Business English
* Drama & Literature
* English for Special Purposes
* Examinations, Testing and Assessment
* Immersion / CLIL
* Learning Technologies
* Research
* School Management
* Teacher Development
* Teacher Training
* Teen SIG
* Young Learners
Just these past days I’ve been reading link after link of new e-books, written more than not by teachers for their students.
Here are just a couple.
Dead in Dublin by Jeremy Taylor, and here a short exerpt (taken from the website):
Dead in Dublin, a fast moving murder mystery based in modern Dublin. Milan Schwab, a Czech language student dies in his American teacher’s classroom. Daniel, the teacher, tries to piece together how he died – and most importantly, who killed him.
And here is something for smaller children: Sandcake
And here are books for kids to read along . The stories are read by kids and word for word is highlighted as it is read out loud.
And here is one more for kids with a bit of an extra touch: Zooburst
These days iphones and other smartphones are becoming more and more popular. Computers are in every classroom, no longer just in the computer labs, and reading material has become extremely accessible on different kinds of media, and smartboards are slowly becoming the new standard.
All this will most certainly have an effect on our learners and how we can help them learn, so it is good to know what materials there are to use on them.
If you happen to have experience in using them in the classroom, please leave a comment and tell us about it.
Often the question is asked why one should take the time to use technology in the classroom. Is it just one big hype?
Below is a link to a slideshow that answers the question and shows how and why tech can and should be turned into teach.
Since the ETAS first on-line course has ended and we have received sme feedback from the participants, I’ll use this chance to show how feedback can be given on-line.
We asked for feedback by using a tool called wallwisher, which is much like using post-its in a classroom. Here you will see it in use!
Another great way to get feedback has been used by the ETAS after the AGMs, a short survey with surveymonkey, which is a very simple survey tool to use. The link can be sent by e-mail to the participants or embedded on a website.
Of course, if you are using a blog, wiki or other website, you could also use a poll like the two in the previous post.
Finally, if you are using a blog like this, then you can request participants to leave a comment under the concluding post.
These are just a couple of ways, but I’m sure that if you looked around, you’d find many more. If you have any ideas or ways you get feedback on-line, leave a comment to this post and let us know about it!
ETAS’ first on-line course has been a great success.
During the course of four weeks, nearly 50 participants from ETAS and ESSARP joined forces to explore and create blogs.
For most it was a very steep learning curve to both take their first on-line course and learn to use the technology involved, and so not everyone completed the course.
But for others it was perhaps a first step in giving on-line courses themselves or at least supplying an on-line element to their classroom courses.
The course used a Ning platform (see the ETAS Journal Winter 2009 for an article on Ning), and so the first step was to become acquainted with the course platform while reading up on blogs and how and why they can be used by teachers and learners.
The next step was to set up the blogs. In the end over 20 new blogs were opened and have supplied a wide range of topics, including even connecting maths and science with EFL, as well as literature blogs for learners.
We also had two live on-line sessions on Wiziq with Karenne Sylvester, who was able to give the participants tips and relate her own experiences of blogs in her classes.
Judging from the feedback, it looks like this won’t be the last on-line course.
If you have any wishes for on-line courses, then please feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you would be interested in. Or answer the poll below.
For all ETAS members and English teachers in Switzerland, I am proud to announce a first for ETAS.
We will be offering a completely on-line four-week course on how to integrate blogs in your teaching. Since the internet is the perfect media for connecting with others, it will be a joint venture with teachers in Argentina from the ESSARP, a partner of Cambridge International ESOL.
This is a four-week completely on-line course starting on May 3rd where you will learn how to integrate blogging and different Web 2.0 tools in your teaching in order to enhance your daily teaching activities using blogs. You follow the course from your own PC – no travel involved.
During the course we want to unite English teachers from different backgrounds and continents and show them the benefits of learning online and collaborating by joining participants from Argentina and Switzerland and encouraging interaction through the blogs.
You will be able to work at your own pace, completing weekly tasks and reflecting on what you have done and learned so far. Live on-line sessions will also be offered – times to be agreed once the course begins.
Basic knowledge of the internet is required, but no previous experience with blogs is assumed.
Upon successful completion of course tasks (80% successful completion of the set tasks), participants will be given a certificate.
This course is sponsored by ESSARP in Argentina and ETAS in Switzerland.
If you happen to have a bit of flexible time on your hands the for the next two months, then there is another excellent chance to expand your skills and knowledge as a teacher. The EVO sessions, which have been going on for quite some time, are offering 6-week workshops on-line, and all you have to do is sign up here.
The EVO sessions are run by highly motivated and experienced teachers expressly for language teachers from all over the world and are a great opportunity for those interested in using technologies but without experience, and for those looking for new ways to apply their knowledge and experience. For beginners a great session is Becoming a Webhead.
Other sessions deal with online games, images for teaching and learning, videos, and internet for kids, etc.
But not everything revolves around technologies, although all the sessions use yahoogroups and other internet tools. You can also join the very active Drama session or find out how to travel the world with your students from the computer.
It begins 11th January and registration is from 4th Jan-10th Jan, so do sign up immediately if you are interested.
Welcome to 2010, and I hope this year will be a fabulous one!!!
Well, it’s starting out with a bang.
Closest to home is the AGM in Biel on 30-31st January.
It is full of interesting workshops on everything from vocabulary and grammar to drawing and drama, and of course technologies and specific interests. Two less common exam formats in Switzerland are being looked at in more depth – the IELTS and the PTE (previously London Test of English), and exercises are being made interesting while learners learn to learn.
It’s too late to register on-line. but you can certainly come and register on-site.
The first highlight was to hear the wondeful news that the Roger Federer Foundation has decided to support this project. This is extremely important news as it means that the support can take new dimensions. It’s the children who are the future of any country, and at the current state the future of Simbabwe looks dismal.
Then at the end the amount of money contributed through the raffle and donations for Matopo School was announced. It was a high figure worthy of the charitable and helpful nature of ETAS and its members.
Several presenters have generously donated their payment to the school. I don’t know many names, but I do know that Peter Travis and Fiona Joseph from flo-joe and splendid speaking websites (see below) were two such people. I would gladly recognize others if I have their names.
You can keep informed by reading the Matopo blog, and please do leave a comment. Comments can be very motivating, especially when the prospects seem particularly bleak and the hurdles high (such as getting materials across the border!) and why not become an official follower? This is very easy to do if you already have a google account. Just click on the follower button in the column on the right and help make the group fo supporters grow!
If you know of other such noble acts, please leave a comment so they can be recognized and thanked!
FIrst of all, a big thanks to Fiona Joseph, who gave us an excellent workshop.
It was the second of two to be given through Skype and with a pre-recorded presentation.
You can find the pre-recorded part below, but you will need Flash installed to ensure it works properly. There are also all the links mentioned during the workshop.
One of the links that we looked at is LibraryThing but there is another social network for books at Shelfari.
We discused how to include literature in the classroom and agreed to share any experiences, problems and ideas as comments to this post. I am looking forward to your input!
ETAS’ very first on-line presenter gave an excellent workshop on skype. Technology went well with everything except the couple of computers that were down. Thank you, Peter Travis!
As ETAS is concerned about the environment and wants to save trees, there were no handouts. However, the presentation (not including live talks) and all the links which were mentioned are included in the website below.
You will need Flash for the presentation to work, but all the other links should by fine.
We would love to hear from you about your experiences with teaching and learning with Skype, so please do leave a comment here if you have had any- good or bad.
