http://eflgeek.com/index.php/eflgeek/ Language, teaching, and all things EFL en email@email.com http://eflgeek.com/index.php/eflgeek/comments/coffee-with-alex-case/#4274 Thanks Sean, I had a great time and will def. meet up again some time during your ridiculously long university holiday. Thanks for the tagline reminder too, have been meaning to do it for ages, oh and look still haven’t done it. Let’s see if I can managed not to get distracted by something before I write to the site editor to get it fixed… Will be writing about my feelings so far of being in the Korean classroom and the country at great length over the following months, but can’t quite put it into words yet. I think it’s going to be one of those countries, like Spain, that are difficult to describe. {categories backspace="1"}{category_name}, {/categories} Alex Case 2008-12-03T10:29:50+09:00 http://eflgeek.com/index.php/eflgeek/comments/coffee-with-alex-case/#4273 And how does it feel to live in Korea after life in Japan? {categories backspace="1"}{category_name}, {/categories} Roman 2008-12-03T10:29:50+09:00 http://eflgeek.com/index.php/eflgeek/comments/childrens-education-subsidized/#4271 The support is not for international schools, basically it covers the cost of local schools. If it were international schools, I probably wouldn’t be leaving Korea. Jmac, once I get more details on Mon/Tues I’ll email you. {categories backspace="1"}{category_name}, {/categories} Sean. 2008-12-03T10:29:50+09:00 http://eflgeek.com/index.php/eflgeek/comments/childrens-education-subsidized/#4270 Interesting (and congrats). To date, this is only offered to ‘professors’ at our school (not ‘lecturers’)-- I ask every contract period. They get support to send their kids to the local international school. Would it be possible to get a copy of the agreement (blank of course) from your university to show mine? It would be nice to put that concept into their thought process. They’re pretty good about spending, otherwise. -JMac {categories backspace="1"}{category_name}, {/categories} JMac 2008-12-03T10:29:50+09:00 http://eflgeek.com/index.php/eflgeek/comments/childrens-education-subsidized/#4268 I have no idea about other universities, but I certainly hope they do. If you hear of any others, please let me know. {categories backspace="1"}{category_name}, {/categories} Sean. 2008-12-03T10:29:50+09:00 http://eflgeek.com/index.php/eflgeek/comments/childrens-education-subsidized/#4267 Do you happen to know, is that just your university or are other uni’s following suit?  We don’t have children yet but I am interested in what options might be available to us when we do.  Can I ask, which uni are you at? {categories backspace="1"}{category_name}, {/categories} We've Got Seoul 2008-12-03T10:29:50+09:00 http://eflgeek.com/index.php/eflgeek/comments/am-i-too-old-to-teach-in-korea/#4266 Public schools might be an option as well. With the quota demands not being met, there are likely a number of options available. I knew a woman working at the National Education University down here that was working until she was 66-67. So age may not be a major issue (for a few years, anyways). -JMac {categories backspace="1"}{category_name}, {/categories} JMac 2008-12-03T10:29:50+09:00 http://eflgeek.com/index.php/eflgeek/comments/er-symposium/#4265 David or Scott, if either of you would like to guest author an entry on the CALL sig, please feel free to do so. {categories backspace="1"}{category_name}, {/categories} Sean. 2008-12-03T10:29:50+09:00 http://eflgeek.com/index.php/eflgeek/comments/er-symposium/#4264 Scott, I loved the event and came out with a lot more questions rolling around in my head than before—that’s my litmus test for a really good event, intellectual stimulation. You had two great headliners and lots of other interesting and classroom focused presentations. Appreciate all yours and everyone else’s hard work. I’ll have my Project Peace video of the event up shortly!  David {categories backspace="1"}{category_name}, {/categories} David 2008-12-03T10:29:50+09:00 http://eflgeek.com/index.php/eflgeek/comments/er-symposium/#4255 Thanks for this Sean. Pre-registration for the event is going on now. Should be a good event with the same energy we had at the Colloquium. Hope you can make it down. {categories backspace="1"}{category_name}, {/categories} Scott 2008-12-03T10:29:50+09:00 http://eflgeek.com/index.php/eflgeek/comments/kotesol-2008-impressions/#4249 Ah, looks like I won’t be going to Oxford either as that is the weekend my wife visits from Japan, so def. will have to arrange to meet up. Try to avoid public internet comments about my physical location in case some online enemies have a hitman out on me, but will email you soon. {categories backspace="1"}{category_name}, {/categories} Alex Case 2008-12-03T10:29:50+09:00 http://eflgeek.com/index.php/eflgeek/comments/kotesol-2008-impressions/#4248 Thanks for sharing that solid summary and posting the “10 Commandments for Teaching English”. Those guidelines seem quite sensible for teaching international graduate students in the United States, but working in Korea with Korean students changes