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Janos Blasszauer

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Posts posted by Janos Blasszauer

    The role ICT has played in my teaching

    in E-Help Seminars

    Posted

    Hi dear friends! :rolleyes: It was nice to read your kind words. It's absolutely sure that in the future whenever I feel a need to boost my self-esteem I'll just get back to this page. :)

    Sorry for not having reflected on the Bratislava meeting and on your comments earlier.

    It was really great to meet you guys in Slovakia. Thank you once again for inviting me. I've enjoyed very much your company and have found the meeting very productive.

    As you might know, I've sent Terry my SWOT analysis of the E-HELP project.

    Congratulations on pulling off a great project! I'm glad that I could take part in it and even contribute to it.

    As for the new tools that you could find useful in your teaching, well let me put here some links to sites where you can harvest great many links. You get a short description there about the applications.

    Let me first recommend this link: The Best Web 2.0 Applications For Education — 2008

    and then this one: Top tools for e-learning

    Well, that's all for the time being.

    I'll definitely get back to this page since it is a real ego booster. :rolleyes:

    (A9) Other Costs

    in Citizenship Project

    Posted

    In my view, we have waste money in Domain/Webspace in E-HELP. I think we can get by with less money.

    I agree. E-HELP also set aside 3,250 euros for a Forum. We can get this free via this Forum.

    At our meeting in Worthing, Janos suggested that he could deal with the Domain/Webspace issue. Therefore we will have to wait for him to tell us what this might cost us.

    Sorry for this delayed message. Well, here comes the cost I have calculated.

    250 MB webspace: EUR 189

    500 MB webspace: EUR 290

    750 MB webspace: EUR 377

    1000 MB webspace: EUR 435

    These webspaces would go with a free domain name registration and they contain MySQL database, and I could install almost any kind of Content Management System like for instance MOODLE. (see e.g. http://www.eltandict.com/mosaic/ )

    (A6) Summary of the Project

    in Citizenship Project

    Posted

    In many ways the "Summary of the Project" is the most important section of the application form. This is my first draft:

    Summary of the Project

    The Teaching Citizenship in a Globalized Europe Using ICT Project will attempt to provide educators with strategies and resources to teach citizenship. To facilitate this we will provide a website, online forum and a residential course.

    Teaching Citizenship is designed as a three year, three-phase project:

    Phase 1 will mainly involve producing an overview of how the subject is taught in different countries and a database of case-studies. These will be published in English and the language of the author. The project team will also create an online forum and website to ensure dissemination of our work.

    Phase 2 will mainly involve identifying and evaluating existing good practice in Europe. We will also explore the way citizenship is taught in countries outside Europe.

    Phase 3 will mainly involve preparing the first in a series of residential conferences designed to bring European educators together to learn the skills to use ICT in teaching citizenship.

    I agree with the summary of the project.

    (A3) Staff Costs

    in Citizenship Project

    Posted

    Although probably is not the fairest way (institutions will get the same amount of money, even though their different perfomance), I put myself in John and Andy's shoes and I think that the egalitarian approach is the easiest to budget. Bearing in mind our salaries, calculate a number of days of work so that everybody get the same amount of money.

    I would rather support a centralised financial management of the project. Delegation can lead to more burocracy and red tape.

    Sorry for chiming in late in this thread. Nevertheless, I cannot but agree with Carlos's proposal but I must let you know that I have very little experience in such projects. :-(

    Do we live in a democracy?

    in Citizenship Project

    Posted

    I do not intend to reflect on the original debate question, namely whether we live in democracy or not. Hungary's electoral system can be seen here:

    http://www.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/2141_B.htm

    I would just like to join those posters who emphasised the importance of education in democratic societies.

    I firmly believe that only educated people, educated masses can guarantee/safeguard the proper operation of democracy they are the ones who can correct the flaws.

    It is well-known fact that just having the right to vote is meaningless if a citizen is disabled by illiteracy or semiliteracy. History has taught us that illiterate and semiliterate people are condemned to being exposed to all kinds of manipulations.

    If people do not understand the issues properly they just can easily fall prey to manipulative oversimplifications and they cannot make good use of such democratic power as voting. These people fail to master their citizenship rights due to illiteracy.

    Following this line of reasoning I must say that in my view democracy is inseparable from literacy.

