opinions or recommendations, but remember it's up to you to decide which changes are to be made. 

Students talk. They talk, about their teachers, with their peers and with their parents. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want your kids imitating your husky voice, your "sexy" clothes or your long strides. So project your voice and be aware of "your teacher outfit", your body posture and especially your body language.   


   Consider these 10 aspects of teaching in order for your students to achieve their learning goals and always keep in mind that what works with one class might or might not work with another.  

Siorella Gonzales



Penny Url (1990) A course in Language teaching: Theory and Practice
Richards J (1990, 10), cited in Encyclopedic Dictionary of Applied Linguistics, edited by Keith Johnson and Helen Johnson. http://www.blackwellreference.com/public/tocnode?id=g9780631214823_chunk_g97806312148237_ss1-12

Rogers T. (2016) You can tell a lot about a teacher from how they lay out the desks in their classroom https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-views/you-can-tell-a-lot-about-a-teacher-how-they-lay-out-desks-their 

ESL or EFL? To be or Not to be?

Most people I have met do not really know the difference between EFL and ESL, and honestly there was a time in my life I didn't know either. I still believe sometimes we go from EFL to ESL and back again.

People have been learning English for over 1000 years now and English has been adding Latin, Spanish, and French words for a long time, so in a way we have been sort of picking up the language little by little... If we think about it we didn't have proper English teaching until the late 1800's (Remember Berlitz?) and it wasn't until the 1960's that language teacher training became a priority.

Moreover, only 10% of the world's population lives in English speaking countries, for the other 90% English is a foreign language. So teachers who teach English to native speakers do not have to bother explaining the verb to be, however explanation is a must for teachers of English as a Foreign Language. In addition, students who do not have English as their first language need to be expose to English inside the classrooms and thanks to technology nowadays it is the teacher's obligation to help his pupils to continue being exposed to English after classes (flipped classroom, mobile learning, blended learning).

So to keep it clear,  EFL students is the term of choice for students who were not born or do not live in an English speaking country. EFL students are the ones who learn English as a foreign language in their hometown and make a fairly homogeneous class because they are probably from the same country and culture.
EFL students need more oral practice because once the class is over they will go back to use their native language (Not English). EFL students need to be motivated to learn the language so international mindedness is a must. Only by doing that, students will become more aware of the importance of using English to connect with other cultures and start the process of becoming a world citizen.

ESL students are not native speakers who usually live in countries such as the USA, Canada, England, Scotland, etc. Thus, it would be common to see students from a variety of backgrounds and cultural heritages looking for a better living attending these type of classes. As the world is becoming more interconnected everyday, many international students are looking for an ESL education and they are settling down in English speaking countries in order to learn their target language faster.
ESL students need hands-on English lessons, they need more projects and research because they are usually more motivated to master this language, and sometimes because they will soon experience interviews, negotiations, traveling or citizenship tests. I believe Bilingual education plays a key role into ESL (But that's another blog entry!).

In conclusion, if you are a student and you are learning English, it is always a great idea to decide what the appropiate type of learning you would like to follow but remember if you really want it it does not matter the type, of the teacher, you are in control of your progress. If you are a teacher on the other hand, I am thinking now you know which type of English you should be putting into practice, so go ahead and find out some effective strategies for improving your teaching style and offering a better education because your students need it. As Jeremy Harmer once told me, never lose your curiosity because that's the best quality any teacher has in order to keep trying new things so start looking for fun interactive ESL/ EFL activities for your next lesson!


Siorella Gonzales

http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/population-by-country/

MOBILE LEARNING

YEAR: 2015 - Most of my students are between 14 to 24 years old which means they had been born after I finished highschool (in 1999). That means my students were born in a different time than me...
While I was in highschool I never used my computer to do any of my assignments. My teachers never asked me to search for any information on the Internet. I live in a small city in Peru and back in that time most of us could not afford that "luxury". 
I hardly remember using my computer, which my father had bought me when I was 10 years old, to do something different from playing Snake, Tetris or Prince of Persia. I need to point out that I got my first computer in 1993 when the screen was blue and the words were white. Then something must have happened because although the words were still white the screen turned black... anyways it didnt matter to me I was enjoyed my computer games too much too worry about that. Nowadays I personally can't help using my computer for a whole day. I need it for work.
In class, it is like a mandatory thing to do if you want to get your students attention, if you want them to interact and to be awake. My students get bored fast if I only use the textbook (I try to remember one of my highschool classes where I did not have to open my textbook. I can't) and I know that they get things done when I let them use their portable devices in order to find information and complete a task. 
So one day I started searching for information about this difference in my and their learning and I came across with this new phrase: "DIGITAL NATIVES" and then it hit me. Of course! Most of them have been born after 1995 this means they have always been in touch with technology thus technology is a part of their lives so we need to teach them embrasing this new tool. 
Most of my pupils prefer laptops rather than desktop computers and this is because they cant carry their desktop to their friend's. Some students don't have laptops, instead they have complex state of the art portable devices which are I must admit really useful and flexible when you are not at home and you want to find some information or look for a file or practice your English.    
QUESTION: 
Have you ever banned your students cellphones in class?
Did yo know that 6 BILLION portable devices are being used in the world today. And by PORTABLE DEVICEs I mean: Cell phones, smartphones, iphones, blackberries, HTC as well as ipads, ipods, tablets, netbooks, laptops, Personal Digital Assistants PDAs, e-book readers, etc… 
Did you know that 75% of the world's population own a portable device?
Then... WHY WOULD YOU BAN THIS SO POPULAR TOOL IN CLASS? 
WHY DONT YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS? AND EXPLOIT IT!!!

