Mexico English Teachers' Alliance

50 Awesome Ways to Use Skype in the Classroom

2009-07-14T03:41:57.979Z

http://www.techveno.com/50-awesome-ways-to-use-skype-in-the-classroom/

50 Awesome Ways to Use Skype in the Classroom

Skype is a free and easy way for teachers to open up their classroom and their students to a world way beyond their campus. With Skype, students can learn from other students, connect with other cultures, and expand their knowledge in amazing ways. Teachers and parents can also benefit from Skype in the classroom. Read below to learn how you can take advantage of the power of Skype in your classroom.

Promoting Education

These great ideas are all about teaching students in dynamic ways.

See Me, Hear Me: Skype in the Classroom. Read how these students had the opportunity to chat with an author of the book they studied via Skype.
Videoconferencing in the Classroom with Skype. This teacher used the movie “Hoop Dreams” to help teach about social inequality, then was able to get the executive producer of the movie, Gordon Quinn, to participate in a Skype session with her class.
The Many Roles of Skype in the Classroom. These amazing 7th graders used Skype as a part of their history project that resulted in their collaboration with the curator of the National Museum in Canada.
Field trips. If students aren’t able to participate in a field trip due to factors such as budgetary or distance constraints, use Skype to bring the field trip into the classroom.
Using Skype in the languages classroom. Find out how this teacher uses Skype to help her students study foreign languages from native speakers.
Skyping in Mike Artell- Illustrator & Author. This inspirational lesson has an illustrator working directly with 6th graders to work on the art of illustrating and story creation.
After school help. Use Skype as a tool to provide after school help to students needing extra attention. Tutors, teachers, or librarians can be available at set times in the afternoons for student access.
“Not education as usual,” with Skype and author Cory Doctorow. This class was practicing how to convince the school board to allow a controversial book to be taught in their school and had the opportunity to Skype with the author of the book to help promote their case.
Interviews. Whether you have students conducting interviews or your class is interviewed, Skype facilitates the interview process. Individual students can interview other teachers or school staff, sending the Skype feed to the classroom for all to watch.
Guest lecturers. Have guest lecturers come to your classroom via Skype.

Promoting Community

Using Skype in the classroom can promote communities within a school or globally.

See full article with more ideas at: http://www.techveno.com/50-awesome-ways-to-use-skype-in-the-classroom/

U.S. Department of Education Study Finds that Good Teaching can be Enhanced with New Technology

2009-07-10T03:29:44.627Z

Speaking as a taxpayer in the USA; I have stood in many a parent's face when they told me that I had no right to decide on the education of their children ... my response; give me back my tax money then if as a member of a contributory society I have no right to determine the education of the children's education that I am financing.

I am 50 years old; and I have never assimilated well the notion that parents alone are the sole deciders of what is an appropriate education for their children ... many parents simply aren't equipped for those kinds of decisions, even if they think they are. Children are human beings and their educational fate should not hinge on such a narrow perspective. Any parent that thinks otherwise is sort of naive in my opinion. When their child goes on welfare or into the penal system for lack of proper education .. then I not only have to pay for their initial possible misdirected education .. but I have to pay again for their welfare or incarceration. Saying that parents alone are the deciders (or government alone, or taxpayers alone) is myopic and doesn't take into consideration all the stakeholders, including the children.

I remember a specific case in a school district where I was participating on a special sex education task force. We discovered that some parents that were denying their children the opportunity to attend sex education classes were in fact sexually abusing them at home ... and they feared that information would give their children the power to expose their crimes and abuse.

I know that these are somewhat extreme examples ... but they clearly support that the answer isn't easy --- but that it should most definitely include more contributors beyond the parents. Preparing children with an appropriate education for the times should be a target, even if there are obstacles. As educators we have that responsibility, even if parents aren't prepared or don't want to.