    To be truly literate, I think citizens must be able to grasp the meaning of any piece of writing addressed to the general reader, and to be critical to the writings. I also believe that a literate person is also one that has the mindset of being open to the events happening around him. This person is curious towards new things and is in the habit of reading newspapers and keeping up with the news. (see below Note 1)

    Thomas Jefferson made the following famous remark:

    "Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. But I should mean that every man should receive those papers and be capable of reading them."

    This last sentence is a crucial one for a really democratic society is founded on a society with high literacy, common basic moral values and on active citizenship.

    I do believe that the EU will achieve Martin Luther King's dream of a society which is founded not on race or class but on personal virtue. And referring to MLK I cannot help mentioning one of his great piece of writing on education.

    Martin Luther King: The Purpose of Education

    Note 1

    The reasoning of the Bush-led government for going into war against Iraq was WMD. Government officials spread the news in the media that Saddam Hussein is a crazy despot who is ready to use chemical and biological weapons against the world -as he actually did in 1988 against his own people- and who is harbouring terrorists. This kind of justification was challenged by those educated people like for instance Noam Chomsky who pointed out that interestingly enough after Saddam Hussein launched a large-scale chemical weapons attack against Iraq's Kurdish population killing thousands the American government did not cut support to the Saddam regime but even increased it.

    Do we live in a democracy?

    in Citizenship Project

    Posted

    I do not intend to reflect on the original debate question here in this posting, namely whether we live in democracy or not. Hungary's electoral system can be seen here: http://www.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/2141_B.htm

    I would just like to join those posters who emphasised the importance of education in democratic societies.

    I firmly believe that only educated people, educated masses can guarantee/safeguard the proper operation of democracy. They are the ones who can correct the flaws.

    It is well-known fact that just having the right to vote is meaningless if a citizen is disabled by illiteracy or semiliteracy. History has taught us that illiterate and semiliterate people are condemned to being exposed to all kinds of manipulations.

    If people do not understand the issues properly they just can easily fall prey to manipulative oversimplifications and they cannot make good use of such democratic power as voting. These people fail to master their citizenship rights due to illiteracy.

    Following this line of reasoning I must say that in my view democracy is inseparable from literacy.

    To be truly literate, I think citizens must be able to grasp the meaning of any piece of writing addressed to the general reader, and to be critical to the writings. I also believe that a literate person is also one that has the mindset of being open to the events happening around him. This person is curious towards new things and is in the habit of reading newspapers and keeping up with the news. (see below Note 1)

    Thomas Jefferson made the following famous remark:

    "Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. But I should mean that every man should receive those papers and be capable of reading them."

    This last sentence is a crucial one for a really democratic society is founded on a society with high literacy, common basic moral values and on active citizenship.

    I do believe that the EU will achieve Martin Luther King's dream of a society which is founded not on race or class but on personal virtue.

    And while referring to Martin Luther King I must mention his great text about the importance of good education:

    Martin Luther King: The Purpose of Education.

    Note 1

    Let me give an example. The reasoning of the Bush-led government for going into war against Iraq was WMD. Government officials spread the news in the media that Saddam Hussein is a crazy despot who is ready to use chemical and biological weapons -as he actually did in 1988 against his own people- and who is harbouring terrorists. This kind of justification was challenged by those educated people like for instance Noam Chomsky who pointed out that interestingly enough after Saddam Hussein launched a large-scale chemical weapons attack against Iraq's Kurdish population killing thousands, the American government did not cut support to the Saddam regime but even increased it.

    Arrival Times in Worthing

    in Citizenship Project

    Posted

    Arrival at Gatwick at 18:30 on Thursday (01/09/05)

    I will take the 19:50 train. I'll hopefully arrive in Worthing at 20:36.

    Departure from Gatwick on Sunday 4 September 2005 at 12:55.

    I'll take the 9.31 train from Worthing.

    Looking forward to seeing you all! :-)

    Is that posting correct. You told me in your last email that you will be arriving on the Friday. As a result I booked it for Friday-Sunday. Do I need to change it?

    Dear John,

    Yes, my posting is correct. I am arriving with my wife in Worthing on Thursday evening. I hope you have received my reply message in your personal inbox.

    I've also sent a message to your "ntlworld" account.

    Hope you got those two missives.

    We actually wanted to leave on Friday early morning so as to be able to go to school on the very first school day on 1 September. We planned to go up to Budapest in the afternoon and sleep there in order to catch an early Friday morning flight to Gatwick. It turned out there was no flight available to Gatwick (neither to Heatrow) in the morning nor the early afternoon so we had to decide on a Thursday flight so that I can work with you guys on Friday.

