baw-08 wiki / Threads Week 2

Dear Dafne, In one of your postings you mentioned observing a lesson in SL. I was wondering if it is possible to arrange not so much a tour but an observation of an English lesson in SL. I observed once an English lesson in SL but it seemed to me that the lesson wasn't dynamic enough. I felt a little bored and disappointed. (I couldn't understand why there was so much fuss about it then.) But at that time SL had no audio feature which they added in August, if I remember right. I'm very eager to see a good dynamic online lesson which both a teacher and his students are enjoying. I would really love to see SL in action! I think there will be a lot of people interested to do the observation. Thank you in advance. Best,

Elfina

leecywise
#1269
01/23/2008

Thanks for the welcome, Sasa! I look forward to diving in. Had a set back but I'm not forwarding onward
. Leecy

Marie Raye #1067 01/20/2008	Hi, Am really sorry to have missed the session. Had looked forward to being more active but my last exam for the semester is scheduled for today and was reviewing. Will read the summary, tho. Thanks for the summary. ---------------------------------
Jose Antonio da Silva #1074 01/21/2008	Hello Dear BaWers,If you want to follow up on your colleagues reflections on the liveTapped In tour we had yesterday, visit our bloghttp://baw08.wordpress.com/ <http://baw08.wordpress.com/>read your colleagues' comments and post yours. Those in Turkey, who arenot able to access Wordpress, can ask a friend to post his/her commentsof post directly to the yahoo group.Hugs to you all Jose Antonio
Christina Kwok #1078 01/21/2008	Same problem here, Monica, I can well relate, the tears, frustration, hairpulling and headbanging !! Jose tried to help me as best he could but my computer was crashing because of Java, I have since rebooted, uninstalled, reinstalled and I hope everything's A-Okay now but I guess I won't know till the next live, will I? Can somebody offer some suggestions? I do notice even once when there in the right place, it's not always transparent and obvious which room to go to. I see now that if you think you'll find things labelled BAW08, you're going to be sadly disappointed. The first one on Sunday 13 didn't say BAW at all but something like Webcast or Webstream, had Jeff Lebow inside so thought I was in the right place. Last nite's one had Becoming a Webhead in action so again thought that must be the right one but still not sure as I got in late after reinstallation of Java so who knows.............?? Any pointers here, anyone? christina. Non-text portions of this message have been removed
Dafne #1095 01/21/2008	Hi Christina,To learn how to use TI, you don´t need to identify anysession or group. Just ask: how do I open an officehere?, or whatever question you have about theplatform, and I am sure they will lead you through theprocess, as they have done with other participants ofthis session who wisely went to TI before the session.They offer tours at different times that you can alsoattend. If you go through the chatlog, you will alsofind the instructions given by BJ during our tour. InTapped In, BaW does not have an office of our own, weare part of the Webheads in Action group.HTH, Daf
Jose Antonio Da Silva #1114 (Response to #1095) 01/21/2008	Hello Cristina, In Tapped In, there are about hundreds of different groups. BaW08 and Webheads is just one of them. Somebody who is online might be on these groups or not, but many people there are very likely to be able to help you with technical tips. You can always click on the tab HELP and see the names of the help desk staff. I fyou find one of them online, they will be very pleased to help you. Hugs José
Jose Antonio Da Silva #1105 01/21/2008	Hello Marie,There will be a second opportunity. The webheads always meet at Tapped In every Sunday at 12 GMT. Just drop by next time and you will meet some of us and get familiar with the tool.Hugs José Antônio http://thomasja.wordpress.com http://joseantoniook.edublogs.org
Jose Antonio da Silva #1140 01/22/2008	Hello Everyone,I was just wondering what would be some ways of using Tapped In for teaching. Have thought of any possible ways of using it with your students? Kind regards JA
Nina Liakos #1150 01/22/2008	I like using Tapped In for informal chats with my f2f class (often asa warm-up activity at the beginning of the lab class, sometimes withwebhead "guests" but so far not successfully outside of class) andwith former students who participated in a 2-week summer program herein Maryland and are now back home in Japan (a few of us chat aboutonce a month--the next one is in about 15 minutes!).I find it is most successful if done a few times with me in the roomhelping them find the office, detach the chat, change the font, etc. After that they can do it from other locations.I use my own office, NinaTL_Ofc, for these chats. Nina
Dennis Oliver #1152 (Response to #1150) 01/22/2008	Hi, Nina--and everyone.In baw08@yahoogroups.com (message #1150), you wrote:I like using Tapped In for informal chats with my f2f class (often asawarm-up activity at the beginning of the lab class, sometimes withwebhead "guests" but so far not successfully outside of class) andwith former students who participated in a 2-week summer program herein Maryland and are now back home in Japan (a few of us chat aboutonce a month--the next one is in about 15 minutes!).COMMENTS:The chats that I've attended with you and your students were goodexperiences. The students are often a little bit unsure of things atfirst, but they quickly learn how to join and participate in the chatand soon become quite engaged in it. I think they like the experienceof chatting online.I hope to join you in your chat today, by the way! I find it is most successful if done a few times with me in the roomhelping them find the office, detach the chat, change the font, etc.After that they can do it from other locations.COMMENTS:Yes, like everything else, there's a learning curve for TI chat (as wefound out yesterday), but once you learn the basic commands and thebasic ways to navigate through TI (or any online activity orplatform), everyone's "comfort level" increases and then everyonebecomes as involved as he or she wants to be.I use my own office, NinaTL_Ofc, for these chats.NinaCOMMENTS:I hope to see you soon! Dennis in Phoenix
Dafne #1156 (Response to #1152) 01/22/2008	Hi all,Aiden Yeh a dear webhead friend and colleague fromTaiwan has carried out very interesting collaborativeprojects at TI. This is one of them:What`s in a name:http://www.geocities.com/aidenyeh/shih_chien/2ndsem/whatsinaname/Btw, Aiden will be our guest speaker together withRita Zeinstejer in week 6, to talk about blendedlearning. Daf
Jose Antonio Da Silva #1159 (Response to #1156) 01/22/2008	Hi Nina,A nice way of using Tapped In. I use a chat in the intranet with my students to review structures or as a warm up. I have never used Tapped In for this purpuse. I thin one advantage Tapped In is having the chatlog sent to your e-mail. You could get that transcript anddo othr activies with it. Thanks a lot José Antônio http://thomasja.wordpress.com http://joseantoniook.edublogs.org
Natalia #1164 (Response to #1159) 01/22/2008	This is a very nice idea, thank you, Nina. When Are you there in your office so that I can drop in. I missed the tapped in session on Sunday. I couldn't make it Natalia
Natalia #1167 01/22/2008	I looked, a very interesting project. May be I could do some coolaborative project for my students. I teach pre-service EFL primary and pre-primary teachers in Russia, St Petersburg. Natalia
Fernanda Rodrigues #1176 01/22/2008	Hi NinaIf you missed the tapped in session you can still read the chat loghere:http://baw-08.pbwiki.com/ti-tourBesides that, the webheads always meet at Tapped In every Sunday at 12GMT. Just drop by next time and see how it works. Fernanda
Nina Liakos #1184 (Response to #1176) 01/22/2008	Hi Natasha, since I am not normally at Tapped In, it is best to set upa time when we can meet there. How about 1700GMT tomorrow (Wednesday)? If Natasha can make it, I'd like to extend an invitation for anyoneelse to meet as well. We can start in Reception and move to NinaTL_Ofc. Nina
Ronaldo Lima, Jr. #1186 (Response to #1184) 01/22/2008	I'll be there, Nina. Ronaldo
Nina Liakos #1188 (Response to #1186) 01/22/2008	Great, Ronaldo! See you then, then! Nina
Natalia #1194 (Response to #1188) 01/22/2008	Hi, Nina !Tnanks a lot for your kind invitation. I can make it tomorrow at 5GMT. It would be great to invite other people who missed Sunday. Iam looking forward to it Natalia
marina Marina #1244 01/23/2008	I've been reading these wonderful ideas you've given. I'd never used these toolsbefore!As regards how to use it with MY students, impossible. We don't have acomputer lab and people ~~adults~~ come twice a week, 3 hs per week. Furthermore,not everybody has a pc.Anyway, I've thought of an activity. Here it goes:a- I'd send a group of students to Tapped-in. Let's say 16 sts.b- I'd receive them in a certain room, but i'd reserve two.c- They'll take part in a quizz show.d- Given the instructions, they'll divide in two groups, 2 rooms. They'll begiven 30 minutes.e- Each group will have to think of 10 questions. Here we'll think about thetopic. It might be about historical events, celebrities, etc.f- The facilitator will be present in case sts need help.g- After that, they'll connect to skype. It could also the following class-e- here, they'll connect in pairs. Ask each other questions . . . And thewinner is . . .You'll say if it's too hilarious.Another use:Teachers in Argentina need to work in more than one place and sometimes theseplaces are in different parts of the city. And this is a really big city!In my school, for ex, there are courses from 9 am to 10 pm. and more thean 100teachers So, when there's a teachers' meeting very few can make itSkype sounds like the perfect solution to this problem.warmly, Marina Alfonso
Jose Antonio Da Silva #1248 01/23/2008	Hi Marina,We really appreciate the fact that you liked the ideas the participants haveposted here. Nonetheless, I just loved your idea for a Taped In activity. It isreally good. Chats generally produce meaningful communication if used to performtasks such as the ones you have described.Having computers and broadband connection is still a problem in may schools inBrazil too. Teachers here also work long hours and burnout is frequent.Thanks for your great contribution to the group. José Antônio http://thomasja.wordpress.com http://joseantoniook.edublogs.org
marina Marina #1249 01/23/2008	I've been reading these wonderful ideas you've given. I'd never used these tools before! As regards how to use it with MY students, impossible. We don't have a computer lab and people ~~adults~~ come twice a week, 3 hs per week. Furthermore, not everybody has a pc.Anyway, I've thought of an activity. Here it goes:a- I'd send a group of students to Tapped-in. Let's say 16 sts.b- I'd receive them in a certain room, but i'd reserve two.c- They'll take part in a quizz show. d- Given the instructions, they'll be divided into two groups, 2 rooms. They'll be given 30 minutes.e- Each group will have to think of 10 questions. Here we'll think about the topic. It might be about historical events, celebrities, etc.f- The facilitator will be present in case sts need help.g- After that, they'll connect to skype. It could also be done the following class-e- here, they'll connect in pairs. Ask each other questions . . . And the winner is . . .You'll say if it's too hilarious.Another use:Teachers in Argentina need to work in more than one place and sometimes these places are in different parts of the city. And this is a really big city!In my school, for ex, there are courses from 9 am to 10 pm. and more thean 100 teachers So, when there's a teachers' meeting very few can make itSkype sounds like the perfect solution to this problem. warmly, Marina Alfonso
Ronaldo Lima, Jr. #1296 01/24/2008	Hello everybody!I'd like to congratulate and thank Nina Liakos for the amazing second-chacetour she gave at Tapped-in yesterday. Many participants who weren't able toattend the first tour could then get a pretty good glance at Tapped-in andits main features. Ronaldo

