Frequently Asked Questions
For each of the questions listed below, an answer is accessible by clicking on the question:
1. How things work
2. How can I join the group on Skype?
3. I am having trouble connecting with the Skype group. What can I do?
4. At what times are the calls?
5. What is the process for the weekend debates
6. What are IELTS and TOEFL?
7. What is my role as a member, after signing up?
8. What is an NPOC?
9. Does the organization presently provide services internationally?
10. What type of services/products does the organization currently offer?
11. What does the name "Dreams 'N MotionTM" mean?
12. I am having difficulty reaching native speakers for one-on-one discussions. Why is that?
13. I would like to add a friend to the group. How can I do that?
14. I've already registered in the web, Why am I not being added to any DNM Skype groups?
Answers
When joining the organization, you become immediately eligible to join our conferences. Currently, we have several free conferences on Skype, with a number of paid services to be added in the future.
The first step is to make sure you are connected with us on Skype. Please see Answer #2, "How can I join the group on Skype?"
Once connected, please let our DNM Admin (Skype ID: live:dreamsnmotion ) add you to the groups that you indicated in your registration. Dreams ‘N MotionTM has identified specific groups to help members achieve different objectives as below:A. Debate Group
• Established for the purposes of developing critical thinking, listening and speaking skills
B. TOEFL/IELTS Group
• Established to assist members to prepare for a variety of English Exams and to help them reach their goals
C. Writing Group
• Established to help members develop their writing skills, through short stories, poetry, and other writing.
Once our Admin has added you to our groups, he will send you a welcoming message. Make sure you read that message since it contains important imformation.
2. How can I join the group on Skype?
To join us on Skype, please add the following address to your Skype contacts: live:dreamsnmotion . This is our DNM Admin, which will accept your request.
Once the DNM Admin has (a) accepted your contact request; and (b) verified your membership registration, the DNM Admin will add you to the groups that you have indicated in your registration.
If you have not registered yet and you want to be member of our skype group, please fill the registration form
here
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3. I am having trouble connecting with the Skype group. What can I do?
Please note that the Dreams 'N Motion™ group is a P2P group. It is large and moves slowly. Accordingly, it may take some time before you are able to see it.
Please note also: the Skype for Web Beta does not work with Skype P2P groups. Unfortunately, we need the features that P2P offers and can only ask that you use Skype's application or other alternative to Skype for Web.
In order to speed up the process of accessing the group, please consider the following steps:
a) First and foremost, log out and log in again to see if that solves the problem, if not, try the next options:
b) update your Skype software to the latest version if you use computer. Conversely, if you use Android and you cannot see the ongoing group calls, you may need to DOWNGRADE your Skype version. Sometimes the new Skype updates provoke some issues.
c) try logging in to Skype on a computer running Skype's software.
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4. At what times are the calls?
- Fridays at 9 a.m. California Time (4 p.m. GMT) (*)
- Saturdays at 7 a.m California Time (12 p.m. GMT) (*)
(*) Each debate may last between two and 4 hours.
B. IELTS/TOEFL Sessions:
Generally, these are held on Wednesdays and Thursdays, beginning at:
Session One: 7 a.m California Time (12:00 p.m. GMT)
Session Two: 10 a.m. California Time (5:00 p.m. GMT)
GMT= Greenwich Mean Time
Current times are shown below, courtesy of
World Time Buddy:
You can also visit the World Time Buddy website here
(At the top of the box, there is a square with the words “+ Place or timezone”. To add a city, type its name in that box and press [Enter]. To remove a city, click the “x” at the left edge of the box that corresponds with that city. We recommend Los Angeles, which is the default time shown on our calendar and event page.)
Two examples of how a time calculation would work are as follows:
A. Los Angeles, California (USA). California observes Pacific Time which, during the summer, is GMT -7. This means that, in order for a person in California to determine the start time of, for example, a conference set for Friday at 5 p.m. GMT, for Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) he or she would have to subtract seven (5 p.m. GMT -7 hours = 10 a.m. PDT).
For Pacific Standard Time (PST), which is GMT -8, he or she would have to subtract eight hours (5 p.m. GMT -8 hours = 9 a.m. PST)
B. Cairo, Egypt. Egypt observes the Eastern European Time Zone, UTC+2:00. This is the same as GMT+2. This means that, in order for a person in Egypt to determine the start time of a conference set for Friday at 5 p.m. GMT, he or she would have to add two hours (5 p.m. GMT +2 hours = 7 p.m. in Egypt)
It appears that, for the next couple of years, Egypt will not be changing its clocks for summer time.
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5. What is the process for the weekend debates?
Three teams are identified, Team A, B and C
• Team A agrees (proponent) with the position of the topic i.e. Is exercise the best way to deal with stress (Yes, exercise is the best way.)
• Team B disagrees (opposes) with the topic (No, exercise is not the best way.)
• Team C ( the audience or judges) are the undecided ones or people who are not sure about what team to join. Or, they may simply prefer to have the role of judge. Team C listens to both teams and, at the conclusion of the arguments for Team A and B, are required vote for the Team that provided the most convincing arguments. In the end, the team that presented the best arguments in the opinion of Team C, wins.
1. The Process:
Team A will open the debate. Team A and B will take turns to speak. (one person from team A then one person from team B) having approximately three (3) minutes per member for speaking. No questions or interruptions are allowed. After they finish, team C will have its turn for its opinions, also with each member having approximately three (3) minutes each. We advice that each member from team C take notes during people's speech to highlight their key points. Team C will vote only based on the arguments presented and not based on a personal preference. The point is to evaluate debaters' logic, objective views and display of their critical thinking skills. After the member from team C had voted and explained why he/she voted for that team, she/he can express his/her personal view on the subject.
