https://ostankowicz.wordpress.com/2015/11/10/teacher-training-a-waste-of-time/

I have been teaching for over 40 years.

In my view, teacher training courses are crucial for improving my teaching. I have been participating in many of them. As a lifelong learner, I feel I need to make a statement that it has always been a challenge, pleasure and a great fulfillment.

I have learnt a lot.

Nowadays I am doing some online courses for Teachers.

Teaching with Technology

Micro Teaching in Pairs

Teaching in a Virtual Class

Moodle MOOC 7 Moodle for Teachers training course

Courses are delivered by Dr. Nellie Deutsch @ Integrating Technology

http://www.integrating-technology.org/course/index.php?categoryid=115

About WizIQ

The technology is growing wide, and I feel overwhelmed.
Perhaps not as amazed as some people because my job gives me the opportunity to be a life-long learner and technology is a huge part of my present teaching.  Now we are told to “just look it up on the web”, “go online”  or “google it”.
Well, online takes more time and effort than talking to a friend, listening to the radio, or watching the television.  Connected means I have to use my computer or my smartphone or another electronic device.  Moreover, it seems that every electronic device is different and every three months a new model comes out that requires another learning twist. How will I ever keep up? That learning challenge is becoming superior and harder to manage. This is why I highly recommend WizIQ.
WizIQ’s Virtual Classroom lets you collaborate in real time during online delivery of classes and training sessions. With our powerful platform’s features and range of useful tools, you can:
Increase student engagement with real-time audio-video communication, text chats, and advanced interactive whiteboards.
Integrate smoothly with your existing website or LMS (e.g., Moodle, Blackboard, Sakai) using our APIs & plugins.
Deliver live classes on-the-go from any mobile device using WizIQ Android and iOS apps.
Manage your classes and students easily with handy features like Attendance Reporting, Recording, and Notifications.
Reuse lectures recorded by using WizIQ’s recording and secure content facility.
Access WizIQ from any internet browser, without downloading any software.
WizIQ’s Virtual Classroom lets you collaborate in real time during online delivery of classes and training sessions. With our powerful platform’s features and range of useful tools, you can:
Increase student engagement with real-time audio-video communication, text chats, and advanced interactive whiteboards.
Integrate smoothly with your existing website or LMS (e.g., Moodle, Blackboard, Sakai) using our APIs & plugins.
Deliver live classes on-the-go from any mobile device using WizIQ Android and iOS apps.
Manage your classes and students easily with handy features like Attendance Reporting, Recording, and Notifications.
Reuse lectures recorded by using WizIQ’s recording and secure content facility.
Access WizIQ from any internet browser, without downloading any software.
https://youtu.be/QGIyxX5xw_c?list=PL2JR-WMV8l6cMK37z5_gJuR_4jevfj1uk
 
 
ZOOM
The biggest advantage of using Zoom is that it provides excellent connection, which is especially advantageous if you have low bandwidth. Additionally, the use of the annotations when sharing a screen (to be used as a whiteboard) can make the lesson much more interactive. One cool feature is that you can record your lessons, which are saved on your hard drive. You can schedule recurring lessons, add events to your calendar, use chat and have it sent to you, and there are many other features too.

The dashboard for Zoom is simple and easy to use. Here is what you can do:
– Start a lesson with or without your video (you can turn your video on and off during the lesson/meeting) – Schedule a meeting – Join a meeting
When youschedule a meeting, you can choose to make it recurring. This is a great option to have for learners who take lessons at a set time each week.
You will receive a meeting ID and a link when you schedule a lesson, and this can be shared with your student(s). Additionally, you can automatically add it your online calendar.
Your learner will need to download Zoom to be able to connect with you.
Settings
There are many settings inside Zoom; the vast majority are similar to other video conferencing software (like audio, video,etc.).
The recording feature is something I highlighted in the video. Youcan record your lessons automatically to a specified folder.
The Class Experience
Here is what you can do during your lesson with Zoom:
– Chat – Use video – Share your screen – Use annotations while your’re sharing your screen (like a whiteboard) – Share your computer audio; this is a great feature when playing a video
Zoom is free to use for most uses. The only reason to upgrade is if you are taking group lessons that last over 40 minutes and/or you want to use it for a webinar.
Reasons to Use Zoom
There are many advantages to using Zoom:
– The quality of the call is very good
– The annotations for screen sharing is very useful – It is lightweight with no real problems/bugs – You can create recurring meetings and use the same link for your learners
The one drawback is that it is not well known. This means that you will have to educate your learners on how to use it, and they will have to download the application first.
However, this can be easily done through a one page PDF or quick video that you can give your learners with instructions on what to do.

Presenters of Moodle MOOC 7

Moodle MOOC 7 (MM7) is scheduled to take place from November 1 - 30,  2015 on Moodle for Teachers.

Organized by Dr. Nellie Deutsch

Dr. Nellie Deutsch (Ed.D) is an education technology advisor, English faculty member  in blended learning and fully online programs at a university and faculty on leadership fully online in the transpersonal graduate program at Atlantic University. She’s on the IATEFL YLTSIG, EDMedia executive, WAOE, TESOL CALL-IS, HEIS and SSIS committees. Nellie has been teaching English in high school and at the college level for over 35 years and integrating technology since 1992. She organizes free online programs for educators on how to manage and teach with Moodle and integrate technology into face-to-face, blended, and fully online courses online MOOCs, online conferences (Connecting Online and Moodle MOOTs), and other online events such as Fall and Spring Blog Festivals. She is passionate about using technologies such as Moodle, WizIQ, Movenote, PresentMe, Slidespeech, Screencast-o-matic, and google drive to promote active learning and teaching as a way to learn.

