Multitasking: your brain on media

Source: freetech4teachers.com via Elizabeth on Pinterest

Blended Learning Resources by MIT

BLOSSOMS is an MIT educational project in partnership with colleagues in Jordan and Pakistan. Each BLOSSOMS module is a multi-segment educational video to be shown in a high school math or science class, with the in-class teacher leading the students in interactive educational activities between each BLOSSOMS video segment. BLOSSOMS is funded by the Hewlett Foundation with additional funding by the Sloan Foundation and by partners in Jordan and Pakistan.

Check the following video to understand the potential of this tool:

MIT Video - WHY IS THE SKY BLUE AND THE LEAVES GREEN

Google Maps @ Night

Earth at Night 2012 is a neat use of Google Maps to display what the world looks like after the sun goes down. The Earth at Night map allows you to specify a location and see how much artificial light is emitted from it at night. You can't zoom-in as far as you would in normal Google Map, but you still can center a location on the map.   

Image from Earth At Night 2012

This isn't an official new aspect of Google Maps. It was developed through a collaboration of Google, NOAA, and NASA.

Applied to ELT it could be interesting to have students to identify places without the benefit of the usual features of a map, as they generally find it so tough to locate different parts of the UK and the USA. Just don't let them use the search box until they're ready to check their answers!

Source: Free Technology For Teachers (adapted)

Socrative - smart student response system

Under the motto “as easy as raising your hand”, Socrative is a smart student response system that empowers teachers to engage their classrooms through a series of educational exercises and games via smartphones, laptops, and tablets.

Developed by a team of educators, entrepreneurs, and engineers involved in improving education, it’s a super simple tech tool created to enhance classroom engagement, assessment and personalization. 

As far as assessment is concerned, student responses are visually represented for multiple choice, true/false and short answer questions. For pre-planned activities a teacher can view reports online as a google spreadsheet or as an emailed Excel file.Watch the following video and get into the gist of this amazing tool!