Teaching and learning through social network

In 2007, the British Council conducted market research into how the Internet has affected the preferred learning styles of young people wanting to learn English around the world. The results of this research suggest that if teachers are to remain relevant and effective, then they need to use 'learning technologies' to help students reach the world outside the classroom.
69% of learners around the world said that they learned most effectively when socialising informally
This result suggests that a lot of students learn best from their friends and family. Perhaps that isn’t so surprising. The things we learn from our loved ones are often more immediately relevant to our lives than what we learn from a teacher in a classroom. Also, when we are relaxed (such as when we are at home or in a café), then we are more open to suggestions and new ideas.
There are other implications from the result above. For example, teachers might find they are more successful if they:
organise group work in their classes
make the exercises they give their students fun, since students are motivated when they are having fun
give their students work to do outside of the formal setting of the classroom
take on the role of 'facilitator' rather than the role of 'giver-of-knowledge'.
When young people are on the Internet, they feel 'connected' to people and the world’s knowledge. In the classroom, they can feel 'disconnected' and 'isolated'. They sometimes feel that school isn’t particularly relevant to their lives.
The implications, therefore, are that teachers might:
try to use 'learning technologies' in the classroom whenever they can, to make the learning experience relevant to their students
show students how to find and access information and opportunities through technology
focus on developing students’ networking skills (both online and face-to-face) so that the students become 'connected' to people who can give them information, help them learn and keep the learning experience relevant to the student’s life
take on the role of 'trainer' rather than 'engineer'.
The research done by the British Council showed that students who felt they were getting enough opportunities in their lives to socialise informally were also successful in their learning. You might wonder how a student finds time both to study and socialise as much as they want. Well, it’s important to understand that successful students combine studying and socialising, and that combining the two things helps them to be successful at both.
The implications here are that teachers might:
find out what social networking sites students like to use
show students what free learning opportunities are available through social networking sites like Second Life (http://secondlife.com) and Facebook (www.facebook.com)
show students how they can set up their own blog site for free using sites like WordPress.Com (www.wordpress.com)
take on the role of 'network administrator' rather than 'materials writer'.
Five top social networks for teachers and learners of English
TeachingEnglish - have you registered yet?
Facebook - has a growing number of teacher and learner groups. And have you tried Wordshake?
Ning - allows anyone to set up their own private social network, so very popular with teachers.
Orkut - particularly popular in Brazil and India, and full of English language groups.
Second Life - an online world in which you have a character that can walk around and meet people. For more information, read on.
Teaching and learning English with Second Life
Second Life (http://secondlife.com) is an online world in which you have a character that can walk around and meet people. It is a social networking site that has very similar functions to Facebook. You can send friends invitations, talk to individuals, talk to groups of people and use learning applications or games. But sometimes the best way to explain something to someone is to simply show it to them.
Second Life for teachers
There are two parts to the Second Life virtual environment: the Adult Grid and the Teen Grid. The British Council has built an island in the Adult Grid to train teachers in approaches to e-learning. You can read about the experience of Anna Begonia, a language teacher who was given a guided tour of the island, here: http://aberriolo.wordpress.com/2009/02/22/british-council-isle-on-the-main-grid/.
Second Life for teens
The British Council has also built an island for teens to visit for free (http://teen.secondlife.com). Teenagers between 13 and 17 years old can make friends from all over the world, visit the UK (virtually!) and go on learning quests to improve their English and learn more about UK culture. They can talk to the Loch Ness monster, visit Stonehenge and ride on the London Eye!
Getting there
You can register and visit the island for free by going to http://secondlife.com. You will need a broadband connection to use Second Life, however. Alternatively, if you wish to register your whole class for the Teen Grid, you can contact Graham Stanley at the British Council (Graham.Stanley@britishcouncil.es). Graham is a learning technologies expert. You can read one of his blogs on this site: http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/blogs/bcgstanley.

Story fo Saint Valentine's day.

My valentine cards

You shouldn't be a perfect one,
You shouldn't be a star,
You shouldn't try to reach the sun,
You shouldn't get so far.

You shouldn't be so good,
And be a Valentine,
The only thing you should
Is - to be always mine.

What strings does music touch in your heart?

What do you feel listening to your beloved music? May be, it is a feeling of powerful endless stream of energy, that penetrates through your chest and plays its unbelievable melody on your heart's strings.

Because I feel in such a way. And depending on your mood, different strings are touched. As for me, I have five of them.
1 string. The string of euphoria is a special one. When impatient fingers of music start to play on it fast and passionately, you can hardly prevent yourself from screaming, jumping and even flying. You feel like merging with these sounds, your blood boils in veins and your body is filled with lightness. