Post 10 (week 15) Evaluation of your Blogging Experience

Write about your experience using blogs in  

the English class.

Say:

> What you think about the experience in general
> How much you feel your writing skills have developed
> What you would like to include in the future
> What else you would like to write about


Wordcount: 200
Make comments on 3 of your classmates' posts.

Dear students,

Everything has a starting point and, inevitably, a final point.  We have come to our final blog to reflect on this extraordinary   experience.

I have really learned when and reflected   by reading all your blogs and sharing all our ideas. I think all the topics have been of our interests and have connected us to what we want to do and care for in life.

  Writing is a unique process that helps us organize our ideas and focus on the most important tasks you need to do. Also it helps us to keep a record of what we do at a given moment and then remember it in the future. That is the magic of writing. It perpetuates in time. For example, during these difficult weeks of strike and uncertainty, we were communicated through our blog.

In the future I would like to see more students writing about their dreams and concerns about social topics.

A final point to make about writing is that in certain moments it can be type of a therapy to let our ideas  flow out of our minds and give us some peace when we share with an unknown and silent audience.

Thanks for your creativity  and  for  sharing your ideas with us.

This is an experience I really enjoyed.

BLOG 11  A time when you felt successful at learning English

Say

• when it was
•  what you did
• why you think it was successful
• Say  how you have learned most of the English you know
• Mention anything else you think is important.

Write at least 200 words. Leave a comment on my blog and on the blogs of 3 classmates.

Dear students,

 Today is Thursday, so here we are sharing stories. Last post I told you about a talk in which the speaker talked about frustration and anxiety, but today I want to talk about stories of success.

Some time ago I attended a talk in which the speaker started by asking people about a moment in which they were successful at learning English.

I felt great because I remembered the time I read a complete novel in English, and I felt even better when I heard a lot of successful stories. Also I remember a time in which I helped an American at the immigration office. He had lost his passport, but he couls not explain that in English.

  I think learning a foreign language has a many rewards. I am learning Portuguese now, and even though I cannot give a speech like Dilma Rousseff, the president of Brazil, I enjoy listening to Roberto Carlo sing  in Portuguese or watching Brazilian films.

Also I feel great when I learn new words and I find them again and I see that I improve little by little. These stories of success are the ones that encourage us.

What about you? Tell us about a moment when  you  felt a successful learner.

BLOG 10: A concert, exhibition, or talk you went to

BLOG 10:   A concert,  exhibition, or talk  you went to

Say:

Who performed or talked,

When it was,

Where it was,

Why you remember it.

Mention anything else you think is important.  Write at least 200 words. Leave a comment on my blog and on the blogs of 3 classmates.

Dear students,

 Today I’m posting a topic to help you develop your critical thinking, and, as usual, I will write about  it to share with you and to provide  a model text.

I remember  a talk or lecture I attended about six years ago.  The speaker or lecturer was an English teacher from Hungary, and he spoke about the frustration he experienced in England when he had to  speak English and express his emotions. The talk was at a Conference for teachers   at Diego Portales Center, which was the former name for Gabriela Mistral Cultural  Center.

 I remember this talk because I had never heard anybody sharing his/her feelings about the psychological aspect of learning a foreign language.  Most people think that learning a language requires just grammar and vocabulary, but the development of this new skill implies much more than that: it has cultural and psychological components.

 The first one has to do with traditions and customs that are developed depending on a number of factors such as the weather, the environment,  the main productive activities, or even the sports practiced  in the country where the language is spoken.  For example, a  number of idioms and phrases  originate from these activities.

The second important aspect is the psychological support that students need to learn a foreign language and to be motivated to do so.  That is why teachers must study general psychology, mainly to help students deal with frustration and  anxiety.

Blog 9   DREAMS

·         What are dreams?

·         Should dreams be interpreted as prediction of what will happen, or are they the result of everyday experiences?

·         Are dreams a useful tool for psychologists to help patients?

·         Do you dream a lot? And do you usually remember your dreams?  Do you tell your friends or family about your dreams?

·         Why is the words dream used to refer to your future ambitions?

·         Many artists have referred to the word dream, should all people have dreams?

Please read my sample post and write a post of about 160 words.

 Leave a comment on 3 of your classmates’  posts

Although there are many theories and myths  about the interpretation of dreams, I think dreams are the reflection of your  activities during the day.

 I disagree with the people who think that dreams are predictions or premonitions of what will happen in the future, but I think they are a useful tool for psychologists to help patients reduce their anxiety.

I have a type of dream that is repeated when I am worried about something. Then I dream that I have left home without the papers I need to use. Also  I remember that once I had a car accident with my children and after that I dreamed that something terrible had happened to them. What I did to solve this  was to talk to friends and family about this dream and to have activities with my children and hug them frequently.

What I mostly like about the word  dream  is how famous artists have  used it metaphorically to refer to future positive events in humanity. I like to mention some examples for you to enjoy. 

After this I will enjoy reading your points of view.

