A Touching Surprise

As part the the series My Personal Learning Network/What you

can Learn from my PLN in her blog Teaching Village, Barbara Hoskins

Sakamoto (@barbsaka) had a brilliant idea to recommend posts from

blog archives and to encourage colleagues to read "hidden gems".

Barbara created quizzes based on those posts and offered prizes

as a reward.

I took quiz #3 and I was drawn among the winners! Solving the quiz was an enriching experience and I had fun doing it. Barbara asked me for my address and yesterday I received the prize: Japanese chocolates, a fan (as a touch of Japanese culture) and a lovely card handwritten by Barbara herself. I was moved when I opened the package and thought it was coming from far away. I felt I was receiving Barbara´s warmth in that package, which had travelled such a long distance. I shared the chocolates with my nieces, who were amazed by the exotic boxes and the delicious taste of bear cookies filled with chocolate.

I would like to thank Barbara for sending me the presents and for expressing kind and friendly feelings, which are an encouragement to go on interacting in this virtual world and meeting such lovely people.

Brainstorming Before Classes Start

Inspired by my PLN and specially by @ShellTerrell I've thought of ways of applying everything I've been learning through Twitter exchanges in my group classes, which start at the beginning of March. So far, I've devised some goals:

• I'm going to use Edublog to create a blog for each class, where I'm planning to include interesting links I've been bookmarking for my students to feel motivated to do extra practice outside the classroom;
• I'd like to have my students create their own individual blogs so that they can feel encouraged to have an active participation in their learning process;
• I'm going to add my students' blog to my blog roll, thanks to @suewaters detailed instructions;
• I'd like to welcome my students to class with a message using voki;
• I'm planning to use Wallwisher for my students to express their wishes, plans, likes and dislikes for the learning year ahead;
• I'm going to design mind maps for my students to find it easier to remember new vocabulary and concept networks;

So far, these are my goals and I'll add new ones as classes approach. Please feel free to make suggestions so that I can be a better, more motivating educator. Thanks!