SCRIPT ALERT!! formLimiter!

One of my favorite little scripts is formLimiter.  Have you ever given a Google Form quiz or test and ended up screaming at your students who refuse to turn in the damn thing at the end of class because they want more time? Have you ever sent a link of that Form to a student who missed the quiz/test and it takes them two weeks to a month before their responses end up in your spreadsheet because the student knew there would be no time limit to handing it in?  Have you ever used Flubaroo to batch grade an assignment only to have that one student tell you they just handed it in after you have already sent student scores back?  The reinforcement of deadlines in a Google Forms can be ever annoying. Well, with formLimiter, reinforcement of submission deadlines just got real.

Unlike most scripts, formLimiter is easy to set up for beginners in script using. It is pretty straight forward. After you install the script, select how you want to limit the responses to the form by time limit, total number of responese or spreadsheet cell value.   For me the time limit is most useful. I can select a date and time to set for deadline submission.  After set, the form will no longer accept submissions.  This is great mostly because it will train students to respect deadline submission time and allow the teacher to stay better organized.  You can even send a notification to editors when the time limit is reached.  For more on formLimiter or more scripts in Google Forms, check out http://cloudlab.newvisions.org/

Best,
#mrford#techsavvyteacher

Using Google Forms to Create Quizzes for Your ESL Classroom

I've been a paperless teacher for over a year now and I honestly can't tell you the last time I actually had to stand over a copy machine. Thanks to Google, myself and tech-savvy educators across the world have ditched the traditional paper based Microsoft Word and opted for cloud services.  For me, the transition was almost invisible. I didn't even notice I had become a paperless teacher.  Features inside of Google Drive such as: Docs, Presentations, Spreadsheets, Forms and the Chrome App Store with their easy integration and organization have made it easier for educators to create, share, and store information like never before without the need for printing papers or documents.

Such is the case with Google Forms. Over the last few months, Google Forms has been my most used app inside Google Drive, especially when designing interactive TOEFL quizzes to be delivered to students over their phones or tablets.  Most ESL teachers I come across have NO idea that Google Drive even exists.  They are still avid users of Microsoft Word and rarely touch a Word product other that MW and PowerPoint.  They still consider Google to be just a search engine. During my presentations at conferences all across Georgia, I can't tell you how many times I still hear educators with over 20 years experience in the classroom scream, "WOW" when I show them how to use Google Drive products in the classroom.

Google Forms is originally designed to execute questionnaires, inventories, and surveys, but can also be used to design classroom quizzes featuring images and YouTube videos.  Along with a very famous script known as Flubaroo, theses classroom quizzes quickly become self grading and scores are stored in spreadsheets and emailed to students within minutes.  I first discovered Forms when as a student life coordinator, I wanted to make a small questionnaire for students exiting the institution I worked for.  After playing around with it, I quickly discovered that Forms could be used as a replacement for multiple choice tests we administered to our students who took their level up moving tests.  Not only was my discovery very effective, it eliminated the use for our outdated scan tron machine and the expensive papers that were piling up in our storage room.

The best part of Forms in my opinion, is that it provides transparency between students and teachers as the answer sheet can be attached to the students' email reported scores.   I usually review the quizzes immediately after they are scored and the answer sheet helps make it easier for students to recognize their mistakes.



Forms comes with a nice amount of colorful themes for its templates and includes a question types such as; Text, Paragraph Text for longer answers, Multiple Choice, Check Boxes, and Choose from a List. To find out more about Google Forms, try it yourself today! Just go to your Google Drive and select Form from the 'Create Menu.'

#mrford#techsavvyteacher

APP ALERT! WHATSAPP

     So I was watching some videos on YouTube about mobile learning and someone on one of the videos mentioned Whatsapp and its popularity in Spain partly due to its ability to text for free worldwide.  So, I downloaded the app to my Samsung Note 2 and let it sit there for a week or so. Later that following week I mentioned the app to one of my students and she mentioned that she uses it all the time; even more so than the dominant FB Messenger. I asked her to explain to me how it worked and was kind of disgruntled at first to learn that I had to actually share my personal phone number with my students in order to engage with them. As of up until then, messenger platforms like Google + or FB only required an email address only.  Considering I teach adults and was really curious about this platform, I shared my phone number with my student and she did everything else for me.  She set up a chat group and gave it a name and cover photo.  Within seconds, she sent a text with a photo, and then with a video, and then a voice recording within our group. Considering she had everyone else in the classes phone number, she invited all my other students to the group and within five minutes of a casual conversation with a student, I had (a student) created a class group and had my first experience with Whatsapp!

