2010-2011





THE LINK TO ALL THAT WENT ON IN 2010

THE LINK TO ALL THAT WENT ON IN 2009 (AND EVEN BEFORE THAT)



JULY 29, 2011
Time is flying by, and soon we'll be back doing what we do best. Here's a post by Larry Ferlazzo about "Round Robin Reading," a truly bad instructional strategy.

JUNE 30, 2011
The latest iEarn in Action newsletter has been published, here. There are some wonderful opportunities for international collaboration, and being involved in such projects is a good way to develop yourselves professionally.

AND, an actual opportunity of a lifetime. Paul Nation is offering -- free of charge, it seems -- an online course in teaching EFL/ESL vocabulary. It started yesterday, so join right in. We'll share reports of our experiences (and final exam grades) in August.

JUNE 23, 2011
Have you had a look at The Super Book of Web Tools for Educators? It contains links to and descriptions of useful (and new to me) sites such as Live Binders, Museum Box, Weebly for Education, as well as to the more familiar Voicethread, Zimmer Twins, and Edublogs. Curious? Explore!

JUNE 22, 2011
Once again, thank you to Matthew Benton and Meara Heubach for today's terrific progress report on our curriculum; slake your thirsty minds on this wiki. My very brief PowerPoint intro is here.

JUNE 16, 2011
Just in time for our Professional Development meeting on Monday. here's a post about Personal Learning Networks and a challenge. Are you interested?

JUNE 9, 2011
We’re planning two separate meetings for all the English teachers during the time between the end of classes and the end of June. One meeting will feature developments in our curriculum renewal while the other will feature a series of short talks by those teachers (you know who you are) who have attended professional development courses/seminars/conferences/etc. this past year. Dates are forthcoming subject to the usual calendrical (calendarial?) constraints.

The link to this page crossed my desktop earlier today. Besides the site's being of general interest and fun to listen to, what struck me was the list of "eight habits of mind for success in college writing." It seems to me that all those habits are necessary for sucess in almost any human endeavor -- especially in teaching. Do have a look.

JUNE 3, 2011
Who doesn't love the //English Profile// -- especially when the word of the week is "take" (with almost 70 core results)?

JUNE 2, 2011
Why don't you settle comfortably before your computer screen and read an e-book about virtual communities? Or start reading, at least, and think about our own learning community.

MAY 30, 2011
Today's topic, in three related parts, is professional development: 1) This link to the //English Profile Journal//, useful, free, and online, was suggested by Matthew Benton. Please consider it required reading.

‍‍2) Related the //English Profile//, we will soon be distributing parental permission forms so that teachers and their students can take part in the online data collection. Be sure to follow up and return the signed forms to your head of department. Having a minimum of 90 students providing data will give us free access to the entire learner corpus; however, in a school as big as Terakki, I expect thousands of students to be involved.

3) Terakki has been chosen by the local British Council to have our teachers and our students demonstrate best practices which will appear in video clips used to improve the skills of teachers just starting out. Naturally we're honored to play such a huge role in this project, and -- naturally -- there will be another parental permission form that will need to be distributed and returned. Teachers will be told in advance exactly which activity they will need to perform. Take a look at the blue bits here ‍‍.

MAY 26, 2011
The results of the pilot-CPE writing section are here, too.

MAY 17, 2011
The results of the pilot-CPE are in -- except for the writing.

MAY 8, 2011
Larry Ferlazzo has posted about making students aware of Bloom's Taxonomy. If you find yourself in need of an authority (and extra encouragement) in order to focus on critical thinking in your teaching, read this post.

Plus, here are two recent pieces about vocabulary: the first is a video by Steve Kaufman of //LingQ// and //The Linguist//; the second, an article from the BBC News Magazine//, is about how many words we know or need to know (link provided by Steve Kaufman)..

MAY 6, 2011
I'm falling more and more behind in my reading, so it took me a while to get to this blog post by Vance Stevens, Webhead extraordinaire. Vance expresses his teaching philosophy and frames it as a story. Since we all have stories and philosophies, and since we've already discussed our roles as teachers, I thought this would be a perfect follow-up. The computer-generated text-to-speech is ludicrous, but you can enjoy reading the words of a consummate professional.

