The 4.1-1

My students did such a wonderful job on their blogs! Read through them and tell them how awesome they are.

Yida
Dongxue
Mengxiao
Zhen
Abdulrahman
Melody
Abdulmohsen
Bowei
Yijie
Xing
Kelly
Fadwa
Majed
Mohammed

Thanks Guys!

Reading-Comp 4.1, Fall 12

Grammar-Listening/Speaking 3.2, Fall 12

Cause and Effect Speaking Assignment

For the spoken portion of your online portfolio (blog), you will create a spoken discussion of your Cause and Effect topic.  While this can be similar to the introduction of your essay, this has some different elements and serves a different purpose; thus, do not simply read your introduction for this assignment.

The purpose of recording an oral piece for your portfolio is to introduce yourself, your topic, and your ideas to your audience.  Because this will be a well-rehearsed recording, your grammar should be accurate as well as your pronunciation.  To be sure that you have used correct grammar, pronunciation and intonation, you will write your oral portion first.  We will practice reciting them in class and, perhaps, on Google Voice.  The final recording will count as a test grade.

This should be about 1 ½ to 2 mins and will be something we put into a video for your online portfolio. 

Word Doc version

Is American Education Failing or Innovative?

From the reading we did in class, I would like you to write a response to the ideas in the text and from class discussion.

This should be one to two paragraphs in length and should show the same qualities of focus, coherence and development we've discussed all quarter.


Address the following in your blog post and publish it by Aug. 1.

1. Paraphrase the main idea from the reading. 
2. Paraphrase another provocative idea from the reading -- this can be something that is interesting to you, confusing or overall just something that caught your attention. Explain why it was provocative!
3. What did at least one of your classmates say about the question of America being innovative?
4. Finally, what is your response to the text and your classmate(s)? Do you agree, disagree, something inbetween?

QR Code Scramble: Using Smartphones for Good

Left to Right: Ali, Khalid and Mazi unscrambling a text, 21st century style

Everyday we have to tell our students to put their phones away. ARG! After all they distract them from learning!

Despite our best pleas and threats, our good-cop and bad-cop discussions, we can't win this struggle.

Technology is obviously omnipresent, and, in fact, it is so embedded in students' lives that they think about, learn about and understand their word through those pesky little devices that can drive us insane.

So why NOT use them instead of forbid them? Furthermore, while we obviously have to make sure they don't abuse the power they have in their palms, there are ways to incorporate them into our instruction while engaging our students. ...

Links and Resources for Increasing English Language Proficiency

Speaking/Pronunciation

Manythings.org provides pronunciation of commonly mispronounced words. Students work in pairs and quiz each other on their proficiency.

http://www.manythings.org/pp/

This Web site is a guide to help students pronounce English vowels and consonants. This site provides audio clips, video clips and descriptions of how to make proper English sounds.

http://www.uiowa.edu/~acadtech/phonetics/english/frameset.html

Merriam Webster provides this helpful resource that provides explanations and handy quizzes to help students with pronunciation and vowel and word stresses.

http://www.learners-dictionary.com/pronex/pronex.htm

More Resources after the jump!

Word Doc version
Research Tips sheet

Reading Log 1

For your first reading log you will need to find an article that is related to the topic you chose for your Cause and Effect essay. Below the jump are the prompts you will need to fill out. ...

Also, from this reading you will want to chose FIVE vocabulary words for your word study.

 Please post your word study and reading log in on a blog post by Friday, June 29.

Word Study Guidelines for Blog Posts

Similar to Vocabulary Cards, we will be making blog posts where we learn new words related to our study topics. After the jump is an example of how this looks and a template you may use to fill yours out. 

Word Doc version

Welcome Summer 4.2 Reading/Composition!

I am very pleased to have you in class. Please let me know how I can help you achieve your goals in this class. ;-)

Multimedial Portfolios for 4.3 Reading-Composition

Here are links to their portfolio projects. In many ways this was a pilot run since we've never done exactly this before, so thanks to them for their hard work and commitment to making this a success.

Student Portfolios: 
Jingjin's
Hanseul's
Jiongming's
Jing's
Xingze's
Qianran's
Xiaohan's
Abuagila's
Hadeal's
Yushen's
Aziz's
Aziza's

Class Pics -- Spring 2012

Should We Teach Bilingual Education in the U.S.?

Welcome to my Portfolio Project for my Level 4 Reading and Composition Class at the English Language Center at the University of Denver.

For this project, I have written an argument essay where I argue that we need to teach two languages instead of just English in our public school system. The annotated bibliography presents my reading and research on this topic, and the vocabulary section provides useful words for helping you understand this topic. 

Below is a video introduction to my portfolio and list of contents.

I hope you enjoy! Please feel free to post comments and opinions!

Thanks....


I. Argument Essay
II. Annotated Bibliography
III. Vocabulary Study

Annotated Bibliography: Bilingual Education

Dual-Language Vocabulary

Teaching Children Through Dual-Language Immersion

In America, we are used to the world wanting to speak English. After all, the United States is a leader in the world economy, and it is a benefit for many throughout the world to learn English. This creates an attitude in this country where many think that learning languages outside of English isn’t important. However, learning multiple languages is a benefit for everyone, including Americans, and I believe our schools should focus on teaching dual-language immersion, and, specifically, we should be teaching English alongside Spanish.

Some believe that we should teach only English and that this country should adopt it as its official language. This, I believe, limits us and our children. The United States, as most know, is the land of immigrants. Sure, many people here speak English, but many don’t as well. We have many people with Chicano/Latina roots who speak Spanish. Only speaking one language limits our ability to speak with many people who are and becoming citizens of this country. This has obvious consequences for the economy because many people who work and produce in this country speak Spanish.   

