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Peer Coaching in Bloemfontein - transformational!

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Submitted by Fiona Beal</i><br />On Friday 21^st October and Saturday 22^nd October I was very privileged to be able to attend the last two sessions of Sarietjie Musgrave’s Peer Coaching workshop at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa. This was a large group of at least fifty teachers. Sarietjie was aided by Mrs Bouwie van der Walt. I was also able to visit Eunice High School in Bloemfontein for the day on Thursday 20th October to observe the benefits of the peer coaching programme on the school as a whole.  </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXra8H3Jb10vR3CCBz-600ee67Iz7F0iw6WYyWCgjhbXSUDjBMhGcEzeiwFyYdsrfbtuMHfyS9_rbPJjWsXfcny-Itr_G6A5KiAnpI80r99hqhj1LZs5-83khuEGjdCbUWfsvPEK-F-xc/s1600/DSCF8118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXra8H3Jb10vR3CCBz-600ee67Iz7F0iw6WYyWCgjhbXSUDjBMhGcEzeiwFyYdsrfbtuMHfyS9_rbPJjWsXfcny-Itr_G6A5KiAnpI80r99hqhj1LZs5-83khuEGjdCbUWfsvPEK-F-xc/s320/DSCF8118.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>What is Peer Coaching?</b></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: inherit;">Peer Coaching is a programme that was developed by Puget Sound Center for teaching learning and technology in the USA. Microsoft sponsors the Peer Coaching programme and its expansion into over 40 countries worldwide. Peer Coaching is incorporated into the Partners in Learning Programme.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4d4d4d;">In South Africa SchoolNet SA provides Master training for potential trainers and implements the Peer Coaching programme nationally. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4d4d4d; line-height: 18px;">Basically the programme is implanted over three years and each year two or three teachers from a school attend the course in 8 full day sessions over eight to nine months. Coaches learn good educational practice and how technology can complement learning. These new- found skills are then taken back to school to share with their colleagues. </span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 17px;">  </span><br /><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Who should attend?</span></b><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: inherit;">There is a set of criteria that should be used to identify peer coaches within a school. However schools use different ways of deciding who should attend the eight peer coaching sessions in a year. Eunice High School allows the teachers to volunteer for the course. Listen to what Mr Cassar says about his observations of Peer Coaching. He mentions how he allows them to volunteer for the programme. </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="b-hbp-video b-uploaded" frameborder="0" height="266" id="BLOGGER-video-fbc5c389b1233d7b-3096" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxdIwz1YGPAQdKEh8MGZcIoNOmpfiQ7pis9DXqliJYk9-WAiUqFWZUFCgzF1VkAoz-s65c1ttS4VN6m59k0-mSlxFmvxXOLNeswtE8ElMvka5MTlQ2OS7pmqSZDzyXqF8qLzZk" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What do the school principals think about the programme?</span></b><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The four principals I interviewed had nothing but positive comments to say about the programme. Three of them had accompanied their staff on the first occasion, which is required by the course, and then returned every time. Generally the principals I interviewed noticed that the staff that volunteered or were chosen for this course became more willing to share with others and as a result they themselves developed professionally. The peer coach teachers start to take the lead in the school’s initiatives and go beyond the four walls of their classrooms. It is a combination of what they learned at peer coaching plus their own willingness to share that causes them to stand out. The principals also noticed a growth in confidence in the teachers concerned.  The programme seemed to bring a new vibrance into the schools. Teachers at the schools no longer saw ICT as an enemy. They saw that ICT helps the teacher to teach more effectively.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf9sFskbzUVbL8LYKqJnDBenoJhY7LniSEjawj41LA96saj6NCURBNGEPvSR5Zkt2xKfA-yC75oHKfzbFAZFTbSNXj4opvnKuR42FMaJuG6g25bJ2G4fvpDX0GJQ4dcTeIrh-zqzE9X58/s1600/DSCF8096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf9sFskbzUVbL8LYKqJnDBenoJhY7LniSEjawj41LA96saj6NCURBNGEPvSR5Zkt2xKfA-yC75oHKfzbFAZFTbSNXj4opvnKuR42FMaJuG6g25bJ2G4fvpDX0GJQ4dcTeIrh-zqzE9X58/s320/DSCF8096.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Did the teachers feel they had benefitted?</span></b><br /><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div class="MsoNoSpacing"></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I interviewed quite a few of the teachers and was quite taken with their positive view of the peer coaching programme:<br /><br />* This course helped them with their lesson planning and lesson design.<span class="apple-converted-space"><br /></span>*Teachers generally found the course very enriching. Lesson planning improved as well as the structure of the lesson and integrating it with technology. They discovered where to find more resources to draw from. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />*It helped them to stimulate higher order thinking by implementing problem-solving techniques and collaborative practices that motivated the learners.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh6RYo8zgb2q2J2S1_e8BgCtJhJCoJ4sG-2kliWLzlWCVvsgV9WPQE4IMfWthoe9shne04ZpqNIUhFmxcugFlHhpn9CI5OrTec6qCb-J9LP4G2QyRXTC34xrtFHGQGYxKili6bBfoz2k4/s1600/DSC02053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh6RYo8zgb2q2J2S1_e8BgCtJhJCoJ4sG-2kliWLzlWCVvsgV9WPQE4IMfWthoe9shne04ZpqNIUhFmxcugFlHhpn9CI5OrTec6qCb-J9LP4G2QyRXTC34xrtFHGQGYxKili6bBfoz2k4/s320/DSC02053.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />*After being introduced to ways of gathering and finding information they learned to help others back at school. Before they came to peer coaching they tended to be selfish and do everything for themselves. They have since learned to share more with other teachers and make lessons more interesting for the learners at school.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />*The programme helped some of the teachers develop in confidence. They generally were excited to be able to take the things they had learned back to their schools.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />*Some noticed a growth in their own motivation. They found they had a lot to share with their colleagues at school. Some actually wanted to attend the peer coaching course because they had noticed the growth in other colleagues who had attended in previous years.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">*The way they asked questions in class back at school had changed, and the quality of the questions they asked in class had also changed. Even the learners asked better questions as a result. