Job Discussion Forums

[basiltherat]

for those interested

website of alc damascus:

www.alcdam.com

PM me for personal opinion of the place.
basil

cc general discussion forum

[basiltherat]

not quite sure if im supposed to post this but alc here is grossly understaffed. academic head has probs filling rooms with teachers. theyre deperate for teachers ! those not particularly well-qualified and experienced are considered, i believe.
basil

[Stephen Jones]

And the webiste doesn't work in iMozilla and demands a flash plug-in. Fair proportion of applicants culled at first try.

[SusanLiz]

I checked out the site on my mozilla. It came out fine, and although I'm not positive that I have flash plug-ins, I do know that the fancier websites often show a little blue key in a white window saying I need something to view it.

So, if you have mozilla or an alternate browser, check it out.

Don't know much about the school though.....

Susie

[veiledsentiments]

A very large proportion of Mozilla users are not able to use the Flash Plug-in. The Mozilla site gives a fix for it, but only long term computer gurus with degrees in IT can figure out how the heck to do it. My eyes glaze over and I fall from my chair just after their first paragraph on it. I'm not sure if it is the version of Mozilla or the version of XP we use.

In the meantime to check out any Flash sites (and the ALC site), I close Mozilla, open the Explorer, check out the site - then close Explorer, re-open Mozilla and go on with my reading on other sites. I have the same problem with the SQU (Oman) site.

But, the ALC site is interesting and suggests that there is plenty of part-time work available. For those that might like to teach a semester or two and really explore Syria, it sounds like a great opportunity. Perhaps Basiltherat can let us know if they have any openings with a contract and benefits??

VS

[Stephen Jones]

I might get round to downloading the plug-n. The pioint however is that the site is unviewable without Flash, and that automatically cuts out a large proportion of their possible viewers.

It seems a law of the Internet that the use of massive flash animations is in inverse proportion to the bandwidth available in the host country of the site's ownership.

India, Sri Lanka, and the MIddle East are full of web sites with flash animations that take up to ten minutes or more to load on the unreliable telephone lines that the country is cursed with.

My explanation of the phenomenum is that neither the web designer nor the company or individual that commissioned the site actually have full-time access to the internet, so they just look at it on the local machine and never even think about the real user experience.

As the Syrian telephone system is considered one of the worst in the world (and one of the most expensive as well but that is par for the course) I suggest Basil, you get your friends to rewrite their site so it actually loads in a few seconds (which means a maximum page size of 30-40Kb wherever possible).

[basiltherat]

i will ask around regards wat might be on offer. also suggest getting in touch direct cos any deal/contract might depend on each individuals' experience, quals and length of commitment.
regards
basil

[veiledsentiments]

Thanks Basil

And Stephan, I too hate the overuse of flash, but I guess we have Bill and his minions to thank for all that. You can get past the initial flash problem with this address.

http://www.alcdam.com/site/index.html

There are still lots of flash sections that don't open, but you can read most of the important information, such as classes offered.

VS

[Stephen Jones]

Rather the opposite. Gates would be happy to see Macromedia sink below the waves, if only because Flash is perceived as a rival platform to Windows for delivering a rich user experience.

[Atassi]

Hello everyone. I have been visiting eslcafe.com for about 2 years now, but I finally signed up my username yesterday. I have to thank everyone for their dedication to providing information. I have learned a lot from these posts.

Basiltherat, I am curious to know if you got any pm's from me. I don't know if you got 3, or none at all. Every time I tried to send one yesterday, the website would take me back to the login screen.

Anyways, I am an American who is right now visiting some friends in Syria. Your post about the ALC in Damascus interested me enough to contact them. I will call and/or visit the school tomorrow, and I will let everyone know what happens.

Thanks again.

[Atassi]

Just an update. The ALC in Damascus will be seeing candidates for upcoming positions. I am to visit the school sometime in the next week.

That is all the news I will have for a while. Thanks again Basiltherat

[basiltherat]

more info as follows:
1. no foreign hires
2. hourly rates only and can vary between 9 and 12 bucks an hour
3. hours assigned depends on performance - starting around 10 per week
4. accommodation not usually provided
5. sponsorship for work permit is possible

this is wat ive gathered from speaking to current teachers (3). above is only a guide, though.
basil

[basiltherat]

btw
1. pay is in syrian pounds but can be converted locally by showing ticket leaving syria
2. for a work/resident permit, over 50s need to take an aids test first
3. curriculum at alc is undergoing change from Spectrum to In Charge
4. contracts can be negotiated after initial trial period

all in all, i dont think its a great deal here but could be great for people looking for part-time work with sponsorship and then adding this on to private work. it seems lots of private-work opportunities around. may take time to get a reputation but all the same, could be an option
basil

ps more info as and wen i hear

[Stephen Jones]

[veiledsentiments]

Thanks Basil,

None of the details surprise me. This kind of place rarely does foreign hires - or if they do, it is only 2-3 (something like American university ILPs when you think about it).

I found the detail about AIDS tests for the over 50's strange. It would seem to make more sense for the younger folks. Sorry, forgot about how I should never use logic.

VS