Your Teacher's Blog

Practising Questions and Learning About Photography [Flickr]

2012-05-16T22:10:19-07:00

Lynne Hand posted a photo:

There were spare bean bags, but some people preferred to stand.

Learn English in Second Life.

The definition of "Ouch!"

2012-05-13T15:02:00.001+01:00

The definition of "Ouch!"
Originally uploaded by waɪ.tiː

SL Adventures - Into the wilderness

2012-05-13T14:04:00.001+01:00

SL Adventures - Into the wilderness
Originally uploaded by waɪ.tiː

A nice way of teaching "precariously balanced". LOL

Genglish - Superdribbler!

2012-05-10T08:53:00.001+01:00

Genglish
Originally uploaded by waɪ.tiː

Not something I aspire to.

Thou shalt not ...

2012-05-06T13:59:00.000+01:00

... lean against the doors.

Why oh why was I so tempted to lean against the doors?

Maybe this is a bit of insight into human nature. Maybe, when it comes to dos and don'ts, we need fewer do nots, and a few more more dos.

At last!

2012-04-11T00:30:00.000+01:00

Even the BBC gave up on RP (received pronunciation), and now it seems Africa is catching on that you don't have to sound like you swallowed a dictionary in order to convey your intelligence.

Ghana calls to an end to the Queen's English.

Does registration belong in a MOOC?

2012-03-28T07:42:00.000+01:00

A quick thought for today. So, to the uninitiated: MOOC stands for Massive Open Online Course. I didn't make it up, but someone must have, and now it seems to be the acronym of choice, but back to the question: Should registration form a part of a MOOC? Open (adj) Allowing access, passage, or a view through an empty space; not closed or blocked up. In many ways registration is a barrier to entry and so by requiring registration surely you have a MOC. As I said, just a thought. Next thought - Does homework belong in a MOOC? #change11

You will never stop learning English

2012-03-08T08:57:00.005Z

As you may (or may not) know, I'm a native English speaker. So, that should mean I know English inside out, shouldn't it? Well, yes and no. My English is pretty good, even in comparison with other native speakers, but that doesn't mean I know every word / phrase / linguistic twist in English.

A case in point turned up today. I was watching a video and the narrator mentioned "crash blossoms". My brain went "crash" - car "blossoms" - flowers on trees - then it went ?????

Luckily the narrator then went on to explain what crash blossom means: Syntactic ambiguity in a newspaper headline. So, why didn't I know what it meant? Why had I never even heard of it before. The answer is it's only been around since 2009, when a couple of copy editors, Dan Bloom and Mike O'Connell, decided to use it to describe this phenomena based on a confusing headline " "Violinist linked to JAL crash blossoms".

Can you guess what the headline means?

The article was from the newspaper Japan Today, and the story was about the successful musical career of Diana Yukawa, whose father died in a plane crash in 1985.

So, now you know as much as I do. People make up words and old words die out. This means that, like me, you will never stop learning English.

Gaming vs Reading

2012-02-23T10:48:00.001Z

Author Lucy Prebble, says that that computer games are more creative than reading. Her argument is that gaming offers more opportunities to be active and sociable than books and film. However, as a young child she did become addicted to computer games after discovering a text-based DOS game called Zork, so maybe she's just working through some personal issues.

Personally I enjoy both, and don't think they are mutually exclusive. In the same way people shouldn't spend the whole day playing games, they shouldn't spend the whole day reading books, and if you're playing a game or reading a book, think critically about what you're doing.

Tapas = Nibbles

2012-02-20T12:48:00.001Z

Tapas = Nibbles
Originally uploaded by waɪ.tiː

I love a plate of nibbles.

No Smokers!

2012-02-20T12:43:00.001Z

Lisbon 2012
Originally uploaded by waɪ.tiː

A bit harsh, and I wonder how they can tell.

Silly Sign

2012-02-20T12:41:00.001Z

Sintra Portugal
Originally uploaded by waɪ.tiː

To buy or not to be

2012-02-15T19:53:00.001Z

To buy or not to be
Originally uploaded by waɪ.tiː

That is the question.

Knock on wood

2012-02-14T13:17:00.001Z

Knock on wood
Originally uploaded by waɪ.tiː

If someone says "knock on wood" or "touch wood", they are being superstitious. It's supposed to prevent bad luck, especially if you say something might or might not happen. Once someone says it they may rap their knuckles on a nearby wooden surface. Some bright sparks might try to rap on your head.