    Thank you very much for your understanding and for modifying the hotel booking.

    See you soon.

    Cheers,

    Janos

    Arrival Times in Worthing

    in Citizenship Project

    Posted

    Could members of the project post flight times?

    To find out times of trains from Gatwick to Worthing go to:

    http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/planmyjourne...equirements.asp?

    Arrival at Gatwick at 18:30 on Thursday (01/09/05)

    I will take the 19:50 train. I'll hopefully arrive in Worthing at 20:36.

    Departure from Gatwick on Sunday 4 September 2005 at 12:55.

    I'll take the 9.31 train from Worthing.

    Looking forward to seeing you all! :-)

    The Student as Historian: An ICT Revolution

    in E-Help Seminars

    Posted

    I intend to carry out these sort of video interviews with several elderly women (among them my 84 years old mother) and try to record their memories of some key moments in her life.

    One of the earliest memories of my mother is all her family attending to Pablo Iglesias' (founder of Spanish Socialist Party) funeral procession. I am interested in asking them not only on historical events (civil war, Franco's dictatorship) and the way they affected women's life, but also on women's daily life and its evolution over the last century.

    I also intend to get my students carry out some video interviews. I fancy the idea!

    Project Team

    in Citizenship Project

    Posted

    I am János Blasszauer (39), a father of two, living in the provincial town of Nagykanizsa. I have been teaching English for fifteen years now. Currently, I am working at Batthyány Gimnázium (academic grammar school). Since October 2001 I have been the pedagogical advisor for the Zala county Pedagogical Institute. Among many other tasks as e.g. the organisation of the county English language contest in different categories I give hands-on presentations for secondary school teachers and give advice to heads of schools with regard to ICT. I have been on the advisory board of Spring Day in Europe project for three years now.

    I have graduated from Berzsenyi Teacher Training College. This alma mater was the place where I got acquainted with CALL. I have received my MEd degree in English at Pécs University.

    The role ICT has played in my teaching

    in E-Help Seminars

    Posted · Edited by Janos Blasszauer

    I'm really interersted in the potential of using Cmap, especially in "collaborative" mode.  Has anyone used it in this way, and coudl they tell me how I'd go about doing so - for instance, would I have to set up a cmap server, or are there public ones?

    I think the phrase is RTFM. :(

    Anyway, I think this software has enormous potential for use in the classroom and for CPD, because maps can be shared online and edited by different users or communities of users.

    As an experiment I've created a folder on a public Cmap server and made an attempt to map good history teaching.

    If you're interested and want to contribute to the mind map, please download the software and under "shared Cmaps in places" visit the IHMC Public Cmaps (2) server. You will find (in alphabetical order) a folder called "History Teaching and Learning". In this folder there's a map called "History Teaching Activities". Please feel free to add anything you want to this map.

    I'd welcome contributions from non-history teachers, as everything overlaps to a great extent in education.

    many thanks

    Ed.

    p.s. if anyone can help me to stop my head being so squashed in my educationforum avatar I would be really grateful! :D

    I'll definitely add my contribution to your map soon. Meanwhile seeing that you show great interest towards Mindmapping tools let me call your attention to another great free mindmapping tool called FREEMIND. You can get info (and download) on this tool here: http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

    Have a good exploration!

    The role ICT has played in my teaching

    in E-Help Seminars

    Posted · Edited by Janos Blasszauer

    I was  extremely impressed by the energy, sophistication and humour of Janos' contribution in Toulouse. I am also very grateful for the large range of software tools his presentation introduced to us - many of which I hadn't heard of before.

    One phrase in his presentation really resonated with me.

    I strongly believe that the main goal in my teaching and project activities is that students can learn to function outside of the sheltered classroom environment, shifting the burden of learning from the teacher to the student.

    This is a view I share and one which almost suggests that the real promise of the ICT learning revolution could be to "deschool" society. Elsewhere John Simkin has spoken of the authoritarian elements of the "hidden curriculum" in schools.

    Is it possible that ICT could deliver education without schools??