    The cool part about Whatsapp is that it is a great substitute for an online classroom blog! What a great concept! A platform that is so similar to a blog that is attached to a student's phone, not computer. Students don't think of it as blogging, they think of it as texting (which it really is).

    I post student assignments, homework, photos of class notes, YouTube videos on ESL, important dates, and last minute information making learning more spontaneous and personal, thus more engaging. No wait, no password, no apps to open just to participate.

Best,
#mr.ford

       

                                                                                                     

                                  

A student using Whatsapp to practice ESL.

APP ALERT!! ESL PODCAST

     Are you a student looking for a great way to enhance your ESL/EFL listening skills? Are you an ESL Instructor who needs a quick listening activity to fill that missing gap in your syllabus? Check out my good friends Dr. Jeff and Dr. Lucy out in LA. ESL Podcast is the leader in podcasting for ESL/EFL students and instructors. Their podcasts are among the most popular and readily available online and on NOW your smart phone! 


     A lot of people are unfamiliar with podcasting.  Podcasting is basically a recorded dialogue that is intended to help enhance listening and reading comprehension skills.  They rely on a large variety of topics and many of these podcasts contain videos. A short quiz is usually given or listeners are asked to write a brief summary following the listening to test their comprehension. 

     I currently use this app in my Level 5 course at my institute as an instructor.  After playing the podcast via my phone and speakers, I ususally distibute a self generated worksheet that asks seven to ten questions and a brief summary of the listening.  I also request that my students download the app so that they can read along the second time the podcast is played for revision.

     Go to your Google Play Store and download the app today.  Let me know how it works for you.

                                                         


Best,
#mr.ford

Use Your Samsug Smartphone to Give Class Lectures and Presentations Via Your TV!

Samsung's Allshare Cast "Dongle" $99

 

 

     Imagine giving ESL PowerPoint Presentations or lectures to students wirelessly via your Galaxy S3. Samsung's Allshare Cast "Dongle" lets you connect your Allshare Cast enabled device wirelessly to any HDTV or HDMI! So what does all that mean? The hub mirrors your phone screen on the display allowing you to share pictures, videos, games, presentations, YouTube Videos, Netflix and more while controlling all of the action from your Samsung phone. This device is compatible with Galaxy S3 and S4 as well as Note2; sorry iphone users:(

 

   Sure, $99 is a little expensive, but it's TOTALLY worth not having to move all those wires around. As someone who gives constant presentations, trust me when I tell you that this device is a GO!! Extremely light and small, it hides perfect behind a TV or your PC.  

 

     Installation is easy as 1, 2, 3.  Plug the adapter in to your wireless device, turn on the Allshare Cast option in your settings and BOOM; you're set!  The screen will even rotate with your Samsung phone or tablet. As a side bonus, the hub's charger doubles a phone charger! If you are a tech savvy teacher like me, then this device is a great addition to your aresenal. Check the video below to see how it all works!

 

Best,

#mr.ford

APP ALERT!!! Cloud Print My Gmail

     Want to print from your students' assignments from your Smart phone? Check out Cloud Print My Gmail from Google Play and see how easy it is to print messages and attachments in your Gmail account from your Samsung S3 or Note2. Though there are already a few Cloud Ready to Print printers available, you don't necessarily have to own one to print from your phone. Check the video below and try it yourself! 

Best,
#mr.ford

APP ALERT!!! Quizmo

    












     There are only a hand few of multiple choice Quiz Creating apps in Google Play for tech savvy teachers, and Quizmo is the newest.  Quizmo has only been out for two months, but already has 1000+ downloads in Google Play thanks to its ability to easily incorporate personal photos into your quiz via your camera or image gallery.  Quizmo also lightens you up on having to type all possible answers for your questions as the answers are taken randomly from other questions in the quiz (this saves HELLA time). If you are like me, you use the text to speech option and damn near never have to type a thing except minor mistakes made by Google Voice.