MAY 5, 2011
Here's a site that I am just becoming familiar with but am fully prepared to love. "Next Vista for Learning" has a great collection of videos and other presentations. I've been enjoying the Global Views section and am wondering why there's nothing from or about Turkey. Please have a look and share if you can.

APRIL 30, 2011
Everyone who participated today deserves a gold star for exceptional dedication.

The British Council has produced the following list of upcoming conferences in Istanbul. We will hold our own roundup of conference events late in June.


 * ||< //Please note that this is an informative e-mail and these are not British Council events// . To attend the events, please contact the universities/ schools directly.  ||

**"A World to Come for Teaching and Learning: Remodeling Perspectives and Trends"** || http://elt3.bahcesehir.edu.tr/ ||
 * < **1. Bahçesehir University Preparatory School**
 * < 14 May 2011, Istanbul


 * || [[image:http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/SpacerImage.gif width="5" height="1"]] ||  ||

** "Combining Theory and Practice - The Search for New Perspectives" ** || __ http://elt2011.yasar.edu.tr ,__ ||
 * < **2.** **Yasar University Selcuk Yasar Campus**
 * < 27 May 2011, Izmir


 * || [[image:http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/SpacerImage.gif width="5" height="1"]] ||  ||

** 4th Annual ELT Conference ** || http://elt.fatih.edu.tr/ ||
 * < ** 3. Fatih University **
 * < 28 May 2011, Istanbul


 * || [[image:http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/SpacerImage.gif width="5" height="1"]] ||  ||

**2nd International Conference on Language Education** || __ http://eclipsing-expectations. sabanciuniv.edu/ __ ||
 * < ** 4. Sabancı University **
 * < 2-3-4 June 2011, Istanbul


 * || [[image:http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/SpacerImage.gif width="5" height="1"]] ||  ||

Excellence in Education 2011: Giftedness-Creativity- Development || http://www.istanbul. icieconference.net ||  ||
 * < ** 5. Istanbul University **
 * < 6-7-8-9 July 2011, Istanbul


 * || [[image:http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101095543144/spacer.gif width="5" height="1"]] ||  ||   || [[image:http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101095543144/spacer.gif width="5" height="1"]] ||   ||

APRIL 29, 2011
Three books that our students will be reading next year are included among the amazing and amazingly fun videos on this site. Do check it out. I've added it to "Reading" in the sidebar.

Moreover, our sidebar has a new and important additional category which I'm sure many of our I/M teachers have already discovered and benefited from.

APRIL 28, 2011
I still need volunteers to help administer the pilot CPE from 9 to 1 on Saturday, April 30,.

If things go as planned, the schedule will be as follows: 1. Anchor Test = 30 minutes 2. New CPE Writing = 60 minutes 3. Tea Break = 5 minutes 4. New CPE Reading = 60 minutes 5. Tea Break = 5 minutes 6. New CPE Reading = 40 minutes 7. New CPE LIstening = 40 minutes

PLEASE BRING PENCILS, AN ERASER, AND A PEN. PLEASE COME EARLY.

APRIL 27, 2011
Global English: The European Lessons is the title of an article about English as an Additional Language/English as a //Lingua Franca// which appeared recently in //The Guardian// and that contains great presentations (listening, too) from the recent IATEFL conference. Juxtapose this with all the information contained in the "@English Language Arts Standards" from the //Common Core State Standards Initiative//, concerned with English as a first language in the USA, and we clearly have much food for thought and discussion. Who will start the ball rolling?

APRIL 26, 2011
I've just added Kid Mango (cartoons just for the kid in everyone) to the video links in our sidebar. Fun and funny.

APRIL 24, 2011
The pilot CPE has been listed on the official weekly calendar for Saturday, April 30 from 9 to 1. The primary purpose of the exam is to give feedback to Cambridge, so there will be anchor tests to determine base levels followed by exam questions. When we receive the results from Cambridge, they can be used to suggest areas for improvement. Only non-native speakers of English are allowed to take the test, and, as a matter of course, we expect all such teachers at Terakki to do so. Rooms on the 4th floor of the lycee will be assigned. Short tea breaks will be provided. Volunteers to help proctor the exam are needed.

