Saturday, December 29, 2007
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Using VoiceThread.- My year in twelve pictures
Sorry about the repetition but since I've got some time off I've been trying out various web tools connected with blogging. I think that VoiceThread is an interesting alternative to the traditional essay format. It allows EFL/ESL students to practice speaking skills.
My year in twelve pictures.
Zero Seven in 30
Made using Animoto video player. I'd like to thank Langwitches for putting me onto this. The only drawback is that you are limited to 30 second videos on the free edition. Still, it produces great results.
Music is Finally by The Sunday Runners
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Monday, December 24, 2007
Happy Christmas - Καλα Χριστουγεννα
I wish all my friends who celebrate Christmas a wonderful time.
Καλες γιορτες σε ολους.
Craig
Christmas Eve shopping
I popped into the centre to get Lydia's Xmas presents and whilst walking through the streets took the opportunity to grab a few shots. Call me cynical but it seemed that the whole place was full of people trying desperately to get shoppers to part with cash be it the form of charity, begging or ridiculous consumption.
Maybe the Puritans were right after all?
Damien Hirst seeks alternative employment - All reasonable offers
Damien Hirst seeks alternative employment - All reasonable offers considered., originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.
Time has not been kind to Damien Hirst. The once Wunderkind of the British art scene has been forced to seek alternative employment.
Nasia and Lydia
Last night was spent goofing around and having fun. Luckily, Lydia still has friends in the neighbourhood to play with. Tomorrow she is off out singing carols with Efi and Goirgos
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Blogging as memory
I suppose this blog, is like most others is a kind of diary. Saying that though it still seems strange looking back as I just did just now at what I was doing at the beginning of the year. I looked at the pictures, videos and posts and it seems as if it was a decade ago. So much has happened since that I find it hard, at first, to connect with those past moments. Thankfully, I recorded them so I guess I have the chance to remember once again what I was doing on that particular day. Is it me or is time is just racing by so quickly it seems like a blur?
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Using Kantalk
One of the biggest difficulties facing studentslearning English in a country where English is not spoken as a first language is that they do not usually have chances to practice outside the classroom. Thankfully, the internet now allows us to overcome this obstacle. Applications such as Skype, MSN Chat and Yahoo Messsenger now incorporate phone style communication. Kantalk takes this one step further by allowing language learners to get together and communicate in the language they wish to practice.
I remember me and David, the founder of Kantalk talked about how this could be used in language learning and I expressed the concern that getting complete strangers to chat at length is a bit difficult. I thought that the service would work better if people could talk about a particular topic or theme.
Now Kantalk has introduced an extra service in which anyone can invite others to follow a lesson plan. If you are feeling creative then why not add your one of your own? I added this one earlier today based on something I posted on the blog.
I remember me and David, the founder of Kantalk talked about how this could be used in language learning and I expressed the concern that getting complete strangers to chat at length is a bit difficult. I thought that the service would work better if people could talk about a particular topic or theme.
Now Kantalk has introduced an extra service in which anyone can invite others to follow a lesson plan. If you are feeling creative then why not add your one of your own? I added this one earlier today based on something I posted on the blog.
Santa Claus and his cups
Today was Lydia's last day at school before the they closed for the Christmas holidays and the kids put on a show for the parents. As you can see father Christmas was there handing out...cups? Oh well, it's the thought that counts.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Sea
The strange thing about the sea here is that every single day I pass by the light and the colours are different. There is always something worth photographing.
Lost and forgotten
Found in a semi - abandoned building in the centre. The whole thing reminded me of Bladerunner.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Talks James Nachtwey: TED Prize wish: Share a vital story with the world
"Accepting his 2007 TED Prize, photojournalist James Nachtwey talks about his decades as a war photographer. A slideshow of his photos, beginning in 1981 in Northern Ireland, reveal two parallel themes in his work. First, as he says: "The frontlines of contemporary wars are right where people live." Street violence, famine, disease: he has photographed all these modern WMDs. Second, when a photo catches the world's attention, it can truly drive action and change. In his TED wish, he asks for help gaining access to a story that needs to be told, and developing a new, digital way to show these photos to the world."
http://www.ted.com/index.php/pages/view/id/105
http://www.ted.com/index.php/pages/view/id/105
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
Lost friend.