     The ability to create multiple choice quizzes and share them via smartphones is not new, but in the past, it has been very difficult to connect photos to your multiple choice questions without risking the coding when sending them via email to your students. When compared to similar apps like Quiz 'n Poll, Quizmo definitely looks better, but is not as simple to share.  Sending your students a quiz on their phones using Quiz 'n Poll is much simpler and doesn't require you to memorize any codes and enter them. Though the concept seems easy, it is really annoying when having to deliver your quiz in class.   For more on Quizmo, check out my review in Google Play and see if it's right for you.

Best,
#mr.ford

Samsung Galaxy Note 2

     It's here; the future of m-learning that is. Actually, it's been here for a few months now, I just picked mine up on last Friday. The Galaxy Note 2 from Samsung takes m-learning to the next level for teachers and students. This is it guys, everything a m-learner could want. It's a phone/tablet with a stylus air pen and more. Some cool features include a bumping app that allows you to share music and videos, and a dual screen option which allows you to split your phone screen in half and work on two seperate options at the same time. Yes, some would argue that the screen is too big, but after a day or two you get used to it and have to squint your eyes to look at any other phone with a smaller screen.

     Ok, apps. The Samsung Note 2 with it's air S pen is perfect for apps like ezPDF Reader which allows the user to upload a document from the web and Google Docs, edit it with the air pen, and send it back to your Documents or email. This is a DREAM COME TRUE for teachers who wish to reduce paper waste and keep their students' work in the palm of their hands. The air pen is also great for doodling and scratching down quick notes. In apps like Evernote you can write, record, and share notes from lectures. Samsung also has several of their own apps ready on the phone like S Note and S Suggest. For those of you who would rather not deal with the pen, the speak to text format here is perfect. The words appear on your screen just as fast if not faster than they come out of your mouth.

     Ok, size. People will ask you if the Note 2 is a tablet or a phone. Then they will ask you if it fits in your pocket. Yes, it's a phone with a large screen, and no, it doesn't fit in my pocket, I have to put it in my mom's purse and force her to lug it around for me while we go grocery shopping! Of course it fits in my pant pocket. All of them to be precise. I really believe that people will have to get over the size issues with the mobile devices if they want the best out of them. This thing is great to watch Netflix on and the sound is far better that the LG or Window phones, so I really don't see why people are complaining over it. Just stick some earbuds in it and look even more stupid so people think you are talking to yourself.

     Closing.  This phone is the best on the market today and is a tablet and a phone at the same time. Once everyone else gets on board, I-Pads and tablets will soon be a thing of the past. And I mean VERY soon!

Best,
#mr.ford

WEBINAR ALERT!! Pearson ELT Jennifer Ledbedev of Youtube February 14, 2013!!

5 Tried and True Tips for Teaching Grammar

Thursday, 14 February 2013, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM (GMT) Dublin, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London

Learn five basic tips for achieving a successful presentation of any grammar point. Attendees will also have the opportunity to discuss various challenges in teaching grammar and exchange strategies for overcoming those difficulties.

Jennifer Ledbedev Jennifer Lebedev has taught English as a foreign and second language since 1996. She has been working online as an instructor and content creator since 2007. Her Pearson-sponsored blog won the 2010 EDDIE Award in the category of ESL Website Blog. As JenniferESL on YouTube, she has gained over one hundred thousand subscribers worldwide, and in 2011 her channel was recognized in YouTube's "On the Rise" contest. Jennifer has presented at TESOL independently and by invitation. She is a co-author of the Vocabulary Power series and contributed materials to New Password. Click the link below to register! Best, #mr.ford http://mt204.sabameeting.com/main/Customers/pearson/Registrar/NewRegistration.jsp?event_id=00000002798ffb013c079f17670079b2&source=

APP ALERT!! SimpleMind free mind mapping

     Mind mapping is an essential in any paragraph planning.  SimpleMind free mind mapping is the easiest and most reliable of free mind maps available in Google Play.  Use different colors, borders, and lines to create a very effective brainstorming tool. With easy cut and paste, edit, and sharing options (paid version), this app makes mapping easy to do on your personal mobile device.