APRIL 19, 2011
If you are between the ages of 8 and 14 -- or know someone who is -- why not consider spending a wonderful week this summer involved with eco-tourism.

APRIL 6, 2011
Sorry for the belated April Fool's joke (Gmail Motion). The joke was on me, too, but it seems as if no one even noticed; neyse.

On a matter of utmost importance. The exam papers for the pilot CPE have arrived, albeit with some errors. The exam will be given -- free of charge -- to all English teachers who are non-native speakers of English on Saturday, April 30. Official notification of your obligation to participate, along with time and place, will be forthcoming from the school administrators. Please keep that Saturday morning free, and please be prepared to do your very best.

APRIL 5, 2011
There's a new way to communicate with and by Gmail called "Gmail Motion "; all you need is a webcam and an agile body. Perhaps our students could invent the "body language" for other expressions, such as "Where did you buy those boots?" or even "I can't believe I have to bring my books to class!." Just think of the lovely silence in the corridors!

APRIL 2, 2011
Here's a link to a podcast on collaboration and education that appears on a highly reputable site replete with other excellent podcasts on a variety of scientific topics. Since our theme this year is "Technology," and this particular podcast is, in large part, concerned with technology in education, we can all benefit from listening to it. I also think that any of these 80-odd podcasts, perhaps shortened, could easily be used as a B2 listening activity.

MARCH 29, 2011,
It seems as if current events can be, as they say, "done."

MARCH 26, 2011
This quote resonates so deeply with me that I'm sharing it with the community to see what each one of you thinks/feels:

Learning communities as cryptoforests

Artichoke, Artichoke, March 25, 2011.

When you live in Canada, you learn to appreciate forests - not the tame forests where the animals are as pets, but the wild forest, the forest that can kill you, the forest that springs up unwanted and unappreciated and becomes your entire country, your entire culture. Learning should be like that, Link] Comment] Tweet]

MARCH 25, 2011
Just in case you haven't (yet) read //The Linguist// today, here are some words of wisdom from Steve Kaufman: "Grammar understanding is like a plant. It can only grow properly in the right kind of soil with enough nourishment. The soil and nourishment come first, and that means lots of listening and reading and vocabulary growth. With enough input and vocabulary, the grammar plant just needs a little help now and again. Without these, you can prop up the plant, but it will die."

And just in case you haven't been keeping up with world and local events, you need to move all your clocks ahead one hour in the wee small hours of Monday morning.

MARCH 17, 2011
Watch this. Then, __each and every member of this wiki__ has until 17:00 on March 22, 2011, to post a two-word description of this video in the discussion. Words may not be repeated. Sorry, that's just the way things are.

MARCH 13, 2011
Russell Stannard has posted his March list of online training videos for ten great sites for learning; there's something here for everyone.

And -- (here's your chance to become even more familiar with the work being done for the English Profile Wordlists (which you and your students are, by now, surely participating in)) -- the word of the week is "view." Four primary meanings at 3 CEFR levels are given. Can you use all four meanings in one sentence?

MARCH 7, 2011
As part of our service to the profession, we are once again helping CambridgeEsol by taking part in pre-testing. We have tentatively schdeuled the pilot-CPE for Saturday, April 30, starting at 9:00. All English teachers who are non-native speakers of English* are expected to take part -- you'll receive official notification soon. The sections are Reading, Writing, and Listening (i.e., Use of English and Speaking are not included), and the entire session will take more than 3 hours. Your results on the pre-test, while not official scores, will give you valuable feedback. You may wish to consult this link for further information about the CPE.


 * Here's a great interview which addresses just how special language teachers who are non-native speakers of the language can be.

MARCH 3, 2011
Here's an event worth attending, IMHO: BRITISH COUNCIL

FEBRUARY 24, 2011
Ozge has generously offered her time to help anyone who needs help mastering a variety of Web 2.0 tools. Please follow the links in the sidebar.

FEBRUARY 16, 2011
Here is the link to an article by Stephen Downes that has been more and more on my mind lately. It attempts to answer the important question, "What do we teachers actually think we're doing?" I urge you all to read the article, and then to chose __which one__ of the twenty-three roles fits you best. [I know that it's never that simple. But if you could -- now and forever -- play __only one__ role, which one would it be?] You can explain with a few lines in the discussion. [Please consider this an official assignment.]

