I wish to you all a merry merry Christmas and a really happy 2008!
lunedì 24 dicembre 2007
domenica 9 dicembre 2007
Personal Learning Environments
What is PLE??? I had never heard of it before! Every lesson we discover something new! Last week we spoke about Persoonal Learning Environments. It is based on the idea that we never finish learning in our life and, especially, that we learn from each context! As I saw in Bloggingenglish studies (Cross, 200) have shown that only 20% of our learning actually takes place in institutional contexts whereas the remaining 80% takes place outside of the classroom in different periods of one’s life; I completely agree with this idea and I also think that a person's ability - more or less in all fields - cannot be judged just by his/her formal studies. You can have the most important degree but if you don't learn from other experiences, spaces, people, you are not so wise. PLE permits to create your personal map in order to have a clear idea of your learning spaces and means!
As far as language is concerned, this is my Personal Learning Environments :
I have founf five different areas for my language learning: People, formal learning, experiences, storing information, gathering information.
PEOPLE:
In this area I list all the people with which I generally speak English. This aspect is very important because to
think of knowing a language and actually speak it, are two different things! Unfortunately, I don't speak often English here in Italy but I think that we should make use of all the occasions we have!
FORMAL LEARNING:
In this area I put all the formal moments in which I trained my English. As far as University is concerned, I specified the most important areas in which I improved my English. I also included my thesis because, doing it, I learnt a lot from language point of view too!
EXPERIENCES:
Life is full of experinces which are like a treasure for our knowledge! Here I put travels, thanks to which I spoke a lot and I come into contact with real language and life situations, work, and learning from my own mistakes!
STORING INFORMATION:
Here I list the tools which help me to store my important information.
GATHERING INFORMATION:
In this area I list all the other means by which I improve my English. They are songs, movies, books, podcasts, the Internet and so on. I think they are very important for me because they help you in learning by having fun!
That is all!
Bye bye!!
As far as language is concerned, this is my Personal Learning Environments :
I have founf five different areas for my language learning: People, formal learning, experiences, storing information, gathering information.
PEOPLE:
In this area I list all the people with which I generally speak English. This aspect is very important because to
think of knowing a language and actually speak it, are two different things! Unfortunately, I don't speak often English here in Italy but I think that we should make use of all the occasions we have!
FORMAL LEARNING:
In this area I put all the formal moments in which I trained my English. As far as University is concerned, I specified the most important areas in which I improved my English. I also included my thesis because, doing it, I learnt a lot from language point of view too!
EXPERIENCES:
Life is full of experinces which are like a treasure for our knowledge! Here I put travels, thanks to which I spoke a lot and I come into contact with real language and life situations, work, and learning from my own mistakes!
STORING INFORMATION:
Here I list the tools which help me to store my important information.
GATHERING INFORMATION:
In this area I list all the other means by which I improve my English. They are songs, movies, books, podcasts, the Internet and so on. I think they are very important for me because they help you in learning by having fun!
That is all!
Bye bye!!
venerdì 30 novembre 2007
In Internet we trust...or not?
http://giavasan.diludovico.it/archivi/images/Needle.jpg
When I have to search something on the Web for academic purposes, such as writing an essay or similar, I'm usually a bit sceptical about what I find because on the Internet there are too many things, to many authors, too many articles, too many ideas! The problem - but also the beautiful aspect of the Internet - is that anyone can publish or write something and the reader cannot easily understand if the information is trustworthy or not. If one day someone want to frighten all the world with an invented information, he/she has just to write something on a Web site!!! The same is for the information we search: are they serious or not?
Usually, when I look for information on the Web I check the author of the site: if it is an association, a well known personality or just someone unknown. I admit that the look of the site influences my idea about its seriousness. If I see a well structured site and, on the other hand, a simple and not accurate page, I choose the first one. I don't usually loom if the author is clearly shown or if there is his e-mail. Sometimes I look at the last up-date of the page, but not always.
The sites which I visited on this topic gave me some interesting points on which I should think the next time I'm looking for something on the Web.
For example, I had never thought to the possibility of looking at the Document Uniform Resource Locator (URL), including an institutional identifier. Moreover, I had never looked if there is a bibliography or if there is the indication of the source of the information. Another interesting point I had never thought about is what the purpose of the site is, or who the audience intended is. I think these are important things because we have to have a critical eye before to accept everything from the Web.
I found this site http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html which I think interesting and it contains, on its URL ".edu" so it indicates that it is an educational institution. Try to have a look at it!!
lunedì 26 novembre 2007
a video for me..
