TKT at the British Council, Khartoum

The British Council, Sudan, has offered EFL teachers in Khartoum a chance to take the TKT course and exam. The course is offered on two locations (thanks!). The first one is in Khartoum, at SELTI premises, and the second one is running in Omdurman, at the Islamic University.It is a semi-intesive course, so being out there daily from 2:30 -7:00 P.M is very hard for me. This is a critical time for my kids to be on the door when they come back from school, bathing, lunch and homework, No mama, no home work, that seems to be their rule of thumb!!!:-)
Feedback? I have to wait for another two days to form a fair impression and a positive feedback.

My topic intertwines so well with my mentor's.WoW!!

My mentor, Vance Stevens, who writes on his posterous blog that he is "passionate about helping others to learn by getting them to help me to learn", refereed his colleagues to my wiki's workshop for extra information because "our topics intertwine so well". WoW! How can help myself of not being happy, and confident! I am copying=pasting two paragraphs of his post here as they are so true, and applicable to my context too. You are right Vance!
Vance writes:
These technologies are so exciting yet so difficult to get across not only to students but especially to one's colleagues. That's the real choke point, but when approached correctly, not condescendingly but in a spirit of assistance, and when they are ready, colleagues might just come around. How do we improve our world? One person at a time.
It's a real challenge to write materials that are approachable to both these cohorts, teachers and students (where is my mind today? Who just completed a survey asking 10,000 teens why they were turned off to Twitter?).

Developing by the Nile:Innovative Online Trends for Teacher Professional Development

I have conducted a workshop about Web 2.0 for Teacher professional development which targeted EFL teachers at the University of Khartoum, Sudan. I gave the workshop the title of Developing by the Nile: Innovative Online Trends for Teacher
Professional Development. It was a hands-on practice workshop for English Language teachers at the Administration for University Requirements (AUR),University of Khartoum. All about it here on the pbworks I created for the workshop here.It was considered the first workshop of its type in Sudan about Web 2.0 tools. I am preparing now for another one about integrating technology into the Sudanese EFL classroom. My friend, Hala Salih, the head of the English Department, was the one who took the burden of the workshop to see the Sudanese morning light. Hala has blogged about the workshop and talked about how she ran around to find the fund and the venue needed. Thanks Hala!

25 (Free)Tools

25 Tools

View more presentations from Jane Hart. (tags: learning tools)

ICT Course Graduation

With a flat tyre , I manged to reach Ahfad University late for Leikny's excellent summary for what was covered on the course. It was very nice to have all the participants together, from different universities in Khartoum, coming together with a very powerful sense of satisfaction about what they have learned and achieved from Leikny's content and delivery method.Seconding one of the teachers, her delivery style taught us a lot about dealing with a very different context in a very flexible and creative way.Leikny, if you happen to come back to this blog, you are GREAT!
Thanks! I lost my PC Suite Cable to add pictures of the graduations .Later!

E-Everything!

What is the impact of ICT on the teacher's development and creativity by Brahim Elkhalil Afaichil - Tuesday, 29 May 2007
"Teachers now have to face the challenge to use ICT appropriately. I'm afraid that technology will invade all domains and therefore we'll have e-friends , e-meetings, e-lessons, e-families, e-feelings and you may imagine how many Es you can add to the list. I wonder whether new technology is doing good or harm to human beings!

Web-based Learning

To learn through/with the web or integrating web tools in the learning process. This is what the title means.
Web-based learning is a window to the world, through which we, in Sudan could have a powerful telescope to expose us to the whole world.
How does all this relate to English language teaching/learning? It means the possibility t access hundreds of ELT web sites, all skills n English are addressed, authentic languages and materials are there, contacts with teachers from around the world, exchanging information between students around the world to know other cultures, to gain a more comprehensive and complete knowledge and to have a look at other lesson plans and classroom experiences, sometimes for the same lesson!
General Recommendations:
1.Urgent need for ELT educators and teachers to adapt the new ICT.
2.Absolute necessity to 'rethink' the whole educational system in order to adapt it to the demands of the changes.
3.Teacher training to use the tools is a must.

Static Websites.Again?

Upon a suggestion to create a Yahoo Group for ASTEL, association for English language teachers, a professor suggested a website. Again. A static website, tidy, colorful, organized and up-to-date software used. OK .What the fuss? What will the teachers do then? If I were in their place, I will move to the BBC site to get more up-to-date information, lesson plans or whatever. I sent back to tell my own point of view and I think Web 2.0 is an orphan term and not a buzz word here in Sudan.
Enforcing teachers to use the technology is another way around to lead them through the path of online teacher professional development.

Free Help for Online TPD

I have been helping my students in the YG I created how to use technology to improve their English. I can not describe how I feel when I see a student uses a correct English word, or when one of them succeeds in adding a widget all be himself!I have been taking courses online to learn how to integrate the Internet into the EFL classroom, but everyday, I get more more convinced that training teachers to use online tools is must.They need to be introduced to social networking, CMC and different Web 2.0 tools to help in their professional development.
If they only see the glowing eyes of my students!!!!