Inside a Cyber Studio: Tarak Brahmi

Due to the popular response I've decided to issue two columns a week instead of one. I will post one at the beginning (monday/tuesday) of the week and then one at the end (friday). Otherwise, it would just take to long to get through all of them.
Keep in mind the questions might change from time to time (especially as technology changes), and I'm looking to provide other formats as well (audio/video).

I hope you all find this to be a fun/exciting journey as we get to learn a bit more about each other and why we love technology & education.

Tarak Brahmi
blog: http://tarakbr.blogspot.com/

1. Where do you live? Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia
2. How long have you been working w/ technology/education? I have been teaching for ten years now. I have been working with technology for almost five years.
3. What OS/platform do you use for your work? Windows
4. What is your favorite Web 2.0/21st Century tool and why? That is really hard to answer.. Choosing just one will not do justice the other great tools that are now becoming available. I worked with Hot Potatoes for some time and it was/still is a fabulous tool. Recently, I began experimenting with a wide range of powerful, yet easy-to-use tools and I am impressed by the possibilities they are opening to us inside the classroom: Voice Thread, wetoku, storybird, Dabbleboard, DimDim, WiZiq, Blogger, Issuu and very recently Xtranormal (a really great tool for producing awesome videos almost intuitively) are only some among a plethora of interesting tools. I mentioned a list instead of only one because they do excel in different areas; some are perfect for videoconferencing, the others are ideal for sharing content online, etc..
5. What is the biggest misconception about technology? I think there are two big misconceptions about technology. On the one hand, there are those who are still reluctant to use it because they think it is a waste of time and they prefer to stick to a more "traditional" view of teaching because they think it is "safer" to stick with what they have been doing for years. On the other hand, there are those who think that technology is like a magic wand that can heal all the problems and it is by itself enough to be a successful teacher. I believe that technology is awesome but it is only a tool. It is not going to replace the way we used to teach but to supplement it. Motivating the students to learn has a lot to do with the teacher's personality, her/his enthusiasm, etc.. and not only with introducing technology in the classroom.
6. What are the biggest hurdles you face as a technology educator? So far, not all the schools have the necessary equipment (CALL labs/ datashows, etc..). so, it was really hard for me and other colleagues as well to reap the fruits of integrating technology as our efforts depend on individual initiative rather than be part of a whole designed program. Fortunately, there are serious attempts by our ministry to help teachers embrace the use of ICT in the Tunisian schools. This year, there will be CALL labs all over the country. There have been workshops and training sessions by inspectors of ELT and teacher trainers around the clock. So, we will see by the end of this academic year as there will be evaluations of the whole experience.
7. What has been your biggest success in technology integration? Getting my students to view technology as a great helper and seeing them have their own blogs, upload to the net, work with other students from other schools, enjoy a learning session using technology tools, bring PowerPoint presentations on Cds are some of the things that make me feel proud. There is still a lot to do: Equipped with new tools and new ideas that my colleagues ans experts share over the internet, I will try to make technology be a vehicle for a successful and motivating learning experience for my students this year.
8. What has been your biggest setback in technology integration? One of the restraints is the lack of necessary equipment so far. But, I hope things will get better this year.
9. Who/what has been your biggest inspiration in technology/education? Although I have been using technology for some time now, what I have learned this summer from Media & Technology Specialist ,David Kapuler through his blog and Blog Companions is more than I have learned in years. So, he was a big inspiration not only professionally but also personally as a generous, caring and wonderful friend.
10. Where do you see technology integration heading in the future? The pace at which technology and the web is advancing is remarkable and I will not be surprised to see more promising ways of integrating technology in the very near future. Web 3.0 and Semantic web are already part of the jargon. So, we will see what it is all about and what the future hides.

Fun

1. What is your favorite book? The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
2. What is your favorite movie? Forrest Gump

Next on Cyber Studio: Shelly Sanchez Terrell