anniebreckenridge #1072 01/20/2008	Hi all again,I loved the live session yesterday at Tapped In! What a feat tomanage all those inquisitive people and stay sane! Chapeau BjB!I have a simple question about posting my intro on the wiki, sorry!! I don't know how to resize my photo. I briefly pasted it in but ittook up half the page so I hastily removed it! Most of my photos arein "my photos" on my pc and I also use picasa 2 on my pc with a fewphotos on a private picasa webalbum. I think it's the 'private' factthat is the problem... possibly. I only seem to get the "do you wishto resize" option for sending via email, otherwise I can't find theoption.Is there an idiot's guide anywhere? :-)Sorry if this has already been covered. Anne
Saša Sirk #1076 (Response to #1072) 01/21/2008	Dear Anne, have a look here http://baw-08.pbwiki.com/PreSessionThreads#79 - you should find some recipes which helped others (not Picassa though).Hope that helps, Saša
Mariana De Luca #1092 01/21/2008	Hi! I know we are past this subject but I'm still trying to digest last week activities. I posted my profile on wiki participants but I couldn't make my picture smaller. I used thumbnails as suggested. The picture saved in the files show the sizes I want but when I put the link in the wiki it shows a different size.I don't know what to do, can anybody help me? Thanks
Ronaldo Lima, Jr. #1093 (Response to #1092) 01/21/2008	Hi Mariana!There is an easy way to resize pictures using a software that already comeswith Windows. Here are the steps:1- open the folder which has the pictures you want resized2- right-click the picture, choose "open with", and open it using "MicrosoftPhoto Editor"3- Once in the editor, click on "image" and then "resize"4- change the measurement unit for pixels (if necessary) and type the newsize you want (100x100 is fine)5- don't forget to save it with a different name, for example:mariana_resized6- upload it to the wiki (or any other server) and add the link to theparticipants galleryHope to have helped.Kind regards from Brazil, Ronaldo
Dafne #1098 (Response to #1093) 01/21/2008	There is another way, Mariana.If you have uploaded your photo to our YG photosection. Click on the thumbnail created by YG (use themouse right button, select "save picture as" to saveit to you computer, then upload this photo to thewiki.HTH, Daf
Jose Antonio Da Silva #1110 (Response to #1098) 01/21/2008	Hi Mariana,I will acces the wiki and resize it for you. Hugs José Antônio http://thomasja.wordpress.com http://joseantoniook.edublogs.org
Jose Antonio Da Silva #1116 (Response to #1110) 01/21/2008	Hi Mariana,Your picture is great and it is the right size. I just inserted a last \| sign to box the text. It looks great now. Check it out. I also added you to my yahoo contacts. Feel free to conatct me if you need any help.Hugs José Antônio
Jose Antonio Da Silva #1107 01/21/2008	Hi Anne again,Here is the instruction on using yahoo to resize your picture given by Dafne:Our YG photo section can also be used to get thumbnails:* Upload your photo to the photo section (YG creates a thumbnail of your photo) Save this photo to your computer (use right mouse - select save as) upload it to the wiki publish it (Daf) If you have trouble doing it, you can send it to my email and I will resize it and place it there for you. Hugs José Antônio http://thomasja.wordpress.com http://joseantoniook.edublogs.org
Jose Antonio Da Silva #1109 (Response to #1107) 01/21/2008	Hello Annie,I agree with you. The session with BJB was stupendous. Kat has created a blog post about the session and you are welcome to post your reflexions there.http://baw08.wordpress.com/"> http://baw08.wordpress.com/The easiest way to resize your picture is uploading it to the yahoo groups. When you do that you will get a thumbnail, than it is just copy the URL and paste it the wiki place designated for the photo. In case it doesn´t work for you, in the threads for week1 under RESIZE YOUR PICTURE there lots of suggestions http://baw-08.pbwiki.com/Week1ThreadsIf you need any extra help, just let us know. My skype ID joseantoniook José Antônio
anniebreckenridge #1121 01/21/2008

