Which Virtual Classroom?

Today on twitter someone asked me which virtual classroom (VC) I used and I had a list for him/her as I use several. I even confessed that I truly haven't decided on a favorite as they all have their pros and cons based on the students and platform that I am using. At LANCELOT School, we try to familiarize the trainees with at least five virtual classroom solutions so that when faced with a client they can choose the one that is the most appropriate for their needs or if they go into a client's VC they can usually adapt to the new solution quite quickly. Here is a list of the ones that I use:

Free VCs I use:

Adobe Connect Now
This is free for three people. Screensharing is great. Annotation tools can be used with screensharing (the only room). All cameras can be seen at the same time.

Digital Samba
This is free for three people. All cameras can be used at the same time. One of the few VCs that allows word documents to be uploaded.

DimDim
This is free for up to 20 people. Only the host can share the web camera. Web touring and Screen sharing is really quite good. One drawback is that you can't upload jpegs.

Elluminate
This is free for three people. This is the best for low-bandwidth. Has web-touring, clock, and break-out rooms, which is awesome. The whiteboard tools are also really great. I especially like the ability to use the clock, which no other VC has. All three cameras can be seen at the same time and up to six cameras can be used with the professional version.

Spreed
This is free for up to three people. All cameras can be seen at the same time. One of the few that allows word documents to be uploaded. As far as I know the only VC with a mindmap tool, which is really cool. Like most flash-based systems, it is best with high band-width.

Webtrain
This is free for two people. Good for low-bandwidth, web touring, wonderful whiteboard tools, remote control, only one camera can be seen at a time.


Paid VCs I use:

Adobe Connect Pro
One of the more expensive VCs on the market and I jump at the chance to use it. Like most flash based solutions it is best for high bandwidth. It has polls, breakout rooms, whiteboarding, screensharing, filesharing and all participants can be seen on camera if everyone has one.

Instant Presenter
I have found this VC to be the easiest for people with low technical skills to enter and to navigate. Six people can be on the camera and VOIP at the same time. Screensharing, polls and whiteboarding are quite easy to use. It is a very basic VC, but quite good.

Who would you like to have a learning conversation with?

Today, LANCELOT School had another really good Virtual Round Table on Demand. The idea for these virtual round tables is to invite famous authors, teachers or professors into a virtual classroom and to have a learning conversation with him/her. We started with Noam Chomsky back in February and then Scott Thornbury later in the spring. When I was asked who my favorite textbook author was it was a no-brainer: Vicki Hollett. We found her quite easily thanks to web 2.0 and Linked-in. I had the privilege of inviting people to this event and also talking to Vicki before the event--it was a great honor. I've now become a fan of her blog, which is something I totally identify with--she is British and living in the states and comparing the language. Her blog is called Learning to speak 'merican and I think it is one of my favorite blogs so far. Anyway, today we had a Virtual Round Table for teachers who teach Aviation English. I've been involved in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) for quite a while and this is one area I have never taught. I went because I was helping with the audio and found it fascinating anyway. Personally, I'm looking forward to more Virtual Round Table on Demands. I've put in another request for an author. How about you? Who would you like to have a learning conversation with? There is a forum discussion on the ning site that you can put in your request.

The Advantages of Live Online!

After 11 years in Finland, I have decided to return to the USA! This actually came as a shock to many people and several have asked if I have a job there or what will I do when I get there. This has kind of surprised me as I have been teaching live online and working with LANCELOT School for quite some time... Anyway, the advantages of teaching live online is that I will be taking my students with me! Right now, I have some students in Germany at 8:30 PM Finnish time on Wednesday and Thursdays. I will continue teaching them, but will now be teaching them at 11:30 AM mountain standard time. I'm quite excited about this move and especially to see just what will happen in the future regarding this live online teaching-->is it going to take off or is it going to fizzle? My plan is for it to become popular, but only time will tell. So, anyway, I am moving back to the states, but my professional teaching life is going to continue growing live online--the advantages of teaching live online: I can be anywhere in the world with internet connection!

Sir LANCELOT and the mists of AVALON

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Sir LANCELOT and the mists of AVALON

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What teachers really make!

Social Networking: How many is too many?

I admit it! I'm an addict! I'm addicted to Social Networking sites... My question to whoever in the blogosphere reads this--how many social networking sites are too many?

