Hello Cristina and others,

The Web-based resources for your EFL students, described in your post  
below, are innovative and creative. Technology is a source of both  
creativity and innovation, and so I have listed it in both categories  
on the ALE Wiki page

http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Creativity_and_Innovation

and I have added a link describing your work as an example.

I am cross-posting this message to the NIFL Technology discussion  
list because I believe there are subscribers there who have other  
examples of teaching creativity and innovation that has been spurred  
by the availability of technology in the classroom, and teacher  
determination to use it well.

For those on the NIFL- AALPD list who wish to join the conversation  
on the NIFL Technology list, to subscribe, go to
http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/Technology

Cristina, did you and your colleague make all of these resources at  
http://virtual-waters.tripod.com/workingstudents.htm  Did your  
students help to make them? If so, tell us more about how you got  
students involved, and how they learned to use the electronic tools.   
For example, could you tell us a little about the avatars on the  
English Quill site?  http://thenglishquill.blogspot.com/  (It appears  
to me that they are not currently functioning -- at least not on my  
Mac -- perhaps because the subscription has lapsed, but I am curious  
about how they did function and why you chose to add them to the  
blog. Perhaps you could reply to this on the NIFL Technology  
discussion list, or reply to me by email.)

Thanks very much for your post, Cristina.  I wonder if others have  
examples of creativity and innovation that could be added to the ALE  
Wiki page.

David J. Rosen
djrosen at comcast.net

On May 8, 2007, at 6:30 AM, Cristina Mendes-Da-Costa wrote:


> Dear David,

>

>

>

> I used to teach EFL at the Portuguese Navy and there was not much  

> space allowed for creativity and innovation, but when there is a  

> willing there is a way.

>

> And while many of the teachers held, and still hold on to those  

> very grey books, A colleague and myself decided to bring some color  

> into that educational setting. We started using the web to enhance  

> learning and motivate the students. You can see here some of the  

> examples I engaged my students with: http://virtual- 

> waters.tripod.com/workingstudents.htm

>

>

>

> The students generally loved it. They were enthusiastic, being pro- 

> active and participating in class in amore meaningful way. And they  

> were also being quite creative, I must say.

>

>

>

> Most of the colleagues never embraced those approaches as it was  

> “too much trouble”. Being creative and innovative doesn’t lessen  

> the work, I am afraid, but it does make the difference. My  

> colleague and I felt we had achieved something: meaningful  

> learning. We are still trying to follow the learning with the use  

> technologies approach. My friend is now using blogs with primary  

> students (see my blog for further information on that: http:// 

> eduspaces.net/cristinacost/weblog/168236.html ) and I am working at  

> the University of Salford, trying to engage staff in the effective  

> use of technologies.

>

> I think the web 2.0 is a fertile field for creativity yet to be  

> explored (by most people).

>

>

>

> Thanks for sharing the wiki link. It has interesting, useful  

> information in it.

>

>

>

> Kindly,

>

>

>

>

>

> Cristina Costa

> ………………………………………………….

> Learning Technologies Development Officer

> Research and Graduate College

> University of Salford

> Tel: +44 (0)161 295 6751

>

>

>

>

> From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov  

> [mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of  

> David J. Rosen

> Sent: 08 May 2007 03:27

> To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List

> Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 1032] Creativity and  

> Innovation,Fabric of History, Shakespeare in Jail

>

>

>

> PD Colleagues,

>

>

>

> In March of this year, I posted some questions here about  

> nourishing creativity and innovation:

>

>

>

> If you are a teacher, does your program or school nourish creativity

>

> and innovation? If so, how does this happen?

>

>

>

> If you are a professional developer, how do your professional

>

> development efforts nourish creativity and innovation?

>

>

>

> Does your state ABE system nourish these? If so, how?

>

>

>

> How do _you_ nourish creativity and innovation in your work and in

>

> the work of your colleagues?

>

>

>

> You will find at

>

>

>

> http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Creativity_and_Innovation

>

>

>

> a list of possible sources – and examples – of teacher creativity

>

> and innovation in adult literacy education.

>

>

>

> What other sources and examples are you aware of?

>

>

>

> To contribute your ideas of sources or examples, reply to this

>

> message on the Professional Development discussion list and/or add

>

> them to the above wiki page.

>

>

>

> The Adult Literacy Education Wiki page,

>

>

>

> http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Creativity_and_Innovation

>

>

>

> has been updated, and now includes, among other things:

>

>

>

> + a link to the Fabric of History, a creative American History  

> curriculum that builds on students' interest in clothing and  

> fashion statements by helping them develop a framework of important  

> dates and events in U.S. history through an exploration of clothing  

> and style in the years 1600-1980. The curriculum includes  

> timelines, pictures, readings, formal and informal writing  

> assignments, multiple choice practice, and suggestions for  

> interpreting and synthesizing new information through visual,  

> kinesthetic, and interpersonal activities.

>

>

>

> + a link to Shakespeare in Jail, a two-part article about an  

> exciting program in a women's correction institution through which  

> teaching Shakespeare came alive for students through film, reading  

> and discussion.

>

>

>

> I hope you will visit -- and add other examples to -- the  

> Creativity and Innovation Wiki page.

>

>

>

> David J. Rosen

>

> djrosen at comcast.net

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> ----------------------------------------------------

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> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to  

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>

> Professional Development section of the Adult Literacy Education Wiki

> http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/ 

> Adult_Literacy_Professional_Development