Ronaldo Lima, Jr. #1088 (Response to #1085) 01/21/2008	Hi Mariana!Skype also has text chat, but in order to call other people you do need amic and speakers (or headphone, which is even better). However, you canstill attend today's live session without a mic, because it will bestreamed, but you will need speakers.Kind regards from Brazil, Ronaldo
Cristina Costa #1108 01/21/2008	Marina,you will need a headset if you wnat to skype with voice. still you can use skype for text chat and sharing of files. I found this feature very important in skype because the files can be transferred very quickly thru skype. Navysternchen : my skype IDCris
Jose Antonio Da Silva #1111 (Response to #1108) 01/21/2008	Hi Marina,Great You have downloaded yahoo. Concerning skype, you will need a headset if you want to use the voice feature (to talk to someone). If you are chatting to one person only you kieep listening to an echo. In a conference it will practically impossible to use the voice chat. Don´t worry, you can use the text chat till you get a mike. Tonight for example we will have text and voice chat. YOu will be able to listen everything, but won´t be able to use the voice chat.Hugs José Antônio http://thomasja.wordpress.com http://joseantoniook.edublogs.org
Jose Antonio Da Silva #1117 01/21/2008	Hi Dennis and Ronaldo,Thanks you so much for the clear concise explanations.ABraçosJosé Antônio http://thomasja.wordpress.com http://joseantoniook.edublogs.org
Natalia #1163 01/22/2008	I discovered Skype a week ago and I love it (Christina Costa taught me!!) I am interested how any of WEbheads use Skype. I see the following possibilities ( just ideas!!)Teaching Listening and Conversation1 one to one modea) The conversation. The conversation follows the chat ( the written text is is a kind of saying out the written text( chat)b) Teaching Responses in the Conversationthe chat offers a number of responses to the questions and the tutor asks the question and the student has to say the adequete response.I could go on with possibilities but it looks to me now they are all transferred from the "tradtional classroom". 2) group speaking. I think that it is a challenging thing both for the teacher and the learner.This fits more into the free practice stage for teaching ConversationBut then the question is what are the benefits for Skype apart from the fact that people can learn and teach at a distance.And what are the drawbacks/ pitfalls for using Skype for teaching languages?Can anyone share the experience of using SKYPE in THE EFL classroom ?Many thanks , Natalia
Dafne #1165 (Response to #1163) 01/22/2008	Hi Natalia, I have been using skype since it wascreated back in November 2003. You can see here a webpage where I tell about my experience:http://www.geocities.com/dafne_gonzalez/wia/playing_with_skype.htmlI have also used skype for dictations in privatetutoring. I say a sentence and the student write it onthe text-chat and then reads it. Also, I write asentence/paragraph and the student reads out loud. So, Skype is good for reading, writing, listening andspeaking. Cheers ,Daf
Natalia #1169 01/22/2008	Thank you Daf,Wonderful ideas !I have a file now named "Ideas for Using SKYPE". I'' ll put yours there. Natalia
Sally La Luzerne #1197 01/22/2008	Hi Natalia,I haven't used Skype in my classes, but I recently read an article "Making Skype more than just another desktop icon" by Ben Redmond. The article introduces The MIXXER which is a language exchange community for teachers and students using Skype. You can find more information at http://www.language-exchanges.org/login.aspxIf any of you have used it, I would be interested in hearing your impressions.Best wishes, Sally
Evelyn Izquierdo #1198 (Response to #1197) 01/22/2008	Daf and Natalia:You've given me some wonderful and useful ideas. Thanks! I thought that Skype was really good for speaking and listening, but hadn't realize that it is pretty good for reading and writing too. So, I think it can also be good for translation and interpretation purposes. ;-)By the way, how do you record a text chat in Skype? Is it like a Yahoo conference with voice? I've never done it. Thank you very much in advance! Evelyn
Natalia #1200 (Response to #1198) 01/22/2008	Dear Evelyn,Thanks, your ideas are very interesting. But do you have any personal experience for using SKYPe for Language teaching. Could you oplease explain more. I am collecting examples and ideas.Thanks, Natalia
Dafne #1201 (Response to #1200) 01/22/2008	Hi Eve,Text-chat in skype is automatically recorded just likein YM. Select "view chat history" (after placing thecursor over the person you chatted with using theright mouse button, you will see differentalternatives).Chatlogs are saved to your computer.HTH, Daf
Jose Antonio Da Silva #1202 (Response to #1201) 01/22/2008	Hi Evelyn,In skype, when you chat in skype, there is way to get the transcripts from your chat.Abraços José Antônio http://thomasja.wordpress.com http://joseantoniook.edublogs.org
Evelyn Izquierdo #1206 (Response to #1202) 01/22/2008	Dear Natalia: I've never used Skype with my students. In fact, I'm a Skype newbie. I've just used it for some meetings with colleagues. Until today, I hadn't realized that Skype is a great resource to teach reading and writing too. I teach ESP to students who major in Education. Their written and oral skills in English are very basic. I'm thinking about what to do. Uhmmm... Evelyn
Natalia #1208 (Response to #1206) 01/22/2008	He, EvelynI teach primary and pre-primary EFl teachers and Masters students specialising in EFL. I am also thinking what to do ~~" Two heads are better than one"~~
Fernanda Rodrigues #1211 (Response to #1208) 01/22/2008	Hi EvelynYou can choose either to have a chat history or not.Choose Tools/options/Chats ans SMS/chat settings:No history/ Keep chat history forever/2 weeks, etcYou can also clear the chat history; it may be useful for privacy~reasons in public computers. Fernanda
Mary #1214 (Response to #1211) 01/22/2008	I use skype and msn for online tutoring and translation help.Students canrecord individual voice clips in msn to save for listening to later.Using msn or skype or yahoo voice messenger for minimal pair practice inpronunciation is effective. It took one of my online learners several triesto perfect the pronunciation of a word. I am attaching the raw datatranscript of our tutoring session. I learned last night how to record askype call using Sony Sound Forge. I am attaching an excerpt of ourconversation.I used skype today to translate a learner's resume. We spoke when needed toclarify terms. I used mS Word track changes to edit his rough draft. Weexchanged the Word documents via the send file funtion.I prefer the MSN sharing folders because one can send large files such aspowerpoints, just by dragging them to the desktop from the sharing folder.The transfer is instaneous instead of the time consiming file transferoption.
Hala #1215 (Response to #1214) 01/22/2008	Hi Mary,Thanks for sharing experience and those very useful tips with the group!
Mary #1217 (Response to #1215) 01/22/2008	ok. If the files are too large to upload, I am hoping to turn the raw datainto a web page with sound (learning curve for me) adn I can post the linktothe group then. Who do we have to contact for permission to upload files?
Hala #1219 (Response to #1217) 01/22/2008	No permission needed!Go ahead! Hala
Hala #1221 (Response to #1219) 01/22/2008	It's me again!You can use YouSendIt, a tool used to send large files ( no download )http://www.yousendit.com/Then, you can only post a link to the "Link" section on the YG.Hope this would be of help. Hala
Hala #1235 01/23/2008	It's me again!You can use YouSendIt, a tool we use to send large files ( no download )http://www.yousendit.com/Then, you can only post a link to the "Link" section on the YG.Hope this would be of help. Hala
Natalia Malkina #1241 (Response to #1235) 01/23/2008	Dear Mary,Thak you very much for the attention you gave to thisdiscussion about Skype. Could you teach me hoe torecord Skype calls ( conversations?) Natalia
Mary #1246 (Response to #1241) 01/23/2008	There are two ways to record that I know of. Audacity is a free recordingsoftware. http://audacity.sourceforge.net/. To record a skype call you haveto configure skype to NOT automatically adjust sound levels (because skypemutes something, preventing recording).It is also possible to download sony sound forge software, but it has atrial version only for 30 days.http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/products/soundforgefamily.aspWith both software programs you only need to click on the red record button,then iniciate teh skype call. In sound forge a window pops up and you needto click on the record button in that window.I followed this tutorialhttp://blog.iamnotashamed.net/2006/03/31/5-steps-to-record-a-skype-call-with-audacity-free/my version of audacity did not have the option to choose soundmixer, butapparently it is teh default in my version ecause it wroked.Let me know if you have any questions or wan to call me to reord a skypecall.
anniebreckenridge #1258 01/23/2008	Hi again, I got some experience of Skype last year when I took part in a European 3 language project where native speakers of English, Spanish and German helped non native speakers through moodle and Skype exercises. www.e-tridem.net. We found that most participants said Skype was what they had enjoyed most in the project. We formed groups of 3 adult language learners from the UK, Spain and Germany. For example, in weeks one and two we practiced German and had 2 Skype calls together to discuss a task we were collaborating on in Moodle. Our guide and helper for that task was the native German speaker in our trio or "tridem". Next 2 weeks we had a Spanish task with the Spanish participant keeping us right and speaking to us on Skype at mutually agreed times. The last 2 weeks it was the English task and I was responsible for the moodle task and initiated the 2 skype calls and kept things going. As we were speaking on Skype we could also write at the same time in the chat box. Sometimes we had technical problems eg a headset wouldn't work so the written element was really important as the person who couldn't speak could at least hear and write responses. It was fun, it was real and it was international - and it was free! And as has already been mentioned here, you could take a copy of the transcript (of the written element only) to analyse and work on weaknesses later. OK, I wasn't in the UK at the time but what did that matter? I'm going to organize similar groups of learners and continue with the principles of the project. Clearly, you need to have a certain proficiency in the 2 foreign languages (we were language teachers)to hold a conversation but you could do it with 2 instead of 3 or just adapt the principle to your own students eg with very simple tasks and liaise with a class in another institution abroad. Can you imagine getting them to spell out names and addresses to each other for example! That would teach 'em! Learning by doing. Annie B
Jose Antonio Da Silva #1265 (Response to #1258) 01/23/2008	Hi Annie,The experience you shared about using skype illustrates the usefulness of these tools for learning. Technology can be frustrating sometimes, but it makes things real and it is effective for teaching.Tahnks for sharing this rich annecdote with usKind regards José Antônio http://thomasja.wordpress.com http://joseantoniook.edublogs.org
akaddar1 #1267 (Response to #1265) 01/23/2008	Hi Annie and allAnother instance of skype is skypecast (somehow like paltalk). Skypecast may be used as a useful tool to online instruction .If you have a skype account you can create you own skypecast The new versions of skype allow you to manage your skypecasts .When creating your Skypecast, you'll be prompted to enter a title and description and a name . You set its duration ,its starting time and its end .You may keep your skypecast unseen to public ;You can simply send the link to your students in an email to join you. As a moderator of your skypecast , you'll be able to mute or unmute selected participants or all participants. When participants are muted, they can request the microphone if they wish to speak. You can use text chat to communicate with them before you allow them to talk . You can even eject a participant from your skypecast in case of inappropiate behaviour. So long

