Blogs in the EFL classroom

Hi everybody!

I am about to write a short article about the use of blogs for The EFL magazine in Israel. I have an idea of wht i want to stress (namely, why use blogs in the EFL classroom). However, i would welcome any suggestion, comment, etc. i could get from you, fellow teachers.

This article comes as a result of two blogs I am working on to use this coming school year. It will be the first time i use blogs in English..The blogs are:
1. http://eflyudkugel.blogspot.com/
2. http://eflyudalephkugel.blogspot.com/

Thanks and shalom from Israel

Eduardo Lina

My page

Tags: blogs, efl

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Permalink Reply by ruty hotzen on August 24, 2007 at 12:28am

Hello and Shalom
We are a group of Israeli teachers who teaches EFL.
As you can see from my English, I am not but I am coordinating the group.
Please let me know which school are you in and what will be the easy way to contact you.
Are you familiar to iEARN? All those teachers are in this group and we will be glad to put you there.
Ruty Hotzen
Herzeliya

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Permalink Reply by ddeubel on August 24, 2007 at 3:57am

Ruty,

Please check out our EFL ning, EFL Classroom 2.0Your teachers can find a lot of invaluable resources there as well as a growing community.

MY own concerns with blogs in the classroom come with my big concern with technology in the classroom in general. That it not be just something for students to do but come with learning objectives and focus. Not just sparkles and there for decoration. The teacher should carefully describe what he/she wants the students to accomplish and do, when using a blog. That means more than just saying, "so many posts, so many pictures etc...".

I also believe that as with the power of presentation - blogs are a powerful educational tool. But the end, the publishing, the presentation, the touching of an audience should be there. That means the teacher should comment/read and the class also. This should be not just asked but instilled/directed. Full class discussions of blogs should entail. Even a weekly, what was the best thing online from the class discussion. Reflection, the goal of all great teaching.

Can I ask what iearn is?

David
www.ddd.batcave.net

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Permalink Reply by Doris Molero de Martins on November 28, 2007 at 2:21pm

Hi, Eduardo! I have been using blogs in the EFL classroom for more than a year now... My students are also participating in an international project called writingmatrix. This is our blog www.doris3meflcenter.blogspot.com It's sometimes a little hard to get my students to blog... since blogging is something new to them and even more difficult is to write in English. I read your blog and I loved what I saw . I notice that citing sources is something very important that we had forgotten to do. Also, telling students that they have to care about what they write is really important too. Thanks for sharing, I certainly going to use some of your ideas in my next trimester.

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Permalink Reply by Ruth Sheffer on December 10, 2007 at 9:00am

Hey Eduardo, seen you on ETNI and just stumbled in here... yesterday I was at the Moach conference on Web 2.0 at Matach. I am relatively new to this but curious and keen to learn. ( I teach at ORT college in Jerusalem)
Can't really help much but I would like to try either blogging or Moodle next year as I am on sabbatical this year - lucky me. Anyway if I can help at all, let me know...

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Permalink Reply by Ruth Sheffer on May 31, 2008 at 1:36am

Hi again Eduardo
Can you tell me how you feel about your experience with blogging in the EFL classroom? did it go well ? do you think that blogspot was the best tool for you and was it free? I have a ton more questions for you before starting something next year...
thanks and shalom
Ruthi