Movie Night II: Persepolis at the ELC

Because it went so well the last time, we're doing it again! Our bookclub group has decided to share the wonderful movie, Persepolis, with the ELC. And even though it comes at a busy time, we think it is perfect opportunity to unwind and watch a great movie with some great people. Details below!

What: PERSEPOLIS

When: FRIDAY, JUNE 1 at 7p.m.

Where: ELC Student Lounge

Why: To celebrate Level 4 Bookclub!

Details: Potluck event, so feel free to bring something to share. Friends and family encouraged. 

Word Doc Version

Nola's Movie

This is a story a former student made for her bookclub project. 

Click here for the video

Our Portfolio Project: Bringing It All Together

Part of learning a language is immersing yourself. This means surrounding yourself with that language and using it rather than memorizing and translating it. To accomplish this goal, we have combined projects in our classes to assure what you’re learning and working on in one class continues in your other classes. 

This immerses you because you use your background knowledge, language skills and vocabulary in reading, writing, listening, speaking and grammar, which are the main ways we learn and use language – and the core classes you’re taking at the ELC.

Below are descriptions of the various projects you’ve completed and will revise and package for your “Portfolio Project.” We will host this portfolio on our blogs and link all the pieces together to make it coherent. All elements are tied together to the topic/issue you’ve done for your argument paper, so in effect you are presenting your knowledge on that topic using the various assignments we’ve done in class.

Word Doc Version

SP 12 Final Exam Schedule

Below is a document with the schedule for finals.

Environment vs. Economy?

Image from http://www.slopemedia.org/

Based on our discussions and the class readings (including the reading we did in class), answer the prompt below. Be thoughtful and thorough, and, of course, write well to aid your communication efforts.

PROMPT:

"People often think that it is the Environment vs. the Economy. Meaning, that in order to have a strong economy a country has to make policy that promotes using resources rather than sustaining them. Do you agree with this idea? Can a government balance its 
economic and environmental needs?"

My Brother Graduated Today :-)

ELC Open House Pictures

On May 2, 2012 we held an open house, and each nationality at the ELC had a chance to showcase their beautiful and unique cultures to the community. It was great to watch the students have fun and show off how awesome they are.

These are some pictures I took, though they aren't great. My camera started acting up, so I stopped taking pictures. Besides I wanted to focus my efforts on enjoying the moment.

Bookclub Assignment: Persepolis

Now that we’ve read the book, it is time to respond to the ideas in it. One of the things I really enjoy about this text is how we can relate to so much of what we read in Persepolis simply because we grew up. However, since we’re international students we also have a lot of experiences with the difficulty of adjusting to a different culture, difficulties in communicating in a second language and many others.  You may have even witnessed political/societal changes that helped influence the person you’ve become.

Word Doc Version (includes graphic organizers)

Tutoring Workshops for International Students

May 11 for commas and general sentence structure .... May 18 for speaking skills. Both at the I-House in B4. Click here for details or click the jump.

Analyzing Your Favorite American Meal: Level 3 PowerPoint Speech

For this speech you will be describing your favorite American meal, discussing its nutritional value and analyzing whether it is healthy or not. 

Your speech needs to be at least FOUR to SIX minutes and use powerpoint as a visual aid and organization tool.

We will be giving our presentations on Monday, May 14. So be ready!!!

Word doc version
Vince's PowerPoint
Nikkie's PowerPoint
Power Point Principles (Good PowerPoint PPT)

A.C.T.I.V.E. Reading

Here is a sort of rubric I developed. It is basically a list of reading strategies organized into a fancy acronym. Works well as a guide for what we do when we're reading well ...

Daniel Luna's Paintings: Our Interpretations!

DU ELC students imagining a Daniel Luna painting

For this assignment you’re going to write about one of the Daniel Luna paintings we saw at the Museo de las Americas field trip. You can use any of the paintings I provide here, or a picture of one you took while at the Museo. We will post our writings and pictures on our blogs after going through a writing process. 

You can do this assignment one of two ways. One option is you can write a story. Remember when the tour guide told us the stories Daniel Luna imagined when creating the painting? 

Do you also remember that part of his art involves you, the viewer? Well, tell us that story. 

Daniel Luna wants us to participate and imagine for ourselves what the story of the painting is, and with this assignment you have your chance to do just that.

Use the people you see in the painting and tell us who they are, what they are doing and why. I wrote my own version here. Mine is a bit long, though yours can be shorter or longer. Your goal is simply to tell the story of the painting. 

If this method doesn’t suit your style as a writer, then you may use the second option: write a letter to Daniel Luna (and I will do my best to make sure he receives it) about what you see in the painting. Rather than tell a story, you can simply explain what the painting means to you. 

Either option should be at least one fully developed paragraph.

This is a writing assignment, so we need to make sure it communicates well using coherence (a focused main idea with logical sequencing and transitions) and strong command of English grammar. 

However, I also want you to have fun with this. Yes, this is a graded assignment. But this is also a chance for you to use your imagination and write in a way that suits your interests and skills. 

Happy writing!
~vince

p.s. here is a slideshow of our trip to the Museo. These pictures aren't too great because my camera isn't too great. But the trip was great! :-)

Carmen's Eggs: An Interpretive Tribute to Daniel Luna's Painting

 

Carmen grew up in one of the poorest barrios in west Denver. She has two younger sisters and two older brothers.  Her parents, Jorge and Jennifer, both work long hours, and Carmen is usually the one cooking and cleaning and taking care of the family, even though she is only 16. While her brothers are older, they are too busy getting into trouble and have no interest in cooking and cleaning and providing for the family.

That is a woman’s job, anyway.

Daniel Luna's Paintings: Museo de las Americas Field Trip

Winter 12 Class Pictures