Saturday, February 11, 2017

blah-g

no, it's not my accent. it's my mood. my smartphone feels like an insufferable taskmaster - never leaving me room to even breathe before updating me with news of this, reminders of that, posts about OMG, and messages from people, groups, extended groups, groups i don't know how i got to be a part of, some of which i don't even know what they are. emailed reminders from school can be included in this list (though they are most useful in keeping me from falling behind) and so, here i am, with my phone next to me on airplane mode, so i can just catch up.

i just breezed through a unit on making good use of smartphones in school. with the stat of "94% of students check social media during the school day" supposedly inspiring an "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" mentality, i took the bait and watched a whole 6 minute video on how embracing the use of (multiple!) devices during the school day encourages responsible use of devices and helps the students feel the 7 hours of school aren't so disconnected from the other 14 hours of their day, which, presumably, are spent "device in hand".

call me crazy but i enjoy sitting with my teachers and talking, discussing, reading, learning, and, specifically, NOT HAVING MY PHONE IN MY HAND. not to mention that, even at my slightly more mature age, i find it impossible to look at my phone (say i'm looking up something or translating something for class) and completely disregard the messages coming in from my kids, my husband, my mom (what sized snow boots do i need from Costco? she's waiting for an answer. she's in the store!), about comments on my facebook posts, whatever. i also didn't see (in the video) how these inevitable distractions are avoided or minimized. i'd love to spend a day in that school district and judge for myself. not based on the 6 minute video. call me cynical. or chalk it up to my mood.

something i learned this semester which i really took to heart was a chart about effective time management. it was divided up like this:

Not Urgent                                                                     Urgent
___________________________________________________________________________
activities that instill values;                                         unanticipated emergencies;
preparedness activities (dental visits,                          exam tomorrow (forgot to study);
studying for an exam next week, etc);                         other 'lack of planning' emergencies 
quality time spent with loved ones                              (flying tomorrow, forgot to          Important
                                                                                     update passport, etc)
                                                                                                                                       

____________________________________________________________________________

pretty much all internet surfing;                                  time about to expire on
social media (FB, instagram, etc)                                the WORDCRACK game          
video games                                                                 i started last week;      
                                                                                     halftime show at the superbowl about to start;     
                                                                                     new alert on the smartphone  begging to be                                                                                                                                                            checked                               Not Important                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

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needless to say i'm that mom who brought the lesson home and taught it to my teenage kids. now, every once in a while when it's not clear they are making the best time management choices i ask them if we are hanging out in the not-urgent/not-important corner? they absolutely love this
(*insert eye-roll here*)
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Saturday, January 14, 2017

Week Ten

As the semester starts to wind down, I find myself wondering just how I will best integrate technology into my future classroom. Thinking back on some of the classes I've taught in the past, I'd say self-grading on-line quizzes to prepare for vocabulary tests would probably be well received. As would many of the great and creative tools we've covered so far.

Of course anything that gets the kids listening to English, reading in English, and writing in English would be great for fluency. Perhaps an English TV series with subtitles (like how they showed us "Srugim" with Hebrew subtitles in my Ulpan)... I'm thinking Brady Bunch with follow up questions about the moral dilemmas faced by kids in the 1970s.

Speaking of the previous century...

I searched my name on Google Scholar to make myself feel good - more than 30 citations of some riveting economic research I was privileged to be part of!

Back to the current day and age, inspired by the United Nations lack of understanding about the Middle East, and Israel in particular, I used the "Simple English Wikipedia" tool to see if maybe a search about Israel could help them. In fact, I think it could help them. A lot.

Until next time....

(Go on, click on it)

But wait... there's more. Raised in Israel, on Brady Bunch episodes and lots of Google Searches, my very own English speaking daughter has helped me with one more fun tech tool.... Prezi.





Monday, January 9, 2017

Week 9 - A Top Ten List

Top Ten Things I Love About Learning English In An Israeli Teaching College for Women

10. Is anyone old enough to remember that thing about getting 200 points just for bubbling in your name correctly on the SATs? I am a native speaker of English in a program filled with non-native speakers. 200 feeling smart points every day, baby. Every single day.

9. Lot's of young newly married classmates means sometimes during attendance this happens:
"Yael?"
"Yael's not here - she gave birth over the weekend"

Even better is that during break, in the atrium, in any direction, I get to see babies. Babies! All around me! If you know me, you know that my Achilles Heel is babies.

8. My awesome teachers teach English using Supertramp and Rod Stewart Songs, Land of the Lost Pakuni linguistics, and classic I Love Lucy clips.

7. Being that Israel officially teaches British English, I often feel like I am learning (British) English as a Second Language. I am storing up expressions like "dead lucky" and "I could do for some more tea" alongside my cache of unused present perfect sentences (I've just seen the Queen!) for that inevitable moment when I am tested in "British". Also, I now feel the pain of anyone learning any kind of English as a Second Language. Ouch!