JANUARY 28, 2011
In 2013, the Cambridge ESOL Exam "Certificate of Proficiency in English" (CPE) will be 100 years old. Coinciding with this important anniversary will be the release of a revised exam.. Cambridge ESOL has already begun to pilot the new format of the CPE, and, as always, we at Terakki will help Cambridge and, in return, will receive valuable feedback. We plan to administer the test at the end of April; more details will be forthcoming.

JANUARY 26, 2011
Have a wonderful break, y'all. And always remember....

JANUARY 21, 2011
Here's an excellent opportunity to share your expertise with the whole world and win a trip to IATEFL in April. [My favorite line is the quote at the very end.]

What is the ELT Blogathon exactly? We are glad that you asked! This is a competition designed for teachers of English, which will run from 1 February until 1 March 2011. When you enter this race, you will first learn how to blog creatively and also share your ideas through commenting on other blog posts. The teacher who makes the most professional posts and comments throughout the race will be declared the winner. Don't worry if you haven't blogged before. As we all know, the start of the year is the best time to learn a new skill. Our ELT Blogathon encourages teachers to move into the technological age with confidence, through blogging and networking. Why are we making a big deal out of blogging? Well, the 133 million people who have become bloggers since 2003 also think that it is a big deal. And the 77% of Internet users who read blogs would agree that blogs are important. With regards to blogging, if you are not already in the race, it's time to buy your running shoes! Does anyone read blogs in Turkey? Of course! People in Turkey embrace new technologies - just look at how often people change their mobile phone. Additionally, nowadays some of the best ELT bloggers are from Turkey. Check out these blogs by Ozge Karaoglu and Burcu Akyol. They are both ELT professionals in Turkey who are well-known in Cyberspace. You can add your name to Turkey's team by entering this competition. I am a busy teacher; I don't have time to do this Then, here is a bit of motivation for you. In our ELT Blogathon the most outstanding blogger will win an all expenses paid trip to the IATEFL conference in Brighton in April 2011. Not only will the teachers be able to network with English teachers from around the world and have the chance to update their professional skills, they will also be in one of the most fashionable cities in the UK. Brighton is an eclectic mix as it has traditional tea rooms, beautiful historical buildings, and an active nightlife and also hosts many festivals. So, how can I enter? We are glad that you finished with the easiest question. You can visit us at www.britishcouncil.org/turkey-english-teaching-elt-blogathon.htm and fill out the entry form. Plus, the conference is not the only prize we are offering, just stop by our site and learn more about ELT Blogathon. When can I start blogging? The marathon, sorry, ELT Blogathon will start on February 1st, 2011. The finishing line will be on March 1st, 2011 and the winners will be announced on March 4th, 2011. Are you up for this challenge? Then, why are you waiting? Let's start blogging! Who dares to teach must never cease to learn. ||
 * ﻿ Get set, ready and GO!  ELT Blogathon starts on February 1st, 2011 ||
 * The British Council ELT team invites English teachers in Turkey to a very challenging race, the ELT Blogathon 2011. The winner of the ELT Blogathon will attend the week-long IATEFL conference in the beautiful English city of Brighton.


 * - John Cotton Dana ||



JANUARY 17, 2011
Sir Ken Robinson, again. This one is one of his best. PLEASE take the time to watch this and discuss his message. Please pass the message on. You'll be glad you did.

JANUARY 13, 2011
Our local British Council office has announced an interesting international project entitled "Talking Cultures." Please check out the details.

And the British Council is continuing those splendid and free Wednesday workshops. Here's the program for the next two weeks:

** 19 January · 17:00 - 18:30 ** There is no doubt that over the last few years the World Wide Web has changed dramatically both in the way it looks and in the way that people expect to use it. Many of these changes are as a result of what is now being called Web 2.0. This workshop looks at how some of the Web 2.0 technology that is now available can be used effectively to engage learners in motivating and useful language learning activities. <span style="display: block; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">** Sirin Soyoz ** ||
 * < **An introduction to Web 2.0**


 * || [[image:http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/SpacerImage.gif width="5" height="1"]] ||  ||

<span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">Do you feel that your learners are often not motivated to read? In this workshop we will explore why some comprehension questions don't work and look at some tried and tested activities that do. Hopefully, we will have some fun too so bring a smile with you. ||
 * < <span style="color: #008000; display: block; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">**Teaching reading** **26 January · 17:00 - 18:30**

JANUARY 4, 2011
Competition! British Council! Ages 9 to 17! Football (actually soccer)! Writing! Need I say more? Direct your attention (and your students) here.

