Using technology may seem difficult to implement when we consider very young learners but who can deny the fruitful results in integrating technology and using some Web 2.0 tools in our English lessons. Here comes my top 10 Web 2.0 tools for tech savvy teachers of very young learners.
Vokiis certainly the first tool that you can use with your young learners. It's site where you can create your animated and speaking avatar, with your own voice or using your text-to speech application. you can fully customize your character and your voki character moves his head and eyes with the movement of the mouse. Kids love this!! You can use voki to introduce a new topic, retell stories, use it as a class mascot, let your students sing and let them practise English. They do love to hear their voices. Here is a great post by Shelly Terrellon using vokis in classes and a great videofromRussell Stannardhow to create a voki avatar.
Voicethreadis the best digital storytelling tool to use with your students no matter what age they are. You create a digital presentation and let the kids comment on each picture by recording their voices, writing a text or filming themselves. It's a great way to retell the stories, create an engaging speaking activity for the kids and collaborate with other classes from all over the world. Have a look at some of the exampleshere.
Probably, all of us know aboutEduGlosgter. It's an online and an interactive poster where you can embed text, video, audio, animated graphics, pictures and music. Watch Russell Stannard's videoon Glogster. He has explained everything for us. Glogster can be a great way to display information, children's work. Kids love themselves watching or hearing on a creative, animated and a colourful outlet.
BubbleJoylets you create a video greeting card using your own video. You can choose from different fun card designs that will fit in to your topic.
MoshiMonsteris a cute game to play with very young learners. They adapt their own monster, give it a name and design its color scheme. Monster makes new friends, chats with others, play games and develop their own personality through its growth. If your kids like Moshi Monsters, they will love to give a try toShidonni where they can create their own animals and watch them come alive. They will love to show their animals and talk about their pets in English lessons.
TalkingPetsis another favourite of mine to use with young learners. This site is similar to Voki whereas the character that you can chooses i limited to animals and you can only use the text-to-speech application. It^s still a great tool to mek the kids surprise by making a cat talk and ask questions to them.
Kerpoofis another site that is suitable to use with young and very young learners. It's a creative way to tell stories, create animated movies and greeting cards.
StoryBird allows children to create their own stories from scratch using their own text and pictures. It's also collaborating so children can start a story at home and you can finish it when they come back to school.
Fotobabble is a way to make photos talk. You just upload your pictures, record your voice and publish it. It's another way to motivate children to speak. They do love and have fun while they are listening to their own voices.
Integrating technology into your lessons takes time and patience but it's well worth the effort you've spent on it. It's awesome and very rewarding to see how children can be motivated and how easily they can master the new century's skills no matter how young they are! There is only one concern, of course. Are we, as teachers, ready to handle the new generations' skills?
Enjoy exploring those sites and stay online!!
Cross posted on my blog.