—M-learning is considered to be the ability to use all of these mobile devices to support teaching and learning. It is a new era...  a Digital one. Mobile devices are on-the-go, handheld, versatile, motivating, and active learning tools. USE THEM!

—Marck Prensky once said:  “Today’s "digital natives" are being exposed to more gadgets and technology than was ever thought possible. Our students have changed radically.  Today's students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach."

Lisa Nielsen from the Innovative Educator blog said: 

—"When the world inside schools looks so different from the world outside of schools, What are we really preparing students for? "
"When we ban, rather than embrace, real-world technologies  we leave students ill-equipped to know how to harness the power of technology for learning.”

—Mobile learning technologies offer teachers-and students-a more flexible approach to learning. Our students don't just want m-learning. They need it!
Statistics prove it: 69% of children aged 2-5 can use a computer mouse, but only 11% can tie their own shoelaces. More young children know how to play a computer game (58%) than swim (20%) or ride a bike (52%) 
Mobile learning is really successful when 
L—earners choose the learning content (projects).—
Learners are integrating artifacts, realia, objects, and experiences that surround their daily lives (real world learning).—
Learners are moving around with the device. (portability)
—Learners are now motivated to expand the learning outside the classroom walls.(apps)—
Learners work collaboratively to explore the world around them (exchange info with peers).
Learners are motivated to search for several possible options, solutions, and answers to problems.—
Learners are presented with tasks in which they must find many possible solutions and are able to test out these solutions.
Let tell me how you can use well, make your students use these devices in and outside your classroom: Use e-books and other digital materials as alternatives to lugging around tons of heavy books.

*Use them for Blogging! I hate carrying students "Writings" in my briefcase so I usually ask them to create a Blog and post every writing they are asked there and then send me their link to my email. You can send comments or correct their writings using a screenshot and the simple PAINT Program! Try it, I promiss it won't hurt! —Blogs are important because students are more prolific (they dont want to be judged) in their blog posts and to be honest  writing in class seems a lot less important  than writing a cool Blog because according to most students their posts will be “out there”. —Students do care how they sound in public spaces. This is something I know from my practice. The key is that the Blog space has to be public.

I'd like to share one of my university students with you.

 This is HENRY CASTRO RAMOS an Intermediate 1 (2014) UPAO Univeristy student's Blog

 http://henrycastroramos.blogspot.es/1397237921/  

This is AMBAR ALVAREZ Intermediate 4 (2014) UPAO Univeristy student's Blog

http://ambaralvarez.blogspot.es/1397264364/a-terrible-experiencie/#com

BELIEVE ME IT WORKS!

—*Use these devices for them to share photos or videos or projects via bluetooth, whassap, Fb, blogs or apps. 

—*Practice by playing, ask them to download fun apps which should be given by you the very first week of your cycle, semester, bimester, etc. Hey! Nobody said it was going to be easy! Remember this pays off! You will be more appreciated because they will know you are on top.

It is mandatory that you are aware of the following:

1. CLASSROOM INSTRUCTIONS, SETTING RULES:

Simply have the students put down their phones/tablets, and focus on what you are

teaching.

2. PLAYING MUSIC IN CLASS IS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD:

The noise level in the classroom goes down, and the work amount goes up when you let

them listen to their music. 

* LEARNING DISABILITIES:

—Being a more individual trend, students with learning differences benefit greatly from

mobile learning. It allows them to feel more like their peers, and foster a sense of

normalcy.

Proloquo2go, is an assistive technology app available on iTunes for children with special

needs.

—Autism apps is simply a comprehensive list of apps that are being used with and by

people diagnosed with autism, Down syndrome and other special needs.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/autism-apps/id441600681?mt=8 

REMEMBER: Not every classroom can get a laptop every day, so devices like

smartphones, even if you have to pair up or work in groups become something useful
for us as teachers.

