Anne Fox ApS

Month: April 2016

  • Automating teaching in Denmark

    Automating teaching in Denmark

    in

    Attending the Skolemesse (Schools Exhibition) in Aarhus last Thursday I was struck by the explosion of books in the exhibition hall. Danish teachers have had their preparation time reduced in the most recent education reform. Yes! Danish school teachers are used to having designated preparation time. What seems to have happened is that there has been…

  • What does a materials-lite course look like?

    What does a materials-lite course look like?

    in ,

    This is a great example of how to teach without a coursebook. Sometimes called Dogme but always working with emergent language. The lesson plan comes at the end as a summary and is used as a springboard to the next lesson and there is a lovely bit at the end of this 30 minute talk,…

  • Public service announcement: Learning styles

    Public service announcement: Learning styles

    in ,

    I am including this 30-minute talk debunking the myth of learning styles because many of the teachers I deal with in teacher training believe that learning styles exist and I have tended only not to agree rather than to actively disagree. It is disappointing to find learning styles included in the syllabus of respected programmes…

  • Barrier or Badge?

    Barrier or Badge?

    in ,

    What does integration mean? Without a common understanding of this, is it possible to devise a valid and meaningful test? In this panel debate we heard examples of completely inappropriate test items requiring respondents to describe in the target language how things are done “in your own country” even though they have been living in…

  • Look on the bright side

    in

    On June 24th my life could get immeasurably more complicated and uncertain if the referendum on whether to stay in the European Union goes in the wrong direction. As a British immigrant who has lived in Denmark for over 23 years I do not have a vote since that right runs out after 15 years…

  • How much blended learning?

    in

    Someone asked me an interesting question recently: Why do you think there is so little take up of blended learning in UK  universities? And that the little that there is, is so bad? The short answer is I don’t know. The long answer needs to start by defining blended learning and by asking whether it is…

  • Taking sides

    in

    Invited as a guest to Franklin Yartey’s intercultural class in Dubuque, we agreed on the topic of the refugee crisis as manifest in Denmark.