Susan Boyle           http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aeo86iOS0QU

Abba                     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSWR4os7I7E

Lennon                  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwUGSYDKUxU

Marthin Luther King  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smEqnnklfYs

Post 9 (week 14) YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT

Write about your favorite subject this term. Among others, include:

> Name
> Describe what you do in classes
> Mention the main contents you have seen
> Explain why you like the subject

                                              
> Word Count: 180
> Make comments on 3 of your patners' posts.

Dear students,

 Today we are going to write about our favorite subject this term. Obviously my favorite subject this term has been English III  at FACSO, and there are many reasons for this.

   My first reason is that I have had the opportunity to meet psychology students that are passionate about their subject. I understand why.  Studying psychology offers the possibility to explore this mysterious organ that is the human brain.  As a result, a psychologist has the possibility to help individuals become better persons and enjoy little moments of  life. As part of my training as a teacher, I had two semesters of general psychology which I enjoyed a lot.

Another important reason for liking this subject is that it combines a number of aspects such as technology with use of blogs to communicate ideas about your favorite topics. I enjoy reading all the blogs and posting my comments and reading other student’s comments. But the part I enjoyed the most was  the students’ presentations and their insights into different aspects of their subjects.

  I hope we can come back to classes soon and that we can reorganize all our activities to come to a happy end of semester with new results for the students’ rights and with new ideas about the importance of English in the professional development of students.

Dear students,

 I write to let you know that today, Thursday, June 13, we are going to work online for two reasons: I think it is important to have a homogenous criterion on how to act, and second, we need to respect the opinion of the majority.

But at the same time, and as I wrote in the message I published in U-cursos, you need to work online and complete your past blogs and the blog I am publishing for today. I will grade them today and tomorrow. 

Here are some links that you can use to practice for the final exam and the listening quiz that we will have next week.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/quiz/quiz1/index.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/10/121026_witn_childrens_media_habit.shtml

http://www.youthink.com/quiz.cfm?action=go_detail&sub_action=take&obj_id=921

http://www.sporcle.com/games/cysion/countries_by_stereotype

POST 7 (week 11) >> A PHOTOGRAPH YOU LIKE

Write about a photograph you like.

Say:

Who took it
What it shows
When it was taken
Why you like it
Upload it too

Include any other information you'd like to mention.
Write at least 160 words.

Add comments to at least 3 of your classmates’ blogs

My favorite photograph

Photographs capture memorable moments in our lives. They help us to  keep memories alive, and also to revive them from time to time. The  result is that it is really hard to choose a photograph that you  like, but of all my favorite photographs, I think this one has a place in my heart.

 I took it some years ago when I went to Cuba. It shows a rose plant in my garden in my house in Cuba. I like it for a number of reasons. First, the flowers are beautiful and the plant has been in my house for many years. Second, it has lived a lot of memorable moments in our family. I remember that my mother liked to have these flower inside our house, so every day I picked up new flowers and put them in a vase in the living room and they gave the house a nice look and smell.

One final reason why I like the picture  is that it shows the  roses at different stages, some were in their blossoms and some were fading, and that reminds me of the stages of life and the coexistence between the old and the new and the endless cycle of renewal in the universe.

Now I look forward to seeing your favorite photograph.

BLOG  6     VIDEO GAMES

Dear students,   this week  you will write about  a topic you selected: Video games.

Here are some of the points that we selected to write about:

video games

·          Genres

·          What they are about

·          How often you play them

·          Why you like them

-Write 160 words minimum.
- Include a picture. 
- Comment on at least 3 of your classmates’ blogs

Dear students,

I am thrilled to write about video games because there is a generation gap among us, and also because video games  are not one of my priorities. But this is the wonderful challenge: I have to walk into unknown territory.

First, I had no idea there were different genres in video games, but thanks to your experience, and  to technology and Google, I discovered that there are many genres and, as in any typical taxonomy, there are principles for classification such as action, action-adventure, role-playing, simulation, and many others.

  If I have to choose one type, I will definitely choose simulation because I think this type can be used in learning.  And now I remember that when I was learning to drive, I and to practice in the simulator in order  to get control of the steering wheel, so I was playing video games!!!

Now I can see they can be very useful  and have a positive side.  And since I never play them, I have asked people why they like them. Here are some of their answer. They say they have fun. Others say they learn to compete with themselves and with other people. And many of them say they use video games to learn English.

Because I had to do a lot of research to write about video games, I want to share two useful sites where I found information. 

I look forward to reading what you will write.

http://www.raisesmartkid.com/3-to-6-years-old/4-articles/34-the-good-and-bad-effects-of-video-games

http://whatculture.com/gaming/10-video-games-that-actually-taught-us-something-useful.php

POST 5 (week 9) > MY FAVOURITE PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY

*Write about your favourite piece of technology

Say:

What it is.
When you got it.
How you use it.
How often you use it.
Why you like it.
What life would be like without it.




- 150 words minimum.
- Include a picture. 
- Comment on at least 3 of your classmates’ blogs.

My favorite piece of technology is undoubtedly my little netbook.  I like everything about it.

