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

I think that is a good idea, because it helps us to develop a “free writing”; free writing is a good tool to learn how to write without boundaries, it means that it is the first step to become a good writer, so in my opinion the use of a blog can open up a whole world of new and fresh alternatives to teach and learn trying to apply what is called “TSL” (thinking in a second language).

2. Do you like working using blogs?

Yes I do, because it helps me to improve my grammar and way of writing.

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

Lets you keep in touch with your teacher and classmates, makes the classes interesting, lets you know and make an opinion about a specific or general topic.

4. What are some of the disadvantages?

In some cases the author or writer of a blog can make plagiarism, situation that reveals that the topic or subject does not come from the writer’s mind.

5. Do you plan to use blogs in the future?Do you have any suggestions to improve these "lab sessions"? or was everything all right?

Yes, I am planning to keep using the blog that I already have, even though the classes finish. Everything that I have been taught in this class is alright. As a student I can say that the classes were very well programmed, each activity was executed step by step and that is the key to success.

Well done Miss Pichinao CONGRATS!!!
I could not spect less from you…

Why is Writing important for an EFL teacher?

Because is part of the 3 tools that an English teacher should manage, these tools are speak, read and last but not least write. It is so necessary to understand the writing process because it is a little bit harder than talking or reading. Practice is not enough, as a teacher we have to use it everyday in order not to forget it. It is easy to forget how to write more than speak or read, because, when you are writing everyone can notice your mistakes, in other words, “miss spellings”. Finally I would like to share with you an advice that a friend gave to me, he told me: “the way you write is the way you speak”. So whenever I have to use one of my 3 tools I do it thinking in English all the time.

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

The best way to teach your students (children or teenagers) is to teach them how to free write. The student feels relaxed, and as a result there is no frustration about writing. The goal is to generate as much material as possible. We as teachers have to be able to help our students to generate ideas without destroying them at the same time. The point is to let them write without stopping in order to keep up with the idea they have in mind, with that it is necessary to let them know that at the end of their task, they have to go back to the beginning and start editing whatever needs to be fixed, so that way they would be applying grammar and everything they have been taught so far.
If we are able to help our students to think in English, for sure we can feel glad that we have taught them something. In other words we are dealing with TSL (thinking in second language) instead of ESL (English as a second language).
The most effective way in which we, as EFL writing teachers, can help our students to be better writers is by:
1. Helping them get rid of negative attitudes towards writing through the free writing process.
2. Giving them feasible writing assignments, complete with specific instructions.
3. Giving specific feedback and correction in writing conferences, or in written form.
If these three suggestions are followed, combined with the teacher's patience and care, then "postponed writing won't exist anymore.
Some other exercises that help are: puzzles, beginning or finishing stories, brainstorming (directed by the teacher), journals and many others.

Andres Guenante Garrido
Writing II

Masked Marvel's Night Job

Oswald didn't like having the whole forest think of him as a hero. There was just too much pressure.

He'd rather to go back to being an ordinary raccoon. But he didn't have a choice, not after he got rid of that huge bear that had wandered into their woods. Just because Oswald was tricky didn't make him a superhero. He wasn't even very brave.

Try telling that to the other animals. They thought he could do anything. He just wanted to wash his hands of the whole thing. He was good at that -- washing hands.

But like it or not, here he was, slowly sneaking his way through the dark forest. The Council had sent him to rid the forest of the latest unwanted visitor. He had tried to suggest that a skunk was better at this kind of thing, but they wouldn't listen. Then the squirrels started chanting, "We want Os-wald!" over and over again. He just sighed and gave in. Stupid squirrels.

The light grew as he got close to the creature -- yellow light, making shadows dance on the leaves above. Fire! He fought the fear, the urge to run. He crept up, weaving beneath the bushes, silent as smoke. His eyes got used to the light.

There was the monster! It was a large, glowing square, pointed at the top. No -- it must be the creature's den, for inside it was a shadow of something moving. A tall, thin monster, with two legs and two skinny arms was -- OH, GROSS! thought Oswald. IT'S PULLING ITS SKIN OFF OVER ITS HEAD! oh... wait... that's just a shirt.

