Evernote vs Workflowy

 那天說到Notion比OneNote好用易用，令我想起一個負面的例，就是Evernote。它十多年前初出現的時候，我讚嘆不已，在台灣旅行時甚至特地到書店買一本如何使用Evernote 的書來看。但隨後的日子，當其他的app的功能日漸强勁時，Evernote 仍停留在那階段。

到今天，Evernote 最大的缺憾是:⑴不能create expandable 和collapsible的bulleted list, (2)不能無限地embed sub-list, 和⑶不能將所有的subpage以clickable hierarchy 的形式呈現，要找出某一subpage便要花很多時間。

我今天常用的是Workflowy, 主要用作brainstorming (例如備課時將一課的流程列出)，和快速記錄供日後參考的資料(例如碰到有用的app或technique; 突然想到在日後在課室嘗試的teaching idea…)。經過一段日子後，我便會有很多的list和sub-list, 但它的search 功能，使我很容易找回某一個list。它的mobile app, 令我在乘搭交通工具時，可以重温任何一個list。

這樣好用的app, 竟然有free plan, 而free plan又如此慷慨!反觀Evernote ……

Buidling a course website with Notion

 再一次多謝 Bryan Ka Yue Leung 推介Notion，這學期我已經把我教的所有科目採用Notion 作為“course website”。我在Notion為每一科開一個workspace作為course website, 然後把所有的course admin文件，每一課的rundown以一分頁展示，這一分頁中包含learning resources的link ( 我放在Onedrive或Google Drive 的file,或我upload到Notion的file)，學生只要在上第一課時bookmark這個course website的link, 以後便隨時找到所有的資料和教材。現在我的學生已習慣進入課室後，第一時間開啟該課的session outline, 看看我的"lesson plan",一節中要開啓某個教材，立刻按該教材的link。(所以我的課都很緊湊。)

對於我來說，備課時我去到Notion的總workspace,便可以即時進入某科的course website；第二個好處是可以在一個分頁無限embed subpage; 第三個好處是任何subpage如果內容要修改，我便立即到那頁修改便可以了，要update 課程內容易如反掌。

當然以上的功能，Onenote也做得到，但如果作為course website 供備課和分享教學內容，我覺得Notion易用和好用得多，它的無限embed subpage功能Onenote無可比擬，Notebook 的workspace內可以embed超多的external app(Miro, Google Maps, Loom, Trello, Zoom ......), formatting 的選擇極多，版面的美觀，更是Onenote望塵莫及。

My 3 self-paced learning units based on the same content

 昨天談到Kahoot Lesson 和Quizizz Lesson可用來教學，不像傳統的Kahoot和Quizizz只可用作遊戲。Kahoot Lesson 和Quizizz Lesson還有一個很有用的功能，就是容許先import PPT或Google Slides，才再加插Activity slide, 如果你有現成或伴隨教科書的PPT, 便毋須由零開始，省卻很多製作的時間。

以下是我用相同的教學內容，製作出來的Kahoot Lesson, Quizizz Lesson, 和Pear Deck Lesson, 大家有興趣不妨試試(請隨意打入假名)。原始素材來自Ms Janet Law (JJ Froggie Law) , learning objective 是-ed adjective 和- ing adjective 的分別，我將原始素材(例句，圖片)改編成三個self-paced learning unit, 教學內容一樣，都是來自同一個Ppt, 但加入的interactive activity 有一些分別。而三個artifact都是用三個app的free plan 製作。

Kahoot Lesson

https://kahoot.it/challenge/6777bfe3-5c59-4258-ba67-d6f34f9993cd_1664974633311

Quizizz Lesson 

https://quizizz.com/join?gc=66854819

Pear Deck Lesson

https://app.peardeck.com/student/tmahqchbb

總的來說，Kahoot Lesson 最visually appealing, 而Quizizz Lesson assign as homework 時, 學生在家學習，當進入Quizizz Lesson 時如開啟Read Aloud Text, 隨後每個Content slide 和activity slide的內容都有聲音讀出，加上有背景音樂，令學習氣氛很lively, 家長看到和聽到子女這樣做功課會很高興。至於Pear Deck lesson，它 不能為MC 及Blank filling 預設正確答案，而且版面較悶，但它的lesson management slide引導學生反思學習進度，頗有self-regulated learning 的味道。

