Archive for the ‘Teacher Skills’ Category

An Ideal E-Notebook

‘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 […]

Techniques to Increase Memory & Stimulate Deep Cognitive Processes

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 […]

Posted on December 29, 2008 at 3:02 am by Stacey · Permalink · Leave a comment
In: Instructional Design, Learning Language Teaching, Statistics, Teacher Skills · Tagged with: ,

Teaching EFL to Very Young Learners, Part 2

While we were in the middle of exploring Cookie and Friends, I gradually introduced two more CD-ROMs, also by OUP. They are Tilly’s Word Fun 1 & Tilly’s Word Fun 2. Product Description Tilly’s Word Fun 1 – Topics Animals Face Family Food School Toys Tilly’s Word Fun 2 – Topics   At home Body […]

Teaching EFL to Very Young Learners, Part 1

I started teaching my child English when she was 3y8m old. The software that we used was very positively accepted, and the child was required to provide her responses using the computer mouse and clicking. The CD-ROM Cookie & Friends by Vanessa Reilly, OUP, was amongst the very first. Product Description Provides a colouring activity […]

Do language teachers have to be able to draw?

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 […]

Posted on October 30, 2008 at 9:11 pm by Stacey · Permalink · Leave a comment
In: Teacher Skills

Large Class Sizes & Low-Tech Classrooms

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 […]

Posted on October 29, 2007 at 9:06 pm by Stacey · Permalink · Leave a comment
In: ESL Facts & Figures, Teacher Skills · Tagged with: , , ,

E-Moderating vs E-Learning Management by Objectives

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 […]

Posted on October 12, 2007 at 8:33 pm by Stacey · Permalink · Leave a comment
In: Instructional Design, Teacher Skills · Tagged with: 

Pet Peeves

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 […]