Category Archives: Internet

ChitCh.at

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Build your own lessons and assignments for your students in this interesting website, a very good example of social WWW and web 2.0.

Register and start creating your posts/lessons/tasks right away. Embed video, links and images, and ask for your student’s feedback and tasks. They will even receive an email when they send you what they have done.

If you want to have a clear picture of what ChitCh.at is like, watch this introductory video, or find some very good tutorials in the website and youTube as well.

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/uRcCiMlRnSE" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

Zimmer Twins

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Zimmer Twins is an amazing Canadian website which allows you to create your own cartoon. You can use different backgrounds, characters with their different faces and expressions, movement and other extras. The interface is very user-friendly and intuitive. Simple clicks and drop-down menus help you create a nice story that you can later share with your friends. I’m sure students will love it!

homepage.jpg

Once you are in Zimmer Twins’ home page, register and  click on makemovie.jpg.

Now, select scratch.jpg from the main page:

selectscratch.jpg

That will take you to the creative space, wher you can start to make your own movie:

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The library on the right, which you can navigate by selecting the upper tags, gives you the possibility to choose out of different images. Select a main character with a speech bubble:

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See if you like it and modify the background by clicking here changelayout.jpg, or the character:

firstgirl.jpg   firstgirlforest.jpg  firstboy.jpg

Add actions the characters can perform out of the library:

databaseactions.jpg

And modify again what you prefer with a simple click:

 changelayout1.jpg

action1.jpg

changelayout2.jpg

action3.jpg

Add close-up expressions to portrait feelings:

databasefaces.jpg      face.jpg

And also text, captions and effects:

texts.jpg       secret.jpg

You can always control the process and re-order images through the storyboard:

storyboard.jpg

And, when you are happy with what you’ve produced… just save and watch it. Other students can watch it through the website or you can send it via e-mail…

Enjoy it!

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Livemocha

Are you familiar with Livemocha?

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This website offers different possibilities for language learners. Once students are registered, they can take up online language courses, chat and videoconference with other colleagues and get useful resources. It’s perfect for those who want to get extra activities, or for those who can only study at odd hours. There are also tutors who can give you assistance. The interface is really catchy and easy to understand. It is, as they say, a social way to learn a language.

Chat & Learn

Chatting is nutritious for students, we all know that, but it can be a bit dangerous fs the diet is based on messenger or other chat rooms with no control.

Here’s a couple of examples where chtating can consist on a very healthy diet:

 englishchat.png

English Baby:

http://www.englishbaby.com/community/chat?gclid=CLSKtr2-2Y8CFQlIMAod3Wnd1w

Easy and intuitive…and free

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Paltalk: http://www.paltalk.com/

Very good interface. It requires the teacher’s monitoring in order to filter chatrooms. It allows video. This application  has been successfully used by our colleague Sergio Morales in the experience The Starry Night Club where teachers could exchange opinions, experiences and feelings. Thanks, Sergio!