Welcome May-July09 Class!

Welcome, everybody!

This new trimester, we will be working with English for Work. .... But what is that? you may be asking yourself. Well, let's try to explain what it is about. To start with:

1. It is mostly about learning and practicing your English.
2. It is about learning English related to your field of expertise. So if you are an engineering student for instance. You will be reading, listening to, writing and talking about English for engineers and English for working as an engineer.
3. It is about learning English using technology. That means we will be using computers and Internet to find real updated information concerning your different interests. We are going to experiment and play with new ways to learn autonomously. Learning for life. Learning to learn. Learning by doing. We will be watching and listening to videos as well as making videos. We'll have the chance to use different tools to express your ideas and read about ideas.
4. It is about learning and practicing your English in groups, in community. Be ready to meet students and teachers from the university and the world. Of course, there will be tasks you must complete on your own.

That was a general description of the course. Now, how the classes take place:

• Classes are going to be held at the lab. I f you can't come to classes, you can connect at home or wherever you have access to a computer and Internet.
• You need to get a google account, since we will using different tools provided by Google. make sure to register to Gmail, Google Reader, Google Talk, Google Doc, Facebook and Blogger
• Blogs are going to be your personal journals. There you will register everything we do in class. All your homework and tasks should be there.
• Every class will be a taken as a workshop or TALLER. Try not to miss your classes and if you do, keep your blog updated.
• Homework will be assigned for each one of the units covered in class. The dateline to hand in your homework will be the day of your test. It means you will have the chance to work on your blog till the exam day.
• Corrections to writing will be done through Google documents. Share documments with your classmates and your teacher for helping with editing.
  
• Comments and reflections are going to be our way o validate that we are learning.. that's why they are sooooo important.
  
• Make sure to visit your classmates blogs and follow them in google talk, google reader, twitter, facebook or at the efluniversity. O f course, you can text message them in their phones. Connection is the key to success in this experience.
• Get an avatar in SecondLife. We will try to experiment getting together in 3D worlds to meet interesting people there. Add your teacher as friend.. Pionia Destiny is my name. Join the secondlife group in the EFL university to ask questions about how to have a second life to learn and practice your English.
  

Assesment






Things you need to do to take this class:

• Get a Gmail account and register to Google services: reader, Google talk, reader and blogger.
• Get a blog at Blogger. For instructions on how to that get the power point presentation from our box or follow the tutorial prepared by Vance Stevens.
• Register to the EFL University Ning social network. Make sure to write name, last name and class session you belong to when registering at our social network.
• Take these surveys:

About your English Class
May - July 09 EFL Survey
Click Here to take survey

About Integrating Technology in the English Class
May - July 09 EFL Digital Literacy
Click Here to take survey

Benchmarks:

• At the end of the first term. I should have:
  
  • Read my class guidelines
  • Met my new classmates
  • Worked with the introductory task
    
  • Registered at Google and have a Gmail account.
  • Registered to Google readers and added my classmates' blogs
    
  • Registered to Google doc.
  • Downloaded Google Talk and activated my IM.
  • Opened my Blogger account and posted my classes reflections.
  • Registered at the EFL University Ning social network
  • Registered to Second Life and created an avatar
    
  • Taken two surveys

Assignment for this class:

• Write your first blog entrance: Introduce yourself. Use Task 0. Get the task from the file box.
• Add a second post with your new friends' blogs

Hope you learn and have a great time during the time we are going to be together. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Keep on shining Love and Peace!