On November 6, 2008, Tim Marchand gave a teacher development presentation and workshop on ways to use the recording technology in the tutorial rooms (G411-G420), including video clips and activities from FE speaking and listening, reading, and writing classes, troubleshooting tips, and pros and cons of various media for saving student video clips. Tim’s handouts and PowerPoint slides from the session can be downloaded below. During the workshop, participants referred to Forrest Nelson’s student handout with instructions on how to record in the tutorial rooms. This handout can be found in the “How To Documents” Folder in Shared Files.

Presentation handouts

PowerPoint slides

This is a commercial that I found on the net. I have used and still use it in my reading classes. I have prepared a number of comprehension questions that I give the students or ask the students to find the answers for. There are some other extension questions too.The commercial is about “Grandpa Chew”watch?v=9ll-bDmK3EAThe questions are at this link reading-comprehension-questions-for-grandpa-chew-life-insurance-commercial

Moodle Forums are very useful, and sometimes getting email by subscription is a great way to maintain communication. I frequently use the News Forum on each course to send students updates or announcements. I tend to send them homework assignments, but the students are really waiting to get cancellations and other important notices through Obirin Mail. Many users have email forwarded to their cellphones hoping they can sleep in or get an extra week to study for a quiz if the teacher is out.

Unfortunately, Moodle has spammed some users by repeatedly subscribing them to Forums without users realizing it. Here is one way to stop email from all regular Forums, but still allowing email from the important News Forum.

Download the one minute video Stopping Email From Moodle Part 1. The steps in this video are the same for students and for teachers. Please use the video in class, or embed it in your own Moodle course to help students learn how to stop unwanted email.

As teachers, follow the steps in this second video to prevent any user from subscribing to a specific Forum. It is very important to do this when you create the Forum. Download Stopping Email From Moodle Part-2.

This next video introduces a content management function: Hiding content from students, and then unhiding it. This is quite useful when developing a one year course. You can keep everything in one place, sharing content like glossaries or media, but showing only the current topics to students. Hiding sections is also a great way to keep works in progress hidden until they are ready to go.

Download the Quicktime video Moodle Tip 003–Hide and seek. Running time: Two minutes.

This video introduces one function in the Moodle Course settings–Changing the name of your course.

Download the Quicktime video of Moodle Tip 002–Change the name of your course. Playing time less than one minute.

The Obirin eLearning site has a lot of documentation on the front page. So much in fact that it tends to push the courses off the bottom of the screen. Watch this short video to see how to eliminate the clutter. Or, take a chance and just try it yourself. Next time you login to Moodle, add the word “my” to the end of the URL.

Download the Quicktime video of Moodle Tip 001–My Moodle. Playing time less than one minute.

I’ll be conducting a 1 hour workshop 30 May 2007 period 5 16:15-17:15 in Meimei-kan room 606 to help teachers use Moodle to get input from their students. This workshop will focus on the Choice and Feedback modules of Moodle. Teachers with any or no level of Moodle experience are welcome. The workshop will use Moodle to teach Moodle, so I can leave the course online for anyone who can’t make it. Teachers can enrol themselves in the course ELP Moodle Training Workshops as students at anytime using the enrolment key man8dog. A few bells and whistles won’t work if you enrol yourself later, but all of the instructional elements will be useful anytime in the future.

This handout may help you when looking at some of the settings that you need to select when using the Feedback module to create and activity. Please email me or try to find time to sit down at a computer in the Gakujikan if you have questions or need some assistance.

Moodle Workshop: Using the Feedback Module

Feel free to join the workshop late or at the last minute.

Many members of the ELP are interested in publishing articles based on original research or based upon work from MA programs. There are far more opportunities out there than people may be aware of. Download this 45 page PDF listing dozens of journals. Get contact addresses, policies, style requirements, and basic submission guidelines. This list might also be useful if you need help finding relevant journals to help with completing MA modules.

How to Get Published in ESOL and Applied Linguistics Serials

If would like to submit a paper to The Language Teacher, guidelines for TLT may be found at the TLT website, or just ask me if you have any questions.