teacher's lore

MITx

2012-01-31T06:22:00.001-08:00

The link below talks of MIT's bold new educational currency.

http://chronicle.com/article/MIT-Mints-a-Valuable-New-Form/130410/ (Source:

RT @briankotts: MIT Mints a Valuable New Form of Academic Currency bit.ly/xr1LpL /via @chronicle #highered
— markwarschauer (@markwarschauer) January 31, 2012

Roger

Are You a Person Who Knows What to Look For?

2012-01-27T14:09:00.001-08:00

There's this outfit in the UK called Learning Without Frontiers: Learning, Innovation & Society. Learning Without Frontiers "is a global platform for disruptive thinkers, innovators and practitioners to share knowledge, ideas and experiences about new learning." They had a number of notable speakers: Ray Kurzwiel, Sir Ken Robinson, Noam Chomsky just to name a few. Chomsky spoke yesterday on technology. The following is an excerpt from a Wired article by Katie Scott. My thanks to DML central for alerting me to this article. "The MIT professor stated that technology can be compared to a hammer. "It doesn't care if you use it to build a house or crush someone's skull. The Web is valuable if you know what you're looking for, if you have a framework of understanding. But you always have to be willing to question whether your framework is the right one." He compared simply browsing the web for information to pointing a student at the library knowing they had no idea what they were looking for. "Exploring the internet can just be picking up random factoids that don't mean anything", he said. "The person who won the Nobel prize in biology isn't the person who read the most journals. It was the person who knew what to look for," he added." I want to be clear how this helped me articulate my hopes for the Teacher-training program I have been involved in these past six months. The JTEs (Japanese English Teachers) that came here to our International Programs at UC Irvine Extension might have expected to attend just a bunch of lectures. But that was not my goal. My goal was not to fill their heads with static knowledge- "reading the most journals" as Chomsky pointed out The goal was to help them know what to do when they went back to Japan...when they go back into the classroom.

International Programs BBQ Today!

2012-01-20T10:37:00.001-08:00

Pellenor Field
11:30 to 2pm

All TEFL students are welcome!

Free! I hope to see you there!

Teaching By Example Is Still Hard To Beat

2012-01-18T20:28:00.001-08:00

http://www.unitedwayoc.org/blog/?p=1542

Alternative Education is Good Education

2012-01-03T07:10:00.001-08:00

An eloquent, clear, and simple 9.5-minute argument that challenges and encourages all good teachers. If you do not have time now to watch the entire thoughtful piece, at least go to the 6:30 mark in the video to catch the essence.

Sir Ken Robinson: Alternative Education is Good Education
http://mindshift.kqed.org/2012/01/sir-ken-robinson-alternative-education-is-good-education/

---

Roger

Phonetizer!

2011-12-23T07:31:00.001-08:00

This tool is amazing. Students and teachers can type in any word and they get the phonetic transcription. So now they don't have to memorize the IPA system. http://www.phonetizer.com/

Roger

Some Xmas songs I am Currently working On

2011-12-21T23:05:00.001-08:00

O Come All Ye Faithful

O Come All Ye Faithful
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

O Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing all that hear in heaven God's holy word.
Give to our Father glory in the Highest;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

All Hail! Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning,
O Jesus! for evermore be Thy name adored.
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord. Silent Night

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Saviour is born
Christ, the Saviour is born

Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth

Jingle Bells

Dashing through the snow
In a one horse open sleigh
O'er the fields we go
Laughing all the way
Bells on bob tails ring
Making spirits bright
What fun it is to laugh and sing
A sleighing song tonight

Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh

A day or two ago
I thought I'd take a ride
And soon Miss Fanny Bright
Was seated by my side
The horse was lean and lank
Misfortune seemed his lot
We got into a drifted bank
And then we got upsot

Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh

Roger

Poster Session, Pecha-Kucha Design Help and Elephants:

2011-12-21T06:40:00.001-08:00

Susan Weinschenk gives 10 perspectives on UX design. Good tips for Poster Session display creation & Pecha-Kucha design.

You may have heard this story about an elephant:
A king brings six men into a dark building. They cannot see anything. The king says to them, "I have bought this animal from the wild lands to the East. It is called an elephant." "What is an elephant?" the men ask. The king says, "Feel the elephant and describe it to me." The man who feels a leg says the elephant is like a pillar, the one who feels the tail says the elephant is like a rope, the one who feels the trunk says the elephant is like a tree branch, the one who feels the ear says the elephant is like a hand fan, the one who feels the belly says the elephant is like a wall, and the one who feels the tusk says the elephant is like a solid pipe. "You are all correct", says the king, "You are each feeling just a part of the elephant."
The story of the elephant reminds me of the different view of design that people of different backgrounds, education, and experience have. A visual designer approaches UX design from one point of view, the interaction designer from another, and the programmer from yet another. It can be helpful to understand and even experience the part of the elephant that others are experiencing.
I'm a psychologist by training and education. So the part of the elephant I experience applies what we know about people and how we apply that to UX design. I take research and knowledge about the brain, the visual system, memory, and motivation and extrapolate UX design principles from that.
This article is a snapshot of the psychologist's view of the elephant.

The link to the full article below:

"The Psychologist’s View of UX Design"

http://uxmag.com/articles/the-psychologists-view-of-ux-design

(via upside learning.com)

Roger

Some Nice Suggestions That Combine Autonomous Learning, Collaborative Work, Critical Thinking and Technology

2011-12-15T06:19:00.001-08:00

Nicely presented too!

The link to her full article is here below:

http://catlintucker.com/2011/12/5-student-driven-projects-that-engage-higher-level-thinking-skills/

Roger

32 Science Websites for Fifth Graders

2011-12-14T05:50:00.001-08:00

http://askatechteacher.wordpress.com/2011/12/14/32-science-websites-for-fifth-graders/

(via askatechteacher.wordpress.com)
---

Roger

Stanford's open courses raise questions about true value of elite education

2011-12-13T06:40:00.001-08:00

What's our true value?

Stanford's open courses raise questions about true value of elite education
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/12/13/stanfords-open-courses-raise-questions-about-true-value-elite-education

(via insidehighered.com)

Roger

Is There an Ideal Personality Type for Teaching?

2011-11-26T07:21:00.001-08:00

In the article: Teaching is Mobility...and Mirth, Renshaw compared his own style of teaching with a respected colleague of his in light of student evaluations. He found that he shared three positive things in common with his colleague [numbers added by me]: 1. Strong awareness of their subject matter 2. The ability to adapt and explain things in different ways for different learners
3. A good sense of humour
This leads us to a wonderful notion that there is no 'ideal' personality attuned to teaching. I have often thought this true and have shared this idea in my introductory course of our TEFL teacher-training programs. Be yourself, I said. We won't try to force you into an 'ideal' personality type ideal for teaching. Each type has its own sets of strengths and challenges. There is one niggling detail that still bothers me though. The subjects taught by the two differently-styled teachers in the article are also quite different: Literacy and Numeracy. Is there a teaching 'style' better suited to each of these content areas? Can you guess which teacher-style taught Literacy?

The link to Renshaw's article is here below: http://jasonrenshaw.typepad.com/jason_renshaws_web_log/2011/11/teaching-is-mo...

The Most Exclusive and Most Accessible Club in the World

2011-11-22T18:51:00.001-08:00

I absolutely love this.