Silvia Colombo #1119 01/21/2008	Hi Daf, Thank you for your quick answer. Now I have another problem Java. I don´t know if I have it, I click on the java logo for an update. And it says that a subprogram is in operation. Then it says ready. A question: When getting to the chat what do I have to see on the screen? Thanks a lot for bothering you. Perhaps I should download java all the same. Silvia. ---------------------------------
Dafne #1128 (Response to #1119) 01/21/2008	Hi Silvia,Try this page:http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jspSorry I did not reply before I was observing a classin SL :-)If you have Java, it will tell you. Maybe you don´thave the latest version. You can try going to the chatroom now, before the session, if you can enter thechat room, you are ok ;-)hugs, Daf
Jeff Lebow #1130 (Response to #1128) 01/21/2008	Hello Silvia, Just in case you're using Windows Vista, there are sometimes extrachallenges associated with using Java. If that's the case, you canfind some help info at:http://forums.addoninteractive.com/showpost.php?s=baf3760276d2c55e4945b0cf4cf14cde&p=15424&postcount=8There is also a general help screencast for using our chat room at: http://worldbridges.net/screencasts/textchathelp/index.htmlIn case you still can't get in to the main chat, we will be monitoringthe backup chat at: http://webheadsinaction.org/chat2Good luck, Jeff
Silvia Colombo #1143 01/22/2008	Dear Daf, Jeff and all, Thank you a lot for your guidelines. Yesterday I tried to be on the live session but I couldn't. I managed to enter chat room 2 as a guest. I couln't listen to the Webcast on the right. Is it called like thi? Then I decided to download Java and now it is in my PC. Today I tried and I could enter to chat room 1: It said:"Welcome to Worldbridges chatroom" I believe next time I will be able to both listen and take part. Sorry for bothering you, but all this is new to me and it takes time to handle it. One more question: On the right there is a TV screen, could I have listened to it without having java? Thanks a lot, Silvia from Argentina.
Nina Liakos #1146 (Response to #1143) 01/22/2008	I have Vista on my new home PC and have had no problems using Java sofar, knock on wood. Nina
Silvia Colombo #1144 01/22/2008	Dear Jose Antonio and all, I missed the big event due to lack of experience with Java program. I'm eager to listen to the recording. I hope next time I can manage. Thanks a lot! Silvia from Argentina.
Jose Antonio Da Silva #1157 (Response to #1154) 01/22/2008	Hi Silvia,It happens with everyone. Technology is never 100% reliable. The "wonderful" in my entrance doesn´t mean perfect or flawless. I think it has more to do with my enthusiasm. It was great because of the learning, but I also lost my audio a couple of times. Ronaldo also lost his, and some other people just got to the skype text chat and couldn´t listen to streaming. So we paused U-stream and opened windows, some people tried i-tunes. It was a productive chaos. This frustratin that we feel is also part of our learning. There was a moment that everything was so perfect: the sound was crystal clear (for most part of it, it was like that), then the problems started, but we managed to go around learning with these mishaps. Don´t worry, you have been doing a great job contributing to this session and I am sure you will have a chance to be in the next time. We will have plenty of opportunities to learn and test out these tools.Hugs José Antônio http://thomasja.wordpress.com http://joseantoniook.edublogs.org
Fernanda Rodrigues #1178 (Response to #1177) 01/22/2008	Hi SilviaYou don't bother at all when you ask questions. That's why we are allhere, isn't it? To ask, learn and share.I really don´t know if you could have listened to it without java, butnext time click on the TV screen to see what happens. Fernanda

Yuly #1138 01/22/2008	Hi everybody, Does anybody know how to post/include/embed an audio file or a voice file in a wiki? I am designing a wiki to work with readings in Spanish and I would like to include a sound file of the reading that my students could play while reading the text. Any ideas? Yuly
Sharon Betts #1141 (Response to #1138) 01/22/2008	Hello Yuly,There are several tools that can be used (week 4 you will learn some). You will see a short Evoca introduction at the top of Activities for Week 4.http://evoca.com/First you must register for Evoca.After logging into the site - Click on Create using a microphone (you can also call in from your telephone). The Create link is on the right side.Record your message and save.Click the Title of the Message - you will see an html buttonClick this button to get the code to embed into your wiki. Sharon
Nina Liakos #1149 01/22/2008	Is there an easy way to alphabetize those profiles on the wiki? It'sreally daunting to try to find someone quickly.
Dafne #1151 (Response to #1149) 01/22/2008	Yes, Nina, it can be done manually. However, I thinkthat if people need to look for the place to inserttheir profiles there are more chances to deleteinformation. We have been having this problem evenwhen participants need to add their info after thelast profile that was introduced. I don´t know howmany times I have had to revert the page to previousversions or to add profiles which have been deleted. I would also like to have it organized alphabetically,but I think that when we are learning about a newtool, we need to be less demanding while we get someexpertise on its use.My 2 cents ;-) hugs, Daf
Dafne #1155 01/22/2008	Hi Yuly,While we get to week 4, you can take a look at thispage:http://baw-08.pbwiki.com/voice_and_textchatI have been using wikis for my blended and onlinecourses for some years now, and I embed videos, voiceapplications, calendars, screencasts, graphicorganizers, interactive exercises, surveys, maps, andwhatever is embeddable ;-)Cheers, Daf
Fernanda Rodrigues #1166 (Response to #1155) 01/22/2008	Hi YuliCan you tell us what wiki you are using? It may depend on the wiki. Forexample, with wetpaint you can include it as an attachment. Fernanda
Teresa Almeida d'Eca #1168 01/22/2008	Dear Nina,I totally second Daf's point of view that is already daunting enough for newbiews or newcomers to wikis. What I suggest you do - I did it just now because I couldn't find Margarida, my friend and colleague at school - is go to the "Find" menu in the browser and keyboard the person's name.Hugs, Teresa
Fernanda Rodrigues #1170 (Response to #1168) 01/22/2008	Hi NinaIf you know the name of the person you want to find you can perform asearch in the browser: Edit/Find in this pageI hope it helps Fernanda
Kat Urbaniak #1171 (Response to #1170) 01/22/2008	Nina,what I do is copy the table of contents from the participants page andpaste it into an Excel spreadsheet and then click A-Z to sort it. ThenI have an alphabetised list where I can click on any person's name toopen the participants page at the right place. Kat
Dafne #1172 01/22/2008	Great idea, Kat! Thanks for sharing :-) Daf
Nina Liakos #1187 (Response to #1172) 01/22/2008	Great ideas all! Notice, Daf, I asked for an EASY way.... Like youcan alphabetize with one click in Excel or a word table, I thoughtmaybe.... but I guess not. Anyway the Find option is good; I didn'tknow about that! Thanks. Nina
yya #1181 01/22/2008	Hi,Thanks a lot for your help. I am using wetpaint for my wiki, so I am going to try the attachment, and the other tools you have mentioned to see what works better for me.
Dafne #1183 (Response to #1181) 01/22/2008	Hi Yuly,Wetpaint has a feature to embed widgets. However it isvery restrictive (few options), and you cannot usewikistyle or HTML only the WYSIWYG editor, not tomention all the ads :-( Daf
Fernanda Rodrigues #1190 (Response to #1183) 01/22/2008	Hi DafThere's a wetpaint option which is ad free:http://www.wetpaint.com/category/Education--Ad-Freebut I agree that having no html editor is a limitation; however you can insertYoutube videos and slideshare. Fernanda
Yuly #1196 01/22/2008	Dafne,Thanks a lot for the help. I tried viewpoint and it works well for my purposes. Since you are teaching Spanish and I think there's someone else teaching it during the summers, I want to share my wiki with the group:http://leyendoenspa102.wetpaint.com/

