Pete Sharma Associates

The Learning Technologies page

In this edition of BESIG Issues, the Learning Technologies page focuses on apps. First, it looks at QR code readers. It then looks at a couple of apps of interest to BESIG members: a new business English app from Collins and a dictation app.

For the rest of this article from Barney and Pete, you know what to do! Just zap up to the latest BESIG ISSUES. You will need your IATEFL password, naturally.

http://www.besig.org/newsletter/default.aspx

Alternatives to NOT reading the Learning Technologies page are: (a) come to the App session at BESIG conference in Stuttgart next month (b) eat your heart out, become sad and blue etc.

Hope you enjoy the article!!!!

I am in the middle of writing some training materials on using digital resources in language teaching and came across this mind map on using mind maps. I have to admit that I am not somebody who uses mind maps a great deal, but they are a tool I find useful in certain situations. This particular mind map made me think about a new way to help my EAP students this summer to summarise and write texts. In the hope that it might help others, here is the link:

https://www.mindmeister.com/143278182/how-mind-maps-help-teachers

I had a great trip to Colchester last week to work with teachers on using IWBs. We had a very interesting look at pros and cons – lots of food for thought which is currently feeding into the training materials I am writing.

Here are some useful post session links:

Template for writing activities for the IWB template

Article from MET: 10 things to do with an Interactive whiteboard IWB

Many Business English language learners need to give presentations for work and professional puprposes. This blog post looks at some of the techniques and technologies they can use.

For the rest of this post, please visit:

Linguarama blog

It’s been a good day on the IWB front, for three reasons.

1. I was chatting (through the keyboard) with a colleague with a brief to buy an IWB and I was interested in learning what his choice would be. SMART? Promethean? Hitachi? He went with a Panabord (from Panasonic), mostly for the local support offered (Kalyan works in India) and looking at the info, I think he made a good choice.

Wanna check it out? Click here:

http://panasonic.com.au/Products/Electronic+whiteboards/Interactive+whiteboard/UB-T880/Overview

2 I managed (all on my ownsome) to download Promethean’s ActivInspire software onto my new Mac in advance of the English UK Training day on IWBs. The Wimbledon school of English, the host school, has Promethean boards. First impressions: the interface actually looks much easier than the older version (Active Studio)

3  I even found time to watch half of Barbara Garner’s recent webinar – Cool ideas for IWBs. Isn’t that a great thing about recorded webinars – you can watch them as and when you wish to. Second half tomorrow, yeah. If you are a member of the IATEFL LT SIG, you can watch the webinar for free. If you aren’t, join.

http://ltsig.org.uk/

How are you going with your IWB? Are you in full flow, or is it gathering dust? If it’s the second scenario, there are still places on English UK’s Training Day 11th February in London. For more info, visit: http://www.psa.eu.com/event/getting-the-most-out-your-interactive-whiteboard-approaches-and-pedagogies

I’d love to see you there!

I am really delighted to say that the first in a new series of blog posts has just gone up. These posts are written for the language training organisation marcus evans Linguarama. These posts are available to everyone in the language teaching profession on the Linguarama blog.

Over the coming months, this series of posts will be looking at technology in language teaching, along with other aspects of business English and language teaching.

Visit: http://blog.linguarama.com/

I’m just about to review Sounds – the Pronunciation app from Macmillan for the ELTJ.

It is for iPhone and iPad, and adds a new dimension to Adrian Underhill’s well-known Sound Foundations chart. It is easy to use: simply tap a symbol to hear a sound, tap and hold to hear a word with that sound. It is best to rotate the screen to see the chart in a whole page view.

Students can gain practise in four skills. The app contains 340 useful words they can listen to, practise copying / repeating (i.e. speaking) and compare their effort with an original. They can read a word and then type it in phonemic script (writing); listen to a word and type it; or read a phonemic transcript and type the word itself. A nice feature allows you to import writing in phonemic script into programmes like Notes.

Looks like great value for students and teachers alike! I’m enjoying putting it through the paces for the full review. So far, ‘app-iness

You know how you are waiting for a bus and then two arrive…

Today the PSA Kindle arrived……….and the wonderful Jo at Macmillan lent us an iPad for the weekend’s course session on M-Learning (NOT to mention a Sony e-book reader which is currently charging)

Revert to boy surrounded by gadgets – hard to use touch-screen and simultaneously explore the Kindle – a bit like learning Moodle and Blackboard at the same time..

OK – back to preparing the M-Learning session….

The next question: are e-books addictive?

One of the most popular sessions on the PSA Blended Learning courses is on how to make your own podcasts. Recording and editing voice is straightforward. Adding music is also easy to learn. However, the question that arises with music is always the one of copyright.

Most people know that if you use a clip from a song by your favourite pop singer then you are likely to be in breach of copyright rules. This doesn’t mean you have to dig out your old Stylophone and tamborine and record your own. There’s lots of music available on the Web which is covered by the Creative Commons licence. The folks who have written and recorded these tracks are more than happy for you to use them or parts of them as long as you follow the rules of the licence and give them due credit.

Here’s a ready made list of Pod-safe instrumentals from the wonderful Free Music Archive to get you started. Have fun!

A recent survey suggests that it is faster to read a book on paper than using one of the popular e-readers on the market.

The environmental blog TreeHugger was skeptical about this and had a closer look at the research.

The jury is still out but it is worth bearing in mind that new and better e-readers are hitting the market every year.