A new start (0906)

Hi, students,

Great to meet you again in my class.

This semester, besides the “Language Power Workbook,” we’ll explore more about online project-based learning in different learning platforms such as IEARN or ENO. Also, some ideas of Web 2.0 will be introduced to you. You are expected to learn different Web 2.0 tools like Blog, Podcast, social bookmarking, and so on. You are required to design and plan your own project by integrating one or two of the tools or platforms into your own project.

Speaking of projects, I prepare a list of things that we would do during this semester:

1. Online project-based learning: IEARN and ENO.
2. Learning tools: Uwill and Web 2.0 (Blogs, Podcasts, Vodcasts, Flickr, del.icio.us, wikispaces, etc)
3. Newspaper projects
4. The Flatmates (an online Radio program)
5. Grammar and Composition

For those who haven’t got a blog of your own, please find a learning partner in the class and start to build your own blog in wordpress. Your blog will serve as an online portfolio in which you record your learning process.

I hope you enjoy all the activities in the following months.

Rehearsal Photos

On May 28, one sunny Monday afternoon, we pracitced the play in front of the library. Here are the good memories we share together.

(Two groups practiced together.)

(Shouting can be fun.)

(I’m itchy. Please scratch me!)

(Protect our environment.)

(A group of wonderful kids.)

Press releases written by Alice and Hams

Alice and Hams completed their assignments.” Here are the two press releases about our project. Please give them some comments after reading the news.

Alice’s writing Press release by Alice
Hams writing Press release by Hams

Poster of “The Drop of Life”

Jami sent me the poster she created for “The drop of Life.” I like the tone very much. I wish you do too.

A world without any plants

Dear all,

Here comes the your art works.

A world without any plants would be a world without any life. I hope the project “The Drops of Life” is not just a play, but something that really inspires us to do something useful to save the world from destruction.

The Drops of Life: Group Work

Here comes the list of work that everyone is responsible for in this project. Remember, your contribution would make the final performance successful. I’m sure you’ll gain a lot from the process too.

Review of class meeting 0423

We began our second project on April 16 by gathering the information about “The Drops of Life.” On April 23, we started the meeting by doing the writing book (Exercise Five: Conclusions) and learned ways to end a paragraph. Then, we moved on to the new words and phrases in the play. You were given time to work on the tasks (gussing the meaning from the sentences and looking up the words on the Internet). After working on the vocabulary worksheet, we read through the play line by line. The activity gave us a chance to know more about the story and to get familiar with the new words/phrases.

Since the main theme of “The Drops of Life” is about tree-planting and cooperation, I think it a good idea to know more plants in our life. Therefore, while preparing the play, we would also have different activities centering on the theme. That’s why I design a worksheet with an acitivity named Plants in Our Life. We didn’t have time to go into the details but you were asked to draw a world without any plants. Most of you did a great job. I’ll post some of the drawings after processing the images.

Please revise the interview report: stories in my family

Dear students,

While I enjoy all your stories, I have to remind you again to check the errors in your writing and revise the stories if necessary. In our last meeting, each of you received three reveiw sheets, two from your peers and one from me. Please look through the comments very carefully so as to make your writing mistake-free. If you still need help, please write to me and then I can give you more suggestions. When your work is done, don’t forget to upload the revised story to IEARN. The Kindred Project would appreciate your efforts.

0409 Editing the stories

Dear students,

At our next meeting on April 9, we’ll are going to edit your interview drafts. The process includes self-editing and peer-editing. You need revise the stories according to the feedback you gain from your classmates.  After that, it’s time to upload your story to your blog and then to IEARN. I hope there will be time for your oral sharing of the stories. If not, we’ll do that on April 16. See you soon.

work after mid-terms

Dear students,

Some of you followed the schedule and have completed the interview while the others might need more time for the task. Those completed work (the first draft), which has been sent to me via e-mail, is highly appreciated. If you need a couple of days’ extension on your first draft, please make sure to finish it and send it to me by April 8.

After mid-terms, we’ll have a four-day vacation. During this vacation, please reflect on the interview process and post your reflection in your blog. Here comes a list of questions that you can refer to when you recall your intewview:

1. Did the interview go as you expected or planned? If not, how did you deal with it?
2. Did you encounter any difficulty when you organized your materials from the interview? If yes, how did you overcome it?
3. How did you feel about the interview? Were you satisfied? Is there anything that you would like to change for improvement?
4. How did the interviewee feel about the interview? Was she/he happy to be interviewed? Did she/he share more than you asked?

Of course, these questions are only for your reference. You can come up with your own ideas about the interview. I’m looking forward to your sharing.