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">*The course seemed to open up a whole new world not only to the teachers but also to the learners. </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDo-XdzwTSG1slgQr7PN717_kuaMDQwlHee7Ky9M9AY9sEXrV5V_KkLoVsxqswbWs7GgkHCPUYicU3jKlKJ1yB0-90XyL4DhS8yoDjUNNbXN0vTEBUsWFeUG8MZcwCBTO2I3VXbKTsnw/s1600/dvd.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDo-XdzwTSG1slgQr7PN717_kuaMDQwlHee7Ky9M9AY9sEXrV5V_KkLoVsxqswbWs7GgkHCPUYicU3jKlKJ1yB0-90XyL4DhS8yoDjUNNbXN0vTEBUsWFeUG8MZcwCBTO2I3VXbKTsnw/s320/dvd.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />*Collaboration was new to some of the teachers but the course took them out of their little islands and helped them to discuss more with one another. They learned to tap into what is available out there and share it informally without treading on any toes at school. They found they had lots to share with others and in fact looked out for things to share with others.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">*One of the teachers mentioned how peer coaching seems to surpass other forms of professional development as provided by the Department of Education. He described it as “magnificent in comparison”. It is user friendly and applicable, and can be implemented immediately. Peer coaching, he added, is a great confidence booster for a teacher.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">*Another of the teachers whose class I had been able to visit at Eunice spoke glowingly of the whole experience and how it had caused her to go on and experience more courses that SchoolNet had on offer. The brilliant work I observed in her classroom paid tribute to the obvious benefits of the programme. The highlight of her experience was to visit Lesotho with a group of peer coaches and share with the teachers there. </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht85HO7AjOxQbYgdYkm0U_3O_3-MnfayppoUkCRz_9bwU39FqqU19rJE5_JHFRAuyu7BGIvltxha1DbluBZlYX8CHy1bEKVhNj7rVkcvfR4PRweyoTZ30mN-QQMq7TXkkQLLTYyvkYJoY/s1600/DSCF8034-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht85HO7AjOxQbYgdYkm0U_3O_3-MnfayppoUkCRz_9bwU39FqqU19rJE5_JHFRAuyu7BGIvltxha1DbluBZlYX8CHy1bEKVhNj7rVkcvfR4PRweyoTZ30mN-QQMq7TXkkQLLTYyvkYJoY/s320/DSCF8034-2.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div class="MsoNoSpacing"></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">One of the principals summarized his observations of peer coaching over a span of time. He said that he noticed that in the long term the teachers concerned move further and further out of the confines of their classrooms and not only share with a wide group of people but also bring back so much <u><b>to</b></u> the school. The impact on the school and learners is enormous.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A video of the experience</span></b><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Here is a video summarising my peer coaching experience in Bloemfontein. </span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uK0bnr4mYbM" width="420"></iframe></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">To end off Session 7 Sarietjie showed the teachers four different Microsoft tools – AutoCollage, Songsmith, Photostory 3 and Windows Live Moviemaker. They were asked to document their peer coaching journey in groups during Session 8 using one of these tools. Here are some of the final results.</span></div></div></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Photostories created by some of the groups</span></b><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1) <b>Siphi, Lebohogang, Mpai and Lilian</b></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="b-hbp-video b-uploaded" frameborder="0" height="266" id="BLOGGER-video-fadc7b7bf1e366d0-7326" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwSZnTdFIfuxzN7JcPVN8Pd9sgBY0sG5x0YnDkRgZqt06X5ZChFRhVohxgpMKJpVJdfmkjFwg5eEF-AjBOA-oVysYHtDQ5yqVDS72Rf988mKnR72qvvKimHrhxTs98UwHyRki8" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2) <b>Prisca, Roman and Smith</b></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="b-hbp-video b-uploaded" frameborder="0" height="266" id="BLOGGER-video-1236cbc4f14fef44-4244" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxq_AcZfZwuW1NqYcsVM6ZtnSCmflc-fm5Q0cMLBdrLGKF4DZmk-WXFaHbz4Xiit528KChrxj5sMiF4u_2lyEWjvv5bPFfNFjKJ4t5xauweaAodqWGA9F1Un1wGi9B-nelaQQI" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3) <b>Maritha, Nauda, Mavis and Ingrid</b></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="b-hbp-video b-uploaded" frameborder="0" height="266" id="BLOGGER-video-885a66df6436768a-16665" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwVDnC0WcdUbWHeOWGwNe6Ii83tTQfP5RYg1goTtKZDxQ-VKPHz567v0iHlC8I1qrPp9XfKoCiDFI428SvYja6O05NCF-GpT5OtZ_WZaKDpTM0jyjT8uLzufzE5eK3dJp4VMJam" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">4) <b>Keneilwe, Danisele, Mphomotseng and Motlodi</b></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="b-hbp-video b-uploaded" frameborder="0" height="266" id="BLOGGER-video-037b5d0ec0f03a27-17372" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxqhTQAVWJqRdkgY8f6p6XodtrNMzSroY5pKTWuP9nd9nKTHjJIA4mpQn9iEuzXnGE8nrzYgNOsllum0VPTB8F77QSgWbFLT5hL9IB5oXsQ_8tnpg9KYVpr3nRB2t_hx_yqu__l" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">5) <b>Jacki, John and Isaac</b></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="b-hbp-video b-uploaded" frameborder="0" height="266" id="BLOGGER-video-d4f7682a012a1e97-19392" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz9oWhW2qmOOONBnr7di-NKaMsvea0SQWJA-xv_BEUwvzOgKzkUGmZ1twtn1jwogx4TffBBhOK50VhMf1gU6GyOijNrirmgqmttVyEMCYRLlFxM4mTcHqDa5yGfE-b08ZF7H26A" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">6)  <b>Anthony, Thandi, Jonathon and Matladi</b></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="b-hbp-video b-uploaded" frameborder="0" height="266" id="BLOGGER-video-6456379ad16e2f27-12705" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxPAKbQni7kv2mwUAIelIMRi8ppbz0oPFkRslMyIOU3xsDyYsrhY2ZukZSqULyvQ_Cjpey33YTbCUXcdkXUDOUQECk4Dk0Nb3pYG2xgijx0VM1_FYnymiFIu7wdhX7TdOxB1KPP" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">As an onlooker I left these sessions wishing I had experienced the privilege of attending a full course as a teacher when still in the classroom. This programme really seems to be one of the answers to the South African education dilemma!</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRte_zGD1d1SjF6c30xnSbP4Xr5uNB0R7pFCi4uoujLuQdgBXx7rqxY7dY16rGZ4IOvxt2IgvmZ1vCERB4_zDKM_AtFaLmPwpm6RgHM65DbkW7NHuCKre3mkvu-i1HpG8HFOYr7OJ9qm8/s1600/Peer+coaching+-+Bloem-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRte_zGD1d1SjF6c30xnSbP4Xr5uNB0R7pFCi4uoujLuQdgBXx7rqxY7dY16rGZ4IOvxt2IgvmZ1vCERB4_zDKM_AtFaLmPwpm6RgHM65DbkW7NHuCKre3mkvu-i1HpG8HFOYr7OJ9qm8/s320/Peer+coaching+-+Bloem-2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">SchoolNet wishes to thank Sareitjie Musgrave and the other peer coaching trainers around South Africa for the sterling job they are doing in training educators in this programme. </span></div></div></div>

case study Microsoft Training Peer Coaching in Bloemfontein - transformational!