DECEMBER 27, 2010
** About the Importance of Specific Outcomes When Planning ** By the end of the current semester, all foreign language teachers will, while planning for the next week's lessons and prior to describing the hour-by-hour class activities that they will lead, (be able to) write at least five completely correct weekly outcomes/performance objectives which are specified, measurable, and timed.

So that we can quickly get up to speed, you will need to become familiar with the information given at the links that follow. Afterwards, we can meet in small groups to perfect our technique.

1) ECRIF = a fairly recent system to describe the stages of learning; 2) Performance Objectives tied to Bloom's Taxonomy and the Bologna Agreement. [This link is to the actual file hosted here for your edification [|FINAL_GUIDE_LOs-1 May 19th (1).pdf].] 3) Go Ask Alice, here and there, and [|writing_objectives.ppt]. 4) Specifically for English-Language Learners [|LangContentObjFall10-2010SS_000 (2).pps]

DECEMBER 24, 2010
Need something fun (and somewhat addictive) for homework? Check this out. Or this. Or even this. [Sorry. I couldn't get the embed codes to work.] Go here to make one of your own. Your students can post their links for the class to view. Nik Peachey directed me to the site and shared some very good ideas.

DECEMBER 22, 2010
"Just another" wonderful TED video (and thanks to AA for pointing it out). Please share this with those who need to get the message. Comments are encouraged.

And as for projects, please take a look at this page from @iEARN in Action.

DECEMBER 8, 2010
Registration for the 2011 Electronic Village Online Sessions will soon be open. Many of our teachers have benefited from previous courses, so make time in your schedules (January 10 through February 13) to learn from and with the best.

DECEMBER 6, 2010
There are two local ELT conferences planned. Please check out the programs and consider attending one or both: Cevre College in February, 2011; and The Istek Schools in April, 2011.

And the local British Council is holding a crossword competition.

DECEMBER 4, 2010
Regarding this year's theme, here's a link to a page of excellent infographics focusing on the social side of the Internet.

NOVEMBER 30, 2010
The word is out: professional development is in. Such reminders are always very welcome.

NOVEMBER 26, 2010
The 2011 <span style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial,Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Canadian Moodle Moot will be held in Edmonton Alberta and online on their Moodle site in May. This seems like an opportunity too good to miss.

NOVEMBER 24, 2010
Sad but true, British flavor. Thank God we're as good as we are (and getting better, right?).

NOVEMBER 19, 2010
According to Dean Shareski (aka Restless Learner), blogging will, without a doubt, make you a better teacher. Please read his post before you start.

NOVEMBER 11, 2010
Our very own Özge has once again been recognized for her work. She was awarded the runner-up prize in the 2010 Microsoft Outstanding Teacher category at the eLearning Awards.

"The eLearning Awards will take place again in 2011 – European Schoolnet and partners look forward to further excellent entries in the next competition.

__ About the eLearning Awards __

Since 2001, the eLearning Awards competition ( http://elearningawards.eun.org ) has been run by European Schoolnet and supported by key industry partners. Ten years after its launch, the eLearning Awards remain Europe’s leading competition to reward excellence for the best use of technology in education. The top 50 entries submitted will be included in the Learning Exchange Resource library ( http://lreforschools.eun.org ), to give increased visibility to teachers’ innovative practices and encourage others to follow their lead." HINT! HINT!

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">﻿NOVEMBER 10, 2010
Things have definitely changed since the time I began teaching, but the importance of Benjamin Bloom's work hasn't changed all that much.



<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">NOVEMBER 8, 2010
<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Guess what happens when you don't frequent Ebscohost? Guess what happens when you do?