Jose Antonio Da Silva #1238 01/23/2008	Good morning/afternoon/evening everyone,The discussion on using Skype and tapped In was really something. I am amazed by seein how productive it has been. I was wondering if any of you use popular chat tools such as MSN or Yahoo Messenger or any other your classes and how you use them. Kind regards
Jose Antonio da Silva #1263 01/23/2008	Hello Everyone, I was just thinking about one of the readings for this week and some issues involved in using popular chat providers (such as MSN/Yahoo/Google Talk in classroom. Do you have experience using them? How do you do it? Thanks a lot Jose Antonio
Sharon Betts #1279 (Response to #1263) 01/23/2008	In our schools many of these chat rooms are blocked. However, I have found that by picking one like MeeboRooms for example - and convincing everyone to unblock it - you can have very successful conversations with students and parents. I embed the chat into a webpage or virtual classroom (we use Moodle, but others would also work). Sharon
Jose Antonio Da Silva #1280 (Response to #1279) 01/23/2008	Hi Sharon,That is the biggest problem. In the school where I teach they are also blocked. That is why finding alternatives like Meebo or Tapped In is important. I have never used Meebo though. Thanks for sharing José Antônio http://thomasja.wordpress.com http://joseantoniook.edublogs.org
Ibrahim Rustamov #1283 01/23/2008	Hello Jose and webheads!Personally I use the so called "Pidgin" IM client that supports several accounts. For example, if you have Yahoo, MSN, ICQ, Google Talk, IRC and other IM software, you have probably lots of software installed in your computer. But it is possible to use only one Pidgin and be online in all of your accounts at the same time now. But there are some disadvantages as not having video or audio features of Yahoo or MSN in Pidgin.Find out more at pidgin.imHugs, Ibrahim
Jose Antonio Da Silva #1285 (Response to #1283) 01/23/2008	Salam Ibrahim,Wow! I didn't know of Pidgin. I have already bookmarked it http://www.pidgin.im/ . It seems really interesting. Just a curiosity. Have you used it in class? If so, what kind of tasks did you do?Hugs José Antônio http://thomasja.wordpress.com http://joseantoniook.edublogs.org
Cristina Costa #1302 (Response to #1285) 01/24/2008	Sharon,you might also want to try the html version of some chat rooms, which usually are able to trick the firewall: http://e-messenger.net/hope it works for you. it has for me! ;-) Cris
Yuly #1303 01/24/2008	I am new to the use of Skype and I can see a lot of potential in the classroom. I was thinking on its use in testing. Assuming that we are interested in performance assessment and what students can actually do with the language, it would be nice to use skype to pair our students with other learners of the L2 around the world to solve language tasks over skype. Conversations could be recorded and assessed by teachers using a rubric containing not only the traditional grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and fluency aspects, but also features such as task completion, negotiation of meaning and strategies used to complete task, etc. I feel the sense of achievement and motivation of our students can increase, because we are assessing their actual communicative abilities. This sounds ideal, however it's worth noting that some challenges may be faced: a) All students should have access to internet. A fast connection would facilitate the interactions. b) Finding students at the same level or a little beyond (i + 1). c) Design relevant tasks to students interest and curriculum content. d) Design a reliable rubric. e) Can we record such conversations over Skype or use other tools? The list could be long, but I think it would be interesting to try the idea to see what other challenges could arise and if the benefits are greater than the costs.
Rita Zeinstejer #1309 01/24/2008	Hi, Yuli. Very good ideas in your comment. I have used Skype with my students for joint projects with teachers and students from different countries, and all students involved (and teachers!)have enjoyed the experience. You point out several tips to make it a really succesful session, which are very important, such as pairing students of the same age and language level. This would be the basic and first condition, or else the project will fail. MOTIVATION is as important, since only if students find the topic appealing will they participate with intrinsec interest. I guess this is the most demanding part, as each group will pose different challenges, which we, teachers should pay heed to.In general, all students at an upper-intermediate level will be interested in cultural differences, having to do with topics concerning their age. I remember one project I carried out with Buthaina, an EFL teacher in Kuwait, which was so successful that the day my students met on Skype, after having interacted asynchronously in a blog through text, they got such a thrill that they didn't want to leave the session!!!And this is what we should try to gain from experiences like this, students' zest to carry out the task through which they'll not only practise the language but learn as well while enjoying the whole process. Our main concern should be finding the right topic and designing a good activity to arouse learners' attention and willingness to participate actively without their feeling it's a "compulsory task" they have to comply with.My two cents here. Good luck in your choices!! Rita
Masoud Amiri #1354 01/25/2008	Hi Yuly,The idea of using Skype as a tool for performance testing(or assessment)sounds great but I think there are some factors which call for moreconsideration. You know, when it comes to testing we need to follow somesort of stardards or say criteria. So what are our criteria forconsidering the skype conversation as a sample of speaking skill? Another issue that might concern us is how we define operationally theconstruct we want to test--which performance do want to test? The other thing that worries me is the extraneous factors that mightcontribute to the invalidity of the test such as the interruptions in theconversations because of the technology problems. These interruptions willnegatively affect the students' performance.Despite all these challenges, I do believe Skype and YM are among the besttools that develop confidence in the students regarding their ability toconverse in a second language in a stress-free environment. Masoud
Dafne #1358 (Response to #1354) 01/25/2008	Dear Rita and Yuly,I agree with your arguments, except with the one thatyou need to have students of the same level for theproject not to fail. I believe, due to my own experience in the classroom,f2f and in blended courses, that heterogenous groupsare ideal to promote real interaction, scaffolding andnegotiation of meaning, two important aspects forlanguage learning to take place, acording to SLAtheories and to our experience at the university withour English for architecture and urban planningstudents. Chatlogs are a wonderful source of data tostudy interaction, scaffolding and negotiation ofmeaning. I wonder what others think about this.hugs, Daf
Dennis Oliver #1379 01/26/2008	Hello to Yuly, Rita, and Dafne.I agree with both Rita and Dafne on whether students have to be at thesame proficiency level if Skype conversations are to work as vehiclesfor language learning. In my own experience with Skype conversations(including the one we had with Jeff Lebow here in BaW08), I think anumber of factors come into play, among them-- participants' confidence in using Skype and/or a particular language;-- participants' willingness to take risks and speak even when theyknows that there may be mistakes;-- participants' awareness that each should monitor how long she/hespeaks; -- the number of participants in a Skype conversation;-- participants' abilities to make adjustments "on the fly" to theiraudio settings.If a particular group is small and fairly homogeneous with respect tolanguage proficiency, confidence in USING a language, willingness todiscard a fear of making mistakes, and willing to "yield the floor"when two or more begin to speak at the same time, Skype conversationsusually flow smoothly and exhibit a high degree of interaction. Ifthese factors are unbalanced (and they certainly can be, even whenstudents are roughly equal in any of these or other skills), theconversations can STILL be highly participatory for all involved . . .with skillful facilitation by the teacher:-- You made a good point, Kiko. Do you agree, Ahmad?-- I'm not sure that I understand what you mean, Tomoko. Eun-suk, canyou clarify what Tomoko said?-- Group 2's response was quite different from the responses fromGroup 1 and Group 3. Group 3, do you agree or disagree with Group 2?-- Now how about you, Group 1?-- Can someone from Group 2 add more information?-- Thanks, Vanko. I'd like to hear more, but it would be interestingto hear what others have to say. How about you, Shu-fen?Ultimately, I think it depends on how the teacher has set up theconversation before it actually takes place. How much has thefacilitator choreographed the session by "prepping" the participantson how to make the Skype conversation an interesting, enjoyable,engaging experience? What strategies has the facilitator devised toensure that everyone will have the opportunity to speak? To whatextent has the facilitator anticipated potential problems and devisedstrategies for dealing with them as they happen or even BEFORE theyhappen?My two zloty's worth. Dennis in Phoenix
Dennis Oliver #1383 (Response to #1379) 01/26/2008	Salaam, Masoud (and Yuly and everyone). In baw08@yahoogroups.com (message #1354), you wrote:Hi Yuly,The idea of using Skype as a tool for performance testing(orassessment) sounds great but I think there are some factors which callfor more consideration. You know, when it comes to testing we need tofollow some sort of stardards or say criteria. So what are ourcriteria for considering the Skype conversation as a sample ofspeaking skill? COMMENTS:Your point about following standards or criteria is an excellent one,in my opinion. If we have no criteria, how can we assess speakingskills? The criteria obviously have to be in place before anyassessment can be done, right?Another issue that might concern us is how we define operationally theconstruct we want to test--which performance do want to test? The other thing that worries me is the extraneous factors that mightcontribute to the invalidity of the test such as the interruptions inthe conversations because of the technology problems. Theseinterruptions will negatively affect the students' performance.COMMENTS:I think these are also very thought-provoking points, Masoud. Here aremy personal responses:-- Criteria (probably in the form of outcomes) have to be establishedbefore assessment can take place. These criteria/outcomes should NOT be all of the criteria/outcomesthat have been established for a listening course since they are beingused for one activity within the course, not for the course as awhole. For an individual Skype conversation, for example, the guidingcriterion/outcome might be someting like "The student will be able torespond appropriately and understandably, in English (or whateverlanguage). during live conversations with at least one other speakeron the topic of _____." -- A rubric should be used to assess the extent to which studentsperform the task(s) associated with a given criterion / givencriteria. This will probably involve establishing a rating scale from"non-existent' or "poor" or "completely off target" (etc.) to "highlydeveloped" or "completely understandable / appropriate / on target" (etc.) A truly objective, statistically valid assessment will actually beimpossible in a live group conversation unless before the onlinesession, the participants are made aware of the objectives of theconversation and the means of assessing the degree/extent to whichthose objectives are met. A truly objective, statistically valid assessment will also beimpossible unless all the participants are physically present in thesame place at the same time and using the same type of equipment. When there are no objectives in place before a live online sessionand when there are no means (such as a rubric) available forobjectively measuring whether/to what extent an objective is achieved,there are too many confounding variables for the assessment to bestatistically meaningful. -Despite all these challenges, I do believe Skype and YM are among thebest tools that develop confidence in the students regarding theirability to converse in a second language in a stress-free environment.MasoudCOMMENTS:I completely agree, Masoud. I see the confidence factor as being oneof the most critical elements affecting students' ability todemonstrate the ability to participate in live conversations, and Ialso believe that almost anything we can do to "lower the affectivefilter" among our students will almost have salutary results.I hope there are more comments on your excellent post. Kheilimotishak' keram!Best wishes to you, Masoud, and for now, Khoda hafez! Dennis in Phoenix
Teresa Almeida d'Eca #1431 01/27/2008	Hi, everyone!Before Week 2 comes to a close, I'd like to tell you how I've used a couple of voice tools with YLs (5th-6th graders).They've recorded voice messages with HandyBits (offline voice mail), Audacity and my PDA to make contact with the outside world and receive responses that are heard in class. The four basic skills - reading, writing, listening and speaking - are practiced, because they start by writing the message on the board (it's a collaborative task) and copying it in their notebooks. Then they read it once or twice before one student or the whole class records it. Finally, they listen to the end product, which I later insert in one of our blogs.We've also used voice messages/podcasts to roleplay dialogues (I should say that they mainly read from their textbook rather than act it out) and to say what we've done in class in previous weeks (a sort of online diary of classwork). This is mainly done with my PDA (always with me). At home I transfer the file to my laptop, convert it to .mp3 with Audacity, upload it to my server and insert it in the blog. We've also recorded "Happy Birthday" on several occasions.We've also had live chats at Yahoo Messenger (recorded with Audacity) with Webhead friends throughout the world: Aiden Yeh (Taiwan) and Agata Zieba-Warcholak (Poland) in June 2005, Cristina Costa (England), Hala Fawzi (Sudan) and Michael Coghlan (Australia) in June 2007. The first year with Aiden and Agata we didn't prepare anything. It was a very impromptu session. Aiden and Agata (separate chats) both asked simple questions and the students replied. If they didn't get it, they'd say: "Repeat, please!" The students also asked questions.http://64.71.48.37/teresadeca/school/fwe5-jun05.htm#21Jun05For the second live chat (2007) they prepared an interview in class using structures they had learned during the two years. I just asked them to think of questions they'd like to ask one of my many friends throughout the world. The following lesson I surprised them with a live chat with the three teachers. It was a grand finale!http://call05-06.motime.com/post/665851We've also received video messages from teacher-friends and sent them "thank you" video messages for their collaboration. These were recorded with Windows voice programs and a webcam. (You may have to click the Play button more than once to get it going.)http://64.71.48.37/teresadeca/school/fwe5-jun05.htm#6Jun05 (Daf)http://64.71.48.37/teresadeca/school/fwe5-jun05.htm#Dennis (Dennis Oliver)http://64.71.48.37/teresadeca/school/fwe5-jun05.htm#permission (Rodrigo, a 6th grade student)In last year's bog I embedded a MyChingo voiceboard and anyone could record messages. Several students recorded from home. We also recorded messages in class. I even used a few for listening exercises created with Quia.http://fwe2.motime.com/ (frame on the right)These are different activities through which students can practice language learned, communicate with the outside world, broaden their horizons, develop their e-literacy skills, while parents have a chance to follow their child's speaking skills.My two euro cents. Hugs, Teresa
Jose Antonio Da Silva #1437 (Response to #1431) 01/27/2008	Hi Teresa,Wow this is really great. You have shared so many gret ideas to work with voice and video. They are all very practical.What I like most about them is that they integrate the four skills as you have said, they promote interaction between students themselves and with people outside the class. Another good think about all of them is that students do not necessarily need be connected to the web to create content for those activities.Thanks a lot for sharing these ideas. José Antônio

