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The Language Teacher | |||||
The Global Issues in Language Education N-SIG is sponsoring work on an easy to use reference database for teachers looking to use issues of peace, human rights, development, ecology, and so forth in their classes. The database was designed by G.I.L.E. member Bill Casey and will be available for purchase in the near future at a reasonable price. Proceeds will go towards promotion of socially responsible language education. The database was made on Filemaker Pro 2.0 and is designed for Macintosh users with a standard 13 inch monitor (although it will run on others). In addition to two different Find categories (content and format), the main menu (number 1 below) offers a choice of six areas: Cross Culture, Environment, Human Rights, Development, Peace, and General. One click on a button brings you to that area (2) where you are offered eight choices of format: Videos, Textbooks, Journals, Games/Activities, Organizations, Reference, Songs, and Other.. Clicking on one of these buttons brings you to a stack of cards in the subject area and format you have chosen (3). In addition there are printing lists, a GILE window and a Help window (4). Current entries total only about 300 but inputting continues with hopes of maintaining a running total of around 3,000-5,000. It is hoped that as new versions of the database are completed, they will be mailed out at reduced prices to subscribers. If you are interested in using the database or want to contribute to the project write to Bill Casey 1-18-12 Yukarigaoka, Sakura-shi, Chiba-ken 285 for more information.
Apologies to Bill Casey and readers for the text problems in screen 4. --Editor Bill Casey is an assistant professor of English at Chiba Keiei University. He is involved in human rights and peace initiatives both in Japan and abroad and writes language teaching materials from a libertarian prospective. Article copyright
© 1996 by the author. | |||||