I'm going to mention some cool APPS  so that you can use technology in your classroom and also for your students to learn and practice their English on their own.

1. HEADS UP: Charades for vocabulary. I love it and even though sometimes it can get harder (even for me) there are some apps where you have basic, intermediate and advanced level of words so you do your homework and start having fun!
2. WORDLENS: Ask your students to download this app. It is supercool and believe me once they have it they will never stop using it.
3. MARTHA SPEAKS: If you have primary sudents or perhaps under 12 years old this app is really captivating and entertaining for children. It tests their English without they notice it. 
4. FLUENT ENGLISH: This is a great APP for Reading, listening, and pronunciation
This application is great for your students to improve their pronunciation, and to
increase their vocabulary. Not only does it reproduce a native speaker voice but also
gives you a translator with synonyms to understand the meaning of a specific word. 

* E-BOOKS: You find these everywhere: Google play / Play store / Apple store

— Students are understimated sometimes I thin that students are in constant reading

nowadays, one interesting fact however is that most of this reading is

performed through portable devices. Reading an e-book is by far most appealing for

them than reading a plain, old-fashioned “real book”. We must take this advantage!

—E-books are portable, easy to update, cost-effective, and can be read on almost all

mobile devices.

It’s only a matter of time for peruvian educational institutions to start using e-books

into their own curriculums.- Lectura en ingles (Audiobook) -Easy english reading (Audiobook)-Reading Friendzy -Romantic love stories - 100 + Horror stories

* LEARNING THROUGH VIDEOS: This is actually a website which I totally adore because it keeps me entertained and it also allows me to practice my listening while Im commuting to work or if I have a break sometimes I check it out before I go to bed. It helps a little when you are a movie fan so maybe you want to mention that to your students. Here you have only 2 levels "easy" and "difficult". http://cinema.clubefl.gr/

* Dictionaries and/or translators: There are great APPS for dictionaries and translators. Wordreference and Linguee are my favorites. 

So what if your student tells you he or she doesnt have a smartphone but a very basic cellphone. Fair enough they can use NOTES as a mobile diary or us them to organize their schedules or use them TO CALL THEIR CLASSMATES AND SPEAK TO THEM IN ENGLISH FOR 5 MINUTES and RECORD THAT CONVERSATION!

Let me give you some ideas on how to use portable devices IN & OUTSIDE your classroom:

•Snap a photo: Of notes on the board in class, of assignments, etc

•Call a friend: Connect with guest speakers or other classrooms via skype.

•Use pictures from devices as resources to encourage speaking.

•Share photos or videos or projects via bluetooth, whatssap, Fb, blogs or apps.

•Use as a research tool (for web-enabled devices)

•Make voice recordings and check your pronunciation.

***SELFIES? PHOTOS?

Recycle the vocabulary you practiced in class and exploit your speaking skills after

taking pictures of certain things.

You can extend this to higher levels. Ask them to make a small project during a weekend

in order to tell a story on your Monday lesson.

*TASK 1: Take a photo of everything on a checklist. (e.g. 10 forms of transportation / food + make an audio note describing them)Take a photo of everything on a checklist. (e.g. 10 forms of transportation / food + make an audio note describing them)*TASK 2: Take a photo of 5 things that make you happy or sad and tell us why. - 5 places you have been / sports you have practised  *TASK 3: Poster project: Take 10 to 20 photos on the weekend (Then tell a story of your weekend / your family / your free time activities in class, etc )

***CREATE A MOVIE—For a more higher level. You can use a smartphone and you only need 1 per group. Task would be: Interview a native speaker and ask questions about their hometown (task can vary).
—Play a conversation and record it then upload the video to a blog, facebook group, or youtube, so that all the students can watch it.
—Get students to collect a bunch of photos and then use movie maker, using their voice for describing the picsture. You can check the videos at home or project the best ones in class. 

I'll share one of my students links again now:

This is Estefania's assignment. I really liked it because she added subtitles to it —https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf2IaVT_orY

*** CAMERAROLL (Personalize their learning) Just to start the class and get them entertained ask them to take out their smartphones and show s3 to 5 pics to their friends.

1. Find a photo and tell the story.

2. Introduce someone from a photo.

3. Select a photo and get your students to ask at least 5 questions about it.

4. Give 3-5 words (nouns)  and ask students to try to find them in their pictures, then

talk about it.

-----> This is a 5 - 10min activity (countdowntimer), after that cellphones go back to their pockets.

This is Diana Hora, a senior executive from a big company and it is a 2 student class. I used the CAMERAROLL to activate their speaking skills

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIhxohjZNXI 

In conclusion, M-learning is the new "trend", the new style to adopt in our teaching practice. it might take a while to incorporate this into our teaching but eventually we will feel more connected with our students and what is better they will definitely improve their level of English.

Miss Siore.