Natalia #1288 01/24/2008	I have downloaded Yahoo messenger and it works. But I still do not understand muc. Could anyone practice with me now Using the yahoo mesesenger ? My ID is malkinan Natalia
Cristina Costa #1301 (Response to #1288) 01/24/2008	Hi Natalia,I have just added you to my Yahoo!messenger. You are a messenger after all.Meet you onlinexxx Cris
Sue #1294 01/24/2008	Hi moderators,Will I be able to 'join' the Michael Coghlan live session even if I haven't downloaded YM. When I read the 'agreements' notices they frighten me a little with putting cookies on my computer. So, is it possible to join in and not speak, but just listen. (or read)Thanks for any advice, Sue
Michael Coghlan #1297 (Response to #1294) 01/24/2008	Hello Susan,The session will be recorded, but If you want to join live you will have to install Yahoo Messenger. As one of many webheads who have used YM over the years I am not aware of any nasties appearing on my machine as a result of using YM . Michael
Jose Antonio Da Silva #1300 (Response to #1297) 01/24/2008	Hi Susan,He will also be using Slideshare for his presentation. I guess Slideshare will be only used as visual aid. In Yahoo messenger we will be using text and voice chat. So we will have the visual part with Slideshare and chat with yahoo. About downloading yahoo messenger, I have used it for quite some time and I assure you it is a great tool. We will make a recording of the conference available for those who can´t participate. Kind regards José Antônio http://thomasja.wordpress.com http://joseantoniook.edublogs.org