By combining the principles of "radical openness" and of "leveraging the power of ideas to change the world," TED is in the process of creating something brand new. I would go as far as to argue that it's creating a new Harvard -- the first new top-prestige education brand in more than 100 years.--says Anya Kamenetz for fastcompany.com

The link to entire article is here: http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/148/how-ted-became-the-new-harvard.html

Roger

Lessons Learned using VoiceThread for iPad by speedofcreativity.org

2011-11-21T14:12:00.001-08:00

Lessons Learned using VoiceThread for iPad
http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2011/11/20/lessons-learned-using-voicethread-for-ipad/

Roger

English Language Fellows is Hiring!

2011-11-19T07:21:00.001-08:00

These are US State Department one-year academic appointment jobs. Here is the link: http://elf.georgetown.edu/

Roger

Fun Kids Crafts, Science Projects, and More | Viking Ship example

2011-11-17T22:13:00.001-08:00

Great Video Tutorial. I love it that they use ordinary household objects.

http://www.looledo.com/index.php/viking-ship.html

Roger

Roadmaps to Expected Behavior

2011-11-16T08:41:00.001-08:00

Good Sportsmanship
1. Following directions
Doing exactly what was asked
Starting it within 5 seconds
Doing what was asked with no reminders

2. Following the rules
Keep hands to self
Ask permission before touching something
Follow the rules of the game
Follow the rules of the parent/adult in charge
Follow the rules of the area (house rules, school rules, park rules)

3. Nice sayings (cheering or complimenting others)
Saying something nice (good job, nice throw, that's an awesome picture, etc)
Doing something nice for someone
Non-verbal nice saying (thumbs up, high five)
Wish someone good luck

4. Helping (doing something nice for someone else)
Carry equipment for someone
Helping someone up who has fallen
Passing out paper for the teacher

5. Sharing( allowing someone else to have a chance to do what you are doing)
Taking turns in a game
Allowing others to join a game
Allowing siblings/friends to play with his or her toys

6. Participation (staying on task and trying hard to make the game fun-give your best effort)
Running your fastest in a game
Doing your neatest work
Sticking with a game until the end

Roger

8 Creative Ways Posterous Groups Can Bring People Together | Social Media Examiner

2011-11-13T16:44:00.001-08:00

The link above take you to a thoughtful explanation of Posterous Groups. I have been using Posterous Spaces for quite a long time now and have encouraged and trained others to Use it as well. I am hoping to try this out for some collaborative work I am involved in. I will post later of what I find out.

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/posterous-groups/

Roger

The future of Education and Teaching brought to you by TED TALKS

2011-11-13T05:57:00.001-08:00

http://www.emergingedtech.com/2011/06/8-great-ted-talks-about-the-future-of-e...

Roger

These are wonderful photography tutorials! (link beneath image)

2011-11-11T05:06:00.001-08:00

http://www.lightstalking.com/photography-links-15

Roger

Using Posterous

2011-10-21T18:35:00.001-07:00

Using Posterous.pdf Download this file

Roger

Using Posterous As Your No-Nonsense Teaching Tool

2011-10-21T17:26:00.001-07:00

How to Posterous.pdf Download this file

How to Use Posterous for Teaching

2011-10-16T18:01:00.001-07:00

How to Posterous.pdf Download this file

Roger

The Why? Game

2011-10-10T01:14:00.001-07:00

The Why Game.pdf Download this file

Roger

How To Draw Stick People

2011-09-26T09:13:00.001-07:00

How To Draw Stick People.pdf Download this file

Roger

Gov.edu VS Private.edu

2011-09-26T06:15:00.001-07:00

Now this in light of recent efforts of trying to get rid of Saturday cram schools...

"Teacher, Leave Those Kids Alone"
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2094427,00.html

Roger

Like It Or Not, YouTube Has Gone "Teachers"

2011-09-22T06:27:00.001-07:00

www.YouTube.com/teachers

Roger

Doodling Through Education

2011-08-25T12:18:00.001-07:00

I always draw at meetings, classes I am attending, classes I am teaching and at many other times. The sad part is the reaction by adults over the years to my behavior. My first grade teacher made me stop drawing on my worksheets. Certain high school teachers wondered if I cared about their teaching.

The question I still have is that much of the time, my doodles were not directlly related to the topic, but I can tell you that drawing HELPED me concentrate on what was being said at the time. Strange.

Find the link to the full article here.

If you want to see my current doodles, click here.

4 Lessons for Parents in a Constantly Connected World

2011-08-04T07:02:00.001-07:00

Great advice.

4 Lessons for Parents in a Constantly Connected World

http://mashable.com/2011/04/30/social-media-parenting-lessons/

(via Instapaper)

Roger

Four Phases of Learning

2011-07-13T06:47:00.001-07:00

How would language learning fit into this model?

Four Phases of Learning
http://www.dashe.com/blog/instructional-design/four-phases-of-learning

Roger

Article: mom, this is how twitter works. | not just for moms!

2011-06-20T13:48:00.001-07:00

mom, this is how twitter works. | not just for moms!
http://www.jhische.com/twitter/

mom, this is how twitter works.

Twitter is an online social networking tool in which users post 140 character updates of what is going on in their lives along with links to things they think are interesting, funny, or useful to their followers (“following” being essentially what “friending” is on other sites). People use twitter in many ways, some as a newsfeed by following prominent people or networks, some as a pseudo-chatroom by limiting their followers and whom they follow to close friends and family, and some as a microblog for updating people about the work they are doing and their personal lives.

“twitter users”

@me
follows @mymom, @mybrother, and @mycat

@mymom
follows @me and @mybrother

@mybrother
follows @me and @mymom

@mycat
follows @me

@fanperson
follows @me, but I do not follow him

@totalstranger
doesn’t follow any of us and we do not follow her

Twitter users choose who they do and do not follow. They have total control of what news they receive on their homepage. When I refer to your “homepage”, I’m referring to the feed that you see when signed into twitter containing your and your followers tweets. This is different from your personal twitter page (twitter.com/yourusername) which contains all of your tweets including your replies to other users. You can have an unlimited amount of followers, but only follow a select few people if you want, making it easy to stay in touch with the people you care to stay in touch with. (FYI these are fake twitter names, my (the author’s) actual twitter username is

@jessicahische

who sees what

the person tweeting is pictured • their tweet is the large text
very important information is in red

Direct Messaging

Direct Messages are private tweets that are exchanged between two users that follow each other. You cannot direct message someone that does not follow you and vice versa. Direct messages are the only 100% private (to other twitter users / the general public) way to converse on twitter. “DM’s” are basically like emails that are limited to 140 characters per exchange. They are unsearchable on twitter.

Retweeting

Retweeting or “RT”ing is used when you want to forward along a tweet that someone else said to your followers. There are a few ways to do this. It is very easy on twitter.com as th

Indicting Article, Misleading Title

2011-05-19T12:16:00.001-07:00

A study by a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, now a science adviser to President Barack Obama, suggests that how you teach is more important than who does the teaching. AP

This is the main idea, but the title (Study: Interactive Tools Matter More Than Teaching Methods) is definitely misleading.

The study compared just two sections of physics classes for just one week, but Wieman said the technique would work for other sciences as well, and even for history.

Clearly, not enough time.

