After-Conference Reflection

Dear All!
Thank You for the great insight, that there're some things you should share with your colleagues, with these people who are really interested in using different Web 2.0 tools in the class - the insight is that these knowledge and skills are necessary!

My short speech at the BarCamp session was in general devoted to the tools I use in class for making it cheerful; enjoyable and NOT BORING (this is the problem we deal with practically every day - Traditional education is NOT ALL for learning!).
So, ... I would like to divide all the tools (that are provided by some web-sites) into categories:

1. Materials for the classwork - exercises, mind maps, tests, etc. that can be prepared before the class or even during it in an easy, non-complicated way - just for you. They are:

• www.better-english.com/grammar - nice collection of Hot Potatoes' exercises;
• http://www.englishgrammarsecrets.com/ - the collection of grammar explanations together with lots of 'issue-related' exercises - I wish you tried & liked them!
• http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/ - also vocabulary & grammar rules, explanations and tests;
• http://www.englishpage.com/ , containing personilised professional Forum, collections, web-storage possibility (Needs Signing In!);
• Another group of Web 2.0 tools - http://www.wordle.net/ - preparing topical word/vocabulary clouds-I often use http://www.wikipedia.org/ and then simply shorten text if I don't have any particular word list- quite a wide area for creativity!

- http://bubbl.us/ - a nice, easy-to-use tool for vocabulary, note-taking (even by students in class), for sharing them;

- short videos at - http://www.vimeo.com/ , http://www.youtube.com/ (e.g. English with Jennifer http://www.youtube.com/user/JenniferESL - grammar videos from the beginners up to the advanced level), http://www.foodtube.net/, http://www.teachertube.com/, www.elllo.org/ (the listening, video tools with post- exercises!), etc. - for discussions, chat, blogging (you can embed all the videos into your blogs). BUT -To save and to organise your favourite videos found- register ! (other video eBookmarks're - http://delicious.com/jurilo/video );

- for class-fun (m.b. for some other reasons ... in junior classes) can be used a http://www.jigsawplanet.com/ - creating online topical Jigsaw Puzzles (e.g.http://www.jigsawplanet.com/?m=p&id=06164146191e72a8);

- and at last, http://www.wallwaisher.com/ (e.g. http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/training, http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/cityiknow) - these kinds of web-newspapers / note-takings can be prepapred /created anonimously (typical classwork!), but for using them more times - nedds registration (also, quite easy issue!)

2. e-Tools for the long-run work - http://www.blogger.com/ (For organising & keeping track on all your blogs, all favourites - http://www.bloglines.com/ )

• http://www.wallwisher.com/
• http://www.wordle.net/
• http://bubbl.us/ -- can also be given as a home work, project work, etc.

That's it, if any questions do not hesitate to contact me.

Best regards

P.S. We wish to thank Ljudmilla Roždestvenskaja for the professionally prepared, interesting and effective conference. Ljudmilla , you are the best!