Kahoot Lesson and Quizizz Lesson

Kahoot 和Quizizz初出現時，只是用來製作quiz game, 不是用來教學，後來Kahoot加入polling功能，出現blind kahoot, 可以用作在教導新知識初期，引起學生思考，但功能仍不多。

但兩三年前Kahoot加入了Kahoot Lesson功能，Kahoot 便真正可以用來教學，不只是一個game app, 這才讓我開始對Kahoot刮目相看。方法就是製作Kahoot時，加入用以解說的content slide, 然後在適當位置加入activity slide (T/F, MC, blank filling, open~ended question...), 完成的Kahoot Lesson既然可以用作engaging 的live presentation , 又可以assign as homework。這個意念後來被Quizizz吸收，今天的Quizizz除了作為game app, 也可用來教學。Quizizz Lesson assigned as homework 時還可以把內容以TTS讀出，學生可以看到和聽到一課Quizizz Lesson的內容。

當然這個模式Nearpod很早已採用，但Nearpod一來沒有Kahoot和Quizizz的遊戲feel, 二來昂貴。而Kahoot 和Quizizz的free plan已可以製作很不错的Kahoot Lesson 和Quizizz Lesson。

My Slidedecks of 20 years ago

 On the left: My PPT of 20 years ago.

On the right: My PPT of today.

And I'm feeling ashamed that there was a time when I tortured my students with slidedecks that contained nothing but bullet-points.

老師的一句話

 中大盧煜明教授獲拉斯克獎，他分享經歷時，說在英國習醫時，「教授話呢個技術(無創產檢)可以改變世界喎，我都想學吓點樣改變世界。」

當然他的成就一定還有其他因素，但亦可見老師的一句話，說的時候可能也沒有特別的動機，但有時候足以對學生一生產生深遠的影響。

https://news.mingpao.com/pns/%e6%b8%af%e8%81%9e/article/20220930/s00002/1664475103704/%e9%96%8b%e5%89%b5%e3%80%8c%e7%84%a1%e5%89%b5%e7%94%a2%e6%aa%a2%e3%80%8d%e9%a9%97%e5%94%90%e6%b0%8f%e7%97%87-%e7%9b%a7%e7%85%9c%e6%98%8e%e7%8d%b2%e6%8b%89%e6%96%af%e5%85%8b%e7%8d%8e-%e3%80%8c%e8%ad%89%e5%96%ba%e9%a6%99%e6%b8%af%e5%81%9a%e5%98%a2%e9%83%bd%e5%8f%af%e5%bd%b1%e9%9f%bf%e4%b8%96%e7%95%8c%e3%80%8d

Genious Hour Project Ideas

 先前說過今年教undergrad的materials design and adaptation 一科，發覺今年這一組不少學生都很technology-savvy, 對製作digital learning resources 很有興趣，於是我突然生起genious hour project 的念頭，鼓勵學生超越課程的要求，去explore和create更多有創意的learning object。我聲明會有額外的credit, 但不會很多，希望他們基於興趣和自主學習精神，作額外的探索。

這是我第一次作這樣的嘗試，我也不肯定學生會有回應，他們都是DSE的勝利者，很習慣求學就是求分數。

兩個星期下來，果然有不少的學生有回應，這真有點喜出望外，當然上課時我會表揚一下，希望更多同學享受為學習而學習，甚至有一天他們回想undergraduate 的final year, 曾經狂熱地製作learning object, 不是追求額外的分數，而是因為享受這creativity 的過程。

Obtained Microsoft Educator Master Trainer qualification

 

Genius Hour Projects

 今年教的其中一科undergraduate course是materials design and adaptation, 在今天這digital age, 教材製作當然離不開ICT, 而今年這一组特別Technology-savvy, 组員有Microsoft Certified Educator和Google Certified Educator, 每一課都很快便完成我指定要製作的learning resource。

那天我突然有一個想法，既然他們有這個能力和潛質，我為何不鼓勵他們超越課程的要求!於是我作了新嘗試，稱作Genius Hour Project,就是除了完成指定的工作外，他們如果有興趣，可以額外發揮他們的creativity, 用自己的創意製作更多的learning resources 。為了刺激思考，我给予他們一些Genius hour project idea，下面是製作listening resources 一課的genious hour ideas。

這個意念是否work, 暫時我不知道，一個可能是額外分數不多，於是學生反應不積極。另一個可能是這激發學生的intrinsic motivation, 於是他們不計較分數，享受過程和看到額外心血結果而自豪。

無論結果如何，這都是一個有趣的實驗。

ELT consultant to Baptist (Shatin Wai) Lui Ming Choi Primary School

 

The Dictation Game function in Educaplay

 Educaplay has an activity format, called Dictation Game, which can be useful to English teachers in preparing their students for Dictations. You (1) input the dictation text, (2) record the text word by word or sentence by sentence, (3) 'publish' it, and (4) give students the share link. 