Submitted by Fiona Beal On Friday 21 st October and Saturday 22 nd October I was very privileged to be able to attend the last two session...

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5 ways to derail your interview

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></i></b></span><br /><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal arial, helvetica;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="tblContent"><tbody><tr id="trContent"><td align="center" class="cb_style tcContent" id="tcContent" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><div class="cbArticleWrapper" style="background-color: white; text-align: left; width: 750px;"><div class="cbArticleContentWrapper" style="margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 15px; margin-top: 15px; width: 750px;"><div class="cbArticleRight" style="width: 560px;"><div class="RXart" style="padding-right: 20px;"><div class="ArticleHeadline" style="margin-top: -30px;"><div class="cbmsnArticleImage" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" src="http://emj.cbdr.com/artieimages/48/ar5m0t6666x7vyhhbs48.gif?time=5/2/2011%203:31:43%20pm" /></div><div class="hdr_org_bld" style="color: #ff6600; font: normal normal bold 18px/normal arial, helvetica;"><h1 id="articleHeadline" style="color: #ff7700; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br /></h1></div><b><span id="cbArticle_lblByLine">Rachel Farrell, Special to CareerBuilder</span></b> </div><br /><div class="ArticleContent"><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">An interview is one of the hardest things to obtain as a job seeker -- and unfortunately, it's also one of the easiest ways you can lose the job opportunity.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Interview mishaps happen to everyone, but the key to avoiding them is to relax and be yourself, says Laura Rose, a life and business coach and owner of Rose Coaching.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"The interview is as much about getting to know the company and work environment as it is about them interviewing you. This strategy relaxes the entire interview," she says. "You can essentially direct the interview to the areas you are most comfortable talking about. Listening to the interviewer answer the questions, you can clue in on his terminology, terms and what he feels is important. Then you can highlight those same terms and skill set in your comments back to him."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Being well-prepared for the meeting can also help you impress a potential employer.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"It's difficult to overstress how important it is to do some research on a company you're interviewing with. Have a list of good questions to ask the person interviewing you. You want to seem like you are asking questions that require thought rather than questions seeking information that may be available on the website," says Debra Yergen, <a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/author/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">author</a> of "Creating Job Security Resource Guide."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"Start with questions about the importance the organization places on industry hot buttons and what the hiring manager sees as differences between their company and their competitors. Another great question might be something like, 'Are there any employee groups here that work together to plan team-building activities or extracurricular events that bring co-workers together either to boost morale or support the community?' These kinds of questions send a potential employer a message that you're looking for more than a job," she says.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">While asking the right kinds of question is vital, you must also be prepared to answer the tough questions, says Henry Motyka, business solutions <a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/manager/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">manager</a> at Norwood Consulting.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"Of particular importance are behavioral interview questions like, 'Tell me about a situation when ... ' It is best to define those situations beforehand and memorize them," he says.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Doing your research, asking the right questions and answering tough questions are ways to avoid making an interview mistake. But, unfortunately, there are many ways to derail an interview. Here are five gaffes to steer clear of in your interview:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>1. Inappropriate attire</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"If you are not professionally attired, you won't get the job, even if you are the most qualified," says image consultant Sandy Dumont. "Always dress better than required for an interview. Never dress down, because it is insulting to the other person. It says, 'I don't have to impress you; I dress for my own comfort.' When you dress to impress, they get it, and you will stand out from all the other candidates."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>2. Trying to lead the interview</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"Many of my clients have children. [They have a] tendency to talk over their interviewers. That's how they manage to be heard at home and that's what they often do in their interviews," says Rory Cohen, a <a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/career+counselor/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">career counselor</a>. "When you don't listen, you don't get invited back for a second interview. Interviewers, in general, want and expect to be in the driver's seat."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>3. Showing up too late or too early</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"If you're more than 15 minutes early to your interview, go to the restroom and freshen up, then casually walk in about 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment," says Marie Applegate Prasad, founder of WiSo Résumés.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>4. Bringing your own food or drink</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"Do not bring any food or drinks into the office of the interviewer. Many find eating or drinking a big distraction and some people are sensitive to smells," Prasad says. "It's best to just wait until after the interview is over."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>5. Forgetting important information</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"On a sheet of paper write down the following information: company, address, phone number, hiring manager, person who scheduled the interview, position you are interviewing for and job duties," Prasad says. "Study this and bring with you the day of your interview."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i>Rachel Farrell researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues for CareerBuilder.com. Follow @CareerBuilder on Twitter.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>

5 ways to derail your interview

Rachel Farrell, Special to CareerBuilder   An interview is one of the hardest things to obtain as a job seeker -- and unfortunately, it'...

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Three SchoolNet trainers featured in Intel’s ‘10 million teachers – Opening Doors of Opportunity’ site