Natalia #1234 (Response to #1229) 01/22/2008	hell, Dafne,I am joining in to the this request. I am interested very much too. Natalia
Dafne #1268 (Response to #1259) 01/23/2008	Hi Anna and welcome to BaWI am also a Moodler since 2003 and I love it. I havemy own Moodle, and I use it for my blended graduateand undergraduate courses at the university. As a fanof Web 2.0 tools, I combine Moodle with wikis,podcasts, screencasts, videos and all the applicationsI can use for my courses. I use Moodle for theadministrative and private part of the courses, eachstudent has a wiki used as an e-portfolio. This is thecourse wiki of the course I have just started. In thenavigation bar (at the bottom, you can see the linksto my students' wikis. They are now creating them andadding their intros to the home pages. There's also alink to our Moodle. This is the first time they usepbwiki because they worked with wikispaces in theprevious courses. http://id3124-parallel.pbwiki.comNice to have you with us, Anna :-) Daf
Jack Burston #1328 (Response to #1324) 01/24/2008	Hi José et al,Those of you who are interested in Second Life, andvirtual world sites in general, should considerattending the CALICO conference in San Francisco, CA(March 20-22). There is a whole day pre-conferenceworkshop (March 19) devoted to the topic. For moreinformation, have a look at the CALICO conferencewebsite: https://calico.org/conference/index.php?id=6#slife Jack Burston Language Centre University of Cyprus ____________________________________________
Jose Antonio Da Silva #1329 (Response to #1328) 01/24/2008	Hello Jack,Thanks a lot for the tip. I will bookmark the event and make sure I do not miss it. Thanks for sharing.Kind regards José Antônio http://thomasja.wordpress.com http://joseantoniook.edublogs.org
Isabelle #1326 01/24/2008	Hi Dafne !I too would love to join a tour of SL if you have the time/opportunity.Thanks a lot ! Isabelle
Jose Antonio Da Silva #1333 01/25/2008	Hi Jack,I was checking the site and it is not an online event. I wish I could go to San Francisco. Do you think they will make something available online?Thanks a lot José Antônio http://thomasja.wordpress.com http://joseantoniook.edublogs.org
Jack Burston #1338 (Response to #1333) 01/25/2008	José,I am not aware of any plans to go online with thevirtual worlds workshop. Feel free, however, tocontact the workshop organizers and ask. One (or more)of them may have something planned outside of theCALICO conference. Jack Language Centre University of Cyprus ____________________________________________
Susana Araújo #1344 01/25/2008	Dear Dafne and all,Please include me too! Yesterday I adventured myself in Second Life, but Igot lost flying in the middle of the ocean. I was trying to attend a meetingorganized by Universidade de Aveiro, but I couldn't manage to go/teleportfrom where I was...Add my Second Life name: Susie MorenoLooking forward to meeting you in SL! Susana Araújo
Susana Araújo #1346 (Response to #1344) 01/25/2008	Sorry... my SL name is Susie Morane (not Moreno)!See you there :)
Dafne #1347 (Response to #1346) 01/25/2008	Hi everybody,I have created a table in the YG database section forthose interested in visiting Second Life. This is whatyou need to do if you want to be in the SL tour:First of all, make sure your computer meets all thetechnical requirements: http://secondlife.com/corporate/sysreqs.php(special attention should be paid to the graphiccard). If your system does not meet the requirements,you won´t be able to get to SL, or you will befrustrated if able to connect. I am making this clearto avoid frustrations ;-)* register in the SL site at http://www.secondlife.com,* create your avatar* dowload the program * add yourself to the database in our YGhttp://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/baw08/databaseCheers, Daf
Susana Araújo #1353 01/25/2008	Hi Daf and all!>It's done :) Thanks a lot!Can't wait, Susie
Fernanda Rodrigues #1364 01/25/2008	Hi SusanaI also tried to attend the meeting yesterday at Universidade de Aveiro,and was also a bit lost. I found someone who was lost too and talked toher, but I have no idea if it was you. Then somehow I managed (don'task me how) to teleport to the place where the meeting was being held.I surely need to know more about Second Life too, but I think I'll needa third life to have time to do it.Hugs Fernanda
Susana Araújo #1365 (Response to #1364) 01/25/2008	Hi Fernanda!>What's your Second Life name? Mine is Susie Morane. You can add me :)Kisses, Susana
Fernanda Rodrigues #1366 (Response to #1365) 01/25/2008	Hi SusieI'm Sara Alturas Fernanda
Maria Rosario Di Monaco #1401 01/26/2008	Hi Dafne and everybody!I'd love to take the SL tour. However, I won't be home till the 1st or 2nd of Feb. Hope it isn't too late. I can't believe the number of things I've already missed! But you know, I've been on the road and am now in Ushuaia, at the end of the world, 3,400 km from home(no complaints, I've been to the most wonderful places you can imagine!)Anyway, I've been peeping at what you people have been doing from time to time, but the most I could do myself was print out one of the readings to, at least, contribute to the forum.I'll do my best to catch up when I'm back.Love Mary
Dafne #1403 (Response to #1401) 01/26/2008	Lucky you Mary :-) Enjoy your trip, and take a lot of pictures to share with us ;-) I guess you will be on time for the visit to SL. If you have time, add yourself to the database in our YG, so we know how many people will join us in SL hugs, Daf
Silvia Colombo #1407 01/26/2008	Dear Mary, Enjoy your trip in the south of our country! I guess you have taken lots of interesting photos to share with your BaW08 peers! See you soon, Silvia from Argentina.
Cristina Costa #1414 (Response to #1407) 01/27/2008	Hi Guys,please count me in for the SL adventure too: My ID is Kayla Helgerud. I will put it in the database.I have been missing some messages ...not sure but think some ended up in the bulk area: when are we meeting?beijinhos Cris
Jose Antonio Da Silva #1415 (Response to #1414) 01/27/2008	Hi SL tour guidesCount in for the Second Life tour also. My avatar is Paul Kurosawa. I have already put my name in the database.Abraços José Antônio
Ocsovszky Zsóia #1416 01/27/2008	Great, Jose Antonio,I am eager to learn more about this tool! :-) Zsofi
Nataša Bozic Grojic #1445 01/27/2008	Hello everyone. I have been away for four days and I find it difficult to catch up. I have missed a lot. I am interested in Second Life, but I know next to nothing about it. Please count me in for the tour if it is not too late already. Natasa
Monica Veado #1446 (Response to #1445) 01/27/2008	Hi Natasa,don't worry, all the materials and activities for week 2 can be found here:http://baw-08.pbwiki.com/Week2so take your time to do things as you time allows. You can also check our threads for week 2 at http://baw-08.pbwiki.com/Threads-Week-2where you will find all our Yahoo messages (week 2) grouped according to the subject. The chatlogs and recordings of this week's live sessions are here:http://baw-08.pbwiki.com/Live_Sessions#Week2so you can read/listen to what we've been discussing online.If you are interested in Second Life and would like to take a tour, add your name to the list found in our Database (click on 'Database' link on the left here in YG and then on 'Second Life tour'). Click on 'Add Record' at the top of the page, complete the information and then click on 'Add Record' box. Welcome back and have fun in week 3!Um abraço, Monica week 3 moderator

Monica Veado #1325 01/24/2008	Dear all,I missed Mike's live session on Thursday :-( but thanks to our wonderful week2 moderators I could access the chatlog - thanks, Dafne, for posting it on the wiki page!There were a lot of suggestions of programmes to record audio, so I'd like to share with you a simple 'exercise' I tried last Sunday. My brother and I have been playing with Audacity for a while, exploring its possibilities, and the sequence we made shows how you can add various tracks to the same recording, creating an interesting effect. The mp3 tracks were then transferred to Evoca and posted on the blog in sequence, so that you can see how we got to the final result. We used music but you could use the same technique to create news programmes, stories etc. with your students.There was very little editing and we only used a regular PC mic connected to his computer. Here's the link http://tangrambr.blogspot.com/Um abraco, Monica http://projectplatypus2.blogspot.com
Jose Antonio Da Silva #1327 (Response to #1325) 01/24/2008	Monica,I have no words to say how much I liked it, but I will try. I did not know that besides being such a wonderful webhead you were also a musician. I went back to my childhood. The tune is wonderful, I didn´t know it, but it has the familiarity that you expect from people taht live in the same region. I am from Goiás, as you know, and my grandparents from both side were from Minas Gerais. So, besides taking me back to my childhood, it also brought me cherished memories of my grandparents.Big hand to audacity, it is indeed a wonderful tool. And the biggest hads to you an dyour brother. You are great musicians, audacity would do it alone. Thanks a million for sharing such a wondeful tune. For me, it is a hit already. Beauty lies in things as beautiful as this song. I sang along and just loved doing it.Thanks a lot for such a nice morning experience. José Antônio http://thomasja.wordpress.com http://joseantoniook.edublogs.org
Natalia #1330 (Response to #1327) 01/25/2008	Dear Monika,Thanks a lot for your wonderful site and for the beautiful song. I was singing along too ( thank you for the lyrics!!!)/Your voice is beautiful.Special thanks for the explanations how you did it. It makes many things clear.I understood everything though am a kindergarten webhead. I am going to try do anything myself, too, later.I have a couple questions:How do export YOutube files to your pagewhat is project Platypus? Who is it aimed at?The last thing You say in your blog that you are interested in collaborative projects. What kind of projects are you interested in?Do you think you might be intereted to do something with my students?Thank you for the wonderful piece about the dog. It brought special memories to me of my dog.Thanks a lot. You and your brother did a great thing! Natalia
Saša Sirk #1331 (Response to #1330) 01/25/2008	Dear Monica, this is absolutely beautiful. I loved listening to you guys. I listened to your recordings already awhile ago when I got the Evoca notification in my inbox - it was a wonderful surprise, I wondered what you are up to... and now I hear you say this was just a 'simple exercise' you tried?! It's really wonderful. Thank you very much for sharing it with us, I enjoyed it a lot. Hugs,
Fernanda Rodrigues #1332 (Response to #1331) 01/25/2008	Dear MonicaWhat a beautiful voice you have! And what a beautiful song!And you make it seem so simple to do! I'm going to try it! (I just needto borrow a new voice :))Beijinhos! Linda de morrer! Fernanda
Jose Antonio Da Silva #1336 01/25/2008	Hello everyone,Giving a continuation to what Mônica did with audacity, I posted an audio talking a little about my experience with it. I if you would like to listen, this is the link Abraços http://joseantoniook.edublogs.org/ José Antônio http://thomasja.wordpress.com http://joseantoniook.edublogs.org
Ocsovszky Zsóia #1337 01/25/2008	Dear Monica,that is wondeful!!!Thank you for this experience!!!! Zsofi
Michael Coghlan #1342 (Response to #1337) 01/25/2008	Let me add to the chorus Monica :-) . Lovely song, and a great tutorlal on how to use Audacity. Thank you, - Michael
Hala #1343 (Response to #1342) 01/25/2008	Monica,Your voice is wonderful!Your tutorial is great!Thanks for the effort! Hala Hala Fawzi
Teresa Almeida d'Eca #1349 01/25/2008	Hi, Monica!Claps, claps, claps!!!! Fabulous! :-)I love the tune, the lyrics, the guitars and "your" voice! They all give me a sense of peace.Hugs to you and your brother, Teresa
Dafne #1352 (Response to #1349) 01/25/2008	Awesome, Monica :-) I have created a link on ourtutorials page at:http://baw-08.pbwiki.com/Tutorials#VoicethreadHope you don`t mind ;-) Daf
Teresa Almeida d'Eca #1350 01/25/2008	Monica,I forgot to say that, besides being a teacher and a Webhead at heart, you're a fabulous singer with a very clear and beautiful voice!You have a future in singing, imho.Beijinhos, Teresa
Jose Antonio Da Silva #1363 01/25/2008	Hi you all,Mônica's tune was on my head all day long and caught myself humming it throughout the day. Inspired by her (don´t worry I ain´t singing , I know my voice is not that good) I recorded something on audacity talking about how I use it. I have posted the link earlier, but I guess no one noticed. I fyou have some time, please listen to it http://joseantoniook.edublogs.orgAbraços José Antônio
Monica Veado #1371 01/26/2008	Dear friends,thank you so much for all the kind messages you've posted here and on my blog. I copied them to show my brother and, like me, he was absolutely delighted to learn you enjoyed listening to our recording. He is the real 'Audacity guy' and has been playing with it much more seriously than me. I do believe that this tool offers some very interesting possibilities for class use, going far beyond the simple recording of our students' voices for pronunciation/listening practice. Unfortunately, for most of us teachers, free time to play is a rare commodity... but I'm sure your students will find very creative ways of using the programme! We discovered a kind of 'karaoke' function which we're going to try at some point (when his/my neighbours are away on holiday, probably...)Thank you again for listening to the recording and making your comments. Um grande abraço, Monica http://projectplatypus2.blogspot.com
Dennis Oliver #1373 01/26/2008	Oí, Mônica.I'd also like to add MY reactions to the chorus!In baw08@yahoogroups.com (message #1325), you wrote:Dear all,I missed Mike's live session on Thursday :-( but thanks to ourwonderful week2 moderators I could access the chatlog - thanks, Dafne,for posting it on the wiki page!COMMENTS:I echo your thanks to Dafne, Mônica. I made every attempt to accessMichael's session, but had one problem after another--both on my Macand on my PC. sp I'm also very grateful to Dafne.There were a lot of suggestions of programmes to record audio, so I'dlike to share with you a simple 'exercise' I tried last Sunday. Mybrother and I have been playing with Audacity for a while, exploringits possibilities, and the sequence we made shows how you can addvarious tracks to the same recording, creating an interesting effect.The mp3 tracks were then transferred to Evoca and posted on the blogin sequence, so that you can see how we got to the final result. Weused music but you could use the same technique to create newsprogrammes, stories etc. with your students.COMMENTS:I wouldn't call your exercise "simple" at all, but I WOULD call itoutstanding! Parabéns! Your final mix was beautiful and very engaging.It was even more special when I heard each separate track and readabout the adjustments you and your brother made to keep the finaloutput balanced. Very, very well done!There was very little editing and we only used a regular PC micconnected to his computer.COMMENTS:The fact that you did very little editing makes this contribution evenmore outstanding! Here's the linkhttp://tangrambr.blogspot.com/COMMENTS:I enjoyed reading and listening to each step of the tutorial and lefta comment. I also enjoyed the cartoon about re-setting the password(really funny) and the link to the YouTube video about Peter, Paul,and Mary brought back a flood of memories from my college days so manyyears ago: muito obrigado! I left comments on these posts, too.Um abraco,Monicahttp://projectplatypus2.blogspot.comCOMMENTS:Um abraço para você também! Dennis in Phoenix
Monica Veado #1374 01/26/2008	Thanks Dafne. Of course I don't mind! :-) Mônica
Dennis Oliver #1376 01/26/2008	Olá, Mônica.I completely agree with what Teresa said in messages #1349 and #1350.I also felt peace when I listened to the song, and IMHO, too, youdefinitely have a future in music!Felicitações! Dennis in Phoenix
Mary #1385 01/26/2008	Dear (Querida) Monica,I found your tutorial very helpful, exemplary.What Is the name of the song you are singing?I want to find the lyrics, and I would like to post the link toengliwshmates, a yahoo group of Brazilian English learners, may I have yourpermission to post the link?beihinhos, Mary from Philadelphia
Silvia Colombo #1391 01/26/2008	Thank you for sharing José! It was wonderful! Hugs, Silvia.
Monica Veado #1418 01/27/2008	Dear Mary,the song is called 'Sereno' and you can find the lyrics when you scroll down the page to step 6. There is another verse that I didn't include but I can send it to you, if you want.Feel free to send the link to your lists and use the recording with your classes if you find it's useful (you can also send the link to the guys in Sony Music, if you happen to know anyone there... mmmm... on second thoughts, better not! :-D ).Um abraço, Mônica http://projectplatypus2.blogspot.com