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">NOVEMBER 5, 2010
If you and your students are not using Road To Grammar (and/or Road to Grammar Jr.), then you should be. The site is chock full of traditional practice exercises, quizzes, and games (and MORE!), perfect for all occasions. Even if you are using it, you're probably not using it enough.

ALL TEACHERS: Please, and as soon as possible, become very comfortable (one might even say "overly familiar") with NANOGONG. Eda will integrate it with our Moodle installations so that we can assign speaking homework.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">NOVEMBER 2, 2010
[|Learning styles = astrology ?] Boy, do I love this free pdf ! I've even asked Santa to bring me the whole book (by Ruth Clark entitled //Evidence-Based Teaching Methods//) for Christmas. Review your beliefs!

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">OCTOBER 29. 2010
It will soon be the time, once again, to meddle with the time by turning back our clocks. So, at 3 o'clock (//early// in the morning) on October 31, reset your clocks to 2 o'clock. Do this JUST ONCE to ALL your clocks; otherwise there will be, as they used to say, hell to pay. In return for promising to stop saving any and all daylight this year, you'll get an extra hour of sleep -- if you can fall back to sleep. Please bear in mind that the rest of the world does not necessarily do things in such a common European way. Can anyone corroborate the rumor that in 2011 Turkey will actually manage to move itself a further half-hour ahead of Greenwich (such progress!) and so operate on UTC +2:30 throughout the year?

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">OCTOBER 27, 2010
Once again Larry Ferlazzo (does that man never sleep?) points out an interesting article, //viz//. "Science Grows On Acquiring New Language."

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">OCTOBER 24, 2010
This mindmap first (and last) appeared in a presentation in August 2009. Rescued, it now needs discussion and details.

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<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">OCTOBER 23, 2010
<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">1) Reports about Stephen Krashen's presentation (as well as about the TPRS presentation) today at Aydin University should reach us soon. Those teachers who opted NOT to attend will be commenting on the reports.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">2) The excellent presentation made a couple of years back by our Bloom's Taxonomy Project Group is once again available. The taxonomy's systematic approach to knowledge informs everything we do as language teachers and serves as a guide to the kinds of output we require from our students.

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<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">OCTOBER 21, 2010
<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The Public Broadcasting System produces Nova, which has a great site entitled "The Secret Life of Scientists and Engineers." My favorite piece is on Jean Berko Gleason, "one of the founding mothers of psycholinguistics." Follow the link to the famous "wug" test and see (hear?) why children always seem to know best. Here's a good one:



<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">OCTOBER 20, 2010
Links to the products of some SERIOUSLY PRAISEWORTHY PROJECT WORK that we carried out in years gone by are no longer displayed. [GREMLINS?] I'll add them whenever I get the chance. 1) Bloom's Taxonomy 2) TECH 3) CEFR

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">OCTOBER 19, 2010
You know the year (OK, the calendar year) is drawing to a close when Jane Hart posts her "Top 100 Tools for Learning 2010." How many are you familiar with? media type="custom" key="7234385" **<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">OCTOBER 18, 2010 ** <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">I.T.I (their office is in Levent, very close to school) is offering free workshops for teachers. You can call Seda Hanım for more information. <span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">0212 283 6466. <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25px;">**OCTOBER 15, 2010** Please download and savor this ebook entitled //Learning Perspectives: 2010//. Here's a quote from the Introduction: "What an exciting time it is in the world of learning! As technologies evolve, businesses and marketplaces change and career assumptions radically shift, we face large-scale learning challenges and changes." Your comments are encouraged.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">OCTOBER 11, 2010
Please use the search function in our wiki to locate prior postings about your e-portfolios. Another good resource is the Australian Learning and Teaching Council; for example, this file. Or, try something newer such as the (unpronounceable) AAEEBL; you'll be glad you did. Here's a fine article about e-portfolios for students (cf. our ELP) and for the rest of us. And for a site that will host your e-portfolio for free, you might try this site, and then let the rest of us know what you think about it.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">OCTOBER 9, 2010
All our wiki pages are now open for posting and are in need of your considered and considerable professional input. First up on a busy weekend: [|The current issue of Language Learning & Technology]. Not one of those newfangled thought-substitutes, but food for thought IF YOU READ IT. Please share your comments about the contents of this free journal here on our wiki, in your e-portfolios, and in your conference presentations..