The technology enabled a large (250-student) class to interact with the professor with rapid, iterative breakout group discussions and quick little quizzes for comphrehension checks. The entire article can be found here. Thanks to (@dmlcentral) for finding it for me.

I love elegant solutions!

2011-05-10T06:18:00.001-07:00

"What problems are you facing that could be approached differently simply by asking WHY.... and then WHY again... and then WHY again.. until you get to the core of the issue?" (via dmlcentral) http://bit.ly/iIBMNJ

"Are You Really At Home With Your Kids?"

2011-05-01T07:11:00.001-07:00

Mom?
Mom.
*Mom!

"On the other hand, living “constantly connected” as many of us do can result in less quality time with one’s kids. While parents may physically be in a room, often their attention is elsewhere. In one tragic case, a 13-month old boy died in the bathtub while his mom was distracted playing games on Facebook. While this an extreme case, more parents are continuously pulled away by their ringing phone or the latest posts on Facebook or Twitter, resulting in less attention to their kids." -Soren Gordhamer

Here is the link to the full article from Mashable http://mashable.com/2011/04/30/social-media-parenting-lessons/

*you can substitute 'dad' too.

Roger

It Takes Time by Ira Glass

2011-04-27T16:12:00.001-07:00

Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through. (via Daring Fireball)

Gaps, Bridges and True Stories of Non-Native NNESTs

2011-04-07T15:04:00.001-07:00

Gaps,_Bridges_and_True_Stories_WEB.pdf Download this file

Sister Wendy on Zombies

2010-12-29T14:14:00.001-08:00

If you want to get to the particular part, fast forward to 6:02 and play.

There Are Zombies Among Us and They Are Us.

2010-12-29T14:09:00.001-08:00

All this zombie notoriety seems either gratuitous or at its worse, depraved. But these days my thoughts have turned to using this zombie-craze as a way to say something that I hope to be worthwhile.

Zombies are not aware. Zombies don't pay attention. They move about in the world doing things, working, speaking, but they don't really see.

David Novak telling the story of the Sky Woman's Daughter in the audio clip here below suggests that all of us are so many times "blinded to the treasures of others". It is a beautiful story. Listen to all of it.

Zombies are with someone in a conversation and there are words going back and forth but the zombie is not 'really' listening to the other.

This is an unfortunate thing. It is a common thing. We see it in our relationships with the ones we love, we see it with the freeway driving behavior. We see it as a way to cope. It is a way to shield us from the wall of sights and sounds and thoughts that assault us everyday.

Sister Wendy talks about living like a zombie as the "one fatal thing". (You can see her with much better articulation than I here at about the 6:02 minute part). A zombie is a person who is not attentive to the things around them. She sees art as a way to de-zombify ourselves. "Art demands our attention" Sister Wendy shares that art can free us.

What about the art of teaching?

There are zombies in schools too-I know you've seen them.

Teaching will not have any effect if there are zombies in the room. A good teacher can be a zombie. They would teach content and go home without a thought to the effects on his or her classroom. Bad teachers who are zombies perpetuate all that is poor and hasn't a clue that they are poorly doing it.

Teachers who are not zombie fight the temptation to go to auto-pilot. They struggle to be painfully aware of themselves and their surroundings. They have aroused themselves so that they are able to see the whole picture. They also can identify the intermediate steps and communicate those steps clearly to others. Once they can do this, they can teach and train others well.

'Paying attention' sounds so simple but it is so very important. Reflection, and writing and sharing boosts our awareness. Sitting and evaluating and observing other teachers as well. Me writing this post helps me.

Download now or listen on posterous

Sky_Woman's_Daughter.mp3 (55284 KB)

Speaker Series for Computer Games and Virtual Worlds

2010-11-21T20:07:00.001-08:00

COMPUTER GAMES & VIRTUAL WORLDS

2010-11 Speaker Series

Who's Telling This Story, Anyway?
A Formal Approach to Problems in Interactive Narrative

Thursday, December 2
4:00-6:00 p.m.
6011 Donald Bren Hall
RSVP to venita@ics.uci.edu

Sponsored by the Center for Computer Games and Virtual Worlds and the
Office of the Campus Writing Coordinator

Speaker: Austin Grossman

Bio: Austin Grossman has written and designed for a number of
critically acclaimed video games, including Ultima Underworld II,
System Shock, Trespasser, and Deus Ex. His first novel, Soon I Will Be
Invincible, was nominated for the John Sargent Sr. First Novel Prize.
His writing has appeared in Granta, the Wall Street Journal, and the
New York Times.

Abstract: The idea of interactive story is a staple of new media
rhetoric--virtual environments where players can experience a
narrative in which they themselves have a kind of agency. But what are
we really talking about, in the nuts and bolts of implementation? And
is such a thing genuinely posible, or only a series of compromises? In
this talk, we'll discuss a number of familiar narrative simulations,
from Space Invaders to Grand Theft Auto, and how they finesse the
various paradoxes inherent in the utopian ideal of "interactive
narrative." By looking at where they fail and succeed, we
can--maybe--begin to talk meaningfully about the aesthetics of
interactive media.

Tim Sheppard's Storytelling Resources for Storytellers

2010-11-20T16:22:00.001-08:00

Check out this website I found at timsheppard.co.uk

Big comprehensive list.

The class I'd like to teach - (37signals)

2010-11-06T00:59:00.001-07:00

The class I'd like to teach Jason F. Nov 05

43 comments Latest by Matt J.

Today I gave my last conference talk for a while. Next year I’m going to focus on our own 37signals events. It feels good to not have any external speaking obligations in 2011.

At the end of the talk I took some Q&A. The last question was asked by a guy in the front row. He said “What’s your take on the true value of a university education?” I shared my general opinion (summary: great socially, but not realistic enough academically) and ended with a description of a course I’d like to see taught in college. In fact, I’d like to teach it.

It would be a writing course. Every assignment would be delivered in five versions: A three page version, a one page version, a three paragraph version, a one paragraph version, and a one sentence version.

I don’t care about the topic. I care about the editing. I care about the constant refinement and compression. I care about taking three pages and turning it one page. Then from one page into three paragraphs. Then from three paragraphs into one paragraph. And finally, from one paragraph into one perfectly distilled sentence.

Along the way you’d trade detail for brevity. Hopefully adding clarity at each point. This is important because I believe editing is an essential skill that is often overlooked and under appreciated. The future belongs to the best editors.

Each step requires asking “What’s really important?” That’s the most important question you can ask yourself about anything. The class would really be about answering that very question at each step of the way. Whittling it all down until all that’s left is the point.

I hope to be able to teach this class one day.

via 37signals.com

Paper essay, Blog, Mini-Blog, and Text Message. My professor in grad school assigned a weekly one-sentence summary based on 6 hours of reading. I learned how to parse, believe me!

Resourcing, Rapport & Real-Time (UPDATED)

2010-11-05T11:59:00.007-07:00

Download now or preview on posterous

r3_fullerton.pdf (2625 KB)

Be Brave

2010-11-05T11:59:00.005-07:00

Download now or watch on posterous

Be_brave_large.m4v (39862 KB)

Dr. Hertz

2010-11-05T11:59:00.003-07:00

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Dr_Hertz_large.m4v (46916 KB)

Language is Communication

2010-11-05T11:59:00.001-07:00

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Language_is_communication_large.m4v (17418 KB)

Motivation is a Mirror

2010-11-05T11:58:00.005-07:00

Download now or watch on posterous

Motivation_and_a_mirror_large.m4v (34397 KB)

No Miracles

2010-11-05T11:58:00.003-07:00

Download now or watch on posterous

No_miracles_large.m4v (48830 KB)

iPad helps with handwriting for young people

2010-11-05T11:58:00.001-07:00

"...kindergartners at Harford Day School in Bel Air, Md., are taught to write on paper but recently also began tracing letter shapes on the screen of an iPad using a handwriting app."