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">  <br />Intel@ Teach recently celebrated training 10 million teachers! (SchoolNet offers their marvelous courses free of charge to educators in South Africa). Intel called this celebration ‘10 million teachers – Opening Doors of Opportunity’ and they asked teachers around the world to submit their teacher stories   Three of our South African teachers (all ‘Schoolnetters’) have their stories featured on their site - <a href="http://10millionteachers.intel.com/" title="http://10millionteachers.intel.com/">http://10millionteachers.intel.com/</a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>1. Brenda Hallowes</strong></span> <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRuSEMC5Y6zVXN1qN3HxjsoagCE1nlLaFE4OY5Th5pRE_Zj_JTRrg9ZX4nU07FLSQ6FdP1XeLHAsq9U24932V-BVFm8A7ZT-KfXdCpHsCeoVBhtYcZgsaIvGgUuikfTtYVQDwOsUHh6M/s1600-h/image%25255B2%25255D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnftJat3Aa5wzTsl-76NOp-rRp4J0D0O8AKHspWSst_TjmZStXYUikCYmmT7TqvtJ6gczuKBl5DywkN7wLRkKbp-WBbef7eBxKY4nQ6jTzHxd1gaXf2c77tftqnLopG1w2GJ77CXuD5-0/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="202" /></a><br /><br /><u></u><u>School Name</u>: Cotswold Preparatory School<br /><br /><u>Subjects</u>: I Am Presently The Computer Teacher At My School <br /><br />“I completed the Intel Teach to the Future course in September 2003. At the time I was the media teacher at a school in Durban and I was so excited about implementing project-based learning and ICT integration. Unfortunately, a few months later my husband and I re-located to a rural area of Kwa Zulu Natal. I taught in the village school, which didn’t have computers, but I used my personal laptop in my classroom to introduce my Grade 6 class to using technology when we did a project on water. This was a great success and the children couldn’t wait to do more. The project work was also a new approach for the other teachers on the staff and I shared some ideas with them – especially in the area of questioning. Read more…<a href="http://10millionteachers.intel.com/teachers/47/brenda-hallowes">http://10millionteachers.intel.com/teachers/47/brenda-hallowes</a> "<br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>2. Dezlin Jacobs</strong></span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5n22pbKHM2V8EDEm0awD_snT-GFhxEq_Ellep9ngbb4OTb-2MCxBzzpdDdrNPv0wBtAfzmpmM5K1Ae6fIcF_IqEE24dfsy811oIYY64dLGTNGuNKgMoA8TXcqa7Z1vx1heeq1u6tMOkY/s1600-h/image%25255B5%25255D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4PZbqZ-vEk1FDMyHWysw6SYZdUSMsYYaDwAPwv7QrJOg-lme7fW9Weu8DE0wuTRtYbjgbmozMEXZEZYWkwp7oAG_sdtGQOVYzfgWG0TajZoIpe8-ngVsV7BDK82yp3dRSCiBhONmuaE/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="244" /></a><br /><br /><u>School Name</u>: SchoolNet SA <br /><br /><u>Subjects</u>: Intel Project Co-ordinator <br /><br />"I was first introduced to the Intel Teach Program as a student in 2006. I was completing my Post Graduate certificate in Education at the University of Pretoria and the Intel Teach to the Future Course was part of our training. It was my first taste of integrating technology into the classroom and was a springboard for my future. SchoolNet SA invited me to improve my original portfolio—which received a Silver grading—to a Gold and then to go on to become a trainer for Intel Teach to the Future (now titled the Intel Teach Essentials Course)." <br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>3. Peter Moeng</strong></span> <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDdSvlAPK69wHYvUQhnuGLMLOC54k02eevO5RCCBKWkK8XoM43CyFMypjd6AZLKjgW0h8WwP1vu1GcZHEgJC7JqmXokMLZF0_lFk2jL6nGKdKputn5NLp5qUn_g-_XuoVuflIdzLQzNWk/s1600-h/image%25255B8%25255D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0i6Uoa-WOesVNfCg9B9b0fLeuV9UyX3_whZBqQxpk24AoQ7wqa9WM-irHDE_5nL1XDDC-NO_bbaH7m4fi_-fCp9xJrVNNV92P-vsM-iB_c6s9X3JhRkP6KDzh5sAqy_GQhNjA9tsWjVw/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="244" /></a> <br /><br /><u>School Name</u>: Boikagong Secondary School <br /><br /><u>Subjects</u>: Basic Computer Literacy, End User Computing, CAT<br /><br />"The Intel Teach program has been embraced warmly by teachers and learners alike. There is remarkable interest in using ICT, and learning has been stimulated by the research projects that learners do. There is also remarkable discovery of new skills and new approaches to learning. New basic skills have been taught using computers and there is also development of new practices on how best to integrate teaching and learning. It has created good opportunities to explore and make use of other applications. However, some teachers do not have much interest in working with computers, Internet connectivity is still a need in this area, and a lack of good computers is still a large problem -- particularly with such rapid changes of technology and software."   <br /><br />SchoolNet would like to congratulate these three educators and all the other SchoolNet trainers around South Africa for their dedication and enthusiasm in training our teachers in how to integrate technology with good pedagogy.  </div>

profiles Three SchoolNet trainers featured in Intel’s ‘10 million teachers – Opening Doors of Opportunity’ site

  Intel@ Teach recently celebrated training 10 million teachers! (SchoolNet offers their marvelous courses free of charge to educators in So...

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The 2011 online K-12 conference takes place this month

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Submitted by Fiona Beal<br /></em>I have just been reading about the 2011 K-12 online conference (presumably from the USA) that will be taking place starting 28 November. I have never participated in an online conference before but would like to do so this time to see what it is like, and of course, depending on whether there are topics that  will be of interest.  </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here is a quote from their website: </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">“The 2011 K-12 Online Conference theme is “Purposeful Play,” and this year our conference will be entirely asynchronous. This means we will not have any “live events,” but all presentations will be posted online for participants to view and comment on days and at times of their choosing. As in the past, all conference presentations will be available for online viewing as well as offline/mobile viewing via </span><a href="http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=646"><span style="font-family: inherit;">our iTunesU channel</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our 2011 conference will start on Monday, November 21, 2011 with an inspiring pre-conference keynote by </span><a href="http://twitter.com/AngelaMaiers"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Angela Maiers</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Angela blogs at </span><a href="http://www.angelamaiers.com/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">www.angelamaiers.com</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Following Angela’s pre-conference keynote the week of November 21st, four different educators will share keynotes in the strands of our conference. Our 2011 keynote speakers are: </span><br /><ul><li><a href="http://twitter.com/crafty184"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Chris Craft</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, in Sandbox Play. Chris blogs on “</span><a href="http://www.crucialthought.com/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Crucial Thought</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">.” <br /></span></li><li><a href="http://twitter.com/gcouros"><span style="font-family: inherit;">George Couros</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, in Team Captains. George blogs on “</span><a href="http://georgecouros.ca/blog/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Principal of Change</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">.” <br /></span></li><li><a href="http://twitter.com/musictechie"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Carol Broos</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, in Level Up. Carol blogs on “</span><a href="http://www.beatechie.com/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Be a Techie</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">.” <br /></span></li><li><a href="http://twitter.com/jimgroom"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jim Groom</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> and </span><a href="https://twitter.com/twoodwar"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tom Woodward</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, in Story Time. Jim blogs on “</span><a href="http://bavatuesdays.com/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">bavatuesdays</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">.” Tom blogs on “</span><a href="http://bionicteaching.com/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bionic Teaching</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">.”</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: inherit;">This year there will be 41 presenters and quite a number of different strands to the conference. Find out more at their website:</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOLO3b2s_QzxgNM8ulTAqOwGgtQkAzvP2c6zVIP3XAlOXb4jvt5MC6JxBJf2OOvUWAbfD4ULkY8cD4sMVtCnPlP3uohBltAuB8xZ3-IU8aq7PWqx0Kmt1iCyEtB_zv4c3F622yRv4FQDg/s1600-h/image%25255B3%25255D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbCmnAjADSOliDKnKc8JzZq2wSE_IVRlHQIktkwIY_qhP1i74KWkNkls80QFIWha9_GTip_Dwttj44b_cCR27i6N_8HjCEa8Wdlh8Y9QNx5WIMuiOn2qmbpNYyrDKUFkND0xOmhUBrgQ/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="350" /></a></div>

conferences The 2011 online K-12 conference takes place this month

Submitted by Fiona Beal I have just been reading about the 2011 K-12 online conference (presumably from the USA) that will be taking place s...