The sidebar now contains a link to a page called "Quotes About Learning." If we post our favorite quotations there and then discuss them openly within our community of practice, we will all surely benefit. <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">OCTOBER 5, 2010 Quite a lot to post today.

1) Here's the first article (and link), with my emphasis added. The essential wrongness of simplified texts speaks directly to some of the tests I've seen recently. Why are we purposely keeping our students away from real English? Well-Known ELL Expert Says Simplified Texts Are a Problem﻿by [|Mary Ann Zehr] on September 30, 2010 1:45 PM | [|6 Comments] A respected researcher on English-language learners, Lily Wong Fillmore, gave an impassioned plea at a conference here in the Washington area this week for schools not to dumb down texts for English-language learners . Fillmore, a professor emerita at the University of California and a pioneer in studying ELLs, said she is concerned about "a gradual erosion of complexity of texts" used for ELLs. She was a speaker at a conference hosted by the [|Council of Chief State School Officers] and several other education organizations, which focused on how to implement the common core standards with ELLs. She said it might be necessary for educators to give ELLs altered texts for the first year or so they are learning English, but not after that. . Most English-language learners can handle texts with complex language if the texts are clear, she said. She asked educators to steer away from giving ELLs "materials so simplified they don't provide exposure to the complex structures students need to be learning." Fillmore said one reason for the trend toward simplification of materials for ELLs may be that educators think the students will be turned off by tasks that are hard. She called this kind of thinking "niceness run amok." During her talk, she provided an example of a reading passage about new technologies used in supermarkets that contained difficult vocabulary and grammatical structures, such as a very long noun phrase, but was clear and would likely be interesting for students. In pointing out the phrase, she quipped that "bloated noun phrases are the hallmark of academic discourse," and thus ELLs need to learn to deal with them.  2) Who doesn't love infographics? (Comments in the discussion are welcome.) Here's one (there will surely be more to come since I think inforgraphics are a great teaching tool) that is related to our theme. By the way, a page for this year's theme is open and available through the link in the sidebar.