The article by speaks to research highlighting the benefits to brain function of traditional handwriting practice of young and old people alike.

The full-text of Wall Street Journal article, in it's entirety is here below:
BUSINESSOCTOBER 5, 2010
How Handwriting Trains the Brain
Forming Letters Is Key to Learning, Memory, Ideas
By GWENDOLYN BOUNDS

Ask preschooler Zane Pike to write his name or the alphabet, then watch this 4-year-old's stubborn side kick in. He spurns practice at school and tosses aside workbooks at home. But Angie Pike, Zane's mom, persists, believing that handwriting is a building block to learning.

Wendy Bounds discusses the fading art of handwriting, pointing out that new research shows it can benefit children's motor skills and their ability to compose ideas and achieve goals throughout life.

Gwendolyn Bounds reports on what your handwriting says about your brain and everything else.
She's right. Using advanced tools such as magnetic resonance imaging, researchers are finding that writing by hand is more than just a way to communicate. The practice helps with learning letters and shapes, can improve idea composition and expression, and may aid fine motor- skill development.

It's not just children who benefit. Adults studying new symbols, such as Chinese characters, might enhance recognition by writing the characters by hand, researchers say. Some physicians say handwriting could be a good cognitive exercise for baby boomers working to keep their minds sharp as they age.

Studies suggest there's real value in learning and maintaining this ancient skill, even as we increasingly communicate electronically via keyboards big and small. Indeed, technology often gets blamed for handwriting's demise. But in an interesting twist, new software for touch-screen devices, such as the iPad, is starting to reinvigorate the practice.

Angie Pike
Four-year-old Zane Pike used to toss aside his handwriting books. Now, the Cabot, Ark., preschooler is learning to write his letters using a smartphone application.

Most schools still include conventional handwriting instruction in their primary-grade curriculum, but today that amounts to just over an hour a week, according to Zaner-Bloser Inc., one of the nation's largest handwriting-curriculum publishers. Even at institutions that make it a strong priority, such as the private Brearley School in New York City, "some parents say, 'I can't believe you are wasting a minute on this,'" says Linda Boldt, the school's head of learning skills.

Recent research illustrates how writing by hand engages the brain in learning. During one study at Indiana University published this year, researchers invited children to man a "spaceship," actually an MRI machine using a specialized scan called "functional" MRI that spots neural activity in the brain. The kids were shown letters before and after receiving different letter-learning instruction. In children who had practiced printing by hand, the neural activity was far more enhanced and "adult-like" than in those who had simply looked at letters.

"It seems there is something really important about manually manipulating and drawing out two-dimensional things we see all the time," says Karin Harman James, assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience at Indiana University who led the study.

The Juggle: In Digital Age, Does Handwriting Still Matter?
Adults may benefit similarly when learning a new graphically different language, such as Mandarin, or symbol systems for mathematics, music and chemistry, Dr. James says. For instance, in a 2008 study in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, adults were asked to distinguish between new characters and a mirror image of them after producing the characters using pen-and-paper writing and a computer keyboard. The result: For those writing by hand, there was stronger and longer- lasting recognition of the characters' proper orientation, suggesting that the specific movements memorized when learning how to write aided the visual identification of graphic shapes.

Other research highlights the hand's unique relationship with the brain when it comes to composing thoughts and ideas. Virginia Berninger, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Washington, says handwriting differs from typing because it requires executing sequential strokes to form a letter, whereas keyboarding involves selecting a whole letter by touching a key.

She says pictures of the brain have illustrated that sequential finger movements activated massive regions involved in thinking, language and working memory―the system for temporarily storing and managing information.

And one recent study of hers demonstrated that in grades two, four and six, children wrote more words, faster, and expressed more ideas when writing essays by hand versus with a keyboard.

AJ Mast for the Wall Street Journal
For research at Indiana University, children undergo specialized MRI brain scans that spot neurological activity.

Even in the digital age, people remain enthralled by handwriting for myriad reasons―the intimacy implied by a loved one's script, or what the slant and shape of letters might reveal about personality. During actress Lindsay Lohan's probation violation court appearance this summer, a swarm of handwriting experts proffered analysis of her blocky courtroom scribbling. "Projecting a false image" and "crossing boundaries," concluded two on celebrity news and entertainment site hollywoodlife.com . Beyond identifying personality traits through handwriting, called graphology, some doctors treating neurological disorders say handwriting can be an early diagnostic tool.

"Some patients bring in journals from the years, and you can see dramatic change from when they were 55 and doing fine and now at 70," says P. Murali Doraiswamy, a neuroscientist at Duke University. "As more people lose writing skills and migrate to the computer, retraining people in handwriting skills could be a useful cognitive exercise."

In high schools, where laptops are increasingly used, handwriting still matters. In the essay section of SAT college-entrance exams, scorers unable to read a student's writing can assign that portion an "illegible" score of 0.

Even legible handwriting that's messy can have its own ramifications, says Steve Graham, professor of education at Vanderbilt University. He cites several studies indicating that good handwriting can take a generic classroom test score from the 50th percentile to the 84th percentile, while bad penmanship could tank it to the 16th. "There is a reader effect that is insidious," Dr. Graham says. "People judge the quality of your ideas based on your handwriting."

Handwriting-curriculum creators say they're seeing renewed interest among parents looking to hone older children's skills―or even their own penmanship. Nan Barchowsky, who developed the Barchowsky Fluent Handwriting method to ease transition from print-script to joined cursive letters, says she's sold more than 1,500 copies of "Fix It … Write" in the past year.

Some high-tech allies also are giving the practice an unexpected boost through hand-held gadgets like smartphones and tablets. Dan Feather, a graphic designer and computer consultant in Nashville, Tenn., says he's "never adapted well to the keypads on little devices." Instead, he uses a $3.99 application called "WritePad" on his iPhone. It accepts handwriting input with a finger or stylus, then converts it to text for email, documents or Twitter updates.

And apps are helping Zane Pike―the 4-year-old who refused to practice his letters. The Cabot, Ark., boy won't put down his mom's iPhone, where she's downloaded a $1.99 app called "abc PocketPhonics." The program instructs Zane to draw letters with his finger or a stylus; correct movements earn him cheering pencils.

Indiana University
In children who had practiced writing by hand, the scans showed heightened brain activity in a key area, circled on the image at right, indicating learning took place.

"He thinks it's a game," says Angie Pike.

Similarly, kindergartners at Harford Day School in Bel Air, Md., are taught to write on paper but recently also began tracing letter shapes on the screen of an iPad using a handwriting app.

"Children will be using technology
unlike I did, and it's important for teachers to be familiar with it," says Kay Crocker, the school's lead kindergarten teacher. Regardless of the input method, she says, "You still need to be able to write, and someone needs to be able to read it."

