Pete Sharma Associates

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Izmir, Turkey last weekend. Hard eating choices – meat or fish? Luckily (like Blended Learning) I managed the best of both worlds.

Thanks to everyone for coming to my talk – here are the References, as promised. References

I’ll be back in Turkey (sponsored by Macmillan) in December for the conference on technology in ELT – really looking forward to it!

Pete

It was really great to meet everyone in Chile last week. I thoroughly enjoyed the sessions covering 40 practical ideas – run in Vina del Mar (Thursday) and Santiago (Friday). On the personal front, it was fabulous to have a chance to take photos in Valparaiso [left].

As promised, here is a Handout with a pdf version of the PowerPoint.

practical_ideas

Hope it’s useful guys! Don’t forget to get your school to buy our new book – there’s 360 more ideas there!!

Hasta ahora…….

Webinar: 400 Ideas for Interactive Whiteboards

Here are all the LINKS  and MATERIALS from today’s webinar:

Download Barney Barrett’s fantastic lesson using Google Earth – Directions giving directions

Watch the authors of 400 Ideas on Macmillan ELT’s YouTube channel

Download a template for generating ideas for use with an IWB template

Read Wayne Trottman’s insightful review of our sumptuous tome http://www.waynetrotman.com/wp/?p=643

Download free updates to Blended Learning http://www.macmillanenglish.com/methodology/books/Blended-Learning.htm

Read out about future IWB webinar from Barbara Gardner on the IATEFL Learning Technology webinars http://ltsig.org.uk/

Find out about the English UK training day on IWBs in London next February http://www.englishuk.com/en/training/training-days

Find out 1 and 2-day training courses in IWBs for ELT from PSA (aka acronym city) http://www.psa.eu.com/training/courses/three-hour-modules

PSA one

PSA two

Visit iTILT Interactive Technologies in Language Teaching http://itilt.eu/

Read a version of the article ’10 things to do with an IWB’ published in Modern English Teacher Vol 19 Number 1 January 2010 IWB

Don’t forget – if you have any post-webinar thoughts or questions, you can always use the Comment box below!

Here’s all the LINKS  and MATERIALS from my conference talk:

Download Barney Barrett’s fantastic lesson using Google Earth – Directions directions

Watch the authors of 400 Ideas on Macmillan ELT’s YouTube channel

Download a template for generating ideas for use with an IWB template

Read Wayne Trottman’ brain-melting review of our sumptuous tome http://www.waynetrotman.com/wp/?p=643

Download free updates to Blended Learning http://www.macmillanenglish.com/methodology/books/Blended-Learning.htm Update 10 on IWBs – coming SOON!

Find out about the IATEFL Learning Technology webinars http://ltsig.org.uk/

Find out about the English UK training day on IWBs in London next February http://www.englishuk.com/en/training/training-days

Find out 1 and 2-day training courses in IWBs for ELT from PSA aka acronym city http://www.psa.eu.com/training/courses/three-hour-modules

PSA one

PSA two

Visit iTILT Interactive Technologies in Language Teaching http://itilt.eu/

Read a version of the article ’10 things to do with an IWB’ published in Modern English Teacher Vol 19 Number 1 January 2010 IWB

STOP PRESS!!!!

How does YOUR country score of Hofstede’s Uncertainty avoidance dimension? Find out here Hofstede

Definitely not flawless but great insights for a lesson on cultural awareness……

What would be in YOUR list of ’10 favourite apps for language learning’? I decided to put a list together in order to run a session on M-learning last week.

In fact, it was a great trip  – driving down through the beautiful Cotswolds in autumn to Linguarama’s residential centre. I couldn’t remember the last time I was there!

It was lovely to see so many familiar faces – thanks to everyone who forgave my ‘memory lapse’ when it comes to names! Folk from days in Finland, Prague, Berlin…..

My list includes an ELT dictionary, Sounds The pronunciation app, Google Goggles and more….I expect the list to change dramatically in the next few weeks as I go to BESIG in Croatia and learn more about the fast-moving world of M-learning….