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OCTOBER 4, 2010
The British Council: 1) has partnered with ALISON, a for-profit social enterprise located in Galway, Ireland, to make online English courses freely available. The materials begin at the pre-intermediate level and are geared, it seems, to adults. Still, some seem generally useful. All anyone need do is register. 2) is offering FREE workshops (right here in Istanbul). I recommend the one on vocabulary, but encourage you to attend the others as well. Be sure to sign up in advance. Vocabulary activities workshop
 * Zaman || 21 Ekim Perşembe · 17:00 - 18:30 ||
 * Yer || British Council, Maya Akar Center Büyükdere Caddesi Istanbul, Turkey ||
 * Daha Fazla Bilgi || There are so few English loan words in Turkish which is one the reasons your students find it a difficult language to learn. How can you help your learners to memorize the language? Which techniques work the best? How many words do they need to communicate effectively? This workshop will explore these areas and give you some activities you can try with your classes. To reserve a free place please contact: Sirin.soyoz@britishcouncil.org.tr Suzanne Mordue is a Teacher Trainer at the British Council in Istanbul.She taught EFL to children and adults for 12 years. She has previously worked in Japan, Korea and Slovakia. She has taught children as young as 1 year 6 months and adults in their seventies. She has also made presentations at teaching conferences in Turkey, the UK, Slovakia and Italy and has been actively involved in teacher training for the last 5 years. ||
 * Daha Fazla Bilgi || There are so few English loan words in Turkish which is one the reasons your students find it a difficult language to learn. How can you help your learners to memorize the language? Which techniques work the best? How many words do they need to communicate effectively? This workshop will explore these areas and give you some activities you can try with your classes. To reserve a free place please contact: Sirin.soyoz@britishcouncil.org.tr Suzanne Mordue is a Teacher Trainer at the British Council in Istanbul.She taught EFL to children and adults for 12 years. She has previously worked in Japan, Korea and Slovakia. She has taught children as young as 1 year 6 months and adults in their seventies. She has also made presentations at teaching conferences in Turkey, the UK, Slovakia and Italy and has been actively involved in teacher training for the last 5 years. ||
 * Daha Fazla Bilgi || There are so few English loan words in Turkish which is one the reasons your students find it a difficult language to learn. How can you help your learners to memorize the language? Which techniques work the best? How many words do they need to communicate effectively? This workshop will explore these areas and give you some activities you can try with your classes. To reserve a free place please contact: Sirin.soyoz@britishcouncil.org.tr Suzanne Mordue is a Teacher Trainer at the British Council in Istanbul.She taught EFL to children and adults for 12 years. She has previously worked in Japan, Korea and Slovakia. She has taught children as young as 1 year 6 months and adults in their seventies. She has also made presentations at teaching conferences in Turkey, the UK, Slovakia and Italy and has been actively involved in teacher training for the last 5 years. ||
 * Daha Fazla Bilgi || There are so few English loan words in Turkish which is one the reasons your students find it a difficult language to learn. How can you help your learners to memorize the language? Which techniques work the best? How many words do they need to communicate effectively? This workshop will explore these areas and give you some activities you can try with your classes. To reserve a free place please contact: Sirin.soyoz@britishcouncil.org.tr Suzanne Mordue is a Teacher Trainer at the British Council in Istanbul.She taught EFL to children and adults for 12 years. She has previously worked in Japan, Korea and Slovakia. She has taught children as young as 1 year 6 months and adults in their seventies. She has also made presentations at teaching conferences in Turkey, the UK, Slovakia and Italy and has been actively involved in teacher training for the last 5 years. ||
 * Daha Fazla Bilgi || There are so few English loan words in Turkish which is one the reasons your students find it a difficult language to learn. How can you help your learners to memorize the language? Which techniques work the best? How many words do they need to communicate effectively? This workshop will explore these areas and give you some activities you can try with your classes. To reserve a free place please contact: Sirin.soyoz@britishcouncil.org.tr Suzanne Mordue is a Teacher Trainer at the British Council in Istanbul.She taught EFL to children and adults for 12 years. She has previously worked in Japan, Korea and Slovakia. She has taught children as young as 1 year 6 months and adults in their seventies. She has also made presentations at teaching conferences in Turkey, the UK, Slovakia and Italy and has been actively involved in teacher training for the last 5 years. ||

Learning English through games and play at preschool
 * Zaman || 04 Kasım Perşembe · 17:30 - 18:30 ||
 * Daha Fazla Bilgi || Colourful illustrations and a game structured lesson keep Very Young Learners motivated and fully engaged in language learning process. How can we make the best of it and stimulate their learning through play. This workshop will be interesting for English teachers working with Very Young Learners of English (2-6 year olds). Very effective and practical ideas will be presented at this workshop, which you will be able to apply in your class the next day. Presenter Details: Ekaterina Belozerova is an English Teacher working at Istek Erenkoy Preschool in Istanbul. She has been teaching English as a foreign language to kids for the last six years in Turkey, preschoolers mostly. She has conducted several workshops on teaching Very Young Learners in the last two years. She has also participated and made presentations at teaching conferences in Turkey and Hungary. To reserve a place please contact: Sirin.soyoz@britishcouncil.org.tr ||

Empowering Children with Thinking Skills Zaman 25 Kasım Perşembe · 17:00 - 18:00

Daha Fazla Bilgi What do you see? What do you think it’s about? What do you wonder about? Thinking classrooms, schools, and communities create powerful learning environments. This workshop will explore approaches to developing thinking skills and the explicit teaching of thinking skills that will equip students with thinking tools to use throughout their schooling and in the years beyond. For primary and secondary teachers.

Vani Veikoso Twigg is an international primary school teacher in Istanbul. She has 20 years of teaching experience especially in international or national schools overseas. She has previously taught in her home country of Fiji, Nauru, South Korea, Bahamas, Qatar, Vietnam, and Colombia. Apart from teaching she is also a researcher (@http://jri.sagepub.com/content/9/1/40.abstract). She has made teaching presentations at regional conferences here in Turkey and in-school workshops at schools she’s taught at. IMPORTANT Please contact:Sirin.soyoz@britishcouncil.org.tr to reserve a place.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">OCTOBER 3, 2010 Some very basic info related to this year's theme. media type="custom" key="7080073"

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