Write to Gwendolyn Bounds at wendy.bounds@wsj.com

Roger

3 Questions Students Are Asking Teachers in the Classroom

2010-11-05T11:57:00.003-07:00

Can I trust you?
Do you care about me?
Do you know what you are talking about?

Doug Fields & Matt McGill go on to say (formatting and emphasis added by teachers' lore):

The first question is about a speaker's "ethos" or character. A listener has to believe a speaker is good and trustworthy ("ethical") before he/she will really listen to the message.

The second question refers to a speaker's "pathos" or empathy. A listener must not only believe the teacher is trustworthy, but also wants to make an emotional connection with the listener.

The third question is about a speaker's "logos" or logic. The content must be credible to be accepted.

Aristotle believed that the best communicators make attempts to answer all three questions a listener is "asking."

Take a moment and think about your favorite communicators. (1) Do you trust them? Does their life seem real? (2) Do you feel like they care about you when they speak? Do they communicate in such a way that you genuinely believe they care about your well-being? And, (3) Do they know what they are talking about? Does their content make sense and ring true?

It's been our experience that many youth workers unintentionally blow past the first two principles (ethos and pathos) and skip straight to the content.

Prezi Meeting

2010-11-05T11:57:00.001-07:00

Rob Newberry, Director of Education Technology at CIS Singapore shows how his students use Prezi Meeting.

Prezi is nothing new for Rob: as a teacher he finds it ultimately engaging – the way information is laid out makes it so much more accessible. Similarly, the fact that it is collaborative, can incorporate multimedia, and lends itself nicely for embedding in student’s ePortfolios make it a very powerful tool for organization, presentation and displaying learning.

The word that I have trouble with is 'accessible'. Prezi as a expository tool is very compelling. I have used it in this way for orientations to teacher-training programs. The 'wow factor' is great to scrape away the barnacles from jet-lagged-travel-weary international students' eyes. I wonder though if this strength is a weakness for collaboration. The key for collaboration is meaning transference. Sharing Prezi drafts seems to have more friction. Prezi to me would be the tool to show the finished product.

Differences

2010-07-29T12:03:00.001-07:00

Useful Expressions:

What are the differences between: "How do you do?" and "How are you doing?"

When I came here.

How far is San Diego? Ninety minutes. We answer with time not distance.

Final -S Practice (See Chapter 5)

When you add a final -S do you a) add a syllable or b) add a sound?

Practice your Z sound and your S sound.

Please refer to your worksheets for review.

Posted via email from rd's posterous

Dark Circles

2010-07-27T12:41:00.001-07:00

What is the difference between "I don't sleep." and "I didn't sleep."?

You didn't sleep last night because you were up all night thinking about going back to Korea.

Vocabulary

Swimming pool

Competition

Dark circles under your eyes

bags under your eyes

low cost of living

Malta has a lower cost of living than Ireland.

What is the difference between: "Did you go to Hawaii?" or "Have you been to Hawaii?"

I want to go snorkeling.

Wild pigs

Wild boars

whales

dolphins

I wasn't feeling well so I cancelled my 'spaghetti party' last weekend.

Did you reschedule your spaghetti party?

Do you have a high tolerance for pain?

This Tuesday

Next Tuesday

The Tuesday after next.

Pirates of the Caribbean

It's on a must read list.

What kind of movies do you like?

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Mountains and Valleys

2010-07-25T19:19:00.001-07:00

ROger would like to reMIND that if an ENGlish word has more than one SYLable, then there is ALways a MOUNtain and a VAlley. FOcus on the MOUNtain-PROnounce that part strong, and the rest NAturally flows.

I hope you look can NEver look at LANguage the same Ever Again.

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Pronunciation Lesson Intro

2010-07-23T12:15:00.001-07:00

Try to remember the difference between:

What did you do? and What do you do?

Would you like coffee? and Do you like coffee?

Would you like a drink? and Do you drink?

Pronunciation Key: Consonants

pie

boy

ten

day

key

fine

van

think

they

see

zoo

shoe

measure

choose

job

sing

let

red

yes

home

Pronunciation Key: Vowels

hit

may

get

mad

bird

cup

about

hot, father

too

good

know

law

fine

now

boy

Do Would
Download now or listen on posterous

do would.mp3 (209 KB)

Pron Consonant
Download now or listen on posterous

pron consonant.mp3 (1054 KB)

Pron Vowels
Download now or listen on posterous

pron vowels.mp3 (686 KB)

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A Day In the Life of...

2010-07-22T12:31:00.001-07:00

Our topics were on what we did today. Both of you shared what you did. Below is a summary of what you did.

Download now or listen on posterous

sj_day.mp3 (645 KB)

Download now or listen on posterous

vocab_7_20.mp3 (980 KB)

Download now or listen on posterous

day_minae.mp3 (546 KB)

Min-Ae

I don't have any daily rhythms.

At 5am I feed and play with my baby.

At 10 am I do the same.

I left for the dentist to get my stitches removed.

It was terrible.

Seung-Joo "Sales manager" for SK Telecom

I took my sister to the dentist's office.

I got my stitches removed.

I waited for her.

We go some lunch.

8 months from now.

We went home.

I cleaned the kitchen.

Ate a snack.

I surfed the internet.

I looked at some web comics.

Listened to some R/B music.

Other Vocabulary/Phrases

Genre

Because of my childhood experiences....

Take medicine

It was terrible.

Allergy

Survival English

Pronunciation

open office hours

art academy

computer graphics

portfolio

stomach

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Example of Educational Use-case of Twitter

2010-07-11T16:50:00.001-07:00

From Oregon State University's Extension:

Twitter to the rescue in 'the Shop of Little Horrors' (06/02/2009)

AURORA, Ore. – The tweet came as a text message from what a growing number of nursery owners know as "the shop of little horrors."

"Honeylocust plant bug nymphs found today. The cryptic green bugs hide well."

Cryptic, yes, but nursery workers in the field know what to do next. Short and pithy, this Twitter message that came in under the limit of 140 characters had just enough information to alert Oregon nursery workers – most who are toiling far away from a computer – to look for evidence of the nymph and to search online later for descriptions and photos.

Nice.

Posted via email from teacher's lore

Consumption, Production & Participation: Thoughts on Interest-driven Learning

2010-07-07T14:29:00.001-07:00

This is an artful description (thanks DML Center) of the case for using digital media and learner-based approaches in schools - It's a 5:13 min video.

John Martin (homepage) has written up a summary of Diana Rhoten's video.

Diana Rhoten, of Startl, speaks of the need to cater to the learning demands of the current generation of learners who, she argues, are following "Interest-driven Learning" — achievable now, and driven by the creation of an unprecedented technical infrastructure. Kids now prefer to follow a learning path of consumption, production, and participation. It starts by finding their interest and coaching them through their development of it. Although Rhoten focuses on younger kids than we find in higher education, much of what she says applies to the demographics that we serve. Indeed, higher education (and programs such as UW-Madison's Digital Media Assignments) may be a grand testing ground for this, due to our demographic of already "plugged-in" students — an exceptionally large population of tech owners/users compared to the under-12 set that Rhoten works with.

It's a beautiful video. Watch it and let me know if you think it makes sense.

