Adult secondary education learners are often reluctant to use ICTs in class. They are not fascinated by cutting-edge technologies and prefer the traditional pen-and-paper exercises. However, digital skills are a sine qua non in the workplace and their development is prioritized in adult formal education. The “hidden vegetable” simile refers to ‘hiding’ ICTs within engaging activities, so that they do not demotivate students’ active participation in them. The creation of a lesson blog can trigger student participation in that it can function as a digital learning community and inspire a sense of a shared identity on behalf of the students. Students can have a common ground on which they create, share and get inspired by their peers’ works.

Teamwork may enhance learning and promote empathy at the same time. Collaboration, group dynamics, sharing and co-constructing knowledge contribute to the development of mutual trust, positive regard, respect and appreciation among peer learners. Tasks that involve group learning may promote not only empathy, but also autonomous self-directed learning. This way, we have “2 birds with 1 stone”!

One of the advantages of student-led classrooms is that they trigger learners’ intrinsic motivation. This results in active involvement, as they perceive of learning as a “personal hypothesis”. When student centered learning is combined with group learning methodologies, meeting the learning objectives is not only the teacher’s but the learners’ concern as well. This “alliance” may prove very constructive and fruitful, not only on a level of knowledge and skills acquisition, but, most important, with respect to community building, attitude change and positive learning atmosphere, which are beneficial to all the participants of the learning community and may bring about long term outcomes.

New technologies may transform the whole learning procedure. However, digital media should not be considered as an end in itself. The term ‘media’, as its latin origin reveals, refers to ‘tools’, or ‘ways’ to achieve a goal. Thus, innovation and creativity lie in the ways in which new technologies are used. There is often a risk of using cutting-edge technologies in traditional or outdated teaching methodologies. As Tom Hierck said, “21st century kids are taught by 20th century adults using 19th century curriculum and techniques”. So, an educator might ask him/herself: "how do can learners interact through ICTs?" "How can they create original works?" "Do they develop critical skills?" "Are their attitudes changing?" "Are their emotions stirred?" These are just a few questions that I ask myself in my ICT-mediated lesson planning.

Teamwork may enhance learning and promote empathy at the same time. Collaboration, group dynamics, sharing and co-constructing knowledge contribute to the development of mutual trust, positive regard, respect and appreciation among peer learners. Tasks that involve group learning may promote not only empathy, but also autonomous self-directed learning. This way, we have “2 birds with 1 stone”!

Adult secondary education learners are often reluctant to use ICTs in class. They are not fascinated by cutting-edge technologies and prefer the traditional pen-and-paper exercises. However, digital skills are a sine qua non in the workplace and their development is prioritized in adult formal education. The “hidden vegetable” simile refers to ‘hiding’ ICTs within engaging activities, so that they do not demotivate students’ active participation in them. The creation of a lesson blog can trigger student participation in that it can function as a digital learning community and inspire a sense of a shared identity on behalf of the students. Students can have a common ground on which they create, share and get inspired by their peers’ works.

Something that worked really well in my class: After having presented William Wordsworth's "I wandered lonely as a cloud" poem, in the form of a subtitled video in class, I asked my students to bring to class a photo they had taken (i.e. of a beautiful landscape that had inspired them). Then they worked in groups of 5: each group co-created one or more short poems, based on the photos taken by its members. They then worked on cooperative slides and put the photos and their texts together. Their digital works were uploaded on the lesson's blog. This took place one year ago and they still talk about it with pride. My students are adult, but I think it would be appealing to younger ages as well

A truly memorable lesson is the unique result of the combination of many factors, such as its relation to the learners' personal needs and interests, its experiential hands-on methodology, its emotional appeal and so on. Also, when students co-create something, their learning experience has a 'tangible' outcome, which remains stable in space and time. Being able to 'revisit' their creations, whether physical or digital, makes learning literally unforgettable