Author Archives: Gary Motteram

NATESOL invite you to a Teacher’s Evening on…

‘Online context-related and critical thinking materials for the ESOL classroom’
by The British Council ESOL Nexus Team

‘Evaluating classroom materials is something we do everyday as ESOL tutors. However, with a shift from paper-based to internet resources there are new questions to ask of what we use and what will work with our learners. Presented by ESOL resource specialists from the British Council’s ESOL Nexus team, this workshop will take a critical look at the issues raised by the use of the internet in the ESOL classroom. In the workshop you will have the opportunity to apply what you learn to evaluating some selected web materials and relate this to the contexts within which you teach.  An online CPD Module will soon be available, which will allow you to explore some of the issues covered in the workshop in greater depth.’

Additional information with be posted on the NATESOL website at www.natesol.org

Thursday, 8th December, 2011
5.30pm – Registration.    6 -6.15pm – Start..

Venue:
The British Council
Bridgewater House
58 Whitworth Street
Manchester M1 6BB

Pre-registration is required with Jonathan Nicolson at jtnicolson@hotmail.co.uk or 0161 789 4970.
NATESOL’s programme consists of 6 sessions during the academic year.
* Individual membership per year: £10 – Free attendance at each session
* Institutional membership per year: £50.
* Non-members pay £4 per session, concession £3
To renew your membership, become a new member, or just receive information about future sessions, then please contact:
Jonathan Nicolson at 6 Stafford Rd. Eccles.  jtnicolson@hotmail.co.uk or 0161 789 4970.

New free online webinars

LT SIG Webinars

Online seminars for teachers interested in technology

The Learning Technologies SIG will be holding regular online workshops (or ‘webinars’) which are open to the general public. These webinars will take place in the online video conferencing platform (Adobe Connect) and last approximately one hour. The webinars feature well-known and experienced practitioners talking about technology  in English language teaching, and are of interest to all teachers.

More detail here: http://www.ltsig.org.uk/online-events.html

Gary Motteram

Reorganisation of the linked blogs

As more of our current and past students are keeping blogs, I have taken out some of the more general blog links that were there before. If you would like your blog included, please let me know.

Gary Motteram

Recent panel I took part in

Here is a link to a discussion that I took part in about the use of social media in teacher education. This was part of a conference that was happening at the time in Moscow: http://connectpro10829081.adobeconnect.com/p84tr9d2eyd/. This talk uses Adobe Connect Professional.
Gary Motteram

IATEFL at Glasgow/ Speaker proposals/ Scholarships

IATEFL next year is in Glasgow, from Tuesday 20 to Friday 23 March 2012.

If you’re thinking of going, ask yourself:

  • Are you thinking of applying for a scholarship?
  • Are you considering giving a presentation at the conference? If so, click here.
  • Do you want to save money by securing your early bird registration? If so, you must book before 27 January 2012.

Adapted from an email from Herbert Puchta, Chair, Publications Committee, and Vice President, IATEFL

Posted by Gary Motteram

English as a key to development

Interesting report in the online Guardian about the role of English in development. A report commissioned by the British Council.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/jul/05/research-backs-english-language-delotbiniere

Gary Motteram

Looking for case studies of blended learning

Blended learning course design in ELT – Case Studies requested. The
British Council is preparing a publication on blended learning course
design in ELT. The publication will include a set of case studies:
concise (1000-2000 words) descriptions of blended learning models
across a range of ELT courses and contexts.  We seek expressions of
interest in submitting a case study from practitioners with experience
of designing, managing, or teaching blended learning (face-to-face and
technology in the same course) courses. Each case study would
include:

  • Context, course overview, learners/teachers, levels,
    length, rational for blended approach.
  • Description of how the F2F and technology modes are blended.
  • Conclusions, reflections, learning points on the course design.

We want a range of contributions from different contexts, both low-resource initiatives and larger investments. We will provide support in writing the full
case-study. If you are interested please send a brief description (max.
200 words), of your blended learning course with an overview of the
teaching and learning context to john.knagg@britishcouncil.org and
clairewhittaker04@yahoo.co.uk by 20 July or as soon as possible
thereafter.

Gary Motteram

Another updated European website on e-learning

Just like buses, none come along for ages and then two re-vamped European websites on e-learning come along together. Must be the European year for DL! This one is the European organisation for Distance Learning, EDEN.

An updated European website on e-learning

A useful website and lots of resources, mostly focused on Europe.

Gary Motteram

Latest version of IJCALLT — 1(2) — now available

The edition of IJCALLT that contains articles from recent graduates of our MA (Simon Bibby and Rachel Lindner) as well as an editorial from myself (Gary) and Graham Stanley as editors is now available. You can download and read the editorial, which is a small article, for free.

Gary Motteram