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What is your Shoe Size? A Pretty Fool-proof Technique for Buying or Adapting Any New Piece of Technology (or Should You Buy an iPad?) UPDATED

2010-07-06T16:01:00.001-07:00

I had to revisit this question when my criteria changed. The iPad ships with IOS 3.2 with some notable additions and therefore it would be good to look at this device again since the conditions changed. Below is the original post with changes in red.

So the iPad is out. It will be an amazing device for certain people. I have had to talk to folks about whether it is something for them to buy. I have ONE response now for all these folks: "What is your shoe size?"

When asked, "Is the iPad for me? Should I buy it?" I come back with, "What are your use-cases?, What do you do with the computer? Or what would you like to do with your computer?". This question throws many off. But it's common sense. We buy shoes for a purpose (albeit, some purposes might seem less purposeful than others). Everyone has criteria. This criteria usually floats beneath the surface of our consciousness, but it's there making decisions. We need to apply this to tech stuff.

"Should I buy an iPad now?"

My criteria:

1. I have an old Intel 2006 white Macbook running Snow Leopard. It still works great. My primary mobile machine is not broken. Don't buy.

Update: My logic board checked out. It's in repairs and I have had to live without a Mac for about 2 weeks so far. My primary computer was broken. It was a great chance for me to really get a sense of whether I missed my little four-year-old.

I did.

I got by using my iPad Nano (iPod Touch 1st gen.). More on if it can really replace my computer below:

2. I do video editing. iPad doesn't. But not yet. Don't buy if I can easily distribute a under ten-minute video without a computer.

Update: With the current 3.2 software, it still doesn't. But when the iPad goes to IOS4 in the fall, will it be able to use the iPhone 4's iMovie App? I have played with iMovie for the iPhone 4, it is pretty amazing. There is a question of how big of a file can I off-load to the cloud to distribute to others?

3. I need a keyboard. iPad has options for this. Buy.

4. I need documents, mostly text, to sync with my documents I create on my notebook. The iPad's file management system is a at best confusing, at worse a nightmare. Don't buy. No change, but the fall software update could address this.

5. I has 10+ hours of battery life. Buy.

6. Instant on, instant off. Buy.

7. The GUI and the applications have great potential. Buy.

I could go on. The list of criteria above is not exhaustive and it's not equally weighted either. Frankly, number 4 is critical for me, but number 2 is not.

Conclusion as of 4/19/10: I will not buy an iPad (in it's current form now).

Conclusion as of 7/6/10: I will not buy an iPad (though the IOS4 iPad update could really change my mind).

It is still good to know the size of my shoes.

Extra Warning to those universities and colleges thinking of giving an iPad ($499) to incoming freshman instead of a Macbook ($999): You still need a computer (a PC or Mac) to 'activate' the iPad. So freshman who don't already have a primary usable computer will find the iPad to be a beautiful, glassy expensive paperweight.

Extra Warning 2: Make sure you really understand the iBook functionality in regards to e-textbooks. Annotations are not possible as far as I know. Bookmarking and highlighting is. For the iPad to really take off in the e-textbook market, this needs to be addressed. Update: You now can add your highlights and annotations with a nice sticky-note interface. And even though you can view your notes in a list, there's no way (as far as I can see) to print these notes.

New Extra Warning 3: The only way to print is by using another computer to sync via iTunes. There may be 3rd party wifi solutions out there, but I haven't seen them.

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An Educational Reformer Reformed

2010-06-21T15:33:00.001-07:00

An educational idealist, Larry Cuban, tempered by years of administrative work & teaching, shares his thoughts:

The irony, of course, is that current policymakers from President Obama through local school board presidents and superintendents still mime John Dewey’s words and act as if schools can, indeed, reform society. Knowledge gained from decades of experience as a teacher, administrator, and researcher have made me allergic to utopian rhetoric about the role of schools in society. I have become skeptical of anyone spouting words about schools being in the vanguard of social reform.

Yet, I must also say that those very same experiences have tempered but not dissolved my early idealism. I still believe that content-smart and classroom-wise teachers who know their students well can make significant differences in individual students’ lives even if collectively they cannot cure societal ills.

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Textbook List for Teaching English Abroad, Summer 2010

2010-06-14T10:39:00.001-07:00

Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching by Richards & Rogers (ISBN 0521008433)

Zero Prep: Ready-to-Go Activities for The Language Classroom by Laurel Pollard and Natalie Hess (ISBN 1-882483-64-2)

Principles of Language and Teaching by H. Brown 5th ed. (ISBN 0130178160)

Language Assessment by H. Brown (ISBN 0-13-098834-0)

Understanding and Using English Grammar by Azar (ISBN 0-13-097605-9)

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Some Alternative (And Cheaper) Communication Solutions for Those with Special Needs

2010-06-14T04:58:00.001-07:00

I got this via Amy Seto. There's some alternative communication solutions for those with special needs.

There are some augmentative and alternative communication applications available for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. These programs are much less inexpensive than the large devices our consumers might get from school or Medi-Cal, and easier to carry around.

Voice4u is a revolutionary AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) application that helps individuals to express their feeling, thought, actions and things they need. http:// voice4uaac.com/ (about $30)

Proloquo2Go™ is a new product from AssistiveWare that provides a full- featured communication solution for people who have difficulty speaking. It brings natural sounding text-to-speech voices, up-to-date symbols, powerful automatic conjugations, a default vocabulary of over 7000 items, full expandability and extreme ease of use to the iPhone and iPod touch. http://www.proloquo2go.com/ (about $200 plus cost of iPod, iPhone)

The TapToTalk Nintendo App turns a Nintendo DS, DSi, DSi XL or DS Lite into an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device. Children love to use TapToTalk on a Nintendo because these gadgets are cool and they don't stand out when they use them. Parents love them because they are ultra-portable, sturdy and economical. At home, at school, or out in the community, a child can use TapToTalk to communicate anytime, anywhere.
There is also a PECS application for iPod Touch.

Roger

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Safari 5's New Reader

2010-06-09T19:54:00.001-07:00

Daring Fireball (@daringfireball)
6/9/10 4:45 PM
Nik Fletcher: ‘On This Safari 5 Reader Hysteria’: http://✪df.ws/fj5

Now I can read again!

Roger

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If You Are the Parade Organizer, Never Ask the Guys with the Brooms How Many Elephants They Would Like in a Parade.

2010-05-29T08:06:00.001-07:00

I thought 'IT pros' favor less hassle, less maintanance headaches, less compatibility issues w/their hardware? Help me out, wouldn't a stable system be the most favorable IT solution? Open systems sound less stable. How many elephants they want in the parade?

Matt Burns:

"Arguably, the biggest advantage that the Streak has over the iPad as a tablet for business professionals is the operating system. The iPhone OS is a proprietary, tightly-controlled platform, while Android is an open source OS. There are pros and cons to each approach, but for IT administrators and business professionals the pros heavily favor the openness of Android."
http://j.mp/9BEdQr

Posted via email from tefl's posterous

Poster Session Design

2010-05-19T16:25:00.001-07:00

Download now or preview on posterous

Poster Session Design.pdf (4127 KB)

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Something New and Short for Google Search

2010-05-12T17:20:00.001-07:00

(I got this via Lifehacker) http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/understanding-web-to-find-short-answer...

Roger

Posted via email from tefl's posterous

Reunion with an old TEFL Alumni

2010-05-05T15:13:00.001-07:00

Thanks Sherry for coming!

