If you have time

If you have time, read the stories that your classmates created.
All of them are sooooooo original!!

Opinion

I want you to create a new post answering the following questions:
1. What is your opinion about using blogs to teach "writing" in EFL classrooms?
2. Do you like working using blogs?
3. What are some of the advantages of using blogs ?
4. What are some of the disadvantages?
5. Do you plan to use blogs in the future?
Do you have any suggestions to improve these "lab sessions"? or was everything all right?

Last session working with Blogs

Ok, sooooo here we are ..
Are you sure your blog is complete?
Today I want to start grading it!

Take care

Think about this

I found this on Internet ( http://members.tripod.com/inspiring-thoughts/) and I wanted to share it with you!

One day at a time,
for this is enough.
Do not live in the past,
for it is gone...
And do not be troubled
by the future,
for it is not here yet.
Live in the present
and make it beautiful,
that it will be worth
remembering.

Send me your comments about this post :-)

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full in His wonderful face

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cp_ry0RBsnk

Instructions

Good Morning!
Are you enjoying the good weather? :-) Great!

Here you have the instructions for this new writing session:
Create three new posts in your blog:
1. Use your imagination. Create a story based on the image you see.
You have to use the same image in your blog. You can copy it.
2. Creative writing. Do the activities "Story Kitchen" and "Mugshots". In this last activity you have to choose one of the characters and after you have answered the questions about him/ her , write the complete story.
3. Why is Writing important for an EFL teacher?
What is the best way to teach writing to children? to teenagers? ( provide examples and references)
Write a new post where you answer these questions.
Have a terrific Day!!

Creative Writing

I found these interesting exercises that you can use to write stories.
STORY KITCHEN
http://www.brucevanpatter.com/storykitchen.html

MUGSHOTS
http://www.brucevanpatter.com/mugshots.html

Use your imagination

P-U-S-H

When everything seems to go wrong, just push.
When the job gets you down, just push.
When people don't react the way you think they should, push!
When your money looks funny and the bills are due, just push.
When you want to tell them off for whatever the reason, just push.
When you ask the question, when is my ship coming in? Just push.
When people just don't understand you, just push.
Let me tell you what Push stands for ....
P-ray
U-ntil
S-omething
H-appens

Poem taken from http://www.mormonsite.org/wisdom/beautifulthoughts.html

Give me Jesus

Give me Jesus

In the morning, when I rise (3)

Give me Jesus (3)

You can have all this world,Just give me Jesus.

When I am alone (3)

Give me Jesus (3)

You can have all this world,Just give me Jesus.

When I come to die (3)

Give me Jesus (3)

You can have all this world,Just give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus (3)
You can have all this world (3)

Just give me Jesus.

Invitation

Let´s Sing in English!
When? Tuesday, November 11 th, 2008
Where? Aula Magna.
What time? 18:30 P.M.

October 30 ( Instructions)

Dear students:
Hope you are feeling great today!
Instructions:
1. Read the instructions that I wrote last week and make sure that you answer and do everything.
2. Read online newspapers and find one interesting article.
Create a new post and :
a) explain why you consider the article interesting.
b) Write a brief summary.
c) Add an image to illustrate the post.
d) Explain two new words or expressions. Don´t provide translations. Define . You may also use images.
e) Read your classmates` news (reports) and send them comments. Please make interesting comments. Don´t write things like " I like your article" , "very good article", "interesting article" and that´s all. You can agree or disagree with what was published. If you don´t understand what I`m trying to explain, PLEASE ASK ME!!!!!!!!!
f) Have a great day! (Life is beautiful)

Just a thought!

Sometimes it's hard to be a teacher! Sometimes I really don't know what else to do to teach my students not only a subject but also life - lessons!
I'm sure that one day you'll understand me.
Anyway, I love you all :-)
Have a great weekend!

Instructions for October 23

Good morning, I hope everything is going great in your life

This is what you have to do in this class:

1. Answer to my post "An invitation" Let me know if you are planning to attend this event and how many invitations you want.

Do you sing?or maybe you have another talent? do you play any instrument? or...

Do you want to help me organize everything? Please let me know today...

2.Now, read my post called "Plagiarism" what do you think about it? Why do you think I included this post in my blog today?

3. Answer the question: "what do you think?" Choose "A", "B", or "C" Only that! You don't need to justify your answer.

I'll give you more instructions during the class!

Have a great day!

Think about this...

Being a student of high character is important to your relationship with your teachers and other students, as well as your own self-worth.
If you are known as an honest and honorable student, as well as a person who is reliable and responsible, you will be respected by those with whom you deal. Fellow students, teachers and your parents will trust you, know they can depend on you, and want you involved in their activities.
http://school-for-champions.com/grades/character.htm

What do you think?

Choose one alternative:

Is it OK to copy someone else's work and say that you did it?
a) As long as you get a good grade for the homework.
b) Agree, but then write the true anyway.
c) No, because it is dishonest and robs credit from the other person.