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International Peace Day video - classes around the world working together

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><em>Submitted by Fiona Beal</em><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; mso-outline-level: 2;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; mso-outline-level: 2;">On Tuesday 16 August I wrote a blog post about a Grade 4 class in the USA wanting to create a peace video for International Peace Day on 21st September (<a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2011/08/would-you-like-to-get-involved-in.html">http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2011/08/would-you-like-to-get-involved-in.html</a>). This was the message they put out:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">"Dear Classrooms Around the Globe,</span></span></span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><br /><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> <br /><span class="apple-style-span">This year my fourth grade classroom at Lafayette Regional School in Franconia, NH would like to have a big celebration for International Peace Day on Sept 21, 2011. In honor of this day, I would like my fourth graders to create a multi - cultural vision of peace movie. We would like to collect movies from classrooms around the globe of their MESSAGE OF PEACE. The movies might include poetry, song, dance, or etc. The overall theme of the movie is "A Message of Peace" that answer what peace means to them. The requirement for the video:</span><br /><span class="apple-style-span"><u>Length</u> "21 seconds or less"</span><br /><span class="apple-style-span"><u>Title</u>: "A Message of Peace"</span><br /><span class="apple-style-span"><u>Upload</u>: email your interest to me and I will follow up with instructions for uploading (We will be using Dropbox)</span><br /><span class="apple-style-span"><u>Due Date</u>: Sept 16, 2011</span><br /><span class="apple-style-span"><u>Language</u>: In your own language</span><br /><span class="apple-style-span"><u>Goal</u>: 21 classroom representing all six continents</span><br /><br /></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">My students will mash all the videos together to create a international message of peace that will premier on Sept 21, 2011."</span> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Garrett Ferguson is a teacher that I have worked with before on projects - he always does great things with his class.  They had a great response from classes around the world. Two classes from local Fish Hoek schools responded to the blog postand subitted videos - The Rock Academy and Fish Hoek Primary. The Grade 4 Lafayette class created a final verson incorporating everyone's video which I have embedded below. It is so exciting when classes link with other classes around the world. The spin-off of this is that the Rock Academy and Grade 4 Lafyette are going to have a Skype session together soon!</span><br /><br />Well done to everyone involved in the video.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="b-hbp-video b-uploaded" frameborder="0" height="266" id="BLOGGER-video-c5a3955dd46b162b-2619" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dygCjDiW2vqz162hdhz5swoxvJAfcP25YAoZJwrE_sGKvj0pFqpjqqiFzGS-CAsFBWHcL0BYf0Jt6mKyXWFO7tOmSXanxW0p7wAn78lXqO9gs_twT8-8LwMOsJgVeM0tBISf2I" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>

Collaboration videos International Peace Day video - classes around the world working together

Submitted by Fiona Beal On Tuesday 16 August I wrote a blog post about a Grade 4 class in the USA wanting to create a peace video for Intern...

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3rd Weigh In Results

Just a quick note to give results on Joel and I's weigh in on Friday:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.loosemyobesity.com/index_files/page13-1008-full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.loosemyobesity.com/index_files/page13-1008-full.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <b>Joel (6'): 228.6</b><br /><b> Hilary (5'8"): 251.8</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b> </b></div><div style="text-align: left;">This means that I have now officially lost 12 pounds and Joel has lost<b> </b>4 pounds.  Since Joel has decided to join me, we have both achieved steady losses :).  I'm so happy for us! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend and Happy Halloween!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqEctyBhGPNF-LF0cAVe0QnG034IRxujpWlcTTP1eP0WWY-5v-doxcDJDnKIEQEh8luduCeAEWm3Wdya9LueBW67McMemYuKPypOzJaxiAsxtyjaHKQQnAVAtF2wm8dNEaoNL_wcM0_RlH/s1600/happy+halloween+1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqEctyBhGPNF-LF0cAVe0QnG034IRxujpWlcTTP1eP0WWY-5v-doxcDJDnKIEQEh8luduCeAEWm3Wdya9LueBW67McMemYuKPypOzJaxiAsxtyjaHKQQnAVAtF2wm8dNEaoNL_wcM0_RlH/s320/happy+halloween+1.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>

HJ Competition 3rd Weigh In Results

Just a quick note to give results on Joel and I's weigh in on Friday: Joel (6'): 228.6 Hilary (5'8"): 251.8   This means ...

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Incorporate Screencasting into your lesson plans