 First of all, because our encounter was like  love at first sight. I saw it, fell in love with it and bought it without thinking twice about the money I was going to spend. And I think I did the right thing.

Since the moment I bought it, I use it almost every day and for  many  activities. First, I keep all my memorable family pictures, and videos. Also, I listen to music and watch my favorite videos. Finally, besides these free time activities, I use this little miracle to record my students’ performance and evaluation, which facilitates my work and helps my students, too.

Why do I like it? Well the reasons are also difficult to list, but most of all because it is portable and I can take it  to many places easily. Also because of the way it looks. It is pink and looks so cute that I call it my little baby.

It is a little hard to imagine my life without it, but I think I will not die. Before computers existed,  people learned  a lot and did research and made important discoveriesand lived happily. So  I sometimes wonder, has technology made our lives more humane?

You are going to spend a week in London evaluating tourist locations for an end of year study trip.

Here is a list of things you want to do while you are there.  Follow the links and fill in the table.

Half Day Outings

London Eye

http://www.londoneye.com/
http://visitorshop.tfl.gov.uk/help-centre/about-travel-zones.html 

The British Museum

http://www.britishmuseum.org/

The Tower of London

http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/ (including Crown Jewels)

Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum

http://www.madametussauds.com/london/

The Natural History Museum

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/

The Tate Modern Art Gallery

http://www.tate.org.uk/

Full day

Kew Gardens

http://www.kew.org/

Camden Market

http://www.camden-market.org/

For each location say:

What day you will visit,

How much you will have to pay to get in,

Which Tube station you will travel to (nearest to location), and the zone it is in.

What will you do on the other days? (2 full days or 4 half days or 1 full day 2 half days)

Search the web for other things to do in London.

What is the total cost?

Themed Post 4    A film that you liked

Say:

-Who  directed  and  starred the film

-Awards the film has received

-What the film  is about

-Why you like it.

-Include  useful  links or pictures to have more information

·         Write about  140 words

·         Add comments to at least 3 of your classmates’ blogs 

Although there are many films that I enjoy watching, a film that I really like is Scent of a Woman. It was directed by Martin Brest and starred by A Pacino and Chris O`Donnell. It won an Oscar for the best acting in leading role for Al Pacino and was also  nominated for best director, best picture and best writing. It also won three other awards at Golden Globe Awards.

The film is about a university student who needs to earn some money and decides to look for a weekend job. He could not anticipate how challenging this job will be, and I think this is the essence of the film.

I like this film for a number of reasons: mainly excellent acting and screenplay, but most of all for the social and human analysis that you can derive from it. From the social point of view we can analyze social inequalities and discrimination of all types, and from the human point of view we can see how much we learn from each other and how complex human nature is.

Blog Session 3    Carrer-Related Website   OR     An Expert on your Field      Choose ONE of these  2 options:

Post 1 (Instructions). 
Write about a career-related website that you enjoy visiting.

You should:

- provide the link
- describe the website (sections, features,etc)
- say how often you visit the site
- explain why you like the site.




>Add comments to at least 3 of your classmates’ blogs
>Word Count: 130
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Post 2 (Instructions)
Who is a person/expert on your field that you admire?

Say:

-Who she/he is.(short biography)
-What she/he has done. (examples of their work)
-Why you like her/him.
-Include his/her image

> About 130 words
>Add comments to at least 3 of your classmates’ blogs

My favorite website

Although nowadays there are many websites that can be used  to learn English, there is  a career-related website that I find very useful.  It  is called  www.manythings.org  and as its name indicates, you can do many things in this website, such as  quizzes, word games, word puzzles, and proverbs.

I visit this website as often as I can because I enjoy myself with the exercises and also because I use it with my students.

The main reason why I like this website is that this site is non-commercial and has no advertising, so  recommend this site to my  students.  Also, this website has activities for all levels and ages, and even though the primary focus is for ESL, native English speakers may also find some interesting things on this site.

Post 2 (week 4) >> A singer/band you like or a concert/exhibition you've been to

- name
- what do you know about them?
- what type of music do they play?
- why do you like this artist/band?
- what's your favorite song? why?
- publish a picture or video
- 120 words minimum
- make 3 comments on your classmates posts. Concert/Exhibition >>

- what was it?
- when did you go?
- where was it?
- why did you like it?
- mention more details about it
- publish a related picture or video

- 120 words minimum
- make 3 comments on your classmates posts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwUGSYDKUxU

A band I have liked since the moment it was created is The Beatles.  Unfortunately, I do not know much about them, but I know they were from Liverpool, which I imagine must be similar to Valparaiso. Also they sing in English and they have helped me a lot to improve my learning and my skills.

 Why do I like them? Well, I think it has to do with my ideal definition of music. In my opinion, music has to connect to your soul through rhythm and feeling and also to your reasoning with social and logical appeal.  

   The only musical group that has satisfied my expectation has been The Beatles. That is why I listen to them from time to time.  My favorite song is CAN`T BUY ME LOVE because it reassures the idea that the most important things in life are free.