Are you ready to Integrate Technology?

Infographic by- Shanghai Web Designers
As a teacher are you feeling overwhelmed by the amount of information found on the Internet?

Teaching has changed dramatically in the 21st century with the advent of Web 2.0 tools like wikis, blogs and podcasts just to name a few. Technology has modified the landscape of information and knowledge. Learning in this scenario poses new questions for teachers. Anyone with access to Internet has the ability to create videos, text and audio that can be shared with a global audience.

How can teachers be inspired to gradually start incorporating technology in their daily teaching?
Internet has become a big challenge for teachers and if used correctly is an empowering phenomenon. But most teachers internally ask themselves why should I start using technology. My answer to this question is that technology is here to stay. Integrating technology is not putting computers in the classroom without teacher training. Technology should be used effectively and efficiently to allow students to learn how to apply computer skills in meaningful ways. Consider the power you have as a teacher to start sharing students work with a real audience that is considered to be any student from the world.
Recently ARCALL (Argentine Computer Assisted Language Learning) has been relaunched with the clear goal to help teachers integrate technology. We know that there are many compelling reasons to start integrating technology .

ARCALL is a group of innovative language teaching professionals from Argentina which aims to:
teaching professionals from Argentina which

• increase the use of educational technology in EFL (English as a Foreign Language),

• collaborate in the integration of ICT in Argentina in ways that are effective and appropriate,

• assist teachers in integrating ICT into their daily practices and as a means of developing themselves professionally,

• train teachers on using computers and the Internet in English language teaching,

Another possibility is to create your own blog and share your experience with other colleagues. As head of a blog, I should say that the journey on how to integrate technology in your classes is full of obstacles and rewards. If you are about I´d like to invite all teachers, who have not already incorporated technology in their classrooms, to give it a try.

I hope you enjoy the ride.

I´m back!!

Dear Blog:

I´ve tried to update some of my on-line discoveries and adventures but it was just impossible to keep an organised track of a very rewarding year.
As I look back at 2011, reflecting on achievements, I can safely say that I´m grateful to have enjoyed a busy year full of new goals and challenges.

It´s time to share with you the reason why I´ve been away. The events are not in chronological order.

- Invited to participate in the first free IATEFL Learning Technologies SIG. Please check this Photopeach video http://photopeach.com/public/swf/story.swf

-SBS International sponsored me to attend Faapi in Santiago de Tucumán. I delivered a pre-conference workshop of 6 hours together with Rita Zeinstejer and a joint presentation at Faapi.
-Awarded with the BESIG scholarship to attend IATEFL in Glasgow in 2012.
-Delivered a very short presentation at TeachMeet International where I had the chance to meet amazing teachers worldwide.
-My blog was added to http://blogs.onestopenglish.com a service offered by http://www.onestopenglish.com.
-Selected by Essarp to share my online experience training teachers from Switzerland with the rest of the Teachers Trainers in Buenos Aires.
-Chosen to share my blog posts with teachers from India http://www.englishteachingdaily.com/2011/11/using-visuals-to-introduce-halloween-activities.
-Invited to work with Barbara Hoskins Sakamoto, Özge Karaoğlu Ergen, Esra Girgin,Shelly Terrell, David Dodgson and Michelle Worgan in the upcoming free EVO online workshop: Digital Storytelling with Young Learners! An incredible group of educators!!!
-Moderated Jazz Up your Classes with Technology an online course offered by ESSARP (Argentina) and ETAS (Switzerland).
-Invited to join The Round with an amazing group of ELT professionals http://the-round.com/2011/10/the-round-takes-shape/. Together with Özge Karaoğlu Ergen we are writing our first ebook.
-  Invited by ETAS English Teachers Association in Switzerland to give a webinar on “Global trends in Language Learning in the 21st century” on September 17.
-Move Up in Rosario invited me to deliver a face-to-face workshop in Rosario.
-Won the Reform Symposium Teacher Learning Community Prize ))
-Attended APIBA’s 40th Birthday Celebration! http://photopeach.com/album/19q7n82
-Delivered my first presentation for the  Ministry of Education in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
-Invited as a guest speaker at III Jornadas Internacionales TIC aplicadas a la enseñanza de la lengua in Córdoba http://www.lenguas.unc.edu.ar/tics/acerca.html
-Finally sat for the Swiss citizenship exam in French. Had to study most of the summer to be able to speak in French.

-Winner of a scholarship to attend a course at NILE Norwich Institute for Language Education in London in July 2013.
-Delivered the first online presentation for URUTESOL.

-Interviewed by Shelly Terrell after obtaining the Consultants-e scholarship on ICT in the classroom validated by Trinity College.

-Stephen Downes helped my language class http://www.downes.ca/cgi-bin/page.cgi?post=55436

-Had my second radio inteview with Baires Capital.

-Created Techools4educators together with Rita Zeinstejer to help teachers integrate ICT in their daily teaching scenarios. It was a huge success. SBS Argentina hired us to deliver several Webinar for free locally and internationally.

-Started a Master´s degree in Environmental Management. Passed 12 subjects in one year. It was hard work but really worth the effort.

-Invited to represent Argentina at the British Council summer school to be held in Buenos Aires on February 2012.

Maybe I am missing several things but just wanted to share with you some of my achievements in 2011. I hope everybody a wonderful 2012 full of joy and happiness.

May all your dreams come true

Finally I ´m back online devoting some time to my dear blog.