Well, I don’t any of us anticipated that the COVID-19 pandemic would still be a part of our everyday lives into 2021, but here we are. As I have done since the middle of 2020, I have continued to interview teachers from around the world on how to make the most of online teacher and learning, and that is my plan for the foreseeable future. It is just exciting to meet so many engaging and top-notch teachers who are making a difference in their classes.
After this broadcasts, I usually use the video to create a language-learning activity out of it. You can see some examples HERE.
In this broadcast, Elaine Oliveira and I talk about how to speak more effectively in front of the camera.
With the pandemic still raging around the world, it was difficult to predict how the first month of the year would unfold. Fortunately, I have had some deeply meaningful conversation with a number influential educators in the field of language education, and I enjoyed presenting at the Bolivia English Teachers’ Association International Convention.
New friendships have formed, and a whole host of ideas have blossomed.
Here are some of the broadcasts that I have done since the beginning of the year, and I will continue to create new content for my Web site based on this great interviews. I also produced a fun-filled episode with a teacher and her students from Tunisia, and I would love to do similar interviews in the future.
Whew! We have finally moved on from the chaotic year of 2020, and I look back on the year with mixed feelings. In this video, I discuss what I have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic period (which still continues with us today), and outline some of my goals for the coming year.
Well, we have finally made it to the end of 2020, having experienced the enormous impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on every aspect of life on the planet. For my part, there have certainly been highs and lows, but I have experienced a certain transition and transformation in the way I live my life and they way I teach.
That said, I have witnessed the suffering of many people, and teachers, students, and parents have been among those who have had to adapt—often with great inconvenience and some loss of community—during this difficult time. That said, there has been new growth along the way.
I have continued my live broadcasts as a means of giving teachers and students a voice to share their experiences, something I plan to continue, and I have also set up a LinkedIn profile HERE for myself that may provide another source of community where teachers can connect with one another.
I wish everyone a wonderful holiday season. Here is one of my interviews in which my guest, Paulina Rojas Ceciliano, and I discuss how the pandemic has changed our lives.
As you move into the fall and winter months, I am constantly thinking about new directions for my work and Web sites. Recently, I have been refocusing on some of my other Web sites, including Dailyesl.com. It is a fun Web site in which students can read and listen to recordings on everyday language and topics in the community. There are also comprehension and discussion questions. Give it a try.
In addition, I continue to do regular Facebook Live broadcasts with teachers from around the world. This has been a great way to reach out and connect with people who are trying to thrive in the teaching profession in spite of current pandemic difficulties.
Wow! Thank is all I can say about the past few months of Web site development and the live broadcasts I have been doing. I have met so many amazing people, and this has led to my creating new video activities based on these interviews and broadcasts. Take a look here:
My plan is to continue reaching out to students and teachers with such fun and rewarding content throughout the rest of the year. I also suggest taking a look at my YouTube Channel and Facebook Page for a list of all these broadcasts as well.
This has certainly been a busy month, particularly with the new Facebook Live broadcasts that have featured teachers from around the world (see list of past episodes). I also have been hosting a monthly meeting called Teacher Swap Shop in which teachers from different parts of the world have shared their ideas on a range of topics. I will be continuing these projects as a way of providing teachers support for our changing times, especially since many more teachers are having to conduct online classes in so many cases.
I hope you are well even in the midst of the pandemic that still is affecting so much of the world.
For me, this summer has been filled with many learning opportunities, and one of the biggest projects that I have been working on has been the Facebook Live broadcasts with teachers from around the world. You can see some of the most recent events HERE, and I have been turning these into learning opportunities for language learners. You can also see these broadcasts on my YouTube channel.
The whole focus of doing such events is to support teachers in difficult circumstances and provide them with opportunities to learn and grow. Life is about our shared journey of struggle and growth together. Thanks for being a part of my work.
June was a roller coaster filled with changes—mostly exciting and fun-filled moments.
On the negative side, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to take is toll on the world, and people are suffering everywhere. My heart continues to feel pain for those who have experienced loss of life, health, jobs, educational opportunities, and the simply job and living.
That said, I have been busy working on some engaging projects in which I am trying to build new learning communities and opportunities:
1. I have started producing Facebook/YouTube Live broadcasts as a means of sharing ideas on language learning and teaching, and this includes bring on guests who have specialized in certain areas of the profession. You can see more about this HERE. These broadcasts give viewers an opportunity to comment and share ideas in real time as we learn together and build new online friendships and communities. Contact me if you would like to be on as a guest.
2. I have also started a new section of video activities based on these videos to give learners opportunities to practice their skills with longer, unscripted discussions and presentations.
3. I continue to build my Facebook and YouTube channel where viewers can find all of this new content in a familiar place.
4. I created a video presentation to help viewers learn how to control the playback speed of online video, including of content on my site, YouTube, and even Netflix, and this video discusses how to control the video window to make it easier to see as you scroll down Web pages.
This summer will certainly hold more surprises. Just buckle up and enjoy the ride.
I hope you are weathering the COVID-19 pandemic in your personal, professional, or educational life.
One of the newest projects that I have been working on is creating live broadcasts through Facebook Live and YouTube. Keep an eye on my Facebook page HERE for upcoming events. You can also see one of my latest broadcasts on my personal and professional life here.