6. I get to send great YouTube clips like this one to my Phonetics teacher. Class participation was never so fun!

5. Special family time (check out my little story builder exercise starring some of my crazy kids)

4. Doing my part for the neglected step-child of Israeli English with my "Make American English Great Again" grammar quiz

3. gurgling baby noises in class. this comforts me when when my classmates make fun of the way I say "IMPORTANT". For the record, I do NOT speak like this!!!

2. fun homework like writing this blog

1.  did i mention babies?



Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Why isn't anyone Google-searching WEEK SIX OF MY AWESOME ON-LINE CLASS?

Football and babies - I guess we know what's on everyone's mind!

So this week we've had some great fun interacting on a VOICE THREAD. Who knew? Someone just throws out a topic and then everyone can discuss - either by text (my preference, of course) or voice message (I actually also prefer when the other participants use voice - go figure), video (this totally creeps me out - nobody ever gets the lighting right) and maybe possibly there is an option to create a painting in response to the topic - interpretive art?  I admit, I didn't get this far. For entertainment purposes, it's not an improvement on SNL's perfection:

But for an off-site classroom discussion, I'd say it's downright genius.

The next stop on our On-Line Train of Fun Tools for Teaching was this great interactive spelling match with a Sponge Bob Square Pants kind of feel to it. I played for a while and considered waking up my kids so they could remind me of the Sponge Bob lyrics since the tune is now STUCK IN MY HEAD.

This FunBrain.com spell check game was also great.


The format actually reminded me of a great app called Kahoot! where the whole class can play a quiz game interactively. (hat tip to the English Dep't)

Even though I ranted about kids having cell phones in the classroom on the Voice Thread - my rant was not conclusively for nor against, but it was, indeed, a rant - IF kids had smart phones in the class, they could play a version of this spelling quiz interactively using Kahoot! Something to ponder.

Okay it's late. I got a little sidetracked making comics. This would be fun to have students do.
Here's mine:

And just when I thought I had not an ounce of creative energy left, I went and wrote this bestselling award winning original horror story (with the help of a story-maker)............

Imagine Said Story Inserted *HERE*

Alas, technology has failed me. My blogger page seems to have a picture limit. Stay tuned for my next post to read my latest thriller.









Monday, December 5, 2016

Week Five  - Coming at You Live

Learning all kinds of new tricks this week.

Turns out you can listen to real conversations on the Internet. I found one between this guy, who I'm pretty sure is the voice of Shaggy from Scooby Doo, and a very patient sounding girl (jump to the "listening exercise"). If you ask me, he's only PRETENDING to be interested in her studies....












I also learned that I can speak to my computer and there's a microphone somewhere in there that will record my voice! This finding begged a trial but I was at a loss for words. Luckily there were some Disney lyrics nearby....
Some found poetry

I had to close the door while recording because my brother was busy telling my mom about some recording of a British guy he listens to at night that lulls him to sleep. And then I found THIS recording of a paragraph about visiting the zoo. The pronunciation is perfect, the articulation, flawless, and the voice is so soothing....... I am definitely going to recommend it to my brother!

Finally, I checked out some great resources for using songs to teach English. I tried this once before, when actually teaching 7th graders, and until I found a song with G-rated lyrics, I nearly gave up! So I am thrilled to have sites with songs already selected to choose from. Imagine my joy at finding a grammar lesson based on Foreigner's 1981 classic I've Been Waiting For A Girl Like You!

Present Perfect Continuous Rocks!
(post script: on a more careful reading of the lyrics I had to censor them)

So long, I've been looking too hard, I've been waiting too long
Sometimes I don't know what I will find, I only know it's a matter of time
When you love someone, when you love someone
It feels so right, so warm and true, I need to know if you feel it too
Maybe I'm wrong, won't you tell me if I'm coming on too strong?
This heart of mine has been hurt before, this time I want to be sure
I've been waiting for a girl like you to come into my life
I've been waiting for a girl like you, your loving will survive
I've been waiting for someone new to make me feel alive
Yeah, waiting for a girl like you to come into my life
It's more than a touch or a word can say
Only in dreams could it be this way
When you love someone, yeah, really love someone
Now, I know it's right, from the moment I wake up till deep in the night
There's nowhere on earth that I'd rather be than holding you tenderly
I've been waiting for a girl like you to come into my life
I've been waiting for a girl like you, your loving will survive
I've been waiting for someone new to make me feel alive
Yeah, waiting for a girl like you to come into my life
I've been waiting, waiting for you, ooh
Ooh, I've been waiting
(Waiting) I've been waiting
(I've been waiting for a girl like you, I've been waiting) won't you come into my life?
Aah-aah-aah


Read more: Foreigner - Waiting For A Girl Like You Lyrics | MetroLyrics