===================================== Mac OSX Tech Tip ===================================== Many Mac OSX applications use a pop up fonts window to allow you to format font appearance. By default, you don’t get to see a preview of the font. If you click and hold on the little dot in the top-middle of that window and drag downward, a [...]

Stuents love to hunt for those colorful little plastic eggs anytime of the year! Here are the top 5 ways to use plastic Easter eggs in your classroom! #1: Math: If you are studying multiplication (or any other operation), number the plastic eggs on the outside with a permanent marker. The students have to go around the room and try to find at ...

Once in a while I read something and I find myself thinking, ''Now, why didn't I think of that?''. Well, Richard Gresswell had such an idea. He started a blog, called it ELTBITES, and challenged us: ''Describe an activity that requires no more than the teacher, students, and possibly making use of the board, pens, and paper. Describe the activity ...

This is a good an excuse as any to listen to a good song, and, at the same time, be reminded of the suffering the great nation had to endure earlier this year. Why not use this video as a springboard for a class discussion on natural disasters, for example? You might like to read this post on activities using songs.

I've always loved this song (written by Jagger/Richards, and released on the Stones' Let It Bleed album towards the end of 1969), and, as you probably already know, I'm very fond of Playing for Change, too. They are good enough reasons for me to link it here in this blog.But how can we use it in our lessons, you might ask. Well, think about it and ...

A few weeks ago, I suggested some ideas for a lesson based on a close-up image - if you've missed it, I suggest you read that first. Click here to read it.I snapped this shot today, and I thought I'd share some more ideas with you all. Between this and the previous article, I think you'll get an idea how you can start your students speaking on any ...

I can't believe that almost a month has passed since my last idiom activity! We're still on food; this time we'll take a look at pies & potatoes. as easy as pie It means just that - extremely easy. Sometimes, you'll hear 'easy as apple pie': That test we did today was really easy as pie, wasn't it? eat humble pie When you eat humble pie, you admit ...

Image courtesy of Wikipedia While in the last part of this series on Idioms, we drove you bananas, on this one, we'll drive you nuts! However, there's no sense in getting panicky. Let's take a closer look at some of these nutty idioms! the nuts and bolts This refers to the basic detailed practical information on how something works: Be patient. ...

One must be indeed cold and heartless not to be affected by the triple calamity of earthquake, tsunami, and threat of nuclear meltdown that hit Japan on Friday 11th March 2011. Why, even the Yakuza, Japan's notorious Mafia gang have been doing their bit to help, giving donations and driving relief supplies into radiation zones without protection. ...

Image courtesy of Wikipedia Are all these idioms driving you bananas? I sure hope not! Keep playing these games over and over again, and soon you'll be enjoying the fruits of your labour. Let's run through the idioms. bear fruit When something bears fruit, it means that it has started to yield some success: After slogging day and night at it for ...