Sweetheart

2012-01-21T14:37:00.001Z

Untitled
Originally uploaded by Ewa's Oceans

The word sweetheart is used as a term of endearment or affectionate form of address, it can be used to describe someone you are in love with.

Of course this is a photo of a biscuit in the shape of a heart, so it's more of a sweet heart. :)

EVO2012 Drama

2012-01-16T13:59:00.001Z

Hospitalised
Originally uploaded by waɪ.tiː

We tried 30 minutes of process drama in SL today.

Initially we discussed some of our own experiences and feelings towards being ill, and words associated with illness and recovery.

As we looked back through the pages we had read in the reading session, we highlighted some of the words and phrases used in the book, and what they might mean for the characters. It was quite dramatic because it included a blood transfusion, which we all agreed must have been the luckiest blood transfusion in the world (no test for blood types).

In preparation for next week, I rezzed a hospital bed / nurse / drip on stage, and we all took turns being a patient.

Each of us described different feelings / emotions, which seemed to be purely based on our own personal experiences. From the tight feeling of the sheets, the smell of a hospital, and the feeling of helplessness when a loved one is ill.

The props definitely helped.

Next week we will visit each other in our virtual hospital.
#evodrama

"...because a peach like you should totally pear with me."

2012-01-16T13:32:00.001Z

"...because a peach like you should totally pear with me."
Originally uploaded by RєRє

Nice play on words.

http://www.learnenglish.de/homophones/homophone7pair.html

Feeling deflated

2011-12-14T13:53:00.001Z

Feeling deflated
Originally uploaded by waɪ.tiː

If you feel deflated you feel depressed, or low in spirits. However this poor old Santa is deflated, as in he's had all the air let out.

Slow Learning - Sorry, but I don't think it's a goer

2011-12-09T11:44:00.001Z

I attended an online presentation the other day given by Clark Quinn, who put forward "slow learning" as "an alternative and more preferable pedagogical approach in today's world". Quin says: "Our formal learning approaches too often don't follow how our brains really work."

I agree with the premise that formal learning needs a kick up the proverbial, I even argued for it in the past, and when no one (within my sphere of influence) listened, I set off on my own to JDI (just do it). I also agree with Clark Quin's statement about formal learning approaches, but, I have to say I disagree with a couple of things:-

Firstly the terminology. IMHO There's no way on earth that anyone is going to sign up for something called "slow" learning". "Slow" is like the word "special". Who on earth wants to be labelled as "slow"?

Secondly I even find the word, "our" in "Our formal learning approaches". It's too big, and too sweeping a statement, because let's face it, some people thrive on current formal learning approaches, but this doesn't mean they learn well, it just means they have good memories and can play the game by regurgitating the kind of thing examiners look for. Just take a look at the UK, where many teachers (who to be fair are often stressed out by league tables and OFSTED reports) take short cuts to results, at the expense of learning.

I'm often approached by people who want me to tutor them to pass one of the various ESL tests out there. They want to know the tricks and tips they need to get that piece of paper. I don't do it, because I want people to learn English, not just learn how to tick boxes. I want them to develop a love for the language, and to take the approach that they will never stop learning.

So, I prefer the idea of "paced" or maybe "organic" learning. Surely these days, especially with all this shiny new technology at our fingertips, we can develop learning opportunities that pace the learning to match the learner. It doesn't have to be "fast", it doesn't have to be "slow", it has to be like Baby Bear's porridge - just right.

#change11

Teachers Cheating on Exams? Whatever next?

2011-12-08T04:52:00.003Z

An inquiry has been ordered into England's education system after reports of examiners giving teachers secret advice on how to improve pupils' results.

An undercover investigation by The Daily Telegraph newspaper found evidence of teachers paying £200-a-day to attend seminars with chief examiners. There, the paper alleges, they were advised on future GCSE and A-level exam questions and the exact wording that pupils should use to obtain higher marks, and the advice being given out appeared to go far beyond the standard "guidance".

The revelations will prompt claims exam boards are undermining the purpose of exam syllabuses by encouraging "teaching to the test". The paper said it recorded one chief examiner telling teachers which questions their pupils could expect in the next round of exams.

