Google+ hangout with extras

Posted on February 11, 2012 by Elek Mathe

Originally I wanted to use the title “Spend time with minor characters” (feeble joke on “hangout with extras”), but then I decided to settle for a more traditional and perhaps more descriptive one.

So, a couple of months ago Google unveiled some extra features to complement their “Hangout” within Google+. Basically, it’s an advanced videoconferencing tool, but don’t let this description frighten you. It’s like Skype on steroids, to use an analogy. It can do everything that Skype does and more. Not only do you get to see the other person while talking, but you can also share notes, use a sketchpad together and work on the same Google document. In Skype, videoconferencing for free is limited to two people; here you can have ten, which is more than one can realistically handle.

All you need is a Google+ account, which comes free with a Google account, and you need a Google account anyway, since it can be used for so many things, especially in ELT. Once you’re in Google+, click on Start a hangout (top right, with a small camera icon), and make sure you choose Hangout with extras on the login screen. Then choose your contacts you want to hang out with, and you’re there.

On the left you’ll see the navigation bar, on the right the people you’re hanging out with, while the middle of the screen is reserved for stuff you’re working on together.

Using the sketchpad

The screenshot above shows the sketchpad in use – please forgive my drawing skills; I’m sure you still get the idea. Basically, you can draw lines, shapes of any kind, insert images or text and change the look of all the above.

Using notes in Google+ Hangout with extras

For sharing or working on documents, click on Notes – again, the example above doesn’t do the software justice.

You can also share your Google Documents and work on them together: lots of potential for teaching English.

One of the best features is screen sharing: if you need to explain something, you can choose which window on your desktop you want your partner to see – it’s like working on the same computer. Your students can also ask for your help by showing you their screen – if you’ve ever had the experience of having to explain how to do something on the computer, you’ll know why it is a godsend.

A multi-skill activity

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Elek Mathe

This listening and speaking activity is best delivered using an interactive whiteboard (IWB) or a laptop+projector combo. Note that this is a classic information gap activity; only the tools used are newer.

Note the URL of this video on Youtube:

Tell students that they will watch a video without the sound. Only one of them will listen to the sound using headphones while watching. Students will have to ask questions about the video and the student who has listened to it will have to answer, provided the information was in the video. Then they collect the questions that remained unanswered and watch this other video:

If there are still unanswered questions, you can get students to find the answers on the net, optionally as a task for homework. You can also have a discussion on the topic, with questions like

Is this the transport of the future?
What are the advantages and disadvantages?
Could it be used in Hungary too?

For business English classes, you can emphasize the financial aspects of the story.

Students can also prepare presentations on the topic, arguing for or against the concept.

Of course, this is not a proper lesson plan; I just wanted to give you ideas, but I’m sure you’ll be able to implement this activity in your lesson, tailored to your needs.

Links you might find useful:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ULTra_(rapid_transit) (Wikipedia article on the topic)

http://www.ultraglobalprt.com/ (homepage of the company producing these pods)

http://youtu.be/B7hgipbHBK8 (promo video by the company)

http://youtu.be/pZ1cQVMm2rA (amateur video of a journey)

http://youtu.be/E5SchtSQcvY (Heathrow airport’s video at the launch)

Education Technology’s Hidden Ticking Time Bomb

Posted on December 10, 2011 by Elek Mathe

This guest post on Free Technology for Teachers brings up an important issue that many seem to oversee: what do you do if the free online service you’ve been using starts charging or stops completely and you have no way of importing your data? And even if they do offer a way to download and save your stuff, of course you’ll still have to start looking for a new service, and chances are the new one will not have the exact same functionalities.

One option is to do everything yourself: get your own domain name (a less than $10 per year investment), get a hosting account (anywhere from free to paying an arm and a leg; realistically between $40-$120 per year), install the software of your choice (lots of free options) and you’re all set. With a little help from your friends, this should be easier than it sounds, but I realise most teachers will still shy away from it for technical reasons.

Besides hosting my own stuff, I also rely on paid and free services and I’d like to think that I choose them wisely: for example, I believe Google is here to stay and they offer services that I wouldn’t be able to create myself.

But read the post and share what you think – where (and how) do you keep your teaching stuff online?

Graham Stanley and offline teaching

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Elek Mathe

At the final event of the 21st IATEFL Hungary conference participants had the chance to ask the plenary speakers questions. One of the questions Graham Stanley got was: “When was the last time you taught an offline lesson?”

Just in case you didn’t know: Graham Stanley is one of the top experts on using technology in the language classroom.

So the assumption here is that since Graham uses technology in his classroom, he must be using it all the time, probably exclusively. Strangely enough, Jamie Keddie, who gave a talk on storytelling (an excellent one, by the way), didn’t get asked “Do you do anything else in your classroom apart from storytelling?” Sheelagh Deller (another excellent session!) wasn’t asked whether she was always pondering over who influences who in the learning community.

I’ve often had the same question and it always disturbed me: why do you have to assume that just because I happen to believe in using technology I’m so obsessed with it that I do nothing else? Of course Graham explained patiently that most of the time he has offline lessons. But why do we have to justify ourselves? I don’t drink but I still don’t go up to people at conference receptions with a second glass of wine in their hands asking them “How often do you get drunk?” When you give a talk on listening comprehension I don’t ask you whether you’re aware of the fact that speaking skills mustn’t be neglected either.

In his two brilliant sessions, Graham made several very convincing points for using technology in ways that help learners enormously. He showed real life examples from his own teaching which can be used without practically any computer skills, so the sessions were very definitely not exclusively for computer geeks but for a general ELT audience. And then he gets this question… I thought the debate over using technology in teaching was over.

But I don’t want to sound too pessimistic: I’m sure the vast majority of his audience will make excellent use of his ideas and probably even spread the word about them.

To learn more, make sure you check out Graham’s blog, his Twitter feed and his book Digital Play:

Using Google Docs in teaching English

Posted on October 8, 2011 by Elek Mathe

One issue that came up during the ICT SIG Afternoon was using Google Docs in teaching English. Here’s a video about what you can do with this brilliant tool:

Here’s Google’s own introduction for educators interested in using Google Docs: http://www.google.com/educators/p_docs.html

And another one, on teaching collaborative revision: http://www.google.com/educators/weeklyreader.html

Have you used Google Docs in your lessons? What were your experiences? Do you have any questions about it? Or some links you’d like to share?

We have started

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Elek Mathe

Thank you very much to all of you who came to the ICT SIG Afternoon of the 21st IATEFL Hungary conference. This site is the result of this afternoon as many of you expressed your interest in setting it up – so it’s here. Now it’s over to you – only you can fill it with content and make it meaningful. Please note that this is very much a work in progress – bear with us in these very early days if you encounter problems.

Till then, please explore the site (won’t take too long) and try to think of ways you can make use of it. First of all, register (link in the right-hand navigation bar) and fill in your profile. And of course, please leave a comment so that we know you’re here and tell us what you’d like to see here.

EnglishBase.com

The totally unofficial site of the IATEFL Hungary ICT SIG

Author Archives: Elek Mathe