How an MFL teacher feels at the end of term? Reading Clare Seccombe's excellent blogpost on the benefits of Twitter really make me think tonight. Reflecting on what has come out of opening a Twitter account and getting involved (to an extent) with the MFL Twitterati has changed my approach to MFL teaching in so many ways. However, it has not always been easy to pass these changes on to my departmental colleagues. As teachers we have very busy lives; I am sure I am far from the only MFL teacher who also organises/goes on trips, runs a sports team,... Continue reading

Well, we did it! Three days, 136 miles, two cooked breakfasts, one red squirrel, one llama farm, far too many painful climbs to mention... and three sore backsides! You can see our photo gallery here, and check out some of the helmet cam shots here. More will be uploaded soon... Continue reading

All the packing for our trip is nearly done.... L'équipe Cofidis-Festina-EPO-CHS: Directeur Sportif................. John Wilson Soigneur............................. Gareth Matthews (also in charge of "medical program"...) Domestiques.................... Simon Howells & Pete Shipston Patron.............................. Cecil Lowry OBE We will be sending Tweets en route to keep you all up to date... search for... Continue reading

Stockport - Disley - Whaley Bridge - Pott Shrigley - Poynton - Stockport Map your trip with EveryTrail Continue reading

Joe Dale's recent post featuring Russell Stannard's use of screencasting for student feedback , and Matt Lingard's blog were a great source of ideas for a recent show-and-tell ICT coordinators' meeting at my school. I chose to showcase screen capture tools, such as the mighty Jing - of which I am a rather large fan - and some others such as ScreenToaster, ScreenJelly and ScreenR . There is just so much that can be done with them! The Prezi below features 5 mini-tutorial videos, including a quick overview of what screen capture tools do. Big thanks to Russell, Matt and... Continue reading

I gave a CPD session on using Web 2.0 to the staff at my school last night - my first one ever! It was great to be able to pass on information about the many inspirational and useful web apps that are out there for teachers to use, but I was struck by the fact that almost no-one attending the session had ever heard of any of the "funky" tools we looked at. Perhaps inevitably, I was asked, "how do you know all this?" The answer, of course, is that someone told me! The might of Twitter in this regard... Continue reading

using ICT in the classroom (in a funky way) on Prezi Using ICT in the classroom (in a funky way) View more documents from simonhowells. Continue reading

Episode 2 of Syrian School played tonight on BBC 4... what a great show! It follows a year in the life of four schools in Damascus. The similarities to home are as striking as the differences - kids are the same the world over in many ways. The humour and enthusiasm of the Syrian pupils is infectious. Not many pupils I know are so articulate on the subject of politics though... Continue reading

I was lucky enough to be at CILT on the 8th of February to get a first look at MYLO and be part of a productive feedback session. MYLO (MY Languages Online) is a brand new online learning tool designed to get young people engaging with languages in an innovative, creative and imaginative way. Initially aimed at Key Stage 3, it will be available in French, German, Spanish and Mandarin. Isabelle Jones has done an excellent job of summing up the project on her blog - so for a full update go there: Just to note though that it was... Continue reading

via www.guardian.co.uk I think this is fantastic! Continue reading

With Spring term in its hectic full effect it has been hard to find the time to blog. But I wanted to quickly share my recent experiences using the rather brilliant Quizlet. For those who have not come across it yet, it is a serious time saver and a great way for your students to revise vocabulary. Very simply, you enter words and their translations, and Quizlet comes up with slideshows, games and tests to help you practise and learn them. It has obviously already been embraced by a good number of MFL professionals, as a lot of content has... Continue reading

Snow day today. couldn't believe it - Lou texted me. Been working, but went for a wander in the winter wonderland... Continue reading

Being snowed in today gives a opportunity to reflect on an amazing half term. Before October I thought Twitter was a place for Stephen Fry to fall ever deeper into self analysis, or for Britney's agent to send out anodyne press releases. Now I know different! I would go so far as to say that Twitter has revolutionised the way I think about my job. It has rekindled my enthusiasm, and I have seen the results in the classroom. I have discovered an amazing community of enthusiastic teachers willing to share their excellence. There are so many brilliant teachers out... Continue reading