In footage provided by The Daily Telegraph, a man says: "We're cheating. We're telling you the cycle (of the compulsory question). Probably the regulator will tell us off." He then advised teachers that he was telling them how to "hammer exam technique" rather than the approach of "proper educationalists" to "teach the lot".

(I'm sure the students won't mind. That way they can learn the dates of the first and second world war, but never mind why the whole bloody mess started.)

Gummy Advent

2011-12-03T09:23:00.001Z

Gummy Advent
Originally uploaded by waɪ.tiː

Christmas is coming,
The teacher's getting fat.

LOL

Bonfire vs camp fire

2011-11-22T08:08:00.001Z

Camp Fire!
Originally uploaded by judo_dad1953

Camp Fire!

This is a camp fire, because to be a bonfire it would have to be a bit bigger,

Daylight Saving Time

2011-10-31T04:41:00.002Z

Are you confused as to why we mess around with our clocks twice a year? This video explains what it's all about, and why it might not be such a great idea any more.

Traditional British words dying out

2011-10-27T10:40:00.000+01:00

In a study carried out to mark the launch of Planet Word, a book by JP Davidson, it seems that a string of traditionally British words such as cripes and balderdash are dying out amid the popularity of shortened text-style terms.

Researchers also found that only 82 per cent are familiar with the word raconteur and 70 per cent have never used the word shenanigans. One in 15 adults has never used the word drat and half didn’t know what a cad was. In spite of this, 83 per cent think they have a good vocabulary.

The book accompanies the current series of the same name presented by my wordy hero Stephen Fry.

Genglish - Seriously Nutty

2011-10-26T10:20:00.001+01:00

Genglish
Originally uploaded by waɪ.tiː

Yes, it's seriously nutty the way Germans use English in advertising.

What on Earth is The Digital Native?

2011-10-24T11:32:00.001+01:00

We often talk about "native speakers", but now that online teaching (I prefer online learning) is going mainstream, the labellers (people who like to put labels on other people) have been trying to define what a digital native (aka generation me) is.

According to Wiki, a digital native is a person who was born during or after the general introduction of digital technology, and through interacting with digital technology from an early age, has a greater understanding of its concepts. Alternatively, this term can describe people born in the latter 1960s or later, as the Digital Age began at that time; but in most cases the term focuses on people who grew up with the technology that became prevalent in the latter part of the 20th century, and continues to evolve today.

Other popular discourse identifies a digital native as a person who understands the value of digital technology and uses this to seek out opportunities for implementing it with a view to make an impact. This term has been used in several different contexts, such as education (Bennett, Maton & Kervin 2008) (in association with the term New Millennium Learners (OECD 2008).

So, what if you are simply too old to be considered a digital native? Well, maybe that makes you a digital immigrant, this is what they are calling people who were born before the existence of digital technology and adopted it to some extent later in life. Or maybe the term "digital settler" would describe you, older people who were there at the start, and who, although not native to the digital environment, because they grew up in an analog-only world—have helped to shape its contours.

According to Dr. Ofer Zur and Azzia Zur (2009), not all digital immigrants are technologically inept. They can be further categorised into: Avoiders, Reluctant Adopters and Eager Adopters.

Avoiders may only have no, or a minimal amount of technology in their lives and households (e.g., a landline phone and a television set).
Reluctant Adopters often see ways that technology might be needed in their lives, but they try to avoid it when possible (e.g., letters instead of emails or texting, simple telephones).
Eager Adopters have enthusiasm or a talent for technology that makes them very similar to Digital Natives.

So if you had to stick a label on yourself which one would you choose?

Personally I have made one up for myself. I am a digital squatter. I use the tech, but I don't live it.

Of course, labels are dangerous. In the same way not all native speakers are literate and articulate, not all digital natives are tech literate. Professor Vorvoreanu dislikes these terms saying, “It’s a myth that’s harmed this current generation, and the way it has harmed them is because it has stopped educators from teaching what they need to teach. It has scared educators into thinking students know more than us. God forbid we learn something from our students. And, so, we assumed these kids already know, and we don’t teach them. And we expect them to know things and we grade them; we evaluate them; we hire them based on what we think, we assume, they know. And they don’t. How would you know this stuff if no one ever bothered to point it out to you that this is something you should be learning, because everyone assumes you already know?”

(You can read more about this here:- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_native)