TopStephen and Richard
Bottom
Stephen, Richard, Tony and Kelly
Indeed without these people I think that there would have been little chance of me having ever reached university. We all went to a school where such aspirations were not encouraged. Had it not been for the example of Richard and the others who made being good at school something acceptable I doubt I would have been able to overcome the peer pressure that led most kids to drop out at 16.
What I remember most about Richard was his intelligence. Not so much fierce as positively ferocious. He was able to shine at just about anything he chose to do that in turn led him to a very independent, sometimes infuriating single - mindedness.
After we finished university and I came to Greece we gradually lost contact and news from and about him grew scarcer and scarcer. I'm just so mad that I had to wait for an event like this to find out more about what he had been doing.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
The city stopped
Yesterday there were massive demonstrations and strikes throughout Greece as people protested against proposed government changes to the state pension system. Thessaloniki was no exception as one of the biggest marches I ever seen snaked it's way around the centre of the city.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Protest march in Thessaloniki
Today there were massive demonstrations and strikes throughout Greece as people protested against proposed government changes to the state pension system (see here in Greek and here in English). Thessaloniki was no exception as one of the biggest marches I ever seen snaked it's way around the centre of the city.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Lord of the Flies
"Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill! You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you? Close, close, close! I’m the reason why it’s no go? Why things are what they are?"
Monday, December 10, 2007
Modiano market
This is the kind of photography I enjoy doing most. Blending into a crowd, trying to become invisible to the people passing by me. Trying, as far as possible for 6 foot (1.80m) SLR carrying foreigner to not to be noticed.
Lydia learning
This week we worked on our news presentation skills. Actually, it was her idea. And I thought that this would be a great way to practice our language skills by reading out the news.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
At night in the market
I had a spare half hour between lessons so I decided to wander down to the Modiano market which was still open at 8pm.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Monday, December 03, 2007
Stuff for your blog
Today I came across two interesting widgets/sites that could prove very useful in teaching EFL/ESL. Thanks to Theodora, I found out about Snapvine's nifty little application which allows you add voice/video to your blog. A great idea for those students whose typing skills are weak or who hate writing in general. You can even start a video/voice blog.
The other application is Voicethread which also allows you to add the spoken word to your blog. I haven't tried it out yet but it looks very interesting and beautifully designed. Thanks to Joe Dale for that. As he says;
"Jo Rhys-Jones creator of the Ning network Talkabout Primary MFL has written a great post on ideas for using VoiceThread for teaching primary languages which beautifully exemplifies some of the potential of this powerful tool.
The other application is Voicethread which also allows you to add the spoken word to your blog. I haven't tried it out yet but it looks very interesting and beautifully designed. Thanks to Joe Dale for that. As he says;
"Jo Rhys-Jones creator of the Ning network Talkabout Primary MFL has written a great post on ideas for using VoiceThread for teaching primary languages which beautifully exemplifies some of the potential of this powerful tool.
e.g.
- using the doodler feature to label, annotate, trace a route on a town plan and play games such as noughts and crosses
- differentiating according to ability
- encouraging independent work in the target language
- reinforcing adjectival agreement
- creating evidence of pupils' work
- engaging pupils with technology
- encouraging pupils to leave comments in a moderated environment
- singing a rhyme using a picture prompt
- using authentic digital photos from the country whose language you are learning
- as a prompt for discussion
- describing the weather using an authentic image from the net
- creating a dialogue or open ended text from a picture prompt
- inviting your partner school to comment on a protected VoiceThread
- letting pupils choose the images that appear in the VoiceThread
- scanning in or photographing images pupils create themselves."
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Healing
An X-ray of the shoulder that was dislocated during the unprovoked attack by the MAT (Greek riot police). Thankfully, now back in its right place. I had this taken a week or so ago to check that everything was OK
.
Portraits
Luckily, I have somebody to practice taking pictures of. Namely, my daughter , Lydia. Though as you saw previously, even she has her limits. Made with Flickr Toys.
Saturday, December 01, 2007
That'll teach you.
Lydia thought that this would make for a good image. I have to say I agree. She has a good eye, not to mention a good left hook.
Memories of summer
Taken at the Bristol Urban Beach in summer. I was just revisiting some old shots to practice my processing skills.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)