Getting Your Class Connected

Hi

The Internet is a plethora of learning materials. As teachers we need only dive in and instruct our students to join us. We can use it for writing E-mails, creating Web Pages and class websites, and much more.
The sea of resources for reading and writing practice is never ending.

Getting connected means also learning from both teachers and classrooms from all over the world. There are many live interconnected lessons happening just as I write.

I have been using ads from New York magazines for years in K-12 and beyond. I believe this is where Learners apply their critical thinking to compare and contrast a few ads. It is also a visual tool. On the Internet we as teachers can access this tool to provide authentic materials for our students.
I have been using The Learning Network from the New York Times website on many occasions.
When students are asked to describe in writing, or review a book,  a film, a festival or a ceremony, they use combined learning skills. They can "visit" a theater/movie website, read a review, watch a short clip on Youtube or even take virtual trips around the globe and describe destinations. They can then "land back" in their country or hometown and write about it.
E-Books are a wonderful way for Audio-Visual Learning. They can be adapted for younger EFL Learners and later used in class weblogs. Story map is a great way of using graphic maps in the-based  LD EFL classroom. Mei Ya Ling ("3 Extensive Reading Activities for ESL/EFL Students Using E-Books") provides good links for this.
I think with Remedial Teaching it is best to dedicate at lease two sessions for each writing task, but bare in mind the attention span factor and try to diversify activities.
Internet-based Literature can be used by learners as a post-activity. They can show and teach the stories to younger relatives, reenact these stories in class, using vocabulary they have learned and even create simple stories in writing (with or without illustrations) and speaking. Thus they practice English outside the classroom. There is a back and forth process going on, involving not only teachers and students, but also the entire community through the kids' oral skills (teaching others what they've learned through web reading and thus getting a sense of higher motivation and confidence) and writing and publishing on the web.
This is not to say we'll forget about real books and putting pen to paper. We have an English Book Club at School and an extensive library.
Technology should be used soundly and with pedagogic scaffolding in mind.
I believe students should use the keyboard as one of their main learning tools and become active learners.

If we as teachers learn to combine old and new,  and do it well we'll soon be  stepping into a "New World" where students will actually have fun learning English.

So let's  enjoy the ride,
Liat