Random Quote
Hanging is too good for a man who makes puns; he should be drawn and quoted.
---- Fred Allen
I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them.
---- Isaac Asimov
It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.
---- Franklin D. Roosevelt
Study without desire spoils the memory, and it retains nothing that it takes in.
---- Leonardo DaVinci (1452-1519)
It is a paradoxical but profoundly true and important principle of life that the most likely way to reach a goal is to be aiming not at that goal itself but at some more ambitious goal beyond it.
---- Arnold Toynbee
We don't know a millionth of one percent about anything.
---- Thomas A. Edison
The least of learning is done in the classrooms
---- Thomas Merton
Drink coffee! Do stupid things faster!
---- unknown
it's probably not a good idea to underestimate my ability to make an ass out of myself—just when I seem to have it under control, I'll turn around and surprise you.
---- Tenser said the Tensor
"It was on my fifth birthday that Papa put his hand on my shoulder and said, 'Remember, my son, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm.'"
---- Sam Levenson
I'll be more enthusiastic about encouraging thinking outside the box when there's evidence of any thinking going on inside it.
---- Terry Pratchett
Always be wary of any helpful item that weighs less than its operating manual.
---- Terry Pratchett
Isn't it interesting that the same people who laugh at science fiction listen to weather forecasts and economists?"
---- Kelvin Throop III
I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn't learn something from him.
---- Galileo Galilei
This may be the most interesting blog theme I've ever seen. http://eflgeek.com/index.php Definitely in my top 5 at least.
---- Steve Dembo
Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theater.
---- Gail Godwin
Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.
---- Malcom Forbes
There are painters who transform the sun to a yellow spot, but there are others who with the help of their art and their intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun.
---- Pablo Picasso
Books to the ceiling,
Books to the sky,
My pile of books is a mile high.
How I love them! How I need them!
I'll have a long beard by the time I read them.
---- Arnold Lobel
I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're going and hook up with them later.
---- Mitch Hedberg
I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.
---- Thomas A. Edison
Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy.
---- Isaac Newton
No one can understand the truth until he drinks of coffee's frothy goodness.
---- Sheik Abd-al-Kadir
The important thing is not to stop questioning.
---- Albert Einstein
Sleep is a symptom of caffeine deprivation.
---- Author Unknown
CALL sig day
A while ago I was invited to speak at a CALL sig event. The day has arrived and I’ll be heading to the train station on my way to the SunMoon University (of moonie fame) to give a presentation on Moodle. My topic this time is Why I use Moodle. I’ll be be breifly talking about How I started off using the internet with my classes then I’ll head into why and how I use moodle for the bulk of the presentation followed by a breif time for Questions. I’ve uploaded my powerpoint after removing references to my personal teaching site and my real name. (PPS 2.8MB)
I was also asked to submit an extended summary, up to four pages. I used a modified version of the post How I Use Moodle which I wrote in March. Some things have changed but that post is basically what I’ll be talking about.
update - I’ve returned from the event
details in the extended entry.
Overall it was a good day for me. I did arrive too early. For some reason I thought it started at 12:00 not 1:00. So of course I arranged my train tickets to arrive early so I could scope out the room I would be presenting in. This meant that I was instead of being 40 minutes early I was 1 hour and 40 minutes early. Yikes! Fortunately for me I always carry a book and had something to do while I waited.
The first presentation which was a panel discussion on the state of CALL in Korea was hampered by tech problems. It was supposed to be a group of four people discussing questions via web cam and projected on the screen. Nothing worked. The funny thing is 45 mintues before they started everything was working great - I had watched as they tested and set up.
THe next presentation I went to was by a first time moodle user. THe presentation was okay, but seemed a little disorganized. Even so I’m sure the curious and unimformed walked away being more informed than they previously were. My presentation was next and the room was full, somewhere between 25 and 30 people I think. I had no tech problems other than a sore throat and an inability to project my voice as well as I normally do. I think my presentation went well, though I may have gone at a bit of a breakneck pace at points since I had too much material to cover.
The final presentation I saw was by a friend and focused a lot on the uses of wikis (an integrated moodle module) and video exchanges with students in Japan. The presentation was informative but had technical problems due to his use of a Macintosh computer and not being able to hook it up to the projector.
At the end of the day there were 11 door prizes, one of which I was able to walk away with - Practical English Language Teaching: Listening.
Overall I enjoyed the day. I was however disappointed to see that all of the CALL presentations were focusing on Moodle. I would have expected something on blogging or the use of social networks. These are two areas that I am interested in, but haven’t yet managed to use with my classes. It would be great to attend a presentation by a teacher using blogs in the classroom to learn what they like and don’t like about that approach.
Kevin Landry wrote 144 words on Sunday Nov 26, 2006 at 12:13 AM
nice meeting you (insert your name here like I just about did)
Moodle sounds good for my classes. Actually Blogging sounds very similiar. At my university we use “Classnet” It has records and profiles of our students. It is used for inputting our grades and we can mass e-mail students in our class or find out their marks from previous semesters plus see a picture of them. I started with geocities (it was a guest book not message board. You were right) too then used Yahoo groups for a while. My classes are really small right now but I may give moodle a try.
Your presentation was very well organised and planned. I always try to include the audience and find out their experience but your style was good. Too bad about your throat and family sickness.
I hope I didn’t interupt too much
Sean. wrote 53 words on Sunday Nov 26, 2006 at 07:09 AM
Kevin,
It was good to meet you as well. I’m glad you enjoyed my presentation. I know my presentation this time was more of a lecture but for the material I felt it was the correct approach. No not too many interruptions.
Hopefully we’ll be able to hook up for a coffee sometime.