Thursday, January 24, 2008

What is there beyond the English classroom walls?

Dear UCV students:

Those of you, who have been in my classes during the last three years, may have lived the experience of learning English by using different Web tools or virtual learning environments. You know very well that, besides teaching, exploring the Web is one of my passions. Some of you must have experienced the use of Yahoo Groups, Moodle, Wikis, Web browsers, forums, voice and text Chats, videos and other tools. However, we've never had a space to share those experiences together: undergraduate and graduate students, those who major in Education and those who take a master or doctorate program in the Humanities and Education Faculty, those who take or have taken a master program in English as a Foreign Language and those who study the language for the first time, those who have face-to-face classes and those who take distance programs, adolescents and adults, all, as a large family. That's the reason why I created this blog. You've been my inspiration.

If you have not been my student, you might be asking why this is so. Perhaps, you've seen my students enthusiastically or desperate trying to find a lab or a cyber to join a Chat or upload their homeworks. Why? Is there much more after the English class? What is there beyond the English classroom walls? As a language teacher and a WWW user, I can provide you with many answers; but only you, as a student, by living your own experience, can tell me in your own words all marvelous things that can be discovered behind the English classroom walls and much further. It is not only learning the language, it is exploring what is beyond, what you can use when the English class or course is over.

Learning how to use Web tools is one of those discoveries. From one side of the classroom, it can be seen as a mysterious and complicated world; but, from the other side, it can be seen as a fascinating world to deepen what has been studied in class, communicate with other classmates, exchange information, explore tech tools, and being creative.

This blog offers you a window to the WWW, which I call 'Wonderful Web World'. I hope it becomes your favorite space to communicate your ideas and thoughts on how learning English by using Web tools is. You are invited to share with the whole world what you´ve found interesting or exciting within and beyond the English classroom walls.


Since it is my first blogging experience and perhaps yours, please let's be considerate and patience if some things are out of place.

Time has come! Welcome to this wonderful blogging experience!!!

Your teacher,

Evelyn


P.S. The students in the photo belonged to my Inglés Instrumental II course in 2007-01

32 comments:

Erika Cruvinel said...

Hello Evelyn
This is Erika from Brazil. Your blog looks very professional and I just love the welcome message. I'm sure your students will enjoy it too. I'm eager to see their reaction. If you need any other English teachers or students to exchange messages with your students, count on me!

Ana Maria Menezes said...

Hello Evelyn,

This is Ana from Brazil and I really liked the template you chose and the welcome post. The widget About.com is quite interesting too. Great start!

anamaria
http://www.lifefeast.blogspot.com

smilin7 said...

Hello Evelyn, a very industrious parade of "turtle steps" is evident here! I loved reading the intro and the welcoming tone (reading it I felt "hugged"), but wonder if it isn't more words than many students might make/take the time to read? On many of my Moodle posts and classroom efforts, WHEN I can elicit genuine feedback from adult learners, it's often that they wish I would break things into smaller chunks - that my enthusiasm overwhelms them. So, I'm "modeling" this poorly by writing such a long post [grins!]. I'm not sure if there's an 'easy' way to insert headers to paragraph sections? or to nest tables? Or maybe it's all moot because your page just "glows" with sincerity and maybe all of your students WILL read through it just as I did! Great beginnings -- thanks for the smiles it brought to my spirit,
Holly

Carla Raguseo said...

Wow Evelyn,

Is this your first blog? I'm really impressed! I agree with Erika it looks very professional and the message is very warm and inviting!

Great job and great start!!

All the best,

Carla R.from Argentina

Tatiana said...

Dear Evelin,
This is Tatiana from Russia. I liked your blog, especially the widget About.com. I immediately put it in my old blog. Thank you for the idea!

webgina said...

The blog looks great... I like all the links on the sidebar. You are inspiring me to GET GOING with my own students + blogging!
Gina
http://webgina.edublogs.org

Evelyn Izquierdo said...

Dear Erika, Ana, Holly, Carla R, Tatiana and Gina:

Thank you very much for visiting my blog and for posting your kind messages. They really encourage me to continue working. I appreciate very much your advices, too.
Hugs,
Evelyn

Mônica said...

Hi Evelyn,

this is one of my favourite Blogger templates, it makes your blog look professional and clean at the same time. Great!

You've made an impressive start, I look forward to seeing how it develops. I'm sure your students will join you enthusiastically!

Um abraço,
Mônica Veado
http://projectplatypus2.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Hi Evelyn. I´m not going to congratulate you. I´m going to congratulate your students for having a teacher who is interested in helping them to jump the wall that separates monolingual from bylinguals. As Erika said, if you or your students need someone to give a hand, you can count on me.

Vance Stevens said...

Hi Evelyn,

Vance from the UAE here. I'm responding to your email asking if you need to respond to each of the comments in your blog. I would say NO NEED, as a blog post and its comments can stand on their own as kind of a billboard or wall poster (no need to respond to billboards or wall posters). But if you WANT to respond, sure, if anything seems response-worthy, or if you can further the discussion, by all means do. When you see this if you want to post it to the blogging4educators list, you may. Vance

jo said...