U.S. Department of Education Study Finds that Good Teaching can be Enhanced with New Technology

2009-07-02T00:57:58.966Z

Woo hoo .. I'm a city slicker. Yeah getting technology out to places with no electricity will be a challenge. In Africa they did it by installing generators at the schools ... so that they would have their own power source. Would be nice if some companies could donate that sort of equipment to schools. Unfortunately these kids won't be as prepared for today's world when they leave school. We need to put our minds together to come up with some creative ways to address these issues rather than just letting things be as they are.

Melissa said:

Ah, Frank has made a great point without even knowing it. What makes you city slickers think TelMex lines are running to rural schools?
Half of the rural secundarias in Oaxaca do not have enough electricity to run the computer labs Chente sent them. The real challenges for rural teachers are making sure their students eat more than once a day and that their parents recognize the value of education beyond six grade.

U.S. Department of Education Study Finds that Good Teaching can be Enhanced with New Technology

2009-06-28T15:18:00.635Z

Benjamin .. great point about rural schools. The Internet is everywhere that TelMex lines are running. I know for sure that my blended learning class is more effective that just a f-2-f course ... and my students get to share ideas, collaborate, and reflect in a more connective, meaningful and enjoyable way that facilitates their learning. And since the out-of-class portion is asynchronous, they can participate when their varied schedules allow.

Also, as a teacher .. I have a greater opportunity to get to know my students better and learn from them, too. I get to grow as an educator. Being able to do this in a more limited and controlled classroom-only environment is more difficult, if not impossible.

"" The meta analysis showed that “blended” instruction – combining elements of online and face-to-face instruction – had a larger advantage relative to purely face to face instruction or instruction conducted wholly online. The analysis also showed that the instruction conducted wholly on line was more effective in improving student achievement than the purely face to face instruction. In addition, the report noted that the blended conditions often included additional learning time and instructional elements not received by students in control conditions."" -- from Dept of Education report

edfinalreport.pdf

Marc Prensky's Essential Skills for the 21st Century

2009-06-21T02:42:44.736Z

Marc Prensky's Essential Skills for the 21st Century

Web sites for studying a language

2009-06-18T04:13:53.444Z

LiveMocha has a nice list of educational bloggers, too... lots of good reading and cross-commenting!

Melissa said:

I've got several of my students using Livemocha. They LOVE it. I'm going to be their friend on there over summer vacation to help them with their writing.

Teach English and French in Culiacan, Mexico

2009-06-15T11:32:57.108Z

Teach English and French in Culiacan, Mexico

Posted By: Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey
Date: Tuesday, 2 June 2009, at 12:52 p.m.

The Sinaloa branch of the Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) is currently seeking a qualified teacher of English and French for a full-time position. Located in Culiac·n, Campus Sinaloa forms part of a 33-campus system of high school and university programs. Along with these programs, Campus Sinaloa also offers a language center open to the public. The campus currently has some 1,100 students.

NECESSARY QUALIFICATIONS. Successful applicants for the position will have an ESL/EFL certificate and/or the equivalent for French and will be able to teach both languages. An ability to work collaboratively is a must.

JOB REQUIREMENTS. Full-time teachers at ITESM are expected to work 40 hours a week. Twenty contact hours, student counseling, lesson-planning, and grading form a large part of the standard work week. Additionally, teachers may be asked to contribute to ongoing projects in materials and curriculum design and to participate in occasional departmental meetings and meetings of the faculty as a whole. Contact hours will be divided between the high school (French classes) and the language center (French and English). As high school classes are in the morning and language center classes in the evening, teachers will be required to work a split shift. Teachers are also expected to teach Saturday morning classes.

BENEFITS/REMUNERATION.

Salary is based on the following criteria:

*Teaching qualification, less than one year's experience: 16,000 pesos per month (gross)
*Teaching qualification, 1-2 years' experience: 18,000 pesos per month (gross)
*Teaching qualification, more than two years' experience: 20,000 pesos per month (gross)

Benefits include the following:

• Social security
• Bonuses equivalent to half a month's salary in July and December
• Five weeks' paid vacation (two weeks in July, two weeks in December, one week during Easter)
• One-way paid airfare to Mexico (with return airfare given on completion
of one-year contract)
• Paid accommodations for two weeks upon arrival
• Assistance in apartment-hunting

Contracts are for one year and may be renewed. Starting date for on-campus work is August 3, 2009. Starting date for classes is August 10, 2009.