The purpose of the MOOC is to connect for instruction and learning, reflective practice, social and collaborative learning, cultural exchange and peace, personal and professional development, community building, best practices and challenges involved in teaching with technology, student engagement with the content, peers, and the facilitator, and learning to teach online with Moodle course and learning management system.

MM7 includes webinars and Moodle training. The presenters of the webinars will focus on connecting online for collaborative learning and teaching with technology, education technology, professional development, and topics that pertain to teaching and learning online and/or on mobile devices/smartphones.

The Moodle training will take place on Moodle for Teachers (M4T) Moodle website and will focus on active learning, reflection, sharing, and collaboration. The aim of the course is for the participants to learn through meaningful connections and social interactions. Participants, who wish to receive a certificate of participation, will be required to document their learning experiences by keeping a blog, wiki, website, or any other artifact that will include a description and reflection of the live sessions and/or recordings.

The Moodle training will include Moodle, Google Drive Docs, blogs, Google Apps, Mobile Devices, Virtual Classes, and other online learning environments for face-to-face, blended, and fully online learning. In addition, participants will learn to use Movenote, Screencast-o-matic, PresentMe, SlideSpeech, Plotagon, Smore, Quizlet, Slideshare, Evernote, Movenote, WizIQ, and other technologies for effective and engaging student-based activities. The live presentations will include the speakers’ reflective process on teaching and learning in fully online and blended learning formats.

Course Highlights

• Moodle 2.9 Theories and Practice Training
• Active Learning: Teaching as a Way to Learn
• Learning & Teaching Online: Creating Engaging Activities
• Collaborative Learning
• Learning and Teaching in a Live Online Class
• Blended Learning
• Flipped Learning
• Fully online learning
• Mobile Learning
• APPs for Learning

Moodle for Teachers

Moodle MOOC 7 Moodle for Teachers training course on how to use Moodle 2.9 for instruction is an asynchronous component of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Moodle for teachers and anyone interested in teaching online using Moodle, WizIQ, and other web technologies. The course will take place in the month of November 2015. The MOOC is in the spirit of open education and is completely free.

David Christian: The history of our world in 18 minutes

David Christian's ideas.

Learn English Through Stories | Subtitles: Love Story (level 3)

Listen and tell the story.

I just made a new Voki. See it here:

http://www.voki.com/pickup.php?scid=11271875&height=267&width=200I just made a new Voki. See it here::
 http://www.voki.com/pickup.php?scid=11271875&height=267&width=200

Dr. Cheryl Lentz: How do you Justify Investment in Education?

The book is excellent.
Thank you Cheryl.

Learning to wing it: Improv used to teach business skills

Learning to wing it: Improv used to teach business skills

He said not listening is bad in improvisation, bad in personal relationships and bad in business.

The final exercise, called long-form improvisation, involved a large group of students, including some who just walked through the background or added sounds off-stage.

"You are not out there to make yourself look good," Noel said. "The idea is, you are supporting what they're doing."

It was like the role many will play in their first jobs.

Drum Roll Sound Effect

Hi everyone,
Halina is waiting for you...

What Are My Needs As An English Language Teacher?

Students guided through learning module that asks and collects questions.
Instructor prepares lecture.	Instructor prepares learning opportunities.
Beginning of Class	Students have limited information about what to expect.	Students have specific questions in mind to guide their learning.
	Instructor makes general assumption about what is helpful.	Instructor can anticipate where students need the most help.
During Class	Students try to follow along.	Students practice performing the skills they are expected to learn.
	Instructor tries to get through all the material.	Instructor guides the process with feedback and mini-lectures.
After Class	Students attempt the homework, usually with delayed feedback.	Students continue applying their knowledge skills after clarificationa and feedback.
	Instructor grades past work.	Instructor posts any additional explanations and resources as necessary and grades higher quality work.
Office Hours	Students want confirmation about what to study.	Students are equipped to seek help where they know they need it.
	Instructor often repeats what was in lecture.	Instructor continues guiding students toward deeper understanding.

http://ctl.utexas.edu/teaching/flipping-a-class/different

Halina Ostankowicz-Bazan at SBF15

The presentation is about how to communicate efficiently and the ways of improving communication skills.

My online activity inspired me to get reverting to my earlier research about effective communication.

From my view, connecting with the use of the Internet seems to be creating new questions about the way people communicate.

I am working to present a theoretical backdrop to the principles of the process of communication, as well as communications skills models.

My approach is based on the well-known model of the functions of language introduced by  Roman Jakobson. Although it is recognizable that Jakobson’s theory can be challenged on numerous grounds from a theoretical perspective, I have always been linked with his theoretical explanation of the purposes of linguistic communication.

“Jakobson and Halle’s initial statement of the principles of linguistic organization should be made available to all future generations of linguists. It builds a solid foundation for Saussurean thinking about linguisic oppositions and establishes distinctive feature theory as the basis of their formal treatment.”

Prof. Dr. William Labov, University of Pennsylvania, Department of Linguistics

Along with Roman Jakobson’s  functions of the language model, we can formulate some basic queries.

·       What is Communication?

·       The Categories of Communication.

·       The Communication Process.

·       Communication Channels.

·       Principles of Communication.

·       Interpersonal Communication Skills.

·       What is an online communication?

·       The Benefits of Blogging.

https://www.academia.edu/11562219/Competence_in_Communication_And_Interpersonal_Skills

https://www.wiziq.com/tutorial/928605-sbf15-halina-on-competence-in-communication-and-interpersonal-skills