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from tefl's posterous

Upcoming Conference Information for CATESOL REGIONAL

2010-05-03T11:02:00.001-07:00

Los Angeles Regional

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Cal State Fullerton

Dreams and Diversity: Visions of Tomorrow

For more information, contact Co-Chairs:
Janet Eyring at jeyring@fullerton.edu
Catherine Moore at camoore@fullerton.edu;
Monica Snow at msnow@fullerton.edu

San Diego Regional

Saturday, October 16, 2010
San Diego County Office of Education
Hosted by Palomar College.
For more information, contact conference co-chair Gary Sosa at gsosa@palomar.edu.

Updates for both can be found at here.

Posted via email from tefl's posterous

TEFL Students! Come and See Poster Session Examples

2010-04-28T13:53:00.001-07:00

Undergraduate UC Irvine students will be giving presentations on different topics (their majors) all day. Great opportunity for getting ideas for your own poster session presentations.
Saturday, May 15th
8-5 all day (but you don't have to Ho all day!)
Location: UCI campus
Cost: free
Go to: urop..UCI.edu
Then go to 'symposium' then click RSVP
FOOD IS SERVED!
Roger
Posted via email from tefl's posterous

Resourcing, Rapport and Real-time: Harnessing Social Media for Learning

2010-04-23T15:51:00.001-07:00

Here's the presentation I did for CATESOL, Santa Clara 2010

Download now or preview on posterous
r3_CATESOL_Santa_Clara.pdf (2569 KB)

Posted via web from

Resourcing, Rapport and Real-time: Harnessing Social Media for Learning

2010-04-23T15:48:00.001-07:00

Here's the presentation I did at Santa Clara CATESOL, 2010

file:///E:/r3%20CATESOL%20Santa%20Clara.pdf

Posted via web from

5 Ways Classrooms Can Use Video Conferencing

2010-04-23T10:02:00.001-07:00

I really like number 5 below:

I not only speak to students over video conferencing, but also to teachers, providing a “kid’s eye view of the classroom.”

Because learning is a continual process for teachers, and teachers must acquire a certain number of professional development hours (a percentage of which should be dedicated to technology) to maintain certification, video conferencing offers a convenient way for many school districts to meet these requirements. In addition, even students can learn from their teachers’ professional development — once, I spoke to teachers in Florida’s Broward County School District while students looked on.

I got this from Mashable.

Posted via web from

Clever Post

2010-04-21T13:26:00.001-07:00

Here is where I should write something clever.
Posted via email from rd's posterous

This is My Title

2010-04-21T13:23:00.001-07:00

This is where I would write stuff down.
Posted via email from tefl's posterous

Welcome CATESOLers!

2010-04-21T13:06:00.001-07:00

This is a picture of where I am from.

Posted via email from tefl's posterous

They Are Kinda Not Thinking

2010-04-19T14:55:00.001-07:00

So there's a 4-hour iPad lending program at NC State.

This fails in two areas.

A four-hour 'lending" time block is not a normal university student use case. Who reads, studies for four hours straight? This program does not take advantage of the potential upbiquitous use of the device. Four hours is an arbitrary and unrealistic use case. This creates an artificial expectation that learning will occur in that time frame.

What's the thesis? What criteria do they have to judge the success or failure of such a program? What are the controls? Were there books lended out for four hours as well to other subjects? Will this data be compared? What were the original reasons to do this? What were the research questions (that require thinking) this school hoped to find out through this program?

An iPad needs to be looked at as an integrated device. Something that's in a backpack. Something to be pulled out for a need or purpose. This use needs to be noted and compared to the older use case that the iPad is supposed to replace. Something that is handed out for longer than four hours.

Why are they handing them out? Just go to an Apple store and hang out for 4 hours-for free.

Posted via web from

What is your Shoe Size? A Pretty Fool-proof Technique for Buying or Adapting Any New Piece of Technology (or Should You Buy an iPad?)

2010-04-19T13:13:00.001-07:00

So the iPad is out. It will be an amazing device for certain people. I have had to talk to folks about whether it is something for them to buy. I have ONE response now for all these folks: "What is your shoe size?"

When asked, "Is the iPad for me? Should I buy it?" I come back with, "What are your use-cases?, What do you do with the computer? Or what would you like to do with your computer?". This question throws many off. But it's common sense. We buy shoes for a purpose (albeit, some purposes might seem less purposeful than others). Everyone has criteria. This criteria usually floats beneath the surface of our consciousness, but it's there making decisions. We need to apply this to tech stuff.

"Should I buy an iPad now?"

My criteria:

I have an old Intel 2006 white Macbook running Snow Leopard. It still works great. My primary mobile machine is not broken. Don't buy.

I do video editing. iPad doesn't. Don't buy.

I need a keyboard. iPad has options for this. Buy.

I need documents, mostly text, to sync with my documents I create on my notebook. The iPad's file management system is a at best confusing, at worse a nightmare. Don't buy.

I has 10+ hours of battery life. Buy.

Instant on, instant off. Buy.

The GUI and the applications have great potential. Buy.

I could go on. The list of criteria above is not exhaustive and it's not equally weighted either. Frankly, number 4 is critical for me, but number 2 is not.

Conclusion as of 4/19/10: I will not buy an iPad (in it's current form now).

It is good to know the size of my shoes.

Extra Warning to those universities and colleges thinking of giving an iPad ($499) to incoming freshman instead of a Macbook ($999): You still need a computer (a PC or Mac) to 'activate' the iPad. So freshman who don't already have a primary usable computer will find the iPad to be a beautiful, glassy expensive paperweight.

Extra Warning 2: Make sure you really understand the iBook functionality in regards to e-textbooks. Annotations are not possible as far as I know. Bookmarking and highlighting is. For the iPad to really take off in the e-textbook market, this needs to be addressed.

Posted via web from

I'll be speaking at CATESOL in Santa Clara on Friday morning

2010-04-17T22:45:00.001-07:00

The topic will be on how I use social media for learning. Specifically, I'll touch on how we can use certain web tools for resourcing, creating rapport with students & having these tools be integrated into real-time classroom lessons. Resourcing, Rapport & Real-Time. You got to get up early for this one though: 8 am on Friday. Thanks CATESOL!
#CATESOL #fb
Roger
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CATESOL Program in PDF format

2010-04-15T15:57:00.001-07:00

The 92 page program is available for you to download.Here it is.
Posted via email from tefl's posterous

Monday Open Chats for TEFL students

2010-04-15T13:03:00.001-07:00

I will be hosting an open chat from 10:30 to noon on Mondays. You are invited to join up for open dialogue on teaching thoughts and practices or whatever you want to talk about. Meet outside of class and we’ll walk to a place to chat. Follow my twitter for changes.

It’s optional, but you are encouraged to come!

Hope to see you there!

Roger

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"Teaching and Learning in a Global Community"

2010-04-14T10:18:00.001-07:00

CATESOL Statewide Conference

Where: Santa Clara, California (Santa Clara Convention Center & Hyatt Regency Santa Clara)

When: April 22 to 25Full Conference Program Link

Volunteer Info Link

Registration, Hotel and Parking Fees Link

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The 'Grass-Eaters of Japan

2010-04-14T06:52:00.001-07:00

No wonder their numbers are dwindling here in our programs.
""I am a grass-eater," Otani said wistfully, using an in-vogue expression for a person who avoids stress, controls risk and grazes contentedly in home pastures.
Once a voracious consumer of American higher education, Japan is becoming a nation of grass-eaters. Undergraduate enrollment in U.S. universities has fallen 52 percent since 2000; graduate enrollment has dropped 27 percent.
It is a steep, sustained and potentially harmful decline for an export-dependent nation that is losing global market share to its highly competitive Asian neighbors, whose students are stampeding into American schools."
See the entire Washington Post article here.