Best,
#mr.ford 

APP ALERT!!! Dictionary

     Ok, I think it's pretty safe to say that Dictionary.com is the most popular online dictionary on the net.  Heres, a way I use the app in class to help students practive pronounciation.  We have our set list of vocabulary words that we use from our Real Reading 2 books.  As we review them outloud, I have each student with their smartphone, ipad, or tablet verbally repeat the term in the dictionary.com searchbox using the microphone. If the term comes up correct, then they get it right. If it doesn't come up, I have them type the word in the search box and listen to the voicebox speak the word correctly.  I then have them repeat the word again in the search box using the microphone until the search comes back matching the original word.  This is a cool little trick that students can do in the class, or on the go!

Best,
#mr.ford

A Black Single Mom Abroad by Rakysha Raysor

 

 

As a single mom, I get so many surprised looks when I tell people that I taught English in Spain last year and I actually brought my  two children along with me. As soon as they hear about my experience I always get the same two questions:

 

First, why would I leave a pretty stable life to do something like this? It was the right time in my life, my kids were at a great age(11 and 9) and I had a career that I could come back to, so I decided to go for it.  However, I think the most important deciding factor was that we all really wanted it. I have always wanted to live abroad and my kids were up for the adventure.

 

Secondly, how did I do it?. To start, I simply Googled “single mom teaching English abroad” and went from there. I had to weed  through a lot dead-ends and roadblocks but I just kept going. I finally found a program through the Ministry of Education in Spain that didn't restrict bringing children along. However,  they didn't provide any additional assistance for bringing children and I had to do all the visa paperwork,  register my kids in school  and find housing myself, so it was a lot of work. Also, I had to have all of my custody papers and agreements in order, that is a dealbreaker, you can't get a visa without it.

 

Despite all the challenges, I can say without a doubt, it was worth it. I loved teaching and working with the kids there. It was an amazing life changing experience.  We traveled all over Europe and got to see life from a different point of view. My kids got to see firsthand that different doesn't equal wrong, for that alone, I would do it again in minute.

 

To any parents who are interested in teaching abroad, having kids does not mean the end of your dream; if anything bringing them a long will only enhance it. Don't be discouraged by the logistics. If it's something you're passionate about, go for it!

 

 

 

TEFL Scams

    

     If you've been in the TEFL game long enough, chances are you've either been scammed or ran across a scam at least once in your career. Truth is, scams for TEFL are just as common as with anyother online industry. 

    So how do you know if your dream job is a scam or not? Well, first of all, if it sounds to good to be true it probably is.  I once had a job offer in England to privately teach an engineer and his family in exchange for free housing, a NICE salary, and a car of my own to drive.  I was so hungry for work, I didn't think things through clearly and almost lost $1,200 in a scam had it not been for my loving cousin who checked the resources of my offer.  Remember, if it sounds to good to be true than it most definatley is.

    Second, if a possible employee asks for any kinds of money up front beware!  Many scamsters will ask for money during your interview process. For me, after sending copies of my passport, visa, and a contract reimbursement document, my interviewer asked for $1,200 that would be given back to me upon arrival to prove to the governemnt that I would not be a 'burden' on it's society if I became jobless.  Remember, you are going there to make money, NOT give it away.


     Thirdly, never trust an employer who only contacts you solely via email.  Some scammers are very shy when confornting their scammees that they refuse to speak via phone.   If you can't even hear a voice, why would you trust them with your financial well being?

    Do your homework on the company and check their website, or Google them.  A great source of  reliable information for legit TEFL companies is available at Daves ESL Cafe. Also, Craigslist is a good source for international jobs, but beware that there are several scam artists lurking in it's corners as well.  Jobs usually posted on Craigslist are for teachers already in that country who already have a working class visa.  Jobs on Craigslist usually don't do visa sponsprships of any kind. I hope this helps.

Best,
#mr.ford

APP ALERT!! Verbal Reasoning Questions

    

 

 

     It seems like everytime I share a newly discovered app with one particular student of mine, she grows tired of it within a week because she either finds the content too easy or she just gets bored of it all together.  With this in mind, I decided to search Google Play for any kind of reasoning apps and came across a few good ones, but one in particular stood out; Verbal Reasoning Questions. VRQ seeks to improve problem solving skills by focusing on logical reasoning questions, because learning ESL is more than just vocabulary flashcards and grammar apps.  Verbal Reasoning Questions puts into test what a student has already or should have already learned in grammar before entering more intermediate levels of ESL.  This app is appropriate for ESL learner levels 4 and up based on its content.

