Author: Martin Holeček

Blog

How to add value to your teaching materials

Post author By Martin Holeček
Post date 2013-11-02

Recently as I started incorporate more and more personal materials to the teaching. From my wallpaper and music collection, to favorite books and articles…all can be well used to inspire the students and engage them more. Once you offer them something from your self, they become more comfortable sharing their stories and trust degree rapidly rises as same as respect. They start to ask you more questions…

Where is my teacher making these photos?
Where can I find this piece of software?
Whats the name of the Hero from the book he was reading?

Intriguing questions awaiting to be answered and the ultimate source (The Internet) to answer them.
Since I certainly don’t read Chinese books and my pictures are not shared on popular Chinese social media site sina weibo, they have to brows the english sites and thus train their english skill.

Today I was preparing material for next week and while chatting with my friends on a popular chatting platform weixing (wechat) I realized the usage of conditionals can be very common in English. Though it is tricky to master it and might get complicated – 3rd and mixed conditional especially:-D

I searched my conversations for basic examples and wanted to share them in presentation. BUT eyyy…how do you do a screen-shot on your HTC Android phone...after 10 minutes trying and searching in options I decendet to good old google and find a solution online. Honestly it would never occure to me that such combination of button clicks might be helpful.

Hope it will help more people to create personalized materials for their students.

Blog

Movember in Chongqing

Post author By Martin Holeček
Post date 2013-10-28

New year, new adventure, new Mo

Be COOL, be IN, try something your girlfriend will not approve under any other circumstances. You now have an ultimate excuse to alter your look without compromise. Movember is here to help us, modern men try new looks every year. Smart way to try something new. MO movement, MObros, movember…for MEN from MEN.

Just remembered last year when I came to Chongqing I still had my MO for couple of last days. As I found some pictures you can also check it out. This year’s MOVEMBER is approaching and it is time to pick new shape for my MO.

Although at first I considered this movement purely commercial or marketing move, last year I gave it a try. Not because of its idea but because it is a great excuse to grow mustache, not to shave and discover something new about yourself.

Blog

Diablo – Book of Cain

Post author By Martin Holeček
Post date 2013-09-26

International department library

One of the best things I found out first days in my new occupation is that we have fully equipped International…understand English Library. It is only available for the students in the international department and their teachers 😀 They dont know what they brought up on their library when they hired me. I love fantasy books, stories, encyclopedia, classics, history, anything that feeds my hungry mind or soothes the bruised soul. Before our fist “head teachers meeting” on Monday I was already in the library minutes before and scanned all possible treasures I will take home and call them my precious – at least for a while.

My first pick:

Diablo – Book of Cain.

Since Diablo 2 came out I spent countless hours in front of my 15 inch CRT and devoured everything and anything connected to the incredible story of Sanctuary and its inhabitants. Demons from Hell, Archangel Tyriel, Ormus or Horadrim. All of the game for me was one huge never-ending fun….and perfect way how to improve my English. It is such a nostalgic memory…I almost cried when I found the book…with incredible attention to detail and the smell of novelty. I took it out of the shelf and put into my “teachers case” sooner than anyone could lay his filthy hands on it.

First thing that strikes you is the incredibly manufactured hard cover. With embossed Demon face bulging out of it and roughly cut pages. After first touch I knew I WANT THAT BOOK. It was whispering, talking to me:

“Take me, Martin, take me with you. I know you will take good care of me, I want you and you want me. Take me with you, read me… the Book of Cain”

Amazing drawings on glossy paper.

All my favorite Demons and Heroes depicted in chalky drawings…echo of my old gamer’s soul reverberated down my spine.

Along with the old and mystic creatures inhabiting Sanctuary, Heaven and Hell.

I can hear Decard’s voice (flawlessly performed by Michael Caugh) just by glancing at the letters…

…and feel the adrenalin rush when staring in awe. I instantly fell in love with the book. One of the reasons is the attention to detail. It really looks like a journal or a treatise tainted with personal experience and many personal ideas of the writer. Scribbles and side notes with explanations and thoughts…Deckard is throwing on us his gloomy visions and colorful descriptions of demons along with words of wisdom no player could obtain. The whole text is compact though and precise in explanation of things exceeding the Diablo 1 and 2 saga as you know it from the game itself. You will finally realize who is the tragic Dark Wanderer and what was Marius’s role in all this epic adventure. Uncover the tangled history of the Mage Clans and discover truth behind Horadrim order. Although short and predictable in its content, this book resonates with magic and arcana.

“For every Diablo fan it is a must read book. For everyone else it will be a spectacular introduction to fantasy.”

Full galery Diablo – Book of Cain on picasa.

Imported from America – Made in China 😀