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Introduction – Jing and Screenr</strong></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; language: en-za; mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;">A few months ago I decided to use screencasting more in lessons. The first programme I tried was Jing. I actually liked it so much that I took out the pro membership which was very cheap but gave more benefits. Then I discovered Screenr which seems to have all the benefits of Jing pro as well, although it is free.  </span> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; language: en-za; mso-ascii-font-family: calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;"><span style="font-size: small;">I wanted my class to do two things:<br /></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; language: en-za; mso-ascii-font-family: calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;">*Learn how to create a V</span><span style="color: black; language: en-za; mso-ascii-font-family: calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;">oki</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; language: en-za; mso-ascii-font-family: calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;"> (a little avatar that can speak) .<br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: calibri; language: en-za; mso-ascii-font-family: calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">*Get their Vokis to complain about an issue in society as a writing and speaking task.</span> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: calibri; language: en-za; mso-ascii-font-family: calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong></strong></span></span></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: black; font-family: calibri; language: en-za; mso-ascii-font-family: calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>How to make a Voki</strong></span> </span><br /><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: black; font-family: calibri; language: en-za; mso-ascii-font-family: calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: calibri; language: en-za; mso-ascii-font-family: calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For this part of the lesson I explained how to make the Voki using </span><a href="http://www.voki.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.voki.com/</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. The students really enjoyed this lesson. I also made a screencast using Jing on 'How to make a Voki so that the less confident students could practise and finish at home.</span> </span></div><span style="color: black; font-family: calibri; language: en-za; mso-ascii-font-family: calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: calibri; language: en-za; mso-ascii-font-family: calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;"></span> <br /><div align="left"><object data="http://content.screencast.com/users/fionabeal/folders/Jing/media/089a8054-5950-4c25-b88b-d716f696360c/jingh264player.swf" height="267" id="scPlayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420"> <param name="movie" value="http://content.screencast.com/users/fionabeal/folders/Jing/media/089a8054-5950-4c25-b88b-d716f696360c/jingh264player.swf"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="flashVars" value="thumb=http://content.screencast.com/users/fionabeal/folders/Jing/media/089a8054-5950-4c25-b88b-d716f696360c/FirstFrame.jpg&containerwidth=1024&containerheight=768&content=http://content.screencast.com/users/fionabeal/folders/Jing/media/089a8054-5950-4c25-b88b-d716f696360c/How%20to%20make%20a%20voki.mp4&blurover=false"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="scale" value="showall"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="base" value="http://content.screencast.com/users/fionabeal/folders/Jing/media/089a8054-5950-4c25-b88b-d716f696360c/"><iframe type="text/html" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="overflow:hidden;" src="http://www.screencast.com/users/fionabeal/folders/Jing/media/089a8054-5950-4c25-b88b-d716f696360c/embed" height="420" width="267"></iframe> </object></div><br /><span style="color: black; font-family: calibri; language: en-za; mso-ascii-font-family: calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How to use Jing</span> </strong></span></span><br /><span style="color: black; font-family: calibri; language: en-za; mso-ascii-font-family: calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong><br /></strong><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I discovered an amazing site for learning how to use Jing.  Here is an image of it plus the hyperlink.</span> </span></span></span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZKNPyZgF7GCAAR0ea-UqJQnnV4yt_1O1svyOcqMMlHqIubsZCZh3tmGEffKEFEfr9rANJeFGvzeWQ7R18hKwka7uI7zFGVvc0uyGEoMLBA3PUhqDYZcXKWltsP-gTcJ3wnNopELF08WM/s1600-h/image%25255B3%25255D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigjgmQTibXBEZCxP7SdI62C1sl3K-jSf8VRKJDH6s6CwEA9JR02uzDw9ci2hrvew4ngcqgMH26OVfo9gXqLi7tTpucNonGY4s-BMvivbzu1cvbOMfo1FGIQompKk4tmiV0H_0omPK8VVo/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="433" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.teachertrainingvideos.com/jingInReality/index.html">http://www.teachertrainingvideos.com/jingInReality/index.html</a><br /><span style="color: black; font-family: calibri; language: en-za; mso-ascii-font-family: calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Give a talk on an issue</span></strong></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">*I wanted the class to use their Vokis to express an opinion about an issue.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">*I captured an example for them to use using Screenr.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The Tas</strong></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>k</strong></span></span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today you will make a Voki expressing some strong opinions. Use </span><a href="http://www.voki.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.voki.com/</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to do this. <br /><br />1. Think of something that really irritates you, that you think something should be done about. <br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Here are some sentence starters you could use: <br /><br />*What really gets on my nerves is … the reason for this is <br />*What drives me up the wall is … because <br />*What I can’t stand is … . I think <br />*What really annoys me is … You see </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. I got this idea and took a Voki screencast  from Ian James's fantastic blog that I follow (</span><a href="http://tefltecher.wordpress.com/2011/03/15/voki-grumps/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://tefltecher.wordpress.com/2011/03/15/voki-grumps/</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">) </span><br /><br />  <object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,115,0" height="396" width="420"><param name="movie" value="http://cdn.screenr.com/public/1.7/flash/screenr.swf" /><param name="flashvars" value="i=353353&h=t&svr=http://www.screenr.com/&vEmbed=<iframe src="http://www.screenr.com/embed/M94s" width="650" height="396" frameborder="0"></iframe>" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="AllowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed wmode="opaque" AllowScriptAccess="always" src="http://cdn.screenr.com/public/1.7/flash/screenr.swf" flashvars="i=353353&h=t&svr=http://www.screenr.com/&vEmbed=<iframe src="http://www.screenr.com/embed/M94s" width="650" height="396" frameborder="0"></iframe>" allowFullScreen="true" width="420" height="396" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A blogpost about using Screenr</span></strong><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have written a blog post about how to use Screenr:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2011/10/screencasting-with-screenr-is-so-easy.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2011/10/screencasting-with-screenr-is-so-easy.html</span></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OxgfRS0HlFsDbZiRFr6ZzALMVMRIwWoaVxIgwQx3J8Lm7vkF2cQSHHDAQAgKHmmALp9Y7zYZH8itzmDUpYWW5YRWHUlzCIMVq1Ev-XfYcbquE9HOXuKNLua88DElynEs7ctYJ9XRlZ8/s1600-h/image%25255B7%25255D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWvSNCu0YEYcyxvqOJxruJQDrHd97f1AB4sHM7zVY65EUnKEA4AOT0TD10EM4nQ56AY9_LHTf46OSRDZN9fWOxXSuDUjvXF5giwWUQwjAC3PmD14NSfvvfiTxFYLx_1W2m3QUZZ2zals/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="443" /></a><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Provide access to your Screencasts to the students</span></strong><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What I did is I created a blog especially for Screencasting so that the students could just go to the link and open up the screencasts.  </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">However both Jing and Screenr store your screencasts so you can keep them there with links. Alternatively you can download them to your computer as MP4 files.</span> </span><br /><br /><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,115,0" height="396" width="420"><param name="movie" value="http://cdn.screenr.com/public/1.7/flash/screenr.swf" /><param name="flashvars" value="i=353401&h=t&svr=http://www.screenr.com/&vEmbed=<iframe src="http://www.screenr.com/embed/sV4s" width="650" height="396" frameborder="0"></iframe>" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="AllowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed wmode="opaque" AllowScriptAccess="always" src="http://cdn.screenr.com/public/1.7/flash/screenr.swf" flashvars="i=353401&h=t&svr=http://www.screenr.com/&vEmbed=<iframe src="http://www.screenr.com/embed/sV4s" width="650" height="396" frameborder="0"></iframe>" allowFullScreen="true" width="420" height="396" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recently I provided this lesson on a PowerPoint at a TeachMeet but the screencasts wouldn’t open for some reason.  I hope that doesn’t happen here!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Further ideas</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think that in the iintegration of your curriculum with technology this would be a great way to help the students that might falter a bit and want to practise at home. If you have a large class the students could go over the instructions using your short screencasts (screencasts should always be short and to the point - no longer than three minutes, for example.)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why not give screencasting a try?</span></div>

Jing Microsoft tools Screencasting Screenr Voki Web tools Incorporate Screencasting into your lesson plans

Introduction – Jing and Screenr A few months ago I decided to use screencasting more in lessons. The first programme I tried was Jing. I act...