Roger

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Six Rules for Learning at Home

2010-04-09T07:09:00.001-07:00

1. Accessibility
Where are your books? Take them off the top shelf. Get them at eye level. Learn from the candy counters at the markets. This changes the perception that these things are not 'decorations' they are to be touched and opened. Imagine what can be learned with digital/online access?*
Where are your art supplies and paper? Get a cheap easel with cheap newsprint and stand it in the corner. Should I even ask where are your legos? Where is your play-doh? It could be messy -get over it! Have kid-friendly-sized tables and chairs where all this stuff could be used.
2. Passive Modeling
As an adult you are an example to all who live in your home. The learners in your care watch what you do. They learn that the things you do habitually and repetitively are important. If you, after a hard day's work come home and go straight for the TV or computer then that's what they percieve as being most important to you. I have had parents come to me and complain that their kids don't want to read or draw. They would rather play on the computer or watch TV. I ask them: "What are you doing everyday to reinforce/model this behavior? Do you spend a lot of time watching TV or using the computer in front of them?" Silence.
No wonder they are doing it. What would happen if you cracked a book infront of them? What if you took out a sheet of paper and wrote a story or drew a picture?
3. Active Modeling
This the different from passive modeling. In passive modeling, you don't speak a word. You don't actuvkey confront or engage the learner. On the other side, 'active modeling' is where you actively engage the leaner with opportunities. This can be very fruitful. When you are interacting with a learner and a question comes up, do you say, 'I don't know' and leave it at that? Can you say instead 'Let's find out.'? Now, perhaps the default habit is to go to the Internet. That's fine, but there are other healthy ways of finding out information: Ask an Expert. "I don't know but I bet uncle Larry knows! Let's call him!" Or, "Let's write a letter to so and so (the expert)". Or, (much more fun and engaging) "Let's go and try it out ourselves!" Experimentation. Experimentation gives birth to discovery. Which brings us to 'Special Projects'.
4. Special Projects
When you really plan ahead and research and discuss a problem that might have multiple steps, it is a 'special project'. Special projects are born out of real curiousity. They are not just checking for an answer on the internet or encyclopedia. Although, that could be the start of a special project. A simple and fruitful example is planting a seed and marking how it grows on a chart while caring for it. This is a long term one. Shorter projects for younger learners could be making lists for example. You can make a list for ANYTHING- shoes, tomatoes, toys, etc. Classifying and catagorizing and grouping are great projects for littler learners. There are books and teachers and friends that are great resources for the more complicated projects.
5. Aim High
This needs to be a pervasive attitude in your thoughts, speech and actions. Don't wait for second grade to teach multiplication. If the opportunity arises, give a mini lesson. If a learner talks about lightsabers, then ask them if they had to make one, what parts would it need? Take learners to local university public lectures on stuff. If it's a little too hard, don't fret. Sit in the back and quietly leave early. Try, though to have your learners meet the professor at the end. Have them interact and say thank you at least.
6. Ubiquity
Related to accesibility, all the things generated from the previous five things should be on display around the home. When going outside the home, bring blank notecards. Have your learners bring them and something to write with. Make this a habit. Young learners are naturally curious and need to feed and nurture this tendency. Unfortunately, we adults (with our zombie-like inattention) squash their efforts of discovery. Also, zombies are not really accepted members in society.
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Snow in Boston last Friday!

2010-03-27T21:18:00.001-07:00

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Boston Day 2 through 4

2010-03-27T21:13:00.001-07:00

Boston Common, On the road to Mul's Diner (again) and some night shots.

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Boston Day 2 through 4

2010-03-27T21:11:00.001-07:00

Boston Common, On the road to Mul's Diner (again) and some night shots.

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Howard Gardner: "5 Minds for the Future" Lecture

2010-03-27T20:38:00.001-07:00

His lecture in ten parts can be found here.
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Howard Gardner: 5 Minds for the Future (10)

2010-03-27T20:25:00.001-07:00

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This is the last one.

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Howard Gardner: 5 Minds for the Future (9)

2010-03-27T20:24:00.001-07:00

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Howard Gardner: 5 Minds for the Future (8)

2010-03-27T20:18:00.001-07:00

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Howard Gardner: 5 Minds for the Future (7)

2010-03-27T20:14:00.001-07:00

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Howard Gardner: 5 Minds for the Future (6)

2010-03-27T20:09:00.001-07:00

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Howard Gardner: 5 Minds for the Future (5)

2010-03-27T20:06:00.001-07:00

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Howard Gardner: 5 Minds for the Future (4)

2010-03-27T19:46:00.001-07:00

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Howard Gardner: 5 Minds for the Future (3)

2010-03-27T19:39:00.001-07:00

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Howard Gardner: 5 Minds for the Future (2)

2010-03-27T19:33:00.001-07:00

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Howard Gardner: 5 Minds for the Future (1)

2010-03-27T19:21:00.001-07:00

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Had a chance to see him live at the conference. If you don't know who he is, you should. His theory on multiple intelligences has validated many great teacher's efforts in classes around the world. Enjoy.

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Professionally Lonely

2010-03-25T19:59:00.001-07:00

At the "Blogging as Teachers: Technology Enhances Practice" TESOL session today one presenter, Jennifer Uhler said something poignant. I don't have a quote but my paraphrase of what she said goes like this: "I felt professionally lonely." I have felt this. More importantly, this feeling has not entirely gone away. One reason for me being here at TESOL is to try to close this gap. One of technology's silver-bulletted promises is community. There's the promise of blogging networks-conscientious writers sharing similar passions, but I haven't shared in this that much yet. If you get any part of what I am saying then take comfort that we just shared this notion. Now if I can only get your email...
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Boston TESOL 2010 Day One

2010-03-25T19:07:00.001-07:00

In no order, pictures of the convention center, part of the boardwalk, registration, a famous speaker?, a view from my hotel,

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BBQ ing with TEFLers!

2010-03-22T17:11:00.001-07:00

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Student made video clip.

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TESOL Conference Food People!

2010-03-21T06:00:00.003-07:00

The Boston Restaurant Week and TESOL Boston coincide this year. Get discounted menu choices from some of Boston's great resaurant venues.
I am not a big conference food eater. Hunger, coupled with the sad reality of my poor map/echo location abilities usually finds me at a Mc Donalds or other similarly desparate venue. I guess I would like to say I am a frugal guy when it comes to travel.
On a related note, I often use cooking analogies in my teacher- training lectures-ingredients, patience, managing many pots on the stove at one time- you get the idea. Well now, I might try one of these venues just to say I am still willing to take a risk about stuff that I care about. Ok.
The timing for this is not exactly a coincidence; it is still in the thirties at night with highs during the day in the 40s. Not exactly "let's go out to eat tonight!" weather.
Link here: Boston Restaurant Week 2010 - The Insider's Guide to Boston Restaurant Week http://restaurantweekboston.com/
Bon Appetite!
Roger
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