 

     With 15 catergories of Englsih grammar to cover, this app has it all, including; Spotting Errors, Completing Statements, Idioms and Phrases, Spelling, Sentence Correction, Change of Voice (Active to Passive), and Antonyms. I mean, I like this app so much I actually rated it in Google Play!

 

     The only real downsides to this app other than the annoying adds are, one; you do not have the option  to actually choose the correct answer on your phone or tablet. You have to just guess it aloud or write it down.  This kind of takes a little fun out the app.  And two;  if played on your smartphone, you have to scroll up the entire side of your phone to view all the questions because of the large font. So, this is definately better on your tablet.

 

  I personally like the Ordering of Words catergory the best because too often my students ask me a question in the form of a declarative. This helps them see what I am talking about when I correct them in class.  Downlaod and share!

 

Best,

#mr.ford

 



Do you have to speak another language to teach EFL?

      One of the first questions people ask me when I tell them I used to teach EFL is, "So like, do you have to speak any other languages to teach that?" To be honest, I asked myself  the same question when I left for Shanghai, China on New Year's Day back in 2009.  It's a valid question. The awnser is no. I don't speak any other language than English.  To be totally honest, if you do decide to teach abroad, your employers prefer you not to speak the native language in the classroom. Not only that, but the entire interview is in English. Often times youwill  speak better English than your employer.   Along with that, most of your fellow Americans,  international peers and  native coworkers will have a GREAT handle on speaking English.To be blunt, the fact that you American will put you in a higher pay and social bracket of the natives you will teach.  But rest assure that being able to speak another langauge is a BIG plus for you in explaing things to your students to make certain they understand what is being spoken to them. The only handi cap is that the teacher may sometimes rely almost completely on her second language to teach their class because they feel that now they are better connected to the students.   Speaking the right foreign language will also help you navigate through shops, bars, taxis, and police stations (been there a couple of times).

     So how can you get away with teaching students and adults al foreign language when you can't communicate in any other than your own? The truth is that English is the largest language in the world. 90% of all computer programs in in English before translated into a foreign language. English is the 2nd most spoken language on earth, only behind China because it has 3 billion people.  In a large number of countries and continents, EFL is a means out of poverty and into a business market.  In China, students learn Englsih for an hour in school and spend three to four hours after school at a private English Learning Center you may be teaching at.  Since Communism in China recognizes no religion, the people have not a reason to take a day off of work and send thier children to up to nine hours a weekend at the learning center you may be employed at.  All that is to say that a lot of foreign countries are investing in English as a Foreign Language. So to work in EFL or ESL, you need not speak another language. I hope this helps out.


Best,
#mr.ford

APP ALERT!! Hangman Free for Android

     EVERYONE has played hangman in school. It is one of the firsts school games we played in kindergarten, next to duck duck goose.  Do you remember the enthusiasm that shot through your body as your rasied your hand to guess the next letter?  The sounds of, "Ew, ew, ew, ew, pick me, pick me," rang supreme in the classroom.

    Colorful and basic, why ruin a classic?  Some apps have gone as far as having a real noose around the man's neck, but this one doesn't.  It has a TOEFL section that is sure to be a hit with ESL Learners studying for the TOEFL.  Download the app today in Google Play and share it with  others.

Best,
#mr.ford

APP ALERT!! iEbonics Slang Dictionary

      For ESL educators, the subject of slang can indeed be a touchy one, 'fo sho.'  Students seem to not want American idioms and slang so much as they want to learn  "black people slang." So when they come to #mr.ford and ask me to hook then up with a little slang, I tell them, "Sure my nizzles, I got ya'll fo shizzles."

     At first glance, this app can present itself in an offensive manner as the cover boasts an unkept brother with horrible grammar teaching a class of white students, but I firmly believe that is for marketing purposes. Surely, ebonics is looked down upon by many African American intellectuals and scholars of English alike. But the old sambo like rationling of misspelled words that at one time was emberassing to black people has now become the language of choice for social media and text; especially in a younger and more social media active generation.  Hip Hop is taking over in Asia, South Africa, the Middle East, and all of Europe. Names like Eminem, Tupac, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, and 50 Cent are most common amongst my incoming students. And all over the world, Ebonics is  becoming more and more popular in texts, merchandise, TV, video, and everday talk.

