Blogging Tips

Blogging

These are wonderful tips on how to blog. Please check them out for a better blogging experience. They are in English, yes... try to read.. you will be surprised on how much you will understand. These are the guidelines to evaluate yourself.

Now, a little bit about blogs...

Spend time exploring blogs together. Have you read a blog before? Do you have a favorite blog. Share your favorites if you have some. What do you notice about blog format? What’s the writing like? What about the use of photos and other images? How does a blogger make a blog unique? The audiences for blogs vary. Some are intended for a broad audience, such as a sports figure who blogs for fans. Other blogs may be more personal and intended only for a few close friends. Others are for educational purposes. 


Getting Started with Blogger
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson1113/blogger-start1.pdf

Blogging Information Sheet
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson1159/blogging.pdf

Common Blog Features
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson1113/features.pdf

Blogger Entries and Comments
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson1113/blogger-entries.pdf

Online Commenting Guidelines
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson1113/commentingguides.pdf

Think before you post!

Before you write a comment and post it, don't forget to think. You may want to use WORD to write and edit your comment. If you do so, you will have a chance to re-read your comment before you copy and paste it to the blog. This will give you the opportunity to think again about what you have just written before you actually post it. I also suggest you preview your comment before you publish it.

Watch the following video....

What did you learn from it? Is it a good advice?
Well, hope all these material will help you to be a great blogger!

Keep on shining love and peace!
Dr. Doris Molero

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Resources: 
Blogging tips taken from  ReadWriteThink  http://www.readwritethink.org
Think before you post by Eduardo Lina http://eflyudkugel.blogspot.com/ 
Video: Internet photos by mcgeet3  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGlrAhtQC24&feature=player_embedded

Class Details Jan-March 2012

Class Details 

Mornings and afternoon School
4-year University
Credits 2.0 credits / 3.0 hours Required course
Course Type: For Academic Trimester
Level taught：Level 6
Group taught：G611
Office located: ESL Center - Dirección de Ingles. Building F 1rst Floor

Instructor: Dr. Doris Molero de Martins
E-mail address: doris3m@gmail.com
Facebook: Doris Molero
Twitter: doris3m
Second Life: Pionia Destiny
Virtual Office Hours Monday through Friday 8 - 9 pm

Course Description

This course focuses on classroom activities, during which students will discuss, read, listen to and write on particular topics together. Ideally, the course will enable students to develop and express their own insights and experience with respect to different aspects of the English as a foreign language. At the same time the course wants to integrate technology as a way to help students in their multiliteracy development and the learning of a new language.

Course Objectives
1. To encourage students’ critical thinking on the relationship between language and culture.
2. To encourage students' oral and written exchange and interaction
3. To use web 2.0 tools to learn EFL and multiliteracies.
4. To participate in international collaboration communities or social networks.

Evaluation Criteria＆Grading
First term= 10 + 10 pts   30%
Second term= 10 + 10 pts   30%
Project presentations + Attendance, Homework, Quizzes and Class participation = 10 + 10 pts   40%
** Bonus tasks get  extra credits

Course Requirement＆ Attendance Policies
1. Active participation in classroom discussions and activities is expected from all students.
2. Cell phones and beepers should be turned off in class.
3. Being more than 15 minutes late will be counted as an absence.
4. More than three unexcused absences will result in a failing grade.
5. No make-up presentations will be permitted, except in case of documented emergency.

Materials to be used

Hand outs and online materials
Headphone and a microphone
Pen drive/mobile phones
Computers/ internet


Online references Online references will be published on the Blog http://www.eflcenterspeakinggroup.blogspot.com

Reading Task: The Touchy-Feely Future Of Technology.

Hello, there! Welcome to our Technology Unit Task. This time we are reading an article called The Touchy-Feely Future Of Technology. To get started, get in groups or in pairs and be ready to participate actively in the activity. Copy this activity and the article in a word document. Upload it to google docs, and share it with your partners.

Before you read.

Read the tittle of the article and discuss it with your partner. Write little notes on your notebooks. Draw mindmaps.
1. Visit the following link: The Touchy-Feely Future Of Technology. Look at the title and the photo in the page.
2. Now, What do you think the article is going to be about?

While reading.

Discuss the following questions. Write notes. Underline new words. Make a list of words related to technology.

Part 1
Who's Bill Buxton and what he did to help shape the future?
What was he trying to do before he did what he did?
What helped him do it?

Part 2
What are some literature examples that support the idea of a flat, personal computer shaped like a book has actually been around for a long time?

Part 3
What are Four Ways Technology Will Change Our Lives In The Future?

Part 4
How iPads Are Changing The Classroom?

Part 5
What are some concerns of hospitals in the use of tablets?

Part 6
What's The Fantasy Of Touch they talk about in the article?

Part 7
According to Buxton what's The Next ‘Bingo’ Moment? watch the video and describe some of this surface features at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxBpP1QIMdk

After reading.