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Deutsche Bank Vegas Exposure Equals Eurozone

<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">No comment</span></b><span style="color: yellow; font-size: x-large;">!!!!</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fjzWwnvOHJA?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></div></div><b style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b><span style="color: yellow; font-size: x-large;"></span></div>

Deutsche Bank Vegas Exposure Equals Eurozone

No comment !!!!

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How are you supposed to answer "What are your weaknesses?"

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></i></b></span><br /><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal arial, helvetica;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="tblContent"><tbody><tr id="trContent"><td align="center" class="cb_style tcContent" id="tcContent" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><div class="cbArticleWrapper" style="background-color: white; text-align: left; width: 750px;"><div class="cbArticleContentWrapper" style="margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 15px; margin-top: 15px; width: 750px;"><div class="cbArticleRight" style="width: 560px;"><div class="RXart" style="padding-right: 20px;"><div class="ArticleHeadline" style="margin-top: -30px;"><div class="cbmsnArticleImage" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/7b/ar5l7sr6qfrd0hv3rx7b.gif" /></div><b><span id="cbArticle_lblByLine">Anthony Balderrama, CareerBuilder Writer</span></b> </div><br /><div class="ArticleContent"><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Interviewing someone for a job is not as easy as it looks. First, as the interviewer, you're tasked with finding the person who will not only do the job well but also fit in well with the other employees. You have to assess abstract qualities that can't be found on a résumé. Because you have to repeat the process for every potential employee, you end up asking question after question to applicant after applicant.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Still, interviewers need to be told something: "What is your biggest weakness?" is not a good question. It just isn't.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Now, job seekers have to understand that interviewers want to find some way to distinguish one applicant from another. Asking questions that are seemingly impossible to answer is one way to see who can think creatively. The question is an admirable way to achieve this. However, this question isn't the same as asking, "Name three difficult situations and how you've overcome them." That question asks you to think critically about your performance, talents and problem-solving skills. Asking you to identify your weakest professional trait is like asking, "Why should I choose someone else for this job?"</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Yet, it's a staple that you should assume will come up in every interview. Rather than tell the interviewer, "Well, that's a dumb question and I refuse to answer it," you do have a legitimate ways to respond and look better for it. And no, stating that your biggest flaw is being a perfectionist is not an acceptable answer, either.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Honesty, with a twist</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"'What are your three strengths and three weaknesses?'... is a classic, but not too many people know how to answer this," says Kenneth C. Wisnefski, founder and CEO of WebiMax, an online marketing company specializing in search engine optimization. "As an interviewer, we want to hear strengths that describe initiative, motivation and dedication. The best way to respond is to include these attributes into specific 'personal statements.'</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Similarly, weaknesses should be positioned as a strength that can benefit the employer.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"I like to hear applicants state an exaggerated strength, and put an interesting twist on it. An example of this is, 'My initiative is so strong, that sometimes I take on too many projects at a time.'"</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">This answer leads with a strength that employers want -- initiative -- and still acknowledges that you're not perfect. In fact, you can overextend yourself. Although you might consider this acknowledgement too honest, it works because it proves you're being honest. Plus, employers are still requiring workers to "do more with less," so you show that you are prepared to multitask.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Honesty, with progress</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">When you consider what your weaknesses are, think about how you have attempted to overcome them. No one is perfect, so pretending that you had a weakness and then eliminated it entirely will come across is insincere. Debra Davenport, author of "Career Shuffle," believes citing examples are the best approach.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"My preferred response for this question is to tell the truth without damaging the applicant's image -- and in a manner that doesn't make the candidate come across like they've been coached by a Hollywood PR person," Davenport explains. "Many candidates are on to this question and so have developed fluff answers such as, 'My co-workers have told me that I sometimes take my work too seriously,' or 'I can never seem to leave the office at 5:00 -- I guess I just love my work too much!'"</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Employers aren't buying it, she says.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"A better response might be, 'I've had some challenges with work-life balance in the past and I realize that a life out of balance isn't good for me, my family or my employer. I've taken the time to learn better time and project management, and I'm also committed to my overall wellness. I eat right, exercise and maintain healthy boundaries for myself.'"</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The answer adds some dimension to the question, and proves you've thought beyond the answer. You've actually changed your behavior to address the situation, even if you haven't completely overcome the weakness.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"[It] lets the employer know that this candidate is emotionally mature, self-directed and takes care of himself or herself ... and possesses a high internal locus of control -- a very positive attribute."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Put yourself in the interviewer's shoes</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">However you decide to answer, Debra Yergen, author of "Creating Job Security Resource Guide," recommends job seekers imagine themselves sitting on the other side of the desk.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"If you were doing the hiring, what would you be looking for? What would be your motivation for asking certain questions? Who would you be trying to weed out? If you can empathize with the interviewer, you can better understand what they want and need, and then frame your qualifications to meeting their needs for the position you seek."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Once you consider what the goal of the question is and figure out what your honest answer is, you'll be able to give the best possible answer to a tricky question.</div><i>Anthony Balderrama is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, </i><a href="http://www.theworkbuzz.com/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><i>The Work Buzz</i></a><i>. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.</i> </div></div></div></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>

How are you supposed to answer "What are your weaknesses?"

Anthony Balderrama, CareerBuilder Writer   Interviewing someone for a job is not as easy as it looks. First, as the interviewer, you're ...

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There after ……….. Elections 2011, Argentina

