Back to teaching

I guess I've taken a break from reporting what has been happening here in Thessaloniki as I need some time and space for myself and do the other necessary stuff in my life so that the bills get paid and there is something in the fridge other than ice cubes and satchets of mustard.

Last week I helped present seminars in how to make and distribute videos on the internet using freely available software tools. As with using the web for teaching English I tried to adhere to two basic principles. The programs and equipment have to be;

1 Free (in the case of programs) or cheap (in the case of equipment) - so this means working with peoples' compact cameras or mobile/cell phones that have video recording capabilities.

2 The programs have to be easy to master.

There is little point wading through complex software that requires state of the art equipment if people do not have access to it afterwards. Instead the message I was trying to get across was that with simple tools and a little bit of knowledge we can capture half decent images that will help promote our message via the internet in ways that text alone cannot.

None of what said was groundbreaking or particularly new however, as with many powerful tools it's the application of existing technologies in new and innovative ways that makes all the difference. A mobile phone, a cheap netbook and use of the myriad of possibilities that social media offers means that we can all contribute something to the debates that surround us in the traditional media.