About Blogs...

1. What is your opinion about using blogs to teach "writing" in EFL classrooms?

I think it is a good manner to improve writing, because we can write about many things in blog, for example, we can write about stories, news, comments, etc. and we can see classmates' creations.

We can add images and we can decorate our blog, I think is very important to have a personal page to publish our own works.

2. Do you like working using blogs?

Yes, I like it. It was very interesting, I created my own space and I could published my works and I could see my classmates blogs and to leave a comment.

3. What are some of the advantages of using blogs ?

I think the advantages are: show your creations; add pictures; comment other creations; you can see your own work in any place.

4. What are some of the disadvantages?
Disadvantages are: You depend on the internet; you depend on the pc; you only create your work on the internet web site.

5. Do you plan to use blogs in the future?

If there is possible of course; it is a very interesting and creative activity for the students. It is a good idea to improve writing in a different manner.

Do you have any suggestions to improve these "lab sessions"? or was everything all right?

In my opinion everything all right, because it is easy to understand what can I do and how to use the blog.

Writing

Why is Writing important for an EFL teacher?

Writing is the representation of language in a textual medium through the use of a set of signs or symbols (known as a writing system).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Writing

According with this definition, I think Writing is important because is one of the best manners to improve the new language, in this case, English.
I think it’s important because we as a teacher of a foreign language can teach the language in differents ways, and one of these ways is Writing.

“Writing is an essential key to achievement in school, in the workplace, and in the larger world. Research shows that writing develops higher-order thinking skills and helps students learn content across subject areas. And the more students write--and receive supportive feedback--the more their writing performance improves”.
http://www.ncte.org/prog/writing/news/107867.htm

What is the best way to teach writing to children? to teenagers? ( provide examples and references)

To teach children:
Students could be write about his or her favorite cartoon, or sport.
Students could be write about her or his family, or friends.

To teenagers:
May be students could be write fantastic stories or to write stories that they don’t have end yet.
Other manner could be use a story starters. http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/teachwriting/

What is that thing?

What is That Thing?

story & illustration © 2001 Bruce Van Patter

Usually, Casey didn't pay much attention to the playground equipment. For her, recess was all about avoiding Chester.
Chester Caldwell was the annoying kid who lived across the street from her. He wasn't a bully or anything, he was just a pest. He was always reading Star Trek novels and talking about the Alien Invasion games he played on the internet. And for some reason, he thought Casey was his best friend. Just because she didn't tell him to shut up like the other kids did.
But that didn't make her want to be his pal or anything. Jeez.
The day the new playground equipment came, Casey checked it out like everybody else during recess. There were the usual wooden climbing things with slides for the younger kids. But then there was The Thing. It was a big hollow ball, but with weird curving legs and some kind of a radar dish on top. She climbed up inside.
There was Chester. She turned to go. He grabbed her. "Let me go, Chester," she said. He didn't. He just pointed to a whole panel of switches and odd buttons.
"They work," he said excitedly.
"So what?" said Casey, yanking her arm free. "So you can move the switches. Very nice."
"No, I mean they really work! Watch this." Chester pushed a couple buttons. A video screen came down from the ceiling. It flickered on. The screen said: EARTH SCHOOL REPORT, DAY ONE.
"Oh no!" cried Casey. " You mean, this is...?"
"An alien ship," nodded Chester.
Casey and Chester started to analyze the alien ship, and they discovered someone’s picture. They recognized the person, it was one of their classmate Clay.
The next day they went to school and they observed Clay all the time.
“Clay takes notes all the time, it is very strage”, says Casey.
“I have an idea, we must follow him this afternoon” says Chester.
In the afternoon Chester and Casey followed him, and discovered he was an alien. They entered into his alien ship and they spoke with him.
Clay told them his story, He was an alien and he was sent to the Earth to learn about the students and the school.
He asked them if they could keep his secret just for ten days, because he had to do a report of tha school.
Casey and Chester kept the secret and they helped to Clay.
The days run faster, and Clay must go to his planet. Chester and Casey were very sad.
They went to the alien ship with Clay.
“Take care Clay, and when you come back tell me please” says Chester.
“You are a good alien, nice to meet you” says Casey.
Clay went to his alien ship and he said good bye…the alien ship dissapeared.
After that, Casey and Chester were best friends, they always studied together and talked about aliens and alien ships. The days into school were more interesting for their.

The end

A MAGIC STORY

The Lady with the Watch

What does she like to do on Saturdays?

She likes to go to the forest.

What is the secret she doesn't want anyone to know?

Her watch has the power to travel across the time

What does she think she does well?

She prepares good poisons

What is she NOT very good at doing?

She can't paint very well

What is her favorite memory?

When she went to Magic Island.

Why is this watch important to her?

Because she can travel wherever she wants.

Who is her best friend?

Her watch

What does she want most in the whole world?

She wants to return to Magic Island.

Celta lives near the Forbidden Forest. She likes this place because nobody goes to it.

During the weeks she works in the town... she sells poisons, she is the best preparing poisons; and on Saturdays she rests and walks across the Forbidden Forest. For her it is a very interesting place, because she can rest, sleep, walk and paint landscapes.

About her paints, she has the gift but she can't paint it with her heart, for that reason her paints are not so good.

She had an only friend, her watch. It's a very special watch because it has the faculty to travel across the time, or she thinks so.

One day, in the forest, she wants to paint a landscape about Magic Island. It is a very important place for her, because she lived there with her family, but she had to leave the island because an Ogre wanted to kill her.

She has a few memories about this place and, that day she wants to paint her island.

She couldn't do it, and she thought in her watch; She used it for traveling to past. She returned to Magic Island, the day when the Ogre wanted to kill her, so she returned to Forbidden forest quickly.

She painted just her memory permitted. She was very sad because her paint was horrible...then with the watch in her hands, she started to cry. Suddenly something very strange happened. Her tears fell into the watch and opened a hall... what wonderful landscape had been opened! …she didn’t believe it.

She went to the hall and she discovered that this place was Magic Island, but in the present.

She thought about the Ogre in that place and she prepared a very strong poison.

She prepared everything and then she entered into the Magic Island.

Celta saw the Ogre while he was sleeping in the garden, and she put the poison into his ear.

The Ogre died immediately.

After that, Celta went to her parent’s house and she lived with them for the rest of her life thanks to her friend, her watch.

The end.

A curious summer day...

One summer day Laura finished her school day when someone told her something.

After this meeting she was very sad, she didn't know if the news was true or not.

She started to cry and she sat on the garden.

A group of her classmates saw her. They came to her and asked what happen.

She told them a girl spoke with her and said her father had an accident, and then this girl disappeared.

One of her classmate said that she must call her father or her mother and ask if it is true. In that moment her cell phone rang. She was afraid and nervous but she answered the phone. It was her mother. She asked what time she will arrive to her house....Laura asked to her mother if her father is fine...Her mother answered her father is fine and then she hang up.

Laura felt relieved. Then she answered her cell phone again and the girl that told her about her father accident told her: Happy innocents' day.

She wanted to kill her....but then she laugh at herself.