Plagiarism

What is Plagiarism?
Many people think of plagiarism as copying another's work, or borrowing someone else's original ideas. But terms like "copying" and "borrowing" can disguise the seriousness of the offense:

According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, to "plagiarize" means
to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own to use (another's production) without crediting the source
to commit literary theft
to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source.
In other words, plagiarism is an act of fraud.
It involves both stealing someone else's work and lying about it afterward.
Information taken from:
http://www.plagiarism.org/learning_center/what_is_plagiarism.html

"Changing the words of an original source is not sufficient to prevent plagiarism. If you have retained the essential idea of an original source, and have not cited it, then no matter how drastically you may have altered its context or presentation, you have still plagiarized."
Information taken from:
http://www.plagiarism.org/

An invitation

You are invited to attend this special event:
Let's sing in English!
When? Tuesday, November 4th
Where? Aula Magna
What time? 18:30 to 19:30
Why? Just because !

And the Winners are...

1. Natalia Zavala

2. Milca Vergara

3. Maria José Peña

Congratulations!!

Vote Here !

New Instructions

Dear Students,

Hello! This is what I want you to do today:
1. First, write an ACROSTIC using the word "ESSAY" ( you can add an image if you want). You have 15 minutes to do this. Once you have finished, you have to read your classmates' acrostics and decide which acrostic you consider to be the best. Let me know your decision in my blog where it says "Vote here". The three most voted acrostics will get a prize!! ( I'm feeling generous today)

2. Now it's your time to write a "Persona Poem"

The example that you are going to read was taken from:

http://www.uoregon.edu/~leslieob/bio-poem.html .

Visit this site to learn how to write a "Persona Poem". Use the Template that is provided for you there.

Sample Persona-Poem



Kate.....

tall, energetic, happy, intelligent

mother (daughter, friend, etc.) of Johny

who loves music, books and fresh air

who is afraid of President Bush, spiders and heights

who wants to see Latin America, the end of poverty and summer

resident of this moment

...Thompson.


3.- Don't forget to read your Classmates' "Persona Poems" and send comments. If you say " I think your poem is beautiful" You have to say WHY ! give reasons. Indicate whether or not you agree with the ideas presented in the poems.

4. I will publish my "Persona Poem " during the class. Read it and IF you want you can send me a comment. ( this is an optional activity)

5. Finally, remember that next week you have to hand in your second argumentative essay. I'm still waiting for some of you to let me know what your topic will be!


Take care and have a GrEat DAy!!!

Cheers!!!!!

Panchita

Hello Writing II students, work!!

Instructions

Good morning dear students, I hope you are feeling great today.
The instructions for session 3 are the following:
1. Make sure that you are my "follower"
2. Read all the interviews and after that, add a new post in your blog indicating what caught your attention. Which interview you consider to be the best and why? What did you learn from interviewing interesting people?
3. Once you have finished activity number 2, you have to start working on your second evaluated argumentative essay ( which is 20% of your final grade). Remember that today (IN THE CLASS, no later) you have to hand in your First evaluated argumentative essay, APA style (20%).
4. Choose one of the following topics for your 2nd essay:

• Are the exams necessary? Are they aimed at checking our knowledge or just causing stress?
• Should religious education become compulsory at schools?
• TV and our children, where is the limit?
• Do you need this equality? (Men and Women issues)
• Video games: leisure, or abuse? is it really causing teens to be violent at school home public places etc.
• smoking should or should not abolished.
• Should English be made the official language of the United States?
• Does the modeling industry bear any responsibility in providing healthy, realistic physical role models for young women?
• What values/philosophies/worldviews are expressed by a certain television program?
• Because celebrities are so often in the public spotlight, do they have ethical responsibilities to set good examples for young people?
• Should college athletes be paid to play?
• Should children who commit certain crimes be treated as adults? If so, is there a lower age limit to this policy?
• Define "terrorist." Under what circumstances, if any, is "terrorism" acceptable?
• Should people under eighteen years of age be required to have parental permission to get tattoos and piercings?
• Should the minimum age for attaining a driver's license be increased? Should this be a national standard?

5. Create a new post and indicate the name of the topic for your new essay.Indicate some sources that you have found on the Internet today and explain why you chose that specific topic.

6. If there is some time left I will let you know what else you have to do in this class.

Cheers!

Follower

This class has 33 students, but only 25 of you are my followers.
where are the others? Thursday, October 9 is the last day to add my blog to your list.

Hello again

Hello, I hope you are feeling great today!
I tried to send comments to everybody during the week, but I have to admit that I couldn't.
This morning I will finish sending my comments to you.
Today I want you to publish your interview and don't forget to include a picture.
The rest of the instructions will be given in class.
Take care...

Comments

Dear Students...Today I was so excited about you creating your blogs. I know that you enjoyed this activity. I observed you working very hard and enthusiastically. Congratulations for the awsome job you did this morning ! Now it's almost midnight and here I am checking your blogs. It's interesting to read your comments. I would say that 99.99% of them are positive ( which is pretty good).

Finally, please check the following information because that is what you were supposed to do today in class:

1) create blog.

2) write two (new) posts: a) introductory message b) what you learnt about argumentative essay

3) send comment to me ( the teacher)

4) send comments to at least 5 of your classmates.

I'll publish the instructions for session 2 next week.

Take care :-)

Welcome

Dear students:

Welcome to this first session using blogs!

During this semester you'll publish your interviews, essays and comments using this wonderful technological tool. I know that all of you will improve your writing skills and of course all of us will have a great time!

I wish you all the best in this adventure!