I’ve been an English Teacher for almost 20 years now. One might think I have learnt something along the way. Well, I’m not quite sure. I have taught English in Hungary, trained teachers in the Middle East, worked for a publishing company in the UK. I lived in Iraqi Kurdistan for 9 fantastic months. Worked at one of the most exciting airlines in the world in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. I taught in a secondary school and mentored a brilliant group of fantastic English teachers in Sharjah, UAE. In 2010 I came back to Hungary with my wonderful wife and my 4-month-old daughter. Since then we have lived in a small town in 34 kms from Budapest.
EFL teacher with a mountain of experience and mind wide open. I have been lucky to discover that my passion for technologies blends well with teaching of English.
Hi! I’m Barbara Hoskins Sakamoto. I’m an English teacher currently living in Kitakyushu, Japan. I’ve taught English as a Second or Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) for a little more than 20 years, and in those years I have taught all ages in many different environments–private language schools, public schools, businesses, community centers, my home, and even a university extension class or two.
Why do I use three names? Well, my married name is Sakamoto, and most of my friends know me as Barb Sakamoto. However, I’m co-author of a children’s English textbook series called Let’s Go, and most of the teachers who use Let’s Go know me as Barbara Hoskins. So, to be safe, I use all three names!
I’m passionate about teaching, especially about teaching English to young learners. I want to learn about anything that will make me a better teacher. These days, that includes learning how to use web 2.o tools and virtual worlds in the classroom and for professional development, learning about new teaching methodologies and techniques, trying to keep up with research about how children learn. Luckily, I have found generous online friends who help me learn. Hence the title of my blog: Teaching Village. I know that I’m a better teacher when I can work with others. I think we all benefit from sharing with each other.
I’m hoping that Teaching Village will help me connect with EFL teachers I’ve met in workshops around the world, and to make new friends, too!
I teach ESL to adult migrants and refugees at Canberra Institute of Technology. I also provide learning support to students across the institute. Besides the applications of ICT in language learning & teaching I'm also interested in using technology to enhance (academic) learning support and literacy & numeracy teaching. I have completed the Master of Online Education from University of Southern Queensland.
Education World is a complete online resource that teachers, administrators and school staff can visit each day to find high-quality and in-depth original content. We update the site daily, offering:
Carefully curated news briefs on topics that matter to educators;
Lesson plans, printables, worksheets and thousands of other classroom-ready resources;
EdTech tips and ideas as well as reviews of apps, websites and tech products; and
A huge library of professional development articles and columns.
ELTjam exists to promote innovation and experimentation in the ELT industry, and to explore the question “What ‘s next for ELT?”
We are Nick Robinson, Laurie Harrison and Tim Gifford. We created the eltjam.com blog to champion the free exchange of expertise, skills and innovative ideas between ELT professionals. This is where we share ELT-relevant news, reviews and opinions on EdTech, gaming, mobile and online learning, publishing and learning. We invite contributions from publishers, teachers, authors, game developers, EdTech entrepreneurs and anyone else who is driven to identify how things can be done better.
The ELTjam team also offers consultancy, product development services and training – for more information on this, go to www.eltjamjar.com
If you’d like to get involved, contribute to our blog or ask us anything, please get in touch:
About Me (Richard Byrne):
I am a former high school social studies teacher best known for developing this blog. I taught for eight and a half years at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School in South Paris, ME. During that time I piloted 1:1 laptop use before the program went school-wide. I coordinated a "laptop squad" to support teachers' use of laptops in their classrooms. I also served on a number of curriculum and assessment committees.
I have been invited to speak at events all over North America, Europe, Australia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. My work is focused on sharing free web-based resources that educators can use to enhance their students’ learning experiences.
I am a five time winner of the Edublogs Award for Best Resource Sharing Blog. I became a Google Certified Teacher in 2009. In 2012 I received a Merlot Classics award from chancellor’s office of California State University. In 2010 I was a finalist for ACTEM’s (Association of Computer Teachers and Educators in Maine) educator of the year award. Tech & Learning Magazine named me one of their “people to watch” in their 100@30 30th Anniversary celebration ).
On a daily basis Free Technology for Teachers reaches a subscriber base of more than 60,000 educators. In addition to writing Free Technology for Teachers, I also maintain iPadApps4School.com, Android4Schools.com, and PracticalEdTech.com. My printed work includes a monthly column for School Library Journal, contributing author to What School Leaders Need to Know About Digital Technologies and Social Media, and contributions to Teacher Librarian.
I believe that when used correctly, technology has the power to improve student engagement and student achievement. I also believe that technology gives teachers the ability to form powerful, global, professional learning communities.