I actually started blogging in 2004 as a way to communicate with my family since I live in Finland and they live in the USA. My father had recently passed on and he was the telephone king who kept us all up on each others' lives. When he passed away, we had to come up with other ways to communicate. I then started getting readers whom I didn't know and we started commenting on other each others' posts and I saw how fun it could be. So, my entrance into this type of communication was for personal reasons and I was pretty slow and cautious--it is the internet after all.

In 2006 I started my own company and as a result started using the internet even more... In 2007, a friend invited me to join facebook and I quickly found friends from years past--WOW! People who I thought I would never see or hear from again are still cropping up through this site. With Facebook, I try to be very careful as to who is allowed to see my site (a friend list if you will) and pretty much there are no strangers amongst my friends and I only post about work at times, but this site is more for reconnecting and keeping up with friends and family.

Anyway, in 2008, I got some training on teaching in a virtual classroom and then slowly I started joining all these different websites. Now, I'm starting to wonder--how many can I handle? The following are badges of the many sites (mostly ning sites) that I belong to because of language training or professional reasons. I'm thinking it is a bit too many and I need a support group...


Visit EFL CLASSROOM 2.0

Visit Corporate Learning Trends and Innovation

Visit Virtual Worlds and Language Learning

Visit Virtual Round Table

Visit Corporate Learning Trends and Innovation

Visit Webheads in Action

Visit AVALON-project

Visit ESL United - ESL Jobs, ESL lesson plans, ESL teacher community!

Visit LearningTown!

Visit LANCELOTTERs.net

Visit RezEd

Visit The Innovative Christian


And of course I also belong to linked in and Xing...

So, how much is too much?

Virtual Round Table on Demand

A few months ago I was asked what famous author, teacher or professor I would want to have a learning conversation with in a virtual classroom. Without skipping a beat I said--Vicki Hollett, the author of Business Objectives, Business Opportunities and In at the Deep End as well as the Tech Talk series. The main reason and motivation for me to invite her is that I love her books, but would love to know whether there is more from her coming out. Anyway, yesterday was the learning conversation with Vicki Hollett and it totally exceeded my expectations. We had about six questions from various trainers located mostly here in Europe. The trainers were able to come 'on stage' and have a conversation with Vicki. This was Vicki's first time in this type of environment and she did a very good job. Here are the questions that she was asked:

Jeremy, a teacher in Poland asked:
I'd be very interested in "the Vicki Hollett story", particularly how you came to write BObjs and BOpps (my two all-time favourite Business English course books), and what you have been doing since then.

The best thing about BObjs and BOpps was (sorry to use past tense, but it's been a long time since I used them) the incredibly systematic and innovative grammar syllabus, which to my mind has never been matched in another BE coursebook that I know. But it took me about 2 years to discover it - there was next to nothing in the teacher's book or task rubrics to point out the 'hidden' purpose of most of the exercises. Was the grammar syllabus deliberately buried? Or did I just imagine the grammar syllabus?

Lindsay, an English teacher in Germany asked:
Where do you personally see the future of English teaching? Is the demand for English decreasing/increasing or stagnating? What sort of English will be necessary in 5- 10 years time?

Anne, an English teacher in France asked:
Vicki, do you intend in the future to adapt your material so that it can be used on an interactive whiteboard or in a virtual classroom? At present, I use International Business Objectives in a virtual environment, my student has a copy of your book at the same time, but I have to prepare my own Powerpoint slides or exercises to compliment your book, it would be great if ready-made exercises were available.

Karenne, a blogging expert :)and teacher in Germany asked:
You've recently entered the blogosphere! Would you like to tell us a bit more about the decision to become a blogger and a little about where you see the direction of it going.

Do you enjoy the process - what has been most difficult or most interesting?

Many bloggers are also blogging with their students - although usually with young children and teenagers - have you had any thoughts on how a blogger could incorporate teaching business English and blogging with students?

and finally I asked about any future books that could be coming out...

The entire learning conversation was recorded and will be on You Tube in the next few weeks. I'm personally looking forward to watching it again.

Do you have a person that you want to have a learning conversation with?

Go to the website and make a suggestion...

Brain Rules for Presenters

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Brain Rules for Presenters

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Sir Lancelot in the Midst of Avalon

LANCELOT Learning YouTube Channel

This is a channel of LANCELOT trained teachers doing lessons in various virtual classrooms and various situations. The highlights so far are the lessons in China and Burkina Faso. Check back for more highlights!