Dogme ELT 2.0

Making the simple complex or Making the complex simple? This post is part of a teacher-training workshop on using the web2.0 platform, Ning, with adult language learners, I'm Ningin' it, and also...

Crowd Wise 4b: Lurkers are..? (Roles)

You are not one of the myriad of interchangeable pieces,but a unique human being, and if you've got something to say,say it, and think well of yourself while you're learning to say it better.David Mamet I...

Are you ELT's newest TV Star?

For the first time ever, in the long History of Teaching English as a Foreign Language, an opportunity to go glam has come up. You can become a TV Star. Seriously. So what do you have to do? Read...

Crowd Wise 4a: Leaders are..? (Roles)

The greatest master is he who creates the most mastersTao te Ching Whenever I think about leadership in e-learning communities within the field of ELT, these are the following people who immediately...

More English Language Teachers on Twitter

A few days ago a fellow English teacher wrote to find out if she could be added to the Tweepl list linked in the ELT Guide to Twitter post and early this evening I had two more similar requests. And suddenly,...

Twitter: 4 students 2?

Despite the following tweet: and the amazing responses within an incredibly short time -  the wow! factor from my students who'd never seen anyone tweet before (though the site seems to be referenced...

Crowd Wise 3d: Does size play a role? (Group Identity)

Friendship is a plant of slow growthMark Twain   According to popular statements regarding the ideal size of a community, the number 150 pops up frequently, however many, if not most, groups aimed...

Crowd Wise 3b: Rules, Rules, Rules (Group Identity)

The golden rule is that there are no golden rules George Bernard Shaw Some groups have protocols set in place for when one of their members turns into a troll, becomes overly aggressive, spams or generally...

Crowd Wise 3c: Going Public vs Staying Private (Group Identity)

People have less privacy and are crammed together in cities,  but in the wide open spaces they secretly keep tabs on each other a lot more.Sara Paretsky Deciding to make a group accessible to anyone...

Crowd Wise 3a: Mission's vision (Group Identity)

Data is not information, information is not knowledge, knowledge is not understanding, understanding is not wisdom. Clifford Stoll Amy Jo Kim refers to online communities as: A group of people...

Videos for Valentine's Day

I'm sure you've all got your Valentine's Day lessons sorted but just in case you're looking for a nice video to use in class on Friday/Monday as conversation starters... Here are a few of my favorites...

The Carnival of English Language Lessons

Following on from Shelly Terrell's edition of the 15th ESL/EFL Carnival, I'll be responsible for hosting the next and I've decided to do something a little bit different: It shall have a focus, a theme,...

Getting Students Learning English through YouTube, H2LE (2)

This is the 2nd part of a the H-2-L-E series which contains a sheet you'll be able to share with your adult English language students so they can become more autonomous learners. Did you know that there...

Crowd Wise 2: Online Community Platforms

 I think it's fair to say that personal computers have become the most empowering tool we've ever created. They're tools of communication, they're tools of creativity, and they can be...

Crowd Wise 1: Introduction to this series

Computers are magnificent tools for the realization of our dreams, but no machine can replace the human spark of spirit, compassion, love, and understanding. Louis Gerstner On Thursday, April...

ELT Blogosphere and Twitterverse, Summary January 2010

Stuff I wrote and stuff I really enjoyed reading this month.... Teaching English and other ELT Related Issues from Kalinago English Melanie Butler on Glass Ceilings in ELT Monkey See, Monkey do 2 (mirror...