Learnfull

Feb 21 2012 ∞

More online learning

To add to my occasional attempts to get my math skills up to speed, I’ve just started taking two more online courses: an introduction to programming, and a course on using modelling techniques (that’s economic and social sciences models, not my normal mode of standing around looking beautiful…or something).

So far (the first week of both courses) the introduction to programming hasn’t taught me anything I didn’t know, but I’m pretty sure it will soon enough and will certainly serve to consolidate what little skill I already have.

The course on models looks like it will be very interesting and will give me new techniques for thinking about complex subjects—I’m looking forward to it.

(It is a bit ironic, however, that the website for the modelling course feels as if it’s better programmed than the one for the programming course, but these are early days and there is a lot more money I think behind the modelling course)

Jan 12 2012 ∞

Teaching in China from Toronto

So I’ve been teaching students in China via Skype for a little while now and I have to say it is quite a learning experience for me.

Lesson planning is not that different from what I might do in a regular class: I find something interesting for them to read, compose some conversation questions, maybe a bit of vocabulary…nothing earth shattering, except that I do it all on PowerPoint slides instead of on photocopied paper. They see these slides through some screen-sharing / meeting software, which also allows me to draw on the screen and them to draw on my screen too, if I turn on that option.

One advantage over the classroom teaching I’m used to is that we have access to the entire internet: we play games online, I can instantly find pictures if they have vocabulary questions, this sort of thing. Of course this sort of thing can be done in a regular classroom with a laptop and projector, but few of the places I’ve worked have had the budget for that sort of technology.

I have to say though, that I really miss the physicality of a regular classroom. I’m a great believer in a connection between the body and the mind and numerous times I’ve found that the direction of a class can be dramatically improved just by inserting an activity that gets people standing up for a few minutes.

Jan 10 2012 ∞

Story Soup Enterprises

For a few months now I’ve been collaborating with an actor and theatre teacher to think about ways of using theatre techniques, particularly storytelling and theatre games in language teaching. Eventually we’ll get a proper domain for it, but for now we’ve set up a little wordpress.com blog which you might be interested in.

Nov 12 2011 ∞

Brushing up on my math skills

I have mixed feelings about the Khan Academy, or at least some of the reactions to it. It is being hyped by some as the answer to our failing school system (a premise I have doubts about to begin with).

It seems to me that it is more or less a simplified textbook in video form, made available for free. Now this is not a totally insignificant thing: free textbooks are nice, and some learners will surely learn better from watching videos than from reading a book. It does seem to leave out some pretty important aspects of learning such as motivation and teaching the reasons and ideas behind why we solve math (and other) problems the way we do. It also seems to be, other than its medium, pretty much the opposite of innovative, in terms of educational theory.

Nonetheless, for an adult independent learner who wants to brush up on some long-forgotten high-school math…someone a bit like me, for example…I can see it being pretty useful. So I’m giving some of its lessons a try.

May 19 2011 ∞
Anki Example

Anki Example

+ ∞

Anki: another flashcard program

So Anki is a flashcard program that you can download, and, while it doesn’t include the little games that Quizlet has, it does let you include pictures and sounds, even video clips, in your cards and calculates how well you’ve been doing on a particular card and brings up for review more or less often on that basis. I’ve been using it to review my phonemic symbols (which have become scandalously rusty…or at least my memory of them has)

May 18 2011 ∞

Say Hello Outside

90% of my classroom management takes place outside my classroom, seven minutes before class starts.

A small thing, perhaps, but it’s easy to forget, in the rush to craft that perfect grammar practice activity, or whatever, how important the first contact with your learners can be…every day.

May 17 2011 ∞

Motivation (and lots of other stuff) by Zoltán Dörnyei

Zoltán Dörnyei is arguably the top researcher today on motivation in the language classroom and he’s made a whole lot of his papers and book chapters available for download, with nary an academic ‘firewall’ in sight.

May 15 2011 ∞

Great Math Teaching Blog

Stop! Wait, I know, it’s a math teacher’s blog and this is an English teacher’s blog and math is supposed to be scary and all that stuff, but try ignoring the math part for a minute. It’s a great teaching blog—the author has a really well thought out, and kind of challenging to other teachers, teaching philosophy and approach, and he teaches, both by explanation and by great examples, how to make excellent use of images and videos in our classrooms.

It’s an inspiring blog for any kind of teacher…and it might even get you interested in math.

May 12 2011 ∞

A lecture by Diana Laufenberg, a high school history teacher, on the importance of experiential learning, empowering student voice, and embracing failure. I wonder how these things can be better incorporated into English classes.

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