Tuesday 5 December 2006

Rodney's students' website

Thanks for the picture Rodney...though I notice you are trying to hide behind your students! I looked at your class MySpace website: http://blog.myspace.com/129379214
.....there is so much information there - inspiring!

Monday 27 November 2006

Accolade


Dear Rachel,

Congratulations! How do you manage it? I have just finished a session with my IT class, editing the Rodney Life and Times BLOG. Here is a photo of them, with the Interactive Whiteboard.
Your BLOG is much more polished!

Best wishes,

Rodney

Sunday 26 November 2006

New Delhi

I'm in Delhi, India today, meeting potential students for York St John programmes. I've seen some excellent candidates, so I hope they do come to York! It's almost twenty years since I was last in Delhi and although some things look the same, the evidence of an ICT 'revolution' is everywhere: students give me their email addresses and I have been in email contact 3 times already with an applicant I met yesterday; his application and supporting documents have been scanned and emailed to York; we looked at the academic programme information on the YSJ website in our agent's office in Delhi; I have emailed home once already today and to a colleague I plan to meet in Colombo tomorrow, I will text my son, using my UK mobile, to let him know when I arrive at the airport and I'm blogging now. One of the applicants for the MA ELT works in an international call centre here in Delhi teaching English to call centre workers. She mainly does work for British Gas and at the interview talked to me about how BG provides a reliable service to people in remote areas of the UK......etc.

Last week I was in Pakistan, where access to Blogger.com seems to be restricted. This site has more info: http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2006/03/02/pakistan-blogspot-blogs-blocked-in-pakistan/

Off to the airport now, for a flight to Colombo, Sri Lanka. Back in York on Friday.

York


I live in York, a historic city about two hours by train north of London, UK.




The Yorkshire Evening Press has up-to-date info on places to visit and things to do in York: http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/tourism/





Family

I have two children, Rian and Clara. Rian has just started Secondary School and Clara is in Year 5 of primary school. I'm writing this in India and will post photos of them when I get back to the UK!

My Mum and Dad live about 10 miles from us and I have three sisters: one in York, one in Sheffield and one in Virginia, USA.

Work

I'm an English language teacher in the International Centre at York St John University, UK: http://www2.yorksj.ac.uk/default.asp?Page_ID=77

I'm Head of Programme for our MA in English Language Teaching and for the International Foundation Programme.

I started teaching English in 1987 and have worked in Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia and Japan. I spent the longest time in Indonesia, where Rian and Clara (aged 12 and 9) were born. In Indonesia I worked for The British Institute: http://www.tbi.co.id/.