Teacher Ana's Learning Diary by Ana Zivkovic

Nice to meet you

anateacher78 — 2015-04-18 21:07:51 UTC

Hello, my name is Ana Živković and I teache English as a foreign language at a primary school in Niš, Serbia.

This year, I teach young learners (grades 2 and 4) and teenagers (grade 8). To learn more about my school and the activities we do in English classes, visit my blog here

Mission 31 and Skype

anateacher78 — 2015-04-18 21:41:59 UTC

In June 2014. we were featured in a Skype promo video

Acer and Skype for learning and fun

anateacher78 — 2015-04-18 21:44:58 UTC

Mystery Skype with South Africa

A glimpse into my classroom

anateacher78 — 2015-04-18 21:54:24 UTC

This is a TV interview after a Skype lesson with a class in Mexico about "The Little Prince"

Tellagami App

anateacher78 — 2015-04-18 21:57:55 UTC

Great for digital storytelling

M1, Q1 - Why do I want to use tablets?

anateacher78 — 2015-04-18 22:36:37 UTC

1. increase motivation

2. increase indepentent learning at the student's own pace

3. differantiation of tasks for every student

4. allows students to be creative, think out of the box

5. collaboration

6. all learning styles involved - text, audio, video...

7. interactive exercises, contemporary texts, native speakers (very important for learning a foreign language)

My teaching context

anateacher78 — 2015-04-18 22:40:39 UTC

I teach at a school that is pretty modestly equipped. We have 2 classroms with a wired internet connection, still no wi-fi.

There are 10 computers in each of those classrooms, and there is only 1 interactive whiteboard. From time to time, I ask students to bring their tablets or smartphones so we can try some quiz apps like Kahoot or digital storytelling like Tellagami.

M

anateacher78 — 2015-04-18 22:56:36 UTC

M1, Q2 - What whole-school challenges do I already face or do I anticipate facing when using tablets?

anateacher78 — 2015-04-18 22:56:36 UTC

The biggest problem is no wi-fi. f my students bring their own devices, they have to have their own mobile internet connection. I tried to overcome this problem by installing a Virtual Router app on my laptop that actually shares a wired internet by making it a hotspot. However when there are 10 or more users, it is pretty slow. https://virtualrouter.codeplex.com/

If (in some distant future) the school provides 1:1 - the problem might be the reluctant teachers (quite a few in my school, having a techno-phobia)

M1, Q3 - What classroom challenges do I already face or do I anticipate facing when using tablets?

anateacher78 — 2015-04-18 23:11:24 UTC

My lessons are only 45 min. long and I've seen students disappointed when the bell rings and they have just started their work...I envy those teachers who are not limited in this way. Also, learning space would be an issue in my school too, the old furniture can't last much longer if we keep moving it :(

Sway presentation recapping our project

anateacher78 — 2015-04-18 23:42:10 UTC

https://sway.com/6u960qUSjrQmsYzr

M2. Q1 + Q2- An idea for a piece of content you can produce with your class that has a purpose beyond the classroom activity

anateacher78 — 2015-05-12 19:33:40 UTC

For example, older students could explain a concept in physics or a historical event by creating an interactive map or poster. This way they can show their understanding of the concept or event and their creation could afterward be used to explain the same concept to next generation of students.

Here is an example of an interactive map showing important battles in WWI where Serbian army took part (made using ThingLink)