Podcasting – Audio report from a regional workshop

Another first for ETAS!! Listen to the first audio report of a regional workshop — a Podcast! Producing Podcasts 101, hosted by ETAS Bern-Neuchâtel Regional Coordinator Gabrielle Schiegg-Cleary was presented by JoAnn Salvisberg on Saturday, 26th January 2008.

Thank you, JoAnn, for sharing!

Tips for using powerpoint presentations

Up til now I’ve concentrated on online skills. However, there is much more to learning technology than that.

Here I’m sure you will find some very useful advice on giving  good powerpoint presentations.

Enjoy

Missed chances and New Year resolutions

Unfortunately, I missed the ETAS AGM. I was stuck in bed with the flu, and quite disappointed that I missed a great chance to see so many people again, visit the workshops and give my own workshop. I was still toying with the idea of coming down on Saturday morning, but my body just didn’t agree with me.

Dennis, my co-host for the would-be workshop, suggested we do our workshop another time and place. I certainly haven’t given up and am now planning to give it on-line – another first for ETAS! I’ll keep you readers informed in any case!

I also missed the chance to support Cindy in her efforts to ’sell’ the Matopo Primary school blog . I feel it is my duty to mention here how up-lifting and supportive a few comments would be on the blog. Cindy is working her heart out for the kids and teachers in this little village in Zimbabwe, and it would certainly take little effort to have a look and leave a comment.

Speaking of which, my aim for 2008 is to bring to life a project within a project. I’d like to encourage classes to start collecting school materials and money for shipment for the Matopo project. This could easily be embedded within the English lessons, even from early on.

I’d like to encourage you, the english teacher, to take this opportunity to promote real language  learning/usage and help a good cause at the same time.  Take your class to the Matopo blog and introduce yourselves. You can state your aims, e.g. to collect pencils or erasers or colored pens, etc. of good quality. If you want direct contact to the school. Cindy will gladly help make the bridge.

If you teach adults, general or business, you can use the project to get your learners writing letters requesting for donations – it’s expensive to get the materials shipped!, and who knows, if enough people work together, maybe it would even be possible to send laptops to the school.

Feel free to leave a message here or at the Matopo blog. Cindy and I would love to hear from you!

(note- the video below  is only meant to illustrate the point. It has nothing directly to do with the Matopo Primary School project)

New Years Goodies

First, a heart-felt Happy New Years to all the readers!

This year is starting out with a number of great opportunities.

First, there is the ETAS AGM on the 12th and 13th of January in Lugano. There is an excellent selection of workshops for those of you who have registered.

I will also be there giving a workshop. It will be an absolute premier with a special guest, Dennis Newson, co-hosting from northern Germany by way of webcam on the personal and professional benefits of using technology. And, of course, many more!

Immediately after, on the 14th of January, the EVO sessions that I wrote about on December 5th, begins and you can sign up for it now.

The then there’s the SIG day, this time later in the year than it has been in recent years. This time it’s on September 20 in Baden.

This is just a taste of what’s going on in 2008.

Have a great year!!!

Your learning technologies SIG coordinator

Illya Arnet-Clark