So, here is the 2-page handout constructed for the session – my current ‘Top 10′: The wonderful world of Apps

Look forward to meeting everyone at Cheney Court again…..soon!

YALS Belgrade

Thanks to everyone who made last weekend’s trip SO memorable! It was an amazing experience……..from my drive into the city and a great meal on Friday to the session itself, meeting people and sightseeing!

For those who attended the plenary and workshop, as promised, here is a lite version of the PowerPoint slides.

Plenary:

plenary-lite-1

A critical analysis of key new technologies-lite

Workshop:

practical_ideas-lite

The event was stimulating. I really enjoyed Matt’s presentation using a Smartboard and showing whiteboardable ELT material.

Probably best that I stay mum about the evening. I wouldn’t wish to mention kitsch, giant pepper-pots, or chastity belts! Suffice to say I have never taken 20 photos of a restaurant before……more photos on Facebook!

On Sunday, I walked around Belgrade before going to the Book Fair. It was great to see the English Book stands and a number of interactive whiteboards being set up….

A truly memorable trip – thanks again to everyone for their wonderful generosity……I’m just off now to order Kusturica’s Black cat, white cat!

Back from Brighton and BELTE with a stick of Brighton Rock and good memories. I was blown away by some of the graffitti, too!

Thanks to everyone who came to me session – it was great to see so many people!

If you wanted definitions of some of the more evil tech terms, here is a Handout with a suspiciously daunting name. Algorithm

If you wanted a mind-map of technology in ELT – it’s here! New technology in language teaching

If you missed the session, here is the Worksheet

worksheet

and here is the Handout.

Handout

Some people were interested in our new IWB one-day and two day training courses - you can access the information on our website. PSA Training days.

In the session, I think I mentioned my IWB SKILLS was lower than my KNOWLEDGE. That’s true! Mind you, there was a slight touch of irony there, too. Interpret the English phrase ”I’m not quite an expert user” as “I’m actually pretty OK using this stuff in most situations”! We are a tad modest, after all. Thanks to Richard Turnbull who was there when the kit started to play up! In the continuing spirit of teacher development, I’m off to Cambridge to deepen my knowledge of IWB use now…..!!!

Tomorrow sees the English UK Academic Conference. Barney Barrett will be presenting. His session is called “Bringing language to life with interactive whiteboards” in Liverpool, home of the Beatles.

We spoke just yesterday about the session. We are both excited about using IWBs. How do you feel about them? Do they have something to offer the language teacher and learner? For some teachers, their reaction to using the hardware and software is quite simple: “I feel fine”. For others, quickly discouraged, it’s much more a case of ‘Hello, Goodbye’ when it comes to changing their classroom practice. The commonest reaction from teachers with a new board is: “Help!”

There are of course many complex reasons for that: perhaps the hardware provider has delivered the board, installed the software, done the initial training but is now nowhere, man, despite the empty cry of the Director of Studies to get back. Fret not. We can work it out. Barney’s session will effectively be a magical mystery tour of amazing graphics, a veritable digital revolution. Like-minded teachers will come together in a spirit of enquiry. After the session, I am sure it will be a case of: here comes the sun. After all, all you need is… an IWB. We are sure you will enjoy the session!

Whao – I’m slowly beginning to recover from my amazing trip to (bold beautiful brash brain-melting) Brazil.

It was great to do the plenary sessions, firstly at ACBEU in Salvador, and then at alumni in Sao Paulo.

Thanks to the wonderful audience at both events!

Anyone wishing to download / look at the PowerPoint (lite versions) can do see here:

PowerPoint part one – Innovations / critical analysis

part-1- lite

PowerPoint part two – controversies / practical ideas / focus on the future

part-2- lite

Workshop: 101 Practical Teaching ideas

I will be compiling the Handout this week – please check back towards the end of the week when I will upload the finalised Handout. Thanks for your patience!

OK – back to Sunday afternoon in an overcast, somewhat rainy UK!

I hope everyone had a safe journey back from Preston. It was great conference – lots of like-minded people!

Here is the four-page BESIG symposium from the opening plenary: Business English in the Digital Age. Enjoy!