Still, that was enough. He was not the raccoon for the job. He turned to go, but then caught the whiff of something yummy on a table ahead. That's when the plan first popped into his head.

That night, Oswald practice and practice on how bears groan, because that was going to be his tool to scare out the invader, he thought: “everybody is scare of bears even other animals, so this is the only chance I have”…. who knows I might get something yummy from the table I saw there.

The night after came and Oswald felt scare as usual, so he closed his eyes tight and started groaning, the invader came up of his den quickly and Oswald was looking at him up from a tree so that way the invader would not be able to see him or catch him. Finally Oswald took a deep breath and groaned for the last time. He did it so intensely even the animals from the woods got scare. So when he opened his eyes again the guy was running down the hill screaming and crying. Oswald started laughing and begun to enjoy the cake and candy the invader left behind and said this is just the beginning so watch out ah ah ah!!!

"The End"

" The Superhero Bear "

What does he like to do on Saturdays?
Get together with his super hero gang and see who has helped the most.

What is the secret he doesn't want anyone to know?
That when he is not wearing his mask he gets shy and also that he is afraid of bees.

What does he think he does well?
Save animals that are in jeopardy and save the planet form “Poison Man”.

What is he not good at doing?
Telling stories and also telling jokes.

What is his favorite memory?
When he noticed that he had superpowers.

What is his top superpower?
His x-ray vision.

Who is His best friend?
The mighty porky pine.

What does he want most in the whole world?
Freedom for his fellow friends and World peace.

The Superhero Bear on duty

One Sunday morning after getting together with the superhero gang, Mr. B came up with an idea on how to set free his fellow friends and with that regain world peace. It took him some hours before getting his plan started. So after a while he finally got everything in order. His first task was to avoid the devilish “Poison Man”, in order to do that, he had to get close to him and the only way was to get a disguise, so that way he pretended to be on Poison’s man side. It took him 3 days to get to know Poison’s Man advantages and weakness.

Finally, after a week the second part of the plan was ready to be done. Mr. B got up very early that day and started practicing on his x-ray vision, because “Poison Man” heated light or bright places and told Mr. B that if sees light he would immediately die. After that exhausting practice, Mr. B wore his disguise for the last time and went to visit Poison Man to tell him he got a plan on how to take over the world and that he need it his help, so they arrange to meet at midnight on the woods.

When Poison Man got there he did not see Mr. B and after a few seconds the superhero gang grabbed the bad guy by his back and holds his head still, so that Mr. B could light him up with his super x-ray vision. After that intense moment his fellow friends got free, world peace was recovered and most important of all he got to see again his friend the mighty porky pine.

The end

Use your imagination...

"A Bad Day At College"

Today it was not a good day for Rachel, she is the best student of her course, but everything changed when she received some grades of the essays that she had written some weeks ago.

She was waiting for 100s, but she noticed that her grades were 35, 20 and a 15. Horrible!!!, all because she committed plagiarism and copied everything as it appears on the internet or books. she felt frustrated and reacted in a bad way to her classmates and teacher.
Their classmates wanted to talk with her, but she did not want to, because she was very upset.

Finally she noticed that it was her fault. She learnt that committing plagiarism is very bad and dishonest…

* Any similarity with the reality is just coincidence !!! *

Yahoo! is going to fire 10% of workers.

I think that this article is very interesting because it show us the real effect that is happening around the world since we are living in financial crisis time.

Yahoo is an important American company that provides Internet services worldwide. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine, Yahoo Mobile service, Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, news, and social media websites and services. Now this important American company is affected because of the financial crisis and is going to layoff 15.000 workers. Also is going to cut some of its services and some projects will be headed.

In an interview a Yahoo! co- founder said that the lays off were a necessary step that will help Yahoo! to operate more efficiently and weather downtown.

Words:
Layoff: is the temporary suspension or permanent termination of employment, in others words to fire someone.

Weather downturn: I am going to explain this word next week.