This process usually lasts approximately one hour.
2. Discussion after the debate(*)
After the winner has been choosen (if any) All the people who joined late will have their opportunity to speak and expess their opinions but they cannot vote since the debate at that point will be considered finished. Everyone will also have a time frame of 3 minutes to speak. We want everyone to have equal chance and time to speak.
(*) = If the session was indeed a debate. If it was just a general discussion, this will be the way it will be from the beginning to the end.
Host and Moderator
• The Host is responsible for initiating the call, and is also responsible for ensuring the efficient, respectful, and good conduct of the debate. He or she has the authority to temporarily remove participants from the debate that are in violation of the Group Chat policies, or who refuse to adhere to reasonable, Host requests. (For example, the Host typically asks participants to mute their microphones while they are not speaking.)
• The Moderator and Host work together to ensure that each team will respect the structure, order, and allotment of time given to each team during the debate. The Moderator in particular will not join a team and will remain neutral at all times. Sometimes, the Host plays the role of moderator.
IELTS is the International Language Testing System and TOEFL is the Test of English as a Foreign Language. Both of these are tests of English language proficiency that is used for several, important purposes. Many colleges and universities require good IELTS/TOEFL test results for admission to their programs of study, and these tests results are also used for some work visa applications and/or immigration requirements.
In an effort to help members prepare for IELTS/TOEFL exams, Dreams 'N MotionTM has established a separate, Skype group for the practice of vocabulary, reading and speaking. Work is underway to offer preparatory classes for the IELTS/TOEFL.
7. What is my role as a member, after signing up?
Your initial role will be as a member. We invite you to browse our website and join our conferences. Should you wish to contribute in a different capacity, for example, as an NPOC or as part of the Leadership Team, we invite you to notify our management team, which will schedule an interview and go through the hiring/contracting process.
The term “NPOC” is the acronym for “National Point Of Contact”. An NPOC is one of the most important positions in the organization, as the NPOC serves as the primary point of contact on behalf of his or her own country, for members that request information for travel to that country, and inquire about educational and business opportunities, and the like.
9. Does the organization presently provide services internationally?
We provide a "blended" approach of providing services through both our online platform, and through facilities we have established in selected countries, such as Dreams 'N MotionTM Tunisia. In general, our services, such as developing language skills or career development assistance, are provided in both of these platforms.
10. What type of services/products does the organization offer?
Dreams ‘N MotionTM currently offers various services, with more planned for the near future. These include both free and paid services. Dreams ‘N MotionTM has made a commitment to its members that it will always offer free services, such as debates, website information and resources and peer-based support. In the near future, we will also offer paid and dedicated services that will include:
• English and Education Services
• Career Development Services
• Travel Services
• Wellness Services
Additionally we will offer a product line that includes clothing material, hats, cups and other items that include the organizational logo. Members are encouraged to purchase these items to show their support for our organizational goals.
11. What does the name, “Dreams ‘N MotionTM”, mean?
A primary goal of the Dreams ‘N MotionTM organization is to help our members make their dreams become reality. In other words, we hope to help people move forward, to put their dreams in motion. Our organizational name, “Dreams ‘N MotionTM”, refers to our twin ideas of dreams and motion, and putting our dreams in motion.
12. I am having difficulty reaching native speakers for one-on-one discussions. Why is that?
Our members who speak English as their native language tell us, from time to time, that they receive many, many requests for one-on-one conversations. Unfortunately, some of our native speakers find it to be impossible to accommodate all of the requests, particularly if they are dedicating their volunteer time to helping the group.
We hope you will join us during our weekend debates and discussions, where everyone is practicing their speaking and listening. In the meantime, the group is working very hard on plans to expand services in the future.
13. I would like to add a friend to the group. How can I do that?
First, please ask your friend to register as a member with us. New members can register at http://www.dreamsnmotion.com/become-a-member
Next, please ask your friend to add our Skype client:live:dreamsnmotion (DNM Admin), as a contact on Skype.
Once the DNM Admin has (a) accepted your friend's contact request; and (b) verified his or her membership registration, the DNM Admin will add him or her to the groups which that person has indicated. This process is manual so if your friend has registered and had not been added soon, please let him/her know that the process could take a while (from 1 to 7 days approximately)
14. I've already registered in the web, Why am I not being added to any DNM Skype groups?
If you have already registered in our web and you are not being contacted by our DNM Admin, more likely is because you have not submitted the correct information. When you register, please
do not write a phone number or an email address as Skype ID!
If you have any contact friend on Skype, please ask your friend to tell you what your ID is. It can never be an email or a phone number. If you log in using an email address or a phone number, then your Skype id begins with the word "live:"
If you have troubles registering but not being added to our Skype groups, it's because you are not writing the correct information. If you are still having problems being contacted, please log in your Skype and add our DNM Admin as a contact and and he will personally add you to our groups. To add him, click in the button below:
However, if you did submit the correct information, our DNM Admin will contact you within 7 days. Please be patient, every thing we do on our Skype groups are done through volunteer efforts. Our Administrative board are oftentimes overwhelmed. Once we are able to connect with you, we will be pleased to add you to our Skype groups.
We hope these explanations will help you better under both our organization, as well as how we conduct online activities including the Debate and other groups. Please feel free to ask any questions in the comment section below.
Back to the topRebecca
On 10/10/2015 wrote:
I would like to thank Johny for all his hard work!
Reply: It's my pleasure dear Rebecca. I also want to thank your hard work in other areas. Cheers.
Miranda
On 12/12/2015 wrote:
Well, done!!! Great job!!!!
Reply: Thanks dear Miranda ^_^