Interested applicants should send updated resume and photo and scanned copies of all diplomas, certificates, and university transcripts to John Harper at johnharper@itesm.mx.

Queries may also be directed to the address given above.

For more information about ITESM, visit the website at wwwitesm.edu.
For more information about Culiac·n, visit the Culiac·n tourist website at wwwculiacan.com.mx.

Qualified ELT Professionals Needed in Tampico, Mexico

2009-06-15T11:30:57.942Z

Qualified ELT Professionals Needed in Tampico, Mexico

Posted By: The American School of Tampico Language Institute
Date: Tuesday, 2 June 2009, at 12:53 p.m.

Position:
We are looking for qualified ELT professionals to teach English to Mexican students and professionals in a private language institute in Tampico, Mexico.
Starting date: August 19, 2009
Application deadline: July 24, 2009
Minimum qualifications:
• Native English speaker
• Between 25 and 45 years old
• Single female to share apartment
• CELTA, TEFL undergraduate degree or equivalent, M.A. desirable
• At least two years EFL/ESL experience teaching adults and teens, preferably overseas
• Basic computer skills
• Sociable, dynamic and adaptable
• Willing to work as part of a team
• Willing to abide by institute’s policies and procedures
• Amenable to a split schedule (early mornings, evenings) and Saturday mornings
• Eager to learn about Mexico’s rich culture and warm people

To apply:
Only candidates meeting the above requirements need apply.
e-mail your resume and photo to: lorozco@atsli.edu.mx and fill out and send application questionnaire posted on our web page: www.atsli.edu.mx
or send a hard copy along with a recent photo by messenger service (DHL or Federal Express) to the following address:
Leticia Orozco, Director
E. Azcarraga 208
Colonia Campbell 89260
Tampico, Tamaulipas, México
An e-mail address and/or a telephone number must be included.
You might be contacted for a video conference or a telephone interview.
The American School of Tampico Language Institute is a non-commercial, prestigious institution with a Self-Access Center (SAC) and over 1100 students. The courses are learner-centered, communicative and cover all skills. This full-time position is for 30 hours a week of on-campus time, including up to 24 contact teaching hours catering to different levels. There are a few classes for children and young teens, but the students are mostly young adults and professional people. The staff includes a few Americans, British, and Canadians and several local teachers. We operate on a four month term system all year round.

Salary and benefits:
• $12,000 U.S. dollars for 12 months paid in pesos.
• Roundtrip airfare from Canada or the U.S.
• 15 day paid vacation in August if renewing contract
• Major medical insurance plan
• FM 3 working visa paid
• Free Spanish classes at the institute
• Furnished housing with laundry room and wireless Internet
• Free long-distance calling service to the U.S. in the SAC
• Gym membership

An Unschooling Manifesto

2009-05-31T09:46:40.558Z

Schools have been somewhat OK for left brain learning ... but today's world requires using the skills of the right brain too. Reading and writing are not enough. And in many countries, reading and writing skills have always been traditionally low to begin with.

Students need to also learn how to critically think, collaborate, use technology, evaluate multiple sources and formats of data, be creative, work on projects, etc. They need to learn how to exercise skills of communication, flexibility and ambiguity, participation, etc etc .... these are the 21st-century skills that are overwhelmingly lacking from educational venues.

carlos olmos said:

where did you learn to read and write?

Wolfram Alpha: New Search English - A Google Killer?

2009-05-29T02:29:35.558Z

Well, since I put "Mexico English Teachers" in the search ... and nothing came back .. can't say that I am immediately impressed either, haha!

Patricia Alvarado Portillo said:

Well, I used it and the results were not so good as I was expecting. Also the name of the program is a little bit complicated. But...let´s see what happen...