My first wordle

Doodling

 I was most astonished to find an article called Does doodling make you smarter? It is not concerned with ICT but I still find it very interesting so I post it here. 
A doodle is an unfocused drawing (geometric shape, character, text, landscape) you make while you pay attention to something else (listen to a lecture, speake on the phone). The article quotes a study at Plymouth university that proved beneficial effects on doodler's memory. People who were doodling during listening to a long boring phonecall recalled 30% more information than those who were only listening.
The result for teachers is clear then - let students doodle while lecturing in front of the blackboard and they will remember more :-)

Jerry Brodkey in his article "We Don’t Need Smart Boards, We Need Smart People" defends "old" face-to-face teacher's approach against the use of evil technology in the classroom. He claims that  it steals precious minutes which are spent on working with computer instead of discussing more important matter with students live. The real experience is needed, not floods of pictures in virtual world, he states. I cannot agree less. Once the teachers creates the library of lessons they can offer so much more than just a discussion. The teachers don't have to spend any time writing/drawing on and rubbing it of the blackboard  When the students are provided with visual and auditory material (usually linked to online sources - facts, videos, quizzes, games etc.), they are more likely to lose atttention (not even by taking notes because they can download the whole presentation). The teachers should keep up with the pace of students' lives, not to draw them back to the unattractive methods of the Middle Ages.

I haven't been given the opportunity to try the Interactive Whiteboard on my own yet, but when there is a chance, I feel like using it in every possible way.

Difference between PPP and ESA

On my endless browsing trips on the Internet I found a slight development of the traditional approach to teaching: from Presentation, Practice and Production (PPP) to Harmer's triplet Engage, Study, Activate (ESA). The first approach is the well-known boring lengthy introduction to the given topic when the students are given model how to do/say something and than practice it almost mechanically in written/spoken exercises. The result should be an ability to construct certain phrases and use appropriate vocabulary in given context. Teacher thus follows the same scheme, has controll over the class and the preparation for classes is a rather routine. However, in the other approach, the teacher tries to motivate the students and arouse their interest. Language is studied, not simply explained, and, most importantly, used freely without hypercorrecting comments. Students learn how to communicate successfullywithout fear of mistakes. This approach demands readiness and a variety of techniques from the the teacher, therefore, must be engaging and successful!

Waadloope in Friessland

Endless marching in mud sounds like fun for 10 minutes, but then it turns into a hell!!! Totally soaked, smelling badly and exhausted you finish your two-hour-tour and get your certificate. Is it worth it, you ask? IT MASSIVELY IS!

Hundreds of balloons in Eindhoven

The only interesting event taking place in Eindhoven in the last week of July is the Ballooning event. A massive number of balloons start at the same time and create an artificial darkness over the city. Here is the link