So Much to Learn...So Little Time

Grammcasting in German

A long time ago, deep in the mists of time, before my back decided to give up the ghost I set my S2 German class a task to produce podcasts in which they would explain the finer points of a particular grammar item. The idea was that the podcast (or Grammcast as I have termed them) would help fellow German learners grasp that point.

Due to my recent incapacity this never got finished, until now. This week I have recorded these Grammcasts and am going to post them on RateMyMates for the kids to assess them.

I recorded them without checking the scripts for accuracy, mainly because I have plans for the class next week and wanted to get their work published. This decision has thrown up what I hope to be a nice little teaching point, as in one or two of the podcasts there are some quite glaring errors. When I ask the class to listen to and assess their mate's work I want them to try to identify those mistakes (sensitively) and then come back and re-record the podcasts grammcasts accurately.

Here is the task.

Have a listen if you get a chance...CAN YOU SPOT THE MISTAKES?
There's a couple more to be added as well.

Click here to get your own player.

Technorati Tags: grammar, podcast, languages, learning, german

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Global Campaign for Education -The World's Biggest Lesson

Worlds Biggest Lesson | Send My Friend 08

It is so easy for us in the "developed world" to sit at our computers and grumble about filtering policies in our education authorities and how we can't access such and such a site which would be so useful for our kids.

Unfortunately there are 72 million boys and girls in this world of ours who are missing out on an education because of poverty, the majority (57%) being girls.

According to the Millenium Development Goals every single one of these 72 million children will have access to QUALITY PRIMARY education by 2015...time is running out.


In 2006 the UK government promised £8.5 billion to help achieve the goal of universal primary education by 2015. In the following financial year £365 million was given out. This means that the government now needs to commit £1 billion every year from 2010 to keep its promise.

It is my firm belief that every school in the UK should help the UK government to remember its commitment by taking part in the Global Campaign for Education's Action Day on April 23.

There are different ways of taking part but the easiest and possibly most exciting is The World's Biggest Lesson. At 9am or 4pm on April 23 schools in over 120 countries will take part in a record breaking attempt to deliver the World's Biggest Lesson.

All the lessons plans and necessary material are provided on the sendmyfriend08 website. Its easy.

Get your students involved. Get the media involved. Get your elected representatives involved.



Technorati Tags: sendmyfriend08, globalcampaignforeducation, globaleducation

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BACK to the Chalkface

After a long 4 and a half months off work...half of it due to needless waiting around thank you very much NHS Grampian, I'm back to work tomorrow. I'm still not 100% but needs must. This time off has given me quite a lot of time to think and I'm returning with a few ideas in mind.

• I am not going to spend every lunchtime doing "something" as I have for last 4 years. I will give up 1 per week, the rest are mine.
• Having experienced the benefit of timely communication from my son's teacher I have decided to be more proactive in communicating with parents, particularly for something positive
• I am going to get some students blogging
• Encourage creativity and reflection

Lets see how it turns out.