Adam Chiocca shares and blogs here.

Hey folks. Just wanted to say that this blog will again be regularly updated during the school year. Right now... I'm certainly enjoying being a dad for a real New England summer. Enjoying beaches around the area has been great. Kids love the tide pools... Hermit crabs, Snails and Starfish oh my!

Hi. As this blog is new and young, I thought I should start with one big point about using online ESL videos to learn English. Video, in general, is great since images help to make cognitive connections; but videos are often better with subtitles ! Being able to see how we write the words, for example, almost always aids in learning language. For a good example, please cut & paste this URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2s06Al0Zdw

I'm happy to say that this year was my best yet. Combined with having more time to plan and prep for great units and lessons (now being post-Master's time), and with all the new knowledge and skills I learned from my M.A.T., it was a great year! You know... having those 4 years of teaching experience before doing my M.A.T., also, I think, really helped me to grow as an educator. We did some really exciting units this year. For example, building on some lessons I found in some Adult-ESL texts, I created a 3-week unit titled "Helping Your Family to Buy a Home!" Yes - so, we made "dream homes" out of cardboard boxes and materials. Students learned "Mr. Chiocca's 11 Steps to Buying a Home," and they made YouTube videos and Audio Recordings for the Final Project. The kids learned about mortgages, down payments, PITI - Principal, Interest, Taxes and Insurance; and how to work with real estate agents and brokers. In addition, students learned