Hi! I want to be sincere with you: it is really difficult to find a video for me in this period...it is not one of the easiest periodS of my life! So plese, don't consider this video a representation of my personality, but simply something I need in this moment! I have to be strong!!! So sometimes I listen to this song to find strength! I'm sure I will be better in a few time!
In the future I will search a video that represents me..for example something to laugh or something that recalls the fact of staying together with lots of people...for the moment...I need to be STRONG ENOUGH!! ;)
see you!!
In the future I will search a video that represents me..for example something to laugh or something that recalls the fact of staying together with lots of people...for the moment...I need to be STRONG ENOUGH!! ;)
see you!!
domenica 25 novembre 2007
Youtube
What do I think about Youtube? I don't know...if on one hand I can say that it is funny and interesting because you can find videos about everything, on the other hand I think it is not so useful because there are so many stupid videos.
One can spend a lot of time in searching a video he/he needs before to find the right one because there are too many videos...probably there should be a control system or something similar (I'm not an expert of Youtube so I don't know if it is already so). However, it is also a mean of communication and every kind of people can publish something on it so..probably I should erase my prejudices!! If you want to have fun and if you have time, it is the right place!!
Obviously you can also find interesting and good videos on it but, for this case, TeacherTube is better! Here you can find very interesting videos who teach you something...every kind of topic, every kind of level! I really like it!! For students like us, there are
some interesting videos for language leaning but there also many other interesting topics!
We have discovered a new tool that can be useful for our English...at the end of this course we should speak as well as a mother tongue speakers!!!;)
See you!
One can spend a lot of time in searching a video he/he needs before to find the right one because there are too many videos...probably there should be a control system or something similar (I'm not an expert of Youtube so I don't know if it is already so). However, it is also a mean of communication and every kind of people can publish something on it so..probably I should erase my prejudices!! If you want to have fun and if you have time, it is the right place!!
Obviously you can also find interesting and good videos on it but, for this case, TeacherTube is better! Here you can find very interesting videos who teach you something...every kind of topic, every kind of level! I really like it!! For students like us, there are
some interesting videos for language leaning but there also many other interesting topics!
We have discovered a new tool that can be useful for our English...at the end of this course we should speak as well as a mother tongue speakers!!!;)
See you!
domenica 18 novembre 2007
help!
Hi!
I have problems with photos...I cannot publish them on the blog! Probably is because they are on my pc but how can I put them on the Internet??? If someone can help me, I will be happy!
thank you!
Elisa
I have problems with photos...I cannot publish them on the blog! Probably is because they are on my pc but how can I put them on the Internet??? If someone can help me, I will be happy!
thank you!
Elisa
English Podcasts
Hi guys!
This week we discovered the world of Podcasts..I had never heard them before, but now we have another mean of learning! I spent lot of time in the world of podcast and, at the end, I chose these three sites:
http://www.oculture.com/2006/10/foreign_languag.html
http://www.podcastsinenglish.com/
http://epnweb.org/
The first one contains lots of interesting material for the learning of English with audio files but the thing that I mostly like are "audiobooks". I think that they are very interesting and useful and one can put together his/her love for reading with his/her intention to improve his/her English.
The second one gives several podcasts on different topics and you can choose your level. However, it gives also worksheets, vocabulary tasks etc only for members.
The third has a great number of podcasts too and they are divided for level and subject. The negative thing is that, sometimes, some podcasts have problems and I could not listen to them. These podcasts are mostly created by teachers so, I think the quality is good.
In my opinion, podcasts are useful but they should be always followed by exercises on the text, so one could effectively check his/her skills.
That's all
Elisa
This week we discovered the world of Podcasts..I had never heard them before, but now we have another mean of learning! I spent lot of time in the world of podcast and, at the end, I chose these three sites:
http://www.oculture.com/2006/10/foreign_languag.html
http://www.podcastsinenglish.com/
http://epnweb.org/
The first one contains lots of interesting material for the learning of English with audio files but the thing that I mostly like are "audiobooks". I think that they are very interesting and useful and one can put together his/her love for reading with his/her intention to improve his/her English.
The second one gives several podcasts on different topics and you can choose your level. However, it gives also worksheets, vocabulary tasks etc only for members.
The third has a great number of podcasts too and they are divided for level and subject. The negative thing is that, sometimes, some podcasts have problems and I could not listen to them. These podcasts are mostly created by teachers so, I think the quality is good.
In my opinion, podcasts are useful but they should be always followed by exercises on the text, so one could effectively check his/her skills.
