Slight change of plans and fun new applications!

Plans have changed, but only slightly. Instead of leaving at the end of August for Istanbul, I will instead be leaving at the end of October for a November TEFL course. I am going to be working in marketing/promotions for my Aunt's new business venture that includes a book tour in September. More information to follow in later postings and hopefully some of you will be able to attend one of the events!

In my search for some interesting applications to assist in promotions and event planning I ran across:



This seems to be a pretty good site for adding and finding events nearby even in international locations. I will be posting some dates and locations for the book tour route over the next couple of months.


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Other applications that continue to hold my attention:

1.

There is fantastic art displayed here and also it's pretty easy to work with the drawing tools. Needless to say, I wasn't constructing anything even half as good as some of the displayed work, but fun and time consuming nonetheless.

2.
As a friend stated when I mentioned this new application, "the names of these applications are getting to be more and more ridiculous." Though I kinda agree I still really like this new application quite a lot. Xoopit finds and shares pictures, videos and files buried in your inbox. I discovered some old JROTC pictures that I totally forgot about. The video I posted of the banned Skyy video was shared quite a bit via Xoopit.

3.

Facebook...totally sucks me in. I login and then it's, "oh, Stacey changed her profile pic." Next thing you know I am browsing through wedding pictures of some girl who lives in Texas that I have never met. I find myself thinking "nice flowers." Caption reads "Aren't they cute together?" and I find myself slowly shaking my head, "yes they are." Ridiculous.

4.

Though not a social media tool, I have been using the URL compressor quite a bit this week...pretty handy. Take a look at these "before" and "after" celebrity TMZ images that held my attention for way too long via the "compressed URL:" http://ur.lc/2b

Impatiently Waiting...

I have issues with waiting. I completely admit that. I just want to have my essay with edits and comments back from the professor. It has been approximately 24 hours. Yeah, I know, I can be pretty ridiculous.

I cannot wait to start teaching. I need to practice my Turkish but have been spending a lot of time working on Spanish for the language assessment portion of the Fulbright. I really hope I am ready for the assessment.

I saw something funny on Laughingsquid.com that is a must-see for those who enjoy the LOLcats website:
Missing Lolcat, Responds to “Cheezburger”
http://laughingsquid.com/lolcat-responds-to-cheezburger/

Twitter has now become part of "my routine." Awake. Talk to the cat about how "dry food is just as acceptable as can food." Also that she is "only getting cans every other day." Realize I am talking to my cat and it's time to go interact with people. Sit down at computer and "interact with people" via Twitter. Drink coffee and check email then check eBay. That is the AM portion of my day. When Twitter doesn't work it really throws me off...so for any Twitter admins out there - just realize you hold a lot of power and can truly create a destructive morning.

So, instead of another long-winded post that is filled with text and lacks in images, I have decided to present a few videos from a really great site, Vimeo: http://www.vimeo.com/
The third one has nothing whatsoever to do with social media or TEFL but I felt a need to post it anyway.


Clever video discussing Social Media:

Social Media in Plain English from leelefever on Vimeo.






Video about Twitter:


Twitter in Plain English from leelefever on Vimeo.






Random but Funny Zombie Information Video:

Zombies in Plain English from leelefever on Vimeo.

And the process continues...

I have encountered a very minor, but annoying, dilemma: there really isn't any offline material for someone pursuing a teaching career within the EFL field. More specifically, someone who has an interest in utilizing Web 2.0 capabilities within their teaching practice. I know it may seem ridiculous to desire to read a book about these two elements when I can find the material online, but I figured there might be a great book with consolidated information that I could use as constant companion in my new adventure.

I have gone to a couple of larger bookstores to attempt to find the "all encompassing" book but haven't been successful. I realize that most EFL/ESL books center around teaching to students in which English is the primary language. I know that I could learn some important and essential tips and tricks on teaching by reading these books, but I am looking for a read that places the emphasis on being in a location where English is primarily a second language.

I did some perusing on Amazon and found, Teaching English Abroad, 7th (Teaching English Abroad) (Paperback) from 2005. (Amazon listing: http://ur.lc/14) Could be interesting, but is it the only one of it's kind? What about a book referencing social media outlets, etc? Maybe this one instead TEFL Questions and Answers (Paperback)(http://ur.lc/17).

I have been reading How To Teach English (Book with DVD) (How S.) (Paperback): http://ur.lc/16. It has been pretty fascinating to read about aspects of teaching that I never would have considered previously. Such as a general layout of a classroom and the social impact that it can represent.

Thankfully there are lots of great online resources that have helped me formulate some good ideas not only for when I begin to teach but also for my Fulbright application.

I had spent the majority of the last few days writing by hand (almost a foreign idea to me nowadays) my proposal and personal statement. Last night around 11PM I started to type-up my rough drafts. Organization is lacking within my paper so now I need to motivate myself to complete that...


Some cool applications/sites that I have seen on the web that would be relevant for TEFL:
*Forvo - A pronunciation guide in different languages by native speakers (http://forvo.com/)
*Heads up English - a website with English lesson plans and articles (http://www.headsupenglish.com)
*Twitter - always deserves a mention. Great social networking (http://twitter.com)

Off-Topic Alert:

Here is an interesting Turkish news story: http://ur.lc/15

Also, here is an extremely funny reward for making it through my blog from LOLCats:

more cat pictures

The beginning...

I have been wanting to start a blog for a while but never felt I had anything worthwhile to say...I now realize that I want to collect my thoughts and feelings for personal gain as well.

I am about to embark on a really amazing experience (at least I hope it will be amazing).

My story (in very short form): I had graduated from college with a business degree in marketing and communications and have spent the last three years working within the interactive marketing and advertising sector. I have had the opportunity to work in publishing as an intern in NYC to pharmaceutical advertising in Philadelphia. In order to move away from sounding like a resume/CV lets just say that I had some good and bad experiences. I have personally experience "the Devil Wears Prada" type of boss and have felt caged by the three cube walls that I began to view as a second home. At the same time I have been challenged and had the thrill of working through some complicated material or project successfully. I always struggled tremendously with accounting and finance in college but somehow managed to do quite well when faced with required budgeting tasks.

About a year ago my boyfriend was able to get a relocation opportunity to the south of Spain through his employment to start this summer. We started to consider what we should in terms of my career, blah blah. Countless (and I meant countless because I am definitely one of those people who go over-the-top in terms of planning and preparation) conversations later we had decided to possibly get married. Then we decided maybe not...time was limited and it was stressful enough moving to a foreign country. Also, I wouldn't be able to work over in Spain. If I did choose to get my certification for TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) there was no guarantee that I would get a job and a work permit as a non-EU. (I will discuss all of my research on this subject in a later post).

Finally it all came to a halt as he needed to go over there early and I am not sure how it will all play out. I have decided that after endless research about the best opportunities for teachers in EFL/ESL that I will go to Eastern Europe. Istanbul, Turkey specifically. I have a friend (who has been ridiculously helpful) teaching there now and think this might be the best option.

Also, I am applying to the Fulbright program for a teaching assistantship in Spain for the 2009-2010 school year. (More to come in later posts on this as well)

So that is my first blog. My last year of decision-making and stress all wrapped up in a few paragraphs. Regardless, I am so excited about what the future holds.

Well that wasn't really all that hard. Maybe I am self-absorbed and like writing about myself. :)
That couldn't be it...