<div style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Feeling the pulse of the people</b></u></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">As predicted, CFK won last Sunday’s election by a landslide victory. The fact that 54% of the population voted for her, indicates that not only the “lower social class” favored her, as is widely assumed by those who oppose her, but a vast range of people from different social backgrounds. </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here are some opinions regarding the outcome of the elections: </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">(<i>These opinions have been collected from internet forums and are displayed in their original version without editing or corrections</i>) </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Well, we Argentine s eight years ago we heard about the impending disaster and the dark clouds that lie ahead if we do not follow the advice of 'the markets'. </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The truth is that all disasters that told us we were going to happen did not happen in Argentina, but that are happening in USA and Europe. And the election results show just that: Governments who follow the advice of 'the markets' are repudiated by their own people, and those who do not, sweep with wins of 54%.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">I think it's good that Fernandez is attempting to give her country what they want. It is very important that she does show personality because the people need to feel a connection between themselves and their President. Bringing her family on stage was a perfect way to do that. Argentina has been doing pretty well economically so as long as everything stays the same I don't see why the people wouldn't be happy with Fernandez.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Argentina is doing pretty well in the current economic standing and I think that it is a good thing for Fernandez to become president. She will give the people what they want in order to make her country better and more prosperous even with the already high prices of soybeans and rapid growth of Brazil. The country obviously wants her as president and I believe that she will make a good change to the country.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Argentina is currently in a period of economic stability, which is why it is not surprising Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was reelected. It is important to remember that this stability is not promised to the people of Argentina, and therefore she can celebrate her victory but must continue policies. Improvements must be made and the economy must continue to be monitored in Argentina and Fernandez cannot get too comfortable.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Fernandez is doing all she can to please her people. I applauded her for trying to get up and closer and personal with her people. I feel like world leaders have forgotten about this important aspect and are too preoccupied with economics and war. I believe her people grew closer when she brought her kids on stage because it showed she was a loving mother and that she is going to care for her country like she cares for her children. Also Argentina is doing well economically under Fernandez and if she doesn't change anything, her people will continue to love and praise her.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">If a 25% annual rate of inflation amounts to economic stability then all is well with Argentina's world.<br />If the same 25% means that it is time to print more money, then it's time for the kissing to stop and austerity to kick in - otherwise how can the IMF agree to give more of the world's money to prop up this tottering state? Providers of financial support need some sort of confidence that they will get their money back; defaults do nobody any good. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">It is great thing for Argentina that Ms Fernández is President. When more than half the country elects and wants the nominee to win Presidency it is a great thing. That means she has really appealed to the people and thats what the people want they want someone who is going to listen to them and do what they want. Even though at some point she lost some of her popularity and support she really showed the people that she was there for them by listening to them and making some changing that would benefit the citizens, the people she is representing.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">I would do just as well as Argentina economically, if I don't pay what I should and if I abuse of Other People's Money like her government has been doing for the past 8 years. Well, must I add that I'm not happy at all with Fernandez?</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Truth is Argentina did well in spite of this government, but certainly not thanks to her. Sooner than later, everything like eg soybean prices, and Brazilian's monetary policies, won't stay the same and then, I would like to know how much will the voters they elected her yesterday, still like her. </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Almost or more than half of the people live thanks to the work of the other half, because of an overwhelming tax structure. The corruption has never been worse. The education and well mannered people had vanished. The crime rate is outrageous. Not even the Argentine people invest, but keep taking their money out of the country. The public administration words and deeds have been embarrassing for too long. Let alone the farm sector. </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">It seems unaccountable to me.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Argentina's Iron Lady wins big again. It should be interesting to see how Cristina Fernandez and her political party act now that they have won power of every branch of government. There seems to be unofficial indication that Argentina's economy is reaching a plateau. It can only run on high priced exports and a bloated Brazilian trade for so long, so it will be interesting to see whether their trend of growth will continue under Fernandez. If it doesn't then they will have to seriously consider tackling their debt issue and closing the hatches on their government spending. Hopefully they open up opportunities for Argentina to diversify its economy to better handle a global economy. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">On another note, I hope that Argentina does not switch from a presidential to a parliamentary system just to keep Fernandez in power. That change would have monumental impacts on their government and how their democracy functions. It would also give one body complete power over government and do away with healthy checks and balances in a presidential system. Finally I believe it would be a great loss to do away with the executive branch, which acts as a unified front to other countries diplomatically and militarily. Let them do as they wish though, as long as it is democratic it should prevent an abuse of power.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">It is amazing that so many comments favour Cristina. 46% of the votes reject her. This 46% is composed of what class of people? Those who cannot accept her attacks on the free press using trade union thugs and on farmers. Or her absurd anti-Americanism. Or her failure to pay the country's debts, even though the economy and balance of payments provides the means. Or the lies told that there are no obstacles to import freely (ask Brazil and Uruguay)! Or the lies told about inflation. Or the vast subsidies paid to keep utility prices down and Aerolineas going. Or her admiration of the absurd Chavez ( which the Argentine foreign service has to deny). Who are the 54%? The "pueblo" who benefits from the above. Populism. The success of the soya farmers. Carlos Lacroze is dead right.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">It's been said that Argentina has been lucky and that, without high commodity prices, their situation would be different. This is - up to a point - true but the great virtue of the Kirchners has been to tackle head on the farming establishment's traditional tax avoidance status. The Kirchner's much maligned export tax has allowed the Argentine state to collect income at source and redistribute within the nation, increasing internal demand which itself stimulates local industry.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />As things stand, about 10 billion surplus agricultural dollars are leaving the country every year. That amount would be considerably higher had her government not introduced the controversial export tax. Wealth would have remained in the hands of a tiny minority who would have - as they have done for decades - salted the money abroad. So - had the Kirchners not been in power - the "China bonanza" would have benefited only the few.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />It should be pointed out that while Mrs. Kirchner obtained 54% of the votes, Mr. Lambias (one of the leaders of the "farming revolt" which opposed the tax) came last in the rural, traditional farming district where he stood for a Congressional seat. He obtained a miserly 2.5% of the votes . Mrs Kirchner not only won the election, she has also won - at least amongst the Argentine people - the intellectual argument as to the rights and wrongs of taxing those with excessive wealth concentration.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">And I'll add some figures for those who insist on the idea that Argentina's growth depends on fortunate events ('tail wind') that are not under our control: </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">1. The export / GDP ratio in Argentina is barely 22%, so much of our exports are easily sold on the domestic market if things go bad abroad. </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">2. Soybean is hardly 5.38% of our GDP, so its influence on the total economy is barely noticeable. Those who speak of the 'tail wind' should explain then how grew the remaining 95% of the economy.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The bottom line is: Argentina isn't so naked and exposed to external influences as other countries. Be it financial or commercial. It has a relatively large domestic market to soften the spikes it is exposed to.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">And most important: People are excited (as the last poll shows) and wants to keep growing as usual. Optimism. An invaluable asset, hard to get abroad.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">I did not vote for Mrs Fernandez on Sunday. Although it is true that economic growth and spillover effect on income has happened over the last 8 years, not all of it is a merit of the Kirchner couple. The high inflation level , the corruption , the blind-eye to extortion and bullying tactics by friendly union leaders and erratic foreign policy , siding with unsavory latinamerican leaders are some of the reasons for me choosing to be on the losing side of last Sunday's election. Time will tell if I was wrong from joining- in in the consumption frenzy as if there was no tomorrow , in a world climate that is getting darker</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>

There after ……….. Elections 2011, Argentina

Feeling the pulse of the people As predicted, CFK won last Sunday’s election by a landslide victory. The fact that 54% of the population vot...

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