Has my teaching gone viral?

I just had to share this event that happened in the penultimate snowy lesson of last half term.

In a previous post, I wrote about the BBC Learning Zone Broadband Class Clips that are available at Primary and Secondary level for just about every subject.  Back in November time, I used a particularly corny clip where a boy spoke about how he helped at home and then there was a wonderfully awful song and dance, with my top Year 9 German set (who gave the exact reaction that I'd expected!).  Well, one of the girls in my lesson came and asked my where she could find the clip so she could watch it again - and of course, I had to explain that, since educational videos are evil, nasty things, they can't be viewed by individual pupils just by teachers - but then she told me how after the lesson in November she had found it at home and had sent it to her friends to watch, who all found it hilarious as well!  So that means not only did she watch the GERMAN video again but also many of her friends who weren't in my German class ALSO watched the GERMAN video too! So there we have GERMAN reaching the pupils in their own time, them enjoying it AND doing it volutarily.  Who would have thought it, pupils doing something relating to MFL in their own time and of their own free will...and proabably without even realising it. 

For me, it's the way forward, I love the idea that my pupils want to seek out the language that they learn at school and enjoy it just for fun.  After all, isn't enjoyment the reason we speak different languages?  I refer you once again to the magnificent quote from the last post about Prague!

Annual eTwinning Conference, Prague

I was really fortunate to be invited to attend the Annual eTwinning Conference last weekend.  The event took place in Prague and it was really amazing to be involved.

I began my journey with eTwinning nearly 2 yrs ago, in a search for a French school so that we could set up an exchange.  Once I made my first advert for a school I was hooked and found it very hard not to accept every offer of a project that I came across.  However, one of the projects I set up with a French school was highly successful and even got into the short-list for the European eTwinning Prize (though not to the finals) and that was how I ended up, last Friday heading to Prague rather than taking part in our usual LEA-wide CPD Day that was taking place.

Several delegates, inlcuding Lisa Stevens, were blogging on the conference blog throughout the weekend, so I'm not going to go into too much detail about workshops etc..., as I think that they are very well written about there.  I thought that I might just write about some of the highlights for me.

One of the main things I was looking forward to was the Key Note Speech given by Dr. Edward de Bono.  I must say that he didn't disappoint.  His presentation style was unique, using a webcam to project the writing he was doing throughout his speech he spoke about how we can learn and teach creative thinking.  I found this most inspiring and it certainly gave me some ideas as to how I can harness my creativity and how I can help my pupils to be more creative with their language work. 

There were plenty of other activities aimed at helping us develop our creativity and also think about how we can "spread the word" about eTwinning in our local areas and further afield.

Another major highlight for me was a coach tour of Prague.  Unfortunately is was at night but even so, it was amazing to be visiting such a beautiful city.  The Czech CSS had provided coaches for all 400+ delegates and guides to give us a  comprehensive description of their beautiful capital city.  It was a very pleasant experience, made even more pleasant to have the opportunity to leave our coach and walk into the Old Town.  Only three of us from my coach took up the opportunity to brave the cold of the night but I was pleased we did.

I also came away with a fantastic moto; "What we learn without joy, we forget without regret".  I have forgotten (with regret) the name of the lady who said this but may of us thought how apt that was!

I had a really great time at the conference, not least because I got know and spend time with some really lovely people of differing nationalities and backgrounds.  Thank you, eTwinning for inviting me!

I took very few photos, so here's a short video I made in Moviemaker with thanks to Smetana for the appropriate backing music...

 

You may have noticed...I've moved

You may have notice that I've moved!  But, why?  I hear you ask in amazement!

Firstly, I'm easily bored and I'd been with Blogger for over a year so felt it was time for a change.

Secondly, it makes accessing my blog easier from educational establishments.  Now there's no "blogspot" in the URL , I don't need to get it unblocked at work (Yes, I've checked).

Finally to give myself a bit of an identity.  Recently I met someone, who only after we'd met and I'd sent them an email did they realise that I'm Langwitch (as well as Helena Butterfield).  I know I could have done this via other means but, hey!

I have to admit that once I'd decided to take the plunge, I was terrified.  I know nothing about hosts, of downloading stuff, or any technical languages.  However, as an adventurous kind of gal, I decided I'd go for it anyway and after a day fo terror yesterday and almost throwing my laptop out of the window, I go there at about 10.30 pm yesterday evening.

How did I do it?  Well, I'm not really sure.  I sorted out a host and got a "quick install" of Wordpress through the host (????) and then the fun started.  Of course I dislike the original theme so that was the first thing to sort out.  Oh dear!  I had to get into all kinds of stuff I didn't understand and at one point ended up with a blog that was just full of code!  I have no idea how, but anyway I managed to fix it (technical wizard that I am).  I also had a very steep and quick learning curve, discovering something called FTP Clients...my husband had to come to my rescue over that one eventually (well, actually, he told me to watch the video tutorial...and surprise, surprise it worked!).

Anyway, here we are!  I've contact as many people as I think are interested to let them know of my change of address (including a very brave email to Cilt to ask them to change their link to this blog) and have also left my Blogger blog active with a post linking here. 

So there we are.  I think this blog looks pretty cool and quite professional as well-I particularly like the "About" bit (Though think it's a bit self-indulgent of me to have written anything!).  What do you think?  I'd love to have som honest opinions and hints about blogging with Wordpress.

7 things you may or may not know about me!

I love a challenge (:o$) and earlier this week, Lisa Stevens gave me a huge one by tagging me in this meme. Curiously I was also tagged for a "25 random things about me" thingie on Facebook this week too and I found that rather easier than this to do! Anyway, if you've read that, then you may find that I'm repeating myself is some place, but really I'm not interesting to enough to have over 30 things that are random or that people might not know about me! So here we go:

1. 
   
   I always start with this one, I'm deaf in my right ear after having had meningitis 3 years ago. At least that's the worst thing that happened as a result of that.


2. 
   
   I'm a control freak and hate not being in charge of things. I really dislike that fact that at work I'm always at the mercy of other people's decisions.


3. 
   
   I have absolutely no will power at all, which is why just about every diet I try fails.


4. 
   
   I find it really hard to say "no" and therefore end up taking far too much on and rushing to get things finished.


5. 
   
   My favourite colour is wine red (hmmm, curious that!)


6. 
   
   I hate doing the housework and would have a cleaner if my husband would let me! (I even thought of getting a secret one but he'd probably figure it out when the house was clean and tidiy for a change!)


7. 
   
   It really, really, really frustrates me that most of the kids I teach see no value in the subject that I teach. I can't understand that people don't see the importance of being able to communicate with others and that learning a language can add so much value to one's life. There are so many things in my life that I could not have done and so many people I would not know, if I couldn't speak French and German (oh and a little bit of Spanish!).

OK, so now I need to tag some people...maybe they've been tagged before, maybe they haven't. So here goes, Amanda Salt, José Picardo, Marie-France Perkins, Isabelle Jones,