     The app doesn't have a stop button and this thing is PAINTED with too many adds.  But the terms and definitions are perhaps the most accurate I've seen as of today. I'm not certain yet as to whether or not you are allowed to add terms and definitions, but the developer claims to update the dictionary twice a month. Download it yourself today and see what you think and share.

Best,
#mr.ford

    

DiGix 7-inch Tablet for $100 at RADIO SHACK

DiGix 7-inch Tablet for $100 at RADIO SHACK





    So I went to get my haircut a week ago and my barber told me there would be a thirty minute wait. I decided to wander around the mall and see if there were an early X-mas specials laying around. I wandered into the LAST place on earth I ever thought I would go in a public mall...RadioShack.  As I looked at some of the smartphones, I asked the saleswoman if she had any tablets.  She was totally clueless to what a tablet is (who hires these people?).  We walked over to the check out counter and I noticed a kindle fire and a few other tablets in the glass display case.  Scanning the prices, I noticed there was a tablet for $99.  Now, if you know anything about #mr.ford, you know I am very...frugal when it comes to money and technology, but $100 for a 7-inch tablet? I had to see if it was real. I purchased the thing and took it home with me! 

 

    I really do a lot of work from my smartphone and latop, so I really wasn't sure if  I needed  a tablet at all at first. But for a hundred dollars, why not, eh?  And compared to the already super low priced Nexus 7 tablet, this was a steal.   I'm not big (right now) on storage and all that other technical jargon. Just give me something that does what it says.  I was able to download all my free and paid apps via Google Play and they worked fine. There is no dual sided camera, but I'm cool with that. The screen is smooth and the entire tablet fits in my pants' pocket.  I will admit that the return to screen button is a little loud when you push it, but other than that this is a KILLER buy for an ESL educator.  On a side note, since I have been using my new tablet, I will admit, my phone screen does look a lot smaller now.  Check below for all that technical jargon you might want to examine before you buy.

 

Best,

#mr.ford

 

 

 

DiGix



www.digixmedia.com 

 



 

 

Detail

model number Tab-730 Marketing Spec. Processor ALL WINNER A10 Cortex A8 1.2G CPU Mhz Cortex A8 1.2G Display 7''Capacitive touch panel (800x480) OS Android 4.0 Nand Flash 4G-32G RAM 512M-1G Micro SD Card up to 32G Front Camera 0.3 Mega Pixel Back Camera NO 3G NO GPS support BLUE TOOTH NO Wireless Wireless Lan 802.11 b/g/n Mini-HDMI Yes Accelerometer G-sensor I/O Port Micro SD Slot, ,Earphone Jack,Mini USB(OTG) ,Mini-HDMI Battery and power 3.7 v 3000MAH ,Watch Video 3 hours Dimension 198mmx126mmx10.5mm Audio Playback MP3/WMA/WAV/AAC/AAC+ Video Playback AVI（H.264、DIVX、DIVX、XVID）, rm，rmvb， MKV（H.264、DIVX、DIVX、XVID），WMV，MOV，MP4（.H.264、MPEG、DIVX、XVID），DAT（VCD），VOB（DVD），PMP,MPEG，.MPG,， FLV（H.263，H.264），ASF ，TS， TP，3GP，MPG WEIGHT 　 Accessories USB Charger Yes USB Cable Yes Leather sheath Yes (Option) Stylus Yes (Option) earphone Yes (Option) User Manual Yes Warranty Card Yes Function and preload APP Browser Yes VIDEO PLAYER Yes Music Player Yes Camera Yes email Yes Kindle for Android Yes Calculator Yes WIFI SETTING Yes Settings Yes qiuickpic Yes APK Manager Yes Amazone Market Yes Alarm clock Yes CALENDAR Yes Documents to Go Yes Facebook Yes Adobe Reader Yes YouTube Yes skype Yes Twitter Yes 1 MOBILE Yes 1MOBILE GAME Yes Netflix Yes Download Yes Google Search Yes Google Player Yes