What’s The Edtech Roundup? Extempore was just reviewed by The EdTech Roundup! If you’re unfamiliar, The Roundup is run by Mike Karlin, who has over a decade of classroom experience and is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Indiana University’s Instructional Systems Technology program. The review gives an overview of what Extempore is, goes in depth[…]
The Can Do Descriptors which are similar to the WIDA Language Development Standards, were created to show what students at different levels of proficiency in English should be able to do in each of the four domains. While not a replacement, the Can Do Descriptors are a supplement to the WIDA Standards in instruction. Each[…]
In today’s image-rich world, infographics have become an essential way to convey information and statistics without an overwhelming overdose of text. This feature makes infographics an ideal instructional tool for teachers in the world language classroom. I often use infographics in the to elicit responses and reactions from students in the target language. THE[…]
One of the great advantages of cloud-based products like Extempore is their portability and flexibility: unlike on a legacy language lab, your students are free to practice speaking in any setting, at any time. You are not tied to a room, or a specific type of hardware, or a booking system. This flexibility means Extempore[…]
It’s the 21st century: Why do we keep taking 3 days to do oral exams when it can be done in ten minutes? If you can relate to this post’s title, it’s probably because you still go through 3 or 4 days of intensive (for you, not for your students who only meet with you[…]
No one can deny that technology plays an important part in our teaching practices these days. The new generation of students, the so-called “digital natives”, usually welcome state-of-the-art lessons that integrate technology with great enthusiasm, as it is a great motivation booster. Yet, when we come to think about what makes an effective language lesson[...]
Posted on 2020-03-03 by Thomas Murr
Nowadays technological developments have affected our lives, how we communicate, how we learn and, of course, our way of teaching. Indeed, it is almost impossible to find a language class that does not use some technological support. Computer assisted language learning has changed the practice of teaching (Chapelle & Voss, 2016). Technology in Language[...]
Posted on 2020-02-10 by Thomas Murr
Here is a great activity for reading comprehension, listening and speaking. It can be for any level of instruction and for almost any topic… and it allows for some artistic creativity in the classroom as well. Ok, so there is a little prep… make sure you have blank pieces of paper, colored pencils and/or markers. [...]
Posted on 2019-11-18 by Thomas Murr
