Teaching with Skype: Practical Platform Advice for Beginners

“Don’t be afraid to make a mistake. But make sure you don’t make the same mistake twice.” —Akio Morita (1921–1999), former chairman Of Sony Corporation What are some of the advantages of teaching via Skype or other online video-chat options? How can you, the teacher, make the most of Skype as an inn… The post Teaching with Skype: Practical Platform...

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Teaching English on Skype: Practical Platform Advice for Novice Online ESL Tutors

“Don’t be afraid to make a mistake. But make sure you don’t make the same mistake twice.” —Akio Morita (1921–1999), former chairman Of Sony Corporation What are some of the advantages of teaching English on Skype? How can you, the English teacher, make the most of Skype as an innovative educational … The post Teaching English on Skype: Practical Platform...

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Teaching Matters: Avoiding Good Mistakes in Using Infographics

Correlation is not causation but it sure is a hint – Edward Tufte (1942-), American Statistician and Professor We live in an age of big data, powerful algorithms and infographics. Significant decisions are being made daily based on data input, and adults – including our students – have to analyze an… The post Teaching Matters: Avoiding Good Mistakes in Using Infographics...

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The Value of Playback: Recording Student Presentations and Making Good Mistakes in Real-time

“Don’t sweat the small stuff, and it’s all small stuff.” – Dr. Richard Carlson (1956-), bestselling American author and psychologist Creating a classroom atmosphere of tolerance, understanding, and constructive criticism remains a constant challenge. How do you help your ESL students recognize their… The post The Value of Playback: Recording Student...

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Worksheet: Reviewing TED Talks to Create Compelling Conversations

“Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.” —Malcolm Forbes (1919-1990), American entrepreneur and publisher How can you encourage your advanced ESL students to develop their speaking skills and tap into their interest in our rapidly changing world? By creating compelling classroom assignments that respect their intelligence, engage their...

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Sharing is Caring: Substituting Connectivity for Communication

“Technology is a word that describes something that doesn’t work yet.”  –Douglas Adams (1952-2001), English author and satirist Is the cult of oversharing online preventing us from establishing genuine connections? Do we expect more from our phones than our neighbors? Is this natural or healthy? “I share, therefore I am” Many believe relying on instant...

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