‘Spent the day contemplating Clarke’s e-note-taking advice. Isn’t it amazing? They’ve got it all online but for proper note-taking tools. I mean Moodle doesn’t have such a module or activity as a notebook. Nor does Blackboard Vista. Well, they do have blogs and notes sections, but they’re so-o badly designed that I do not want to comment. What would one want...
According to MacLachlan (1986) сited by E. L. Criswell (1989, pp 36-39) the following instructional techniques can help the teacher teach and the student learn: Explaining the benefits of the lesson to the student before or at the beginning of the lesson. Memory is increased when the student is paying attention. That’s logical though sometimes easier said than done. The authors do not...
Having taught English for over 10 years now, it is my considered opinion that it does not hurt to learn to draw. I am not an artist, but I wish I could draw everyday objects, animals and people on the board quickly and easily. This skill became critical when my child was born, because kids like all sorts of arts and crafts, and you can easily keep your offspring entertained if you can produce...
What’s the magic formula I wonder? You are given a mixed-ability class of ca 20 students, whose average level is pre-intermediate, and an upper-intermediate level multi-page coursebook to cover in ca. 50 90-minute lectures. How on earth is it possible to cover everything and to ensure that all the students have achieved the desired level of proficiency by the end of the course? How to...
I am gripped by the book I am reading now – it is unbelievable how much more advanced DL & VLE use is in some countries. They have been doing what I am just considering trying since the ’90s! The more I learn about TESOL & CMI, the more I tend to believe in the managerial nature of both. More than that, there is a clear need for some MBO (management by objectives), ie you...
I guess everyone has got a few pet peeves. Mine are marking creative writing assignments submitted by my students and having to take a smelly tram home (the latter can only be avoided if I choose to walk or take a taxi instead, both of which I quite often do, especially the latter when it’s freezing cold outside). Another thing that drives me up the wall is that I can’t make myself...
