Job Discussion Forums

Phil_H · Joined: 05 May 2003 Posts: 3 Location: Korea

Hi,

I have spent last six months putting together a community web site in my spare time away from teaching.

I have reached the Beta stage and I am looking for a few people to help me test the various tools.

The site enables users to
-Write a blog/diary
-Upload photo galleries
-Create and Manage Articles (about teaching, living, travelling)
-Create and Manage Resources (for teaching)
-Add, rate and comment on schools (I figured the current black lists are not much good)
-Add, rate and comment on agents (just thought about it when creating the school tools)
-Links Database

www.eslsource.com

Anyway thanks to Dave for giving me permission to post up a help request on this.

I would really like some real teachers to use the tools and tell me what is good and bad with them, and what needs changing, so I can make it a better site before i finish beta testing it.

Thanks in Advance

Charles Higgins
[email protected]

PanamaTeacher · Joined: 26 Jun 2003 Posts: 278 Location: Panama

Not Ready for Prime Time:-(--The resources are weak, you don't have Panama in your countries section, and I couldn't use the forum. Don't give up your day job betting on an IPO for this sick little puppy.

Phil_H · Joined: 05 May 2003 Posts: 3 Location: Korea

PanamaTeacher · Joined: 26 Jun 2003 Posts: 278 Location: Panama

phil--i gave it another look. There are many sites and time is limited so you've got to have a gimmick to make people go back. I really like the picture gallery idea. As far as I know it is unique. A picture really is worth 1,000 words. Sometimes I wish all members would send pictures of their schools, housing, students, etc.

For Panama data look at Escape artist .com. Also try dinos Panama photos. There is also a need for links into country consulates and stuff like that. rather than new resources link to the tesl journal and some of the other's in daves. i think you should make it more useful for teachers by focusing on the real life problems that we face and ways to solve them. List good restaurants, apartments, schools, etc. then it will be a great place. So far so good, though. When I see some more content, I'll rush to join. Add a forum for singles and I'll use it every day, promise.

P.S. I admire what you are trying to do and I am glad you are making the effort. Still if the thing is worth doing, it is worth doing well.

Your prospective member in Panama

Mike_2003 · Joined: 27 Mar 2003 Posts: 344 Location: Bucharest, Romania

I agree that the pic gallery could be very useful. It would be wonderful for prospective teachers to get a look at the schools they are applying for and the area around them.

C76 · Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2003 2:18 pm Post subject: new site--opinions

I think your site has excellent potential.

I apologize bc I haven't had much time to look @ it. I don't like giving assessments after having only given anything a cursory glance.

That said, when I clicked on Argentina under schools, nothing came up.

Also, as a newbie, I'm interested in more info on South American countries. My ire isn't directed @ you per se, but it's as though everyone is high on working in Asia. Shocked

What I wouldn't do for a site that had teacher perspectives re work in places like Uruguay... Confused

I've been able to find basic school contact info elsewhere online. But being a newbie, reading teacher accounts means a great deal to me.

PanamaTeacher · Joined: 26 Jun 2003 Posts: 278 Location: Panama

Phil-- the public clamors for your product, get rolling buddy.

Hey C76--You are right about this being an Asian-dominated forum. I think I know why. If you read the posts, they are mostly about common problems. But living la vida loca in Latin Am is easier because there aren't all the problems that I have seen described in Asia (for example, no runners).

Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico are good countries, but low pay. I think the ABC countries pay more. I have had students from those countries here in Panama, and they all said life could be good for a teacher down there. I just want to warn you that South Americans are totally different country by country, and they are very proud of their countries and cultures. In my opinion, they are snobby, especially Argentinians.

If you are serious, work your way south. Go to Mexico for a year then try to use that experience to get a job in South America. I think that private bilingual schools pay far better, at least here in Panama, than universities because the parents of the kids are usually the wealthiest people in the country.

M.K. · Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2003 9:00 pm Post subject:

Panama Teacher, I've really enjoyed reading your posts because you are one of the few LA teachers who venture out into the general and newbie forums (forii??). I'm headed to Costa Rica in 1 month to earn my training cert and find a teaching job, and have found the lack of fellow LA-ers on this board somewhat discouraging (C76 shares my sentiments on this).

I know I've gotten off-topic here, but just wanted to say, PLEASE keep posting Senor Panama! Very Happy

And Phil, I fully expect when I check out your site that I will find mass quantities of Costa Rica info Wink

M.K.

PanamaTeacher · Joined: 26 Jun 2003 Posts: 278 Location: Panama

I hear great things about costa rica, the switzerland of latin america. I envy you.

About your cubicle remember: Stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage/Minds innocent and quiet take that for an hermitage. (Richard Lovelace)

Good luck.

Phil_H · Joined: 05 May 2003 Posts: 3 Location: Korea

No problem, not much of a thread anyway is it! Smile

I am always surprised about how many teachers are out in the big wide world doing the same as me.

As I never see a Yank where I am, its amazing to me that majority of the few people who have tested the code are Yanks.

Guess I need to change the date format from DD/MM/YY to MM/DD/YY, its already confused a few! Wink

Given the site another update, but I think the Index.cfm still needs works.