Job Discussion Forums

[smokingzen]

Hi all, i'm off to Thailand soon to hopefully find my first TEFL job. I have been wondering about whether or not to take a laptop computer with me. I've got several personal reasons why i would like to take one with me; writing, listening to music, watching films etc., but what i really wanted to know was does it, or can it, help for teaching. Do any teachers out there use it as a tool in their classes or for prepping for classes etc.

[denise]

When I lived in Japan and had internet access at home, I would do a lot of prep work on my laptop at home. Now that I live in Peru and don't even have a phone line, much less internet, at home, my laptop gets considerably less use in lesson prepping. I will sometimes sit down on the weekends and design worksheets and materials, but not nearly as often as I used to. Also, my school requires that I spend eight hours per day on campus--makes me not want to do additional work at home! Now I really only use it to watch movies and listen to CDs.

d

[Glenski]

You might want to post this in the General Asia forum, since there is no Thailand forum.

I wouldn't know the conditions there, but I would guess that they are a bit more primitive than developed countries, so the ability to use a computer in the classroom is probably a bit remote.

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

[Glenski]

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

^ We love you with or without the glasses.

[Sgt Killjoy]

I can add another reason to bring a laptop to Thailand:

Even larger schools lack adequate computer facilities, maybe one or two computers for 7 or 8 teachers, but the larger schools always have extra LAN plugs. You can be surfing away at your desk while your co-workers fight over the shared office computer.

Another reason: With cheap GPRS rates in Thailand, you can hook your mobile phone up to your laptop and you can literally have an internet connection in 99% of the places in Thailand.