the context and challenge. It seems that this entertaining lecture, if nothing else besides the pleasures of networking and book collecting, provided some justification for KOTESOL. Perhaps I will get a chance to visit Korea next year and attend myself. Anyway, I enjoyed the concise overview. {categories backspace="1"}{category_name}, {/categories} Eric 2008-12-03T10:29:50+09:00 http://eflgeek.com/index.php/eflgeek/comments/kotesol-2008-impressions/#4247 not survey—I meant KOTESOL surver. I won’t let this experience keep me from presenting for all the very worthy people at KOTESOL, but if I see something done half “azz”, I’ll call it that. {categories backspace="1"}{category_name}, {/categories} David 2008-12-03T10:29:50+09:00 http://eflgeek.com/index.php/eflgeek/comments/kotesol-2008-impressions/#4246 Sean, Nice to see you there and read these astute comments. While I don’t agree with any of Bland’s “bland” commandments , I do see how they could be thought provoking and entertaining.... I won’t bother you with too many comments, I’m just begining to calm down and soon enough KOTESOL will hear me scream. I’ll come back here and link my blog post, I’ll publish on Monday and send to the conference chairman. But I will say—communication by , through KOTESOL is back in the stone ages. I even didn’t know about the bagged lunch. I was presenting and got no email about my room , location, check in , anything (remember I paid THEM $132 bucks (okay, they gave me $6 bucks back at checking, can’t figure out why lol!).  Further, I paid for the dinner tickets, was never sent info. , told where it was. You were there at our table when I asked others who didn’t know either. A plague on this Kotesol conference....and I hope they also give me my dinner money back… I could go on and on...I appreciate the fact and opportunity of being able to gather together but hey! I’m Swiss and this could have been done much better! Really run poorly compared to last year and it showed. The guys running it this year should be sacked, that’s all I will say. DD http://eflclassroom.ning.com PS. and about the survey (eyes rolling...) {categories backspace="1"}{category_name}, {/categories} David 2008-12-03T10:29:50+09:00 http://eflgeek.com/index.php/eflgeek/comments/kotesol-2008-impressions/#4240 gotcha. Where in Seoul are you based? we should get together for a coffee, I believe I owe you an apology/explanation/coffee for an undelivered book review. I might be skipping oxford day so another day is probably better. {categories backspace="1"}{category_name}, {/categories} Sean. 2008-12-03T10:29:50+09:00 http://eflgeek.com/index.php/eflgeek/comments/kotesol-2008-impressions/#4239 Sorry- Interactive Whiteboard. I didn’t know that two weeks ago either, but I always assume I am the most technologyphobic teacher around and that everyone else has known for years what I’ve just found out… {categories backspace="1"}{category_name}, {/categories} Alex Case 2008-12-03T10:29:50+09:00 http://eflgeek.com/index.php/eflgeek/comments/kotesol-2008-impressions/#4238 Alex, What is an IWB? {categories backspace="1"}{category_name}, {/categories} Sean. 2008-12-03T10:29:50+09:00 http://eflgeek.com/index.php/eflgeek/comments/kotesol-2008-impressions/#4237 I was too busy stressing about using an IWB for the first time on Monday to go to the conference, but I’ve heard similar things from people who did go, e.g. that Thornbury’s was interesting but a bit useless. Will try and make it to the Oxford day though. {categories backspace="1"}{category_name}, {/categories} Alex Case 2008-12-03T10:29:50+09:00 http://eflgeek.com/index.php/eflgeek/comments/kotesol-2008-impressions/#4236 I enjoyed the conference but didn’t take as much away with me as I did with previous conferences - I am not talking about loot as I picked up several books -a lot of homework for 2007 came from the 2006 conference, for example. It was good to meet you - it’ll be a while before I return to Seoul but I will try to contact you when I do. {categories backspace="1"}{category_name}, {/categories} kwandongbrian 2008-12-03T10:29:50+09:00 http://eflgeek.com/index.php/eflgeek/comments/kotesol-2008-impressions/#4234 It was good to meet you too.  We’ll have to meet up again soon.  You’re just around the corner from me (sort of). I liked day 2 much more than day 1.  Day 1 just had nothing for me.  I’m looking for good theory-based presentations and tech-related presentations.  I saw a couple of both on day 2, but I didn’t catch any on day 1, which is why we had so much time for coffee I really liked Curtis Kelly’s presentation on brain science and education.  He was entertaining and really psyched about the topic.  I’d love to see him blog I was really disappointed in the rooms this year.  I can’t believe that this venue has so few rooms with multimedia setups.  I know that Sookmyung is one of the few large venues for this conference, but it cannot host a modern event with a lack of built-in computer, audio, video, and Internet.  This hurt even the non-techie presentations. Take care, Dan {categories backspace="1"}{category_name}, {/categories} Dan 2008-12-03T10:29:50+09:00