Tuesday, 28 August 2012

A Book you must read!!!

A Book you must read

Why?
cause it tells you Ethiopian History from an outsider and professional perspectives. You don't have to agree or argue on each and every point the writer make. Take your lesson and crystallize your understanding as a citizen or professional.

What is the title of the Book?
Frontier of Violence in North-east Africa, Oxford University Press, 2011.

Who is the writer?
Richard J. Reid, Academic, and member of a diplomatic community at the British Embassy in Addis Ababa. The experience of the writer and the extensive information that he has on the issue if really shown in the book.

The book is divided under four major parts and eight major topics. A very essential feature of it is that it has included recent developments in the history of the country.

However,
Please be considerate that the book reflects the analysis and perception of the writer. So apply the principle that everything is written to be questioned not to be accepted as it is.

One more point,  to be honest it took me two weeks, reading it in part time basis, due to my busy schedule and other academic reading tasks. However, you need to bear in mind that it always pushes you to finish it before you start any other task.

Good Luck in your reading

I like to receive your comments.

Tuesday, 21 August 2012

















2. New experience in using technology: Classrooms in Ethiopian
Using technological as a tool of instruction in Ethiopian classrooms is rare. The purpose of my presentation is to evaluate the perception of students towards their experience in using Web-based lessons (WebQuest). Analysis of the type and level of concern in using the tool will be evaluated and lessons learned will shared.


Summary
Understanding students’ perception towards the technological tools that are used in classrooms is a very important issue so as to guide the teaching learning process effectively. In my presentation, I will try to show the perception of students towards the use of WebQuest as a tool of instruction for the first time in their context. The presentation has the following important steps that are based on the implementation and documentation of the experience. The first steps will be to show the background experience of students in using Web-based lessons, specifically WebQuest lessons. Baseline survey data will be used for this purpose. On the second step, I will review the experience of students towards the WebQuest lesson that they will work on. The WebQuest lessons for this purpose will be designed based on the contents in the syllabus of their English language subject. The result of the analysis of the data collected based on the students experience in the WebQuest lesson will be presented on the third stage. This mainly focuses on identifying the concerns of students towards using WebQuest as a tool of instruction. Finally, lessons derived from using WebQuest as a tool of instruction will be identified and communicated. The contribution of the tool towards helping learners to achieve their educational objectives will be given greater attention in this part.

Saturday, 4 August 2012

Yes!!??

Again another opportunity to reflect on what went wrong in the preparation, training, selection and administration duties of the Ethiopian Athletics federation. We were happy in the result of the Sydney Olympic when Kenenisa take over from Haile. Who is going to take over form Kenenissa now?

I am humble and optimistic that we will get one hero in the near future. But, should that person come when it happens for him to come or we need to work to realize it fast and confident.

I may write more next time on what is expected of the national Committee, The administrations in clubs, the athletes  other professional bodies and especially the public in Ethiopia to contribute towards the glittering success that always make the society walk tall despite the social, economic and political upheavals in the country.

May god help us!!!



Sunday, 1 July 2012

The reception of the tourch at the city of Coventry was exciting. The program at War Memorial Park attracted about 20,000 residents of Coventry and its vicinity.



 Future hope children with their lovely show. These are children who are believed to be the future athlets and organizers
The crowed was very excitied when the tourch arrives at the War Memorial park.












Getachew showing excitiment.










One thing that strikes me was the interest shown by everyone to make history at this moment. When do you think Ethiopian or one of the African countries will get this opprotunity.

Wednesday, 4 April 2012

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46th IATEFL Conference and Glasgow: Memory

Monday
Associates Day and Discussions in the SIG groups
IATEFL has more than twelve Special interest gopus. Therefore, monday was a busy day for all of them especially for the coordinators of SIGs to faciliateate their sessions.

I went to Learning Technology Special Interest group. I had great inspiration and observed different tools and methodologies that can facilitate learning in classrooms.

Tuesday
Tuesday was the official openning day of the conference.

Our presentation was supposed to be just after the presentation of Adrian Underhill. We found it an opporunity as well as curse. However we end up with quite a few particpants of course compared to the size of the hall that can accomodate more than 5000 people.



46th IATEFL Conference and Glasgow: Memory

Arrival to Glasgow










Saturday Evening, we met in hour hotel from where ever we were in England and had a chat and some of us went to dinner with Martin Weddel. It was also BD of Tim. 

Sunday was a busy day. We spent the whole day preparing and presenting our parts of the presentation. It was a wonderful expreince for me. At the middle of the presentation I even felt my story had lost its flavour. however, it should have been that way.

Monday, 5 March 2012

Audio boo

This is another voce recording devise that I came across through my work on the module ICT in ELT professional practice. One can record direct form a speaker or up load already recorded materials. It has some important features that make it a useful tool in teaching and learning language. These features are:
RSS system
Provide link
Provide embedding code
As a result it can provide recordings that can be sent through email or embedded in blogs.
Downloadable record
Mainly free- the software is free and the account is active all the time. There are also podcast productions produced using this system. These can be sued as teaching materials at different level.
BBC records and others can be sued for this purpose.

The following practice show this purpose
listen to the following record form BBC 4 radio and answer the comprehension questions
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/fighting-talk-03-mar-2012/id73330572?i=111127431

How can we grab records produced using Audio boo?
ITune is an amazing tool that can help us grab records made using Audio boo and made public. In my next post I will see iTune in detail.

Audio boo

Sign in for my Blog (mp3)

Who is digitally literate?

Really!!! who is digitally literate?

Digital literacy has been an important issue of discussion since long time. Its definition has been a problem like the problem to define who is young. (the age group). Do we know how to open an email account? can we take part in the second life sysytem having created our own avatar?

For me these are the two extreems of digital literacy. I could be some where in between; most likely near to the former. The most important questions are:

1. How much is it relelvant to acheive a level of digital literacy?
2. How cna one acheive that?

Gavein mentioned five criteria to meet for one to be called digitally literate













I have no idea about the criteria Gavin used. But, it is clear that this is not a standared assessement. I can feel that  our answers also vary. The main point here is that Gavin mentioend the most important characteristic feature that we need to notice.

the folowing link takes us to the presentation of Gavin.

who is digitally literate?

see you

in my next post I will try to see the barriers for teachers to use Digital technology in their classrooms and how can they caop up with it.