At home, students then listen to each word/sentence, and type it out. They can replay a word/sentence as many times as they like. When they have finished typing out the whole text, they click 'Check'. The screen will then show them (a) the original text, (b) their typed text, and (c) their mistakes highlighted. 

Below is a short P2 example that I have created. Give it a try and see if this function is useful to you in preparing your students for Dictations.

https://www.educaplay.com/learning-resources/12953324-the_story_of_fai_fai.html

Froggy Jump in Educaplay

 像Bookwidgets一樣，Educaplay 也是我早期用以製作interactive task的其中一個app. 但出現了其他更versatile 的app後(e.g., Wordall)，便被我冷落了。最近重訪Educaplay, 發現它有一個新的game mode稱Froggy Jump, 基本上仍是MC Quiz, 但它的版面 很有趣，答問題時令青蛙跳來跳去，初小學生應該會覺得很好玩。

還有，學生答完一次後，可以無數次retry, 每次retry, 题目的次序會改變，無題三個可能答案的位置都會掉換，這樣學生不能靠死記正確答案的位置，而且retry多次也不覺得悶。

下面是我用Froggie Jump製作了一個present tense verb form的game。

今天的Educaplay 還有一個Activity type對小學英語老師會很有用，就是Dictation Games, 可用來幫助学生温習默書。

https://www.educaplay.com/learning-resources/12899121-form_of_the_main_verb_in_simple_present_affirmative_vs_negative.html?fbclid=IwAR0LXREhsQ1U-hUB3afOtba1SmcTu3LANAqp-gsMeW1IA2Ac2SR1NS3sqs0

Thinglink vs Genial.ly

 GeGenial.ly is still worth subscribing to (HKD30 per month) as it has a larger variety of artifact types, and for presentations you can upload your PPT as a starting point.

 With Thinglink, to use a template you have to go to the built-in Canva connection, but sometimes you have to pay to use a Canva template. But Thinglink has (a) 360 artifacts which Genial.ly doesn't have, and (b) seats for students. These are two unique features that Genial.ly doesn't have. 

Ice vs water

 喜歡喝台灣的黑糖珍珠奶茶，但去不到台灣，惟有在香港小店買一杯來喝喝。

但是跟著途中一直找不到適合除下口罩的角落來喝這杯看上去也頗像樣的黑糖珍珠奶茶。走著走著，突然想：內裏的冰塊會隨著温度上升要溶化，杯內愈來愈多水，會否迫破膠杯的封口?

過一會想，冰溶化變水後，水的體積會否比先前的冰塊細小，以至愈多冰塊溶化，杯內液體的體積反而愈小。這一刻，發覺自己竟然不知道答案。

隨著想起中學的物理科老師兼中五班主任馬紹良先生，覺得有點愧對他，尤其是他教物理着實教得好。幸好幾年前碰見他，他還記得我的名字。

如果你在IT和e-learning 界的日子夠長，你也可能記得他的名字呢!不錯，馬绍良老師後來進入教署，做到資訊系統科首席教育主任，負責推動全港學校資訊科技教育，說他是香港資科技教育始祖，一點兒也不為過。

雖然我已經把老師教的物理知識全然忘掉，雖然我的專業不是資訊科技本身，但我愛上了computer assisted language learning, 也算是對馬绍良老師一點報答吧。

MIEE 22-23 LIST

 The MIEE list for 22-23 has just been released. This year, there are 53 MIEE's in Hong Kong. 

https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AL9xXbQeJNj3CAw&id=91F4E618548FC604%2111185&cid=91F4E618548FC604&parId=root&parQt=sharedby&parCid=E837B342D1C436C8&o=OneUp

Travel safe vs Travel safely

 Every time when I'm standing on an MTR escalator, I keep being bombarded by the announcement 'Stand firm, hold the handrail, and travel safely.'