I like your blog. What I like and what mine lacks is the warmth of the welcoming message. I have been inspired!

Sibel Korkmazgil said...

Hello Evelyn,

This is Sibel from Turkey. I just wanted to congratulate you on your blog. I'm also planning to blog with my students, so I'm looking forward to next posts and their reactions...

Best regards,
Sibel
http://www.brainenrichment.blogspot.com

Gladys Baya said...

Hi dear Evelyn!
I simply LOVE your blog title, it says so much about your approach to teaching...

I wish you lots of success with getting your students into blogging. Don't worry if you seeem to make no progress at first... No matter what it looks like, you ARE sowing, and eventually you'll reap too!

LOL,
Gladys

Patricia said...

Hello Evelyn,
I've enjoyed reading about your experience and see I have a lot to learn from you all.
I'd like to quote some words of yours in my 'reflections' if you don't mind, as I think they are really valuable.
Thanks,
Pato
http://reflectingonweb20.blogspot.com/

joseantonio said...

Hi Evelyn,

I really liked your blog. It looks really professional. The pictures you have posted and the text is really interesting.
Congrats! welcome to world of bloggers.

Cheers
Jose Antonio

Anonymous said...

Congratulations, Evelyn! Your blog looks and feels wonderful. I love the intro and the welcome voice message. I'm sure your blog will be a blockbuster!
Love,
Mary from Argentina.

Intercultural said...

Hi Eve,

I love your blog, and the applications you've used.

Lucky students you have, they might not know it.

Well done!!!!

Nahir

Daf said...

What a nice looking blog, Eve :-)
I love the widgets (you know that I am a widget nut) ;-)

I am eager to know how your students will react to it. I will keep dropping by!

hugs,

Daf

Ronaldo Lima Jr. said...

Hi Evelyn,

your blog looks great!
I'm sure your students will love it!

Kind regards from Brazil!

Anonymous said...

Hi Evelyn!
I really enjoyed reading your introduction post as well as listening to your welcome message.
I'm sure your students will profit out of this environment!
Good luck!
Silvia Colombo from Argentina.

Teresa Almeida d'Eça said...

Hi, Evelyn!
Congrats on a very nice blog, text intro and voice intro. I tried to leave a voice message, but wasn't able. Voki always gave me a message that I recorded for my students. :-(
Hugs, Teresa

Dennis said...

Hola, Eve.

I'm pleased to add my congratulations to the many that you've already received.

What a wonderful blog!

I'm particularly impressed with your introductory post, with the many widgets you've added, with the excellent Moodle tutorial, and with your choice of videos for the Video Bar. (I find myself wondering why you chose the last video, but I think I know the answer.)

Your blog is informative, engaging, and visually very interesting. It creates a welcoming atmosphere and makes me want to become part of your "learning space beyond the English classroom walls."

¡Felicitationes!

Dennis in Phoenix

Nina Liakos said...

This is my favorite blogger template, too. I love the Voki!

Hala Fawzi said...

Congratulations EVe!
A very professional indeed.How nice that we share the same "taste" in choosing the same templates!
Webehads rock!
Happy Blogging with your beautiful students!
Hala( Sudan)

Anonymous said...

Hello teacher evelyn
I had much fear of participating, then wanted to make in English,
In Castilian if I can point out him my experience with the use of this tool

In the first semester we work with this tool and I loved, the experience was very enriching.
The teacher formulated a question and we went responding, outlining our agreements or disagreements with the emitted opinions. I really liked it
But in English the thing is different

A kiss teacher
Francelia

Yarlemis Morales UCV Venezuela said...

This Yarlemis From Venezuela , dear UCV.
Experiencia was very enriching parcipating of blog.
hi teacher Evelyn.

Anonymous said...

Hi Evelyn.
Very thanks for your excelent idea.
Im sure that it will be a great use to teaching instrument from us.
Happy year.
Karina

Anonymous said...

Prof. Evelin, muy interesante la página, la felicito. Tiene mucha información para nosotros los que estamos comenzando.
Saludos y Exito.

Albin Zapata...

Anonymous said...

Teacher Evelyn congratulations, is a very good and educational blog for all, very nicely and entertaining.

Yolanda said...

Wow dear friend!

I'm really impressed!!!

You love the Web World indeed!!! I love it too.

The Blog is great! You're an expert!

Continue ahead!

A huge hug!

Yolanda Gómez (Caracas-Venezuela)

jotex said...

Hi Evelyn
Loved your blog and, like many others have shared in their comments, am absolutely inspired to do more! Good luck and all best wishes.
JoTex

Anonymous said...

Maria Martha Espindola said...
Hello, Evelyn!
What a nice blog this is!
I read all your posts with interest and curiosity on how you added many of the gadgets. I think they are very useful for students.
Well, I wanted to tell you that at my Teacher Education College, Instituto Superior Antonio Ruiz de Montoya, ISARM, http://isparm.edu.ar we are going to start using these technologies so I would like to keep in contact to share our experiences with you.
Love,ma.ma.
Maria Martha Espindola
MISIONES, Argenina