There is something special about submitting the last assignment of the course – on the one hand, you are excited for the winter break; on the other hand, you realize that you will miss the classes that have taught you so much and the people who you shared that learning experience with. Today, I am
Generative AI – a Friend or a Foe?
Fascinating and intimidating at the same time, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly occupying all spheres of our life. Should we be scared that in several decades educators will be completely replaced by AI, or shall we embrace this new technological advancement and make it our virtual teacher assistant? How I Am Currently Using Generative AI
Makerspace – Would It Be Possible in My Classroom?
Coding and makerspaces can definitely be a great addition to teaching STEM subjects. However, as an ESL/EAL instructor, there are very few ways for me to integrate coding and makerspaces into my lessons. Maybe I can’t support this blog post with many examples from my own teaching experience, but I would be glad to discuss
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What Technologies/Methods I Could Use to Make my Instruction More Accessible to My Students
To be honest, it makes me very happy to see how the world is getting more and more accessible to people with special needs. In the past, learners with learning disabilities were often labeled as “weak” or “bad” students, but nowadays they are getting actively accommodated and included at schools. Michael Halpin believes that assistive
Digital Assessment Technologies
All of us, educators, know the feeling of seeing a pile of ungraded assessment tasks on our desks – an unmistakable indicator of several subsequent hours of work. That is probably the reason why so many teachers are experimenting with online assessment forms nowadays as they seem to save us a lot of time and
Evolution of the Web and Its Influence on Education
The rapid development of the internet has completely transformed the way we share information and knowledge. We went from the static Web 1.0 sites to the highly interactive Web 2.0 platforms, and now we are stepping into the new era of Web 3.0. Let’s explore which opportunities and challenges each stage of this digital evolution
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Distance Learning Tools in My Teaching Practice
One of the most common small talk topics that emerge during my conversations with other teachers is: “Do you prefer distant or in-person instruction?” I always actively support such discussions as I have experience teaching both online and face-to-face. In Canada, I started working as an online substitute ESL instructor in 2022, and I was
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Productivity Suites in Education
We can’t imagine our lives without productivity suites anymore. Microsoft Office has enabled us to create various textual files, presentations, spreadsheets, etc., which completely changed the way students and instructors exchange information. Google Classroom became a life-savior for many teachers, especially during the pandemic, as it provided a comfortable space for them to interact with
Theories of Learning in my Classroom Practice
I knew that I was a teacher, but this week I also discovered that I am a constructivist. When I started teaching ESL to adult newcomers in Canada, I was introduced to Portfolio-Based Language Assessment (PBLA) – a teaching and assessment model that is widely used in Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC).
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My Understanding of Educational Technology
As a modern ESL instructor, I cannot imagine my class without technology. Until recently, I would identify only electronic devices in my classroom as technology. However, having carefully studied Tony Bates’ publication A Short History of Educational Technology, my understanding of this term has significantly broadened. How can we define educational technology? This term