Now, because I've been contemplating whether I should think big, start small, work smarter and not harder, and eat healthy, so that I can live simple but happy, I can't help starting to 'feel' that it's perhaps 'more correct', or 'better', for MTR to say 'Travel safe.' I'm even starting to form a visual representation in my mind of someone who travels safe as opposed to someone who travels safely (though I can't verbalise the difference). 

But what if an ESL teacher confronts me with the question: "Shouldn't we use an adverb after a verb?"

My first 2 split worksheets under the Bookwidgets Teacher plan

 As Bookwidgets has won back my affection, I have purchased a subscription to the app. The Teacher plan costs HKD33 per month, which is good value for money given the large variety of interactive tasks that one can create with Bookwidgets. 

Below are the first 2 artifacts I have created under the Teacher Plan. Can't wait to use them in the first week of September: 

(1) A split worksheet with a scrollable webpage on the left half of the page, and some blank-filling questions on the right (remember there are 36 question types to choose from for a worksheet!!)

https://www.bookwidgets.com/play/mQsB5rTC-iQAEHRSbwgAAA/FDLHGF5/4-approaches-me?teacher_id=5683224028119040

(2) A split worksheet with a Youtube video on the left, and an open-ended question on the right:😄

https://www.bookwidgets.com/play/GZ4QHMXI-iQAERO-cIgAAA/6DLPG6H/your-teaching-p?teacher_id=5683224028119040

Bookwidgets revisited

 Bookwidgets was one of the early apps which I explored for creating interactive tasks. But at that time, the dashboard for creating new tasks was not that intuitive, so that it would take quite a while to figure out how to create a 'widget'. After a while, I turned my affection to other apps such as Educaplay, Wordwall, Learningapps.org, Bitsboard, and puzzel.org, for creating interactive tasks. 

But recently when I visited Bookwidgets again, I found that the app has made huge improvement. The dashboard is more user-friendly, though still not intuitive enough. There is a large variety of task formats which are not found in other apps. The app now integrates with Google Classroom. But personally the functionality I like the most is its capacity for creating quizzes and worksheets: a sequence of interactive tasks within a single quiz/worksheet. And there are as many as 36 task types to choose from when creating a quiz/worksheet. This functionality is not found in other apps, most of which can only create standalone interactive tasks (e.g., MC; matching; sequencing). 

In other words, Bookwidgets has succeeded in winning back my affection. 

Self-directed Teachers and Self-directed Learners

今早浸信會沙田圍呂明才小學的兩位老師Fanfan Cheung 和Ka Chun CHIU分享該校推行自主教學的經驗時，我立刻想起他們的教師真正做到，甚至超越,由the sage on the stage, 轉化成a guide on the side的角色。

From Sage on the Stage to Guide on the Side, 是美國學者Alison King 在90年代提出的觀點。正如Fanfan所問，今天的小學生到18歲時面對一個怎樣的世界?我們如果真的為學生將來着想，光是把課程甚或只是書本的內容硬塞給學生，這不是令學生最得益的做法，最令學生受益的方法，就是培養學生自主學習的精神和方法。

自主學習今天已經成為時興術語，但真正要做到有效全面和深入，而不是流於片面和形式，就需要全校老師都要有這共同的信念，持久的探索，願意從sage on the stage (其實把書本內容轉成chalk and talk 最容易不過)，化身成guide on the side (如何有效地引導和支援學生學習，這才是最考功夫的地方)，這過程中，老師也要成為self-directed learner 。聽他們分享時，我想到他們的老師這些年來，專業能力一定愈來愈高，一定為眼見學生愈來愈會自主學習而自豪，教學的passion一定一天熾熱過一天。(還記得2月11日時我參加他們透過Zoom舉行的校本專業發展日，他們的老師如何專業地分享教學策略。)

一班self-directed learning 的老師，培養出一班self-directed learning 的學生，這是一幅何等美麗的圖畫！ 

Apple Summer Learning Academy 2022

 Having some professional development for myself in the run-up to the new academic year: Attending the Apple Summer Learning Academy 2022. 

聽完Fanfan Cheung, Ka Chun CHIU, Jasmine Pun, 和Leslie Leung 的分享後，令我更興奮地為新學年備課。

還意外地收到Apple贈送 的紀念品。