That's all
Elisa
martedì 13 novembre 2007
del.icio.us
Hi!!
Every week we discover a new technology! Last week we used an online bookmarker, Del.icio.us. Actually, it is a social bookmarker because, thanks to this site, you can not only see always (if you are not using your pc) your favourite sites or blogs, but it also gives you the possibility to share with other people them and to see other person's preferences. So, you can use it as a "filter" for your researches because you see which are the most visited and "posted" sites by the other users. I like the fact that you have tags and so, when you visit another person's page, you see all the topics he is interested in. This could allow you to extend your research with other linked topics! Maybe, Del.icio.us is not very easy to use at the beginning and, for example, for the first site I posted, I put a comma after my "key words" (tags) and so now, I have some problems with my tags (but the site explained how to correctly write! I admit that it was my error). Another problem I have with Del.icio.us is that my descriptions are three lines long but you cannot see entirely them. I liked to see my classmates' sites because they are useful and they show how much we try to learn English!!! ;-) Moreover, I could understand some of their interests and what they like. In the future, when we will add other sites, del.icio.us will become a way to know each other!!
Byeee
Every week we discover a new technology! Last week we used an online bookmarker, Del.icio.us. Actually, it is a social bookmarker because, thanks to this site, you can not only see always (if you are not using your pc) your favourite sites or blogs, but it also gives you the possibility to share with other people them and to see other person's preferences. So, you can use it as a "filter" for your researches because you see which are the most visited and "posted" sites by the other users. I like the fact that you have tags and so, when you visit another person's page, you see all the topics he is interested in. This could allow you to extend your research with other linked topics! Maybe, Del.icio.us is not very easy to use at the beginning and, for example, for the first site I posted, I put a comma after my "key words" (tags) and so now, I have some problems with my tags (but the site explained how to correctly write! I admit that it was my error). Another problem I have with Del.icio.us is that my descriptions are three lines long but you cannot see entirely them. I liked to see my classmates' sites because they are useful and they show how much we try to learn English!!! ;-) Moreover, I could understand some of their interests and what they like. In the future, when we will add other sites, del.icio.us will become a way to know each other!!
Byeee
giovedì 1 novembre 2007
comments on feeds and feed aggregators
Hi!
Yesterday, during the lesson, we learned how to use feeds and feed aggregators. In particularly, we used Bloglines and, although at the beginning it seemed difficult , after few minutes of disorientation we reached our goal!! Now, each one of us can log in on Bloglines and, without spending so much time, can easily see if his/her “favourite” blogs or sites have been updated! Obviously, in our cases, our “favourite” blogs are those of the people of our group and so, for the moment, they are not so much, but we could see the positive aspects of this technology already! Thanks to Bloglines we can see on one single page if our favourite blogs have been updated and it is surely a saving in time! For somebody, it can be a small saving in time but for me..it is completely another way of working! At home I have in fact a very, very, very slow computer (not only it is old, but it also has a slow internet connection) and, in order to open a blog, it can spend also 1 or 2 minutes…you can imagine how wonderful is to navigate in this conditions! The simple procedure of opening four blogs can transform a good day in a awful one! But now, just opening one single page, I can see directly if my classmates’ blogs updated their blogs, so I can avoid to open those which have not been updated!! It is simply fantastic! Instead of spending 8 minutes, I spend only 2!! In conclusion, I’m happy to have learn this possibility of the web (I had never heard of it before) not only because I have learned something new that I can use, but also because it is really useful for me! Thank you Bloglines!!!
bye
Yesterday, during the lesson, we learned how to use feeds and feed aggregators. In particularly, we used Bloglines and, although at the beginning it seemed difficult , after few minutes of disorientation we reached our goal!! Now, each one of us can log in on Bloglines and, without spending so much time, can easily see if his/her “favourite” blogs or sites have been updated! Obviously, in our cases, our “favourite” blogs are those of the people of our group and so, for the moment, they are not so much, but we could see the positive aspects of this technology already! Thanks to Bloglines we can see on one single page if our favourite blogs have been updated and it is surely a saving in time! For somebody, it can be a small saving in time but for me..it is completely another way of working! At home I have in fact a very, very, very slow computer (not only it is old, but it also has a slow internet connection) and, in order to open a blog, it can spend also 1 or 2 minutes…you can imagine how wonderful is to navigate in this conditions! The simple procedure of opening four blogs can transform a good day in a awful one! But now, just opening one single page, I can see directly if my classmates’ blogs updated their blogs, so I can avoid to open those which have not been updated!! It is simply fantastic! Instead of spending 8 minutes, I spend only 2!! In conclusion, I’m happy to have learn this possibility of the web (I had never heard of it before) not only because I have learned something new that I can use, but also because it is really useful for me! Thank you Bloglines!!!
bye
martedì 30 ottobre 2007
after two weeks of blogging...