Silvia Colombo #1068 01/20/2008	Dear Sasha and Kat, Thank you for all your support and guidelines during week 1. You've been so friendly, generous and patient. You've made learning easy!!! I'm delighted with Mbarek Akaddar's quote: "If you don'tknow ask, if you know share". No doubt it sums up this wonderful community perfectly!!! Our active participation is the result of your enthusiasm and encouragement. Let's get ready for Week 2. Hugs, Silvia from Argentina. ---------------------------------
Silvia Colombo #1069 01/20/2008	Dear Daf and Teresa, Thanks a lot for your warm support and encouragement during week 1. Our active interaction was due to your friendly attitude, patience, and constant care. I'm getting ready for Week 2. Hugs, Silvia from Argentina. ---------------------------------
Hala #1071 (Response to #1069) 01/20/2008	Clap!!Clap!!Clap!It was indeed a week of interaction!>They have been enthusiastic, caring, encouraging, knowledgeable and always there :-)I agree, Dafne, 100%, but you forgot "everywhere", at Skype,wiki, here and at YM.It was indeed a week of warm welcoming and extra ordinary interaction.Thank you moderators and co-moderators for the hard work you have done.I loved week 1 threads,Sasa!Welcome week 2 moderators and good luck. Hala! ---------------------------------
Ocsovszky Zsóia #1073 01/20/2008	Ohh, such a scattered mind girl, like me :-)sorry, heres the correction:upload photo to the wiki:1. Go to edit page- you need a password, you can get it form the yahoo group- files-participants. html- there is the pass: bawpart2. once you enter, you will see a simple html editor. Dont be scarred3. go to FILE UPLOAD on the right4. Upload your picture- be sure the size not bigger than 100*100- y9u can resize it in any kind of graphical software or upload it to flickr and make thumbnail, so several ways to make it happen- Also is wroth to give a name to your photo in order to be able to identify later5. When ready, go to file's list and click on your photo- it will open in a browser window- and you get the url- you can copy and paste this link to the html editor--Is that OK?Did i pass the week 1? :-)Thank you Zsofi
Saša Sirk #1075 (Response to #1073) 01/21/2008	Perfect, dear Zsofi! A+ :-))) Hugs, Saša
Christina Kwok #1079 (Response to #1075) 01/21/2008	Comment/question from christina: How do I know what name to search for? Where do I find it please?from confused and troubled Christina (who's tried so hard to keep up all week, thought she'd managed to cover every minor detail but always runs into problems at the final moment of reckoning, MISSED two broadcasts already !!+ How do you join an office in Tapped In if you are at the reception?Go to search page and make a search for the office you're looking forJoin to the group you have chosenGo to the yellow door right up and in the drop down menu, choose the office you would like to enter inClick on GO button and enter in the room!
Marsha Chan #1097 01/21/2008	Thanks!Marsha
Jose Antonio Da Silva #1106 01/21/2008	Well done Cristina,Just remember taht there guided tours every week at Tapped In ( I am just not sure about the day and time). So you can always join and clarify your doubts. As you said, things there are not that easy to find, that is why we always have BJB help us with it.Hugs José Antônio
Patricia Soares #1132 01/21/2008	Hi Everyone, A couple a days ago I edited the participants gallery page and added my profile. Somehow it is not there :-( Can anyone tell me what happened? Do I have to edit it again? warmly PatSoares
Dafne #1135 (Response to #1132) 01/21/2008	Hi Pat,You are right, it seems that in one of those massdeletions ;-) yours and others' profiles have beenlost. I am going to get them back. Thanks for letting me know :-)Cheers, Daf
Dafne #1136 (Response to #1135) 01/21/2008	Hi Pat,Your profile is back and 2 more :-)Cheers, Daf

Silvia Colombo #1070 01/20/2008	Hi Fernanda, Dennis and Jose!!!, Hope to do my best during week 2 Hugs, Silvia from Argentina.
Fernanda Rodrigues #1081 (Response to #1070) 01/21/2008	Hi SilviaYou surely will!I hope to do my best as well. We are all here to support each other.Beijinhos from Portugal. Fernanda
Jose Antonio Da Silva #1104 01/21/2008	Dear Silvia,You are welcome to do your best. Count on us if you need help to do that and help us to do the same.hugs José Antônio