On the Ed Tech Radar - A Collection of Digital Posters Platforms for Educators

I have been part of an exciting teacher training program in the state of Rio and this week I´m exploring with teachers the possibilities of Digital Posters in the classroom. I´ve created this Padlet with some digital posters platforms that let teachers and students create wonderful digital artifacts. I thought educators might profit from it:

To view this Wall in full http://padlet.com/wall/digitalposters

How do you envision using those posters in your classroom?

Being an Educator of the 21st Century

Much have been told about the competencies and skills educators should develop to "survive" and thrive in a classroom nowadays. High on my list are some that should have always been there:

>> developing listening skills
>> practicing our empathy at all times, even when we feel like giving up
>> preparing lessons that are brain-friendly, helping our students emerge as engaged learners

To complement my list, I've come across this wonderful chart from an edudemic post:

Is there any other skill you think educators should work on to become full-fledged professionals in our times?

Filtering Relevant Information for the EFL Classroom through Digital Curation

This is the time of the year that I get totally thrilled. Convention time. IATEFL, Liverpool. Promising. My second time in one of the best EFL teaching conferences in the world with wonderful professionals willing to share best practices, research, classroom ideas that can really make a difference in our classrooms.

Digital Curation for Educators from Carla Arena

I'm pleased to be presenting about a topic that has been dear to my heart for the past years, and now I've been exploring its many facets more in depth, Content Curation. Though I've presented it twice, I've revamped it a bit, not its essence but some interesting tools I've been using lately. So, if you are around Liverpool, why not joining us for a chat about how to make sense of this world where information more than abounds?

   Any curatorial tools that you've been using lately that you think have made a difference in your efficiency and productivity as an educator? I'd love to hear about it.

My latest experiments have been with http://newsmix.me/carlaarena . Still finding my way around, but enjoying playing around with it.

Here is some background on digital curation that you might find useful:

Here's Graham Stanley's summary of the presentation: Graham's summary

Thinking and Re-imagining Education

This video is a call. A call for reflection and action.

 I agree with much that it is said, but we need to find a balanced view to education. It is not just moving from a controlled, Prussian model of education to an utopian school. We can achieve student engagement, motivation and passion for learning depending on the way we view your pedagogical role as an educator, but there is no one way, but many possibilities if we think of approaches to our classes that tap into the challenge of giving support to our students to develop their competencies that are essential ones for their lives now and in the near future, like creativity, communication, collaboration, critical thinking. Let us help our students connect, dialogue, question, learn and direct their learning efforts throughout their lives. 

My call is for passion and connection. This video is a shaker in the sense of giving us a broad view of what happens in many schools around the globe. It is worth watching it as a starting point for re-imagining our classes. And, yes, this is how change happens, from the small movement we make within our own classes.

What does it take to be an Educator nowadays?

This is a question that has been widely discussed. And I'm sure that better than I could be writing or saying, this blog post resonates with my own thoughts on the issue.

However, as I browsed through this wonderful hyperlinked world this morning, I found this:
http://classtools.net/widgets/postIt_9/3KrcD.htm

Click here for larger version

In the past, I've come across with classtools many resources. Isn't it neat the fact that anybody can just get there and edit it? Lots of possibilities! Ready to share your own idea for a cool use of the classtools site?