Hi! In the last two weeks I was not here in Padua (I was abroad) so I couldn't use the
computer...the return at the University was a shok for me because I discovered that all the other students had their personal blogs! I didn't know how to do it! But than I discovered that it is easy and so, as you all can see, I created my personal blog! I think that the use of blogs for an English (or, obviously, for any other language) course is a great idea! First of all because it make studes improve their writing skills, and it gives the possibility to recive comments. Thanks to these comments a student can recive suggestions, opinions and can see how to correct his mistakes. Moreover, the use of blog is useful because if a student ask something to the teacher, she can answer using a post in the course blog and, in this way, all the students can read her answer and avoid to repeat the same question. Now I don't know so much about blogs but I'm sure that I will lern and that it will became a useful learning mean! I'm very happy to use a blog for this course because I have never used one before! I'm satisfied!
I hope blogs will be useful for our English!
See you soon!!
computer...the return at the University was a shok for me because I discovered that all the other students had their personal blogs! I didn't know how to do it! But than I discovered that it is easy and so, as you all can see, I created my personal blog! I think that the use of blogs for an English (or, obviously, for any other language) course is a great idea! First of all because it make studes improve their writing skills, and it gives the possibility to recive comments. Thanks to these comments a student can recive suggestions, opinions and can see how to correct his mistakes. Moreover, the use of blog is useful because if a student ask something to the teacher, she can answer using a post in the course blog and, in this way, all the students can read her answer and avoid to repeat the same question. Now I don't know so much about blogs but I'm sure that I will lern and that it will became a useful learning mean! I'm very happy to use a blog for this course because I have never used one before! I'm satisfied!
I hope blogs will be useful for our English!
See you soon!!
welcome message
I'm Elisa, I'm 23 and I study in Padua University. I will use this blog in my English course in order to improve my English. To present me I've chosen this image Fried Rice and now I explain why..
I know that the photo I chose is a bit strange, but it represents some aspects of my personality.
The first reason is the most obvious: I really love rice!! It can be cooked in any the way you want, but I always love it! When I am alone at home and I must decide what to eat, I often cook rice although it requires a bit of work. Obviously, I often cook it also for my family, and they always appreciate it.
The second reason is linked with the first one because I love cooking. I cook every day for my family but it is not a problem for me because, when I cook, I feel relaxed and I don't think to other problems or things that I have to do. I love cooking everything, and I often make some "experiments" with my fantasy and using the food I have at home in that moment...I admit that they are not always a success!! However, I think that I can be considered Ia quite good cook!
There's also another reason why I chose this photo: I love water and, as you all know, rice grows in water. I really love everything related with water. For example, I am not a sporty type but the only sport I like is swimming. Moreover, I love sea, the sensation of water in the skin and the sound that you hear when you are under water. When I find beautiful sea or lake landscapes I cannot resist to the temptation to take a photo of them!
I could spend lots of words to talk about me but I just say these three things to give an idea of my personality! You will know me better during this English course!
See you soon
Elisa
I know that the photo I chose is a bit strange, but it represents some aspects of my personality.
The first reason is the most obvious: I really love rice!! It can be cooked in any the way you want, but I always love it! When I am alone at home and I must decide what to eat, I often cook rice although it requires a bit of work. Obviously, I often cook it also for my family, and they always appreciate it.
The second reason is linked with the first one because I love cooking. I cook every day for my family but it is not a problem for me because, when I cook, I feel relaxed and I don't think to other problems or things that I have to do. I love cooking everything, and I often make some "experiments" with my fantasy and using the food I have at home in that moment...I admit that they are not always a success!! However, I think that I can be considered Ia quite good cook!
There's also another reason why I chose this photo: I love water and, as you all know, rice grows in water. I really love everything related with water. For example, I am not a sporty type but the only sport I like is swimming. Moreover, I love sea, the sensation of water in the skin and the sound that you hear when you are under water. When I find beautiful sea or lake landscapes I cannot resist to the temptation to take a photo of them!
I could spend lots of words to talk about me but I just say these three things to give an idea of my personality! You will know me better during this English course!
See you soon
Elisa
Iscriviti a:
Post (Atom)
Post