Now, after reading it and discussing it with your classmates. It's time for you to tell and write about it. Write a post in your blog. Use these questions: What was the article about? What did you like the most about it? what's your opinion about it  and what are some new words and expressions you found in it? You can add images, links and videos to your post.

Finally, record your opinion here http://www.voxopop.com/topic/b91093f3-f772-4c06-a28b-5145bd2d0395

Can you keep a Secret?

Secrets, secrets, secrets.....

A. Read and answer the following questions, discuss them with your partners:


1.Can you keep a secret?
2.Have you ever revealed someone’s secret?
3.Who do you confide your secrets to?
4.Did you keep a secret diary when you were a child?
5.Do you know anyone who is very secretive?
6.What are the most common secrets?
7.Has anyone ever confessed something to you?
8.Do you think men or women are more secretive?
9.Do you think it is wrong for the media to revealpeople’s secrets?
10.Is it good to have secrets?

B. Now, do you know these words?  if you don't... ask your partners.. don't just translate it to Spanish ..explain what it means in English. Check the dictionary if you are not sure.


trendy
cheerful
colourful
wonderful
insignificant

C. You are going to watch a film called Your Secret in which you have to think about a secret. Follow the instructions in the film, and then when you have finished tell your partner how you feel.

D. This is the transcript of the film. The transcript has some words missing, in pairs try to complete from what you remember of the film. Watch the film a second time to check your answers. Click here to see the answers.

Your Secret

Let’s make something ________ together. I mean you who are sitting watching this video andme. OK? Let’s think of something ________.Not something you would buy. Not something trendy.Something ________ and personal. Somethingcolourful. Something important. Something ________ (maybe for others, but not for you).Like how excited you were by ________ when youwere a kid. Like the smell of second-hand books or something only you can see and this will be our secret.Now, keep your eyes ________ and think of thisspecial thing until you’ve counted to 3. If you’rereading this, your eyes are now________. Unlessyou’ve got some special power and can see thingsbehind your closed eyes. Or unless you’ve ________ and haven’t closed them at all (which isn’t that bad,don’t worry)(Unless you haven’t even thought of your secret)(ButI know you did)Actually, I have seen your secret. It was ________.Thank you for ________ it with me. Did you like it? Idid. Now let’s make a deal. Let’s take time everydayto think of a beautiful secret, for instance, when youwake up. When you are taking a______. Anywhere,anytime. Don’t be scared, you are________. Your secret will always ________ between you and me.


E. Now, write a few sentences to answer these questions:

What do you think the message of the film is?
Did you like this message?


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Taken and adapted from:  A Free Lesson from FilmEnglish by Kieran Donagh

Bloggers Sep-Dec 2011

Well, these are the new generation of blogger of Sep-Dec2011 Trimester! Welcome Bloggers!
Marialejandra Aguilar http://marialeaguilar.blogspot.com/
Elias Alaña http://elias697.blogspot.com/
Lihex Andrade http://lihexandrade.blogspot.com/
Ricardo Briceño http://ricarducho.blogspot.com/
Jose Cepeda http://josercepeda.blogspot.com/
Jesus chirinos
Valeria D'angelis
Robert Medina http://robertmedinat.blogspot.com/
Andres Pacheco http://pache91.blogspot.com/
Carlos Palmar http://carlosapalmar.blogspot.com/
Virginia Perea http://viggiehasablog.blogspot.com/
Richard Primera http://ltprimera.blogspot.com/
Sara Sanchez http://sarii-saradesiree.blogspot.com/

How to make a mind map

For our project we should use mind maps to visualize what we want to communicate. This is what Wikipedia define as a Mind map:

A mind map is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged around a central key word or idea. Mind maps are used to generate, visualize, structure, and classify ideas, and as an aid to studying andorganizing information, solving problems, making decisions, writing and speaking.The elements of a given mind map are arranged intuitively according to the importance of the concepts, and are classified into groupings, branches, or areas, with the goal of representing semantic or other connections between portions of information. Mind maps may also aid recall of existing memories.

Now, this is an interesting video that shows up how to create a mind map:

Paraphernalia – a short animation

In modern usage, the word paraphernalia most commonly refers to equipment, apparatus, or furnishing used in or necessary for a particular activity. "wikipedia" 


Watch the following short story...


Paraphernalia from Sabrina Cotugno on Vimeo.

Paraphernalia from Sabrina Cotugno on Vimeo.

Now, read these questions and discuss them with your classmate:

Why is she all alone?
Where are her family?
Where was the gentleman heading?
Why did he crash?
Why had he invented such a wonderful flying machine?
What are your thought about the name of the short film?
Do you like the ending?

Now, Can you write a short dialogue for the story? What are the characters names? What do they say?. Record the dialogue and post it in your blog.... Work in pairs.. and have fun.. !!!

* this idea was adapted from a post shared by Tom Barret

and...... keep on shining Love and Peace!
Doris3m