    Thank you for your kind words, Andy. I have tried to do my best to come up to expectations. I am awfully sorry for not having been active on this list lately but I am snowed under with work. The large-scale European Schoolnet project, called Spring Day in Europe (more than 6000 schools have registered to it) is taking place this week and as the Hungarian advisor on the international advisory board I have a lot to do. But soon we will have Easter break and then I will write an article about some free online tools that could be exploited by educators. I have been on a constant lookout for such goodies for a while. :(

    And let me reflect 'briefly' on your thought-provoking question:

    I really think that a teacher's job is to raise curiosity towards the subject area/discipline he/she teaches.

    As Clay P. Bedford put it: "You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as

    long as he lives."

    I firmly believe that by using eclectic teaching methods and having a wide repertoire of tricks and techniques we can avoid our lessons to get in the rut. To my mind, technology can help break the monotony of teacher-centered instruction and allow the students to take charge for their learning. I firmly believe that with the help of ICT we can create such a supportive, inspiring, exciting atmosphere in the classroom -and even out of the clasroom- in which learning can take place. And I think that's the main point.

    I think by making use of ICT we can help our students to become more successful learners, even life-long learners.

    In a recent posting on the WAOE list (World Association for Online Education) Gianni Marconato have touched upon some issues we have also raised. I have highlighted the text which I've found highly relevant to our ongoing discussion. Here goes the text:" Within our group of 'learning with technologies' practitioners, we have been debating the use of the term 'e-learning' to designate the educational use of technologies. As members of many international mailing lists in the field, we realised that the term 'e-learning' is now much less frequently used that it once was. We have also noticed that within the titles of journals (printed and

    online), conferences, books and portals the term is disappearing and terms such

    as 'learning', 'teaching' and 'technology' are being employed instead. What are

    your thoughts on this phenomenon? If you agree with our perception of this,

    what is the cause of this change in terminology?

    Our view is as follows. - The failure of the 'e-learning approach' to enhance

    the learning experience (to use technologies for delivering contents/learning

    materials; to substitute analogical teaching/learning tools with digital ones)

    has created the change in terminology;

    - Within the 'community of practice' of the people who use technologies to

    improve the learning outcomes at the individual and the educational systems

    levels, there is a growing awareness of the necessity of adopting a more

    pedagogically-based approach than the technologically-based one adopted in the

    early e-learning era;

    - To demonstrate a tangible added-value in the use of technologies to justify

    the added-cost, it is necessary to adopt an operational model which uses

    technologies not only in the online/distance learning settings, but also in

    face-to-face learning settings;

    - The use of technologies to enhance learning does not have to be based on the

    use of costly courseware, but rather on simpler and cheaper digital documents

    (for organising and delivering contents) and on communications and

    collaboration tools not necessarily arranged under the form of a complex LMS."

    In the article I'll soon write I'll try to make it a point to argue for this very last remark Gianni Marconato made. And of course I will give brief descriptions of all the free educationals tools that I have found out there. :D

    Finally two quotes:

    ”Technology will not replace teachers, but teachers who use technology will probably replace those who do not” --Ray Clifford

    “Technology itself is not the curriculum. Technology is a key that opens opportunities for students to learn in the classroom. It is a way in which we can bridge what in the past have been large gorges that have separated students from opportunity.” --John Dossey, Illinois State University

    The role ICT has played in my teaching

    in E-Help Seminars

    Posted

    Thanks for these links Janos, I am also interested in the software package that you used for your presentation as I thought that it was really impressive. Could you post details of that too?

    Thanks for your kind note. Here goes some info on the software I used in Toulouse.

    Mindmanager X5 Pro

    http://www.mindjet.com/eu/

    It's a visual tool for planning and collaboration.

    You can have a free trial for 21 days.

    I'd alos like to call your attention to the Cmap tool which is a free software.

    I can highly recommend it. :-)

    Cmap tools

    http://cmap.ihmc.us/

    The CmapTools program empowers users to construct, navigate, share and criticize knowledge models represented as concept maps. It allows users to, among many other features, construct their Cmaps in their personal computer, share them on servers (CmapServers) anywhere on the Internet, link their Cmaps to other Cmaps on servers, automatically create web pages of their concept maps on servers, edit their maps synchronously (at the same time) with other users on the Internet, and search the web for information relevant to a concept map.

    The CmapTools client is free for use by anybody, whether its use is commercial or non-commercial. In particular, schools and universities are encouraged to download it and install it in as many computers as desired, and students and teachers may make copies of it and install it at home.

    NB.: I have put some materials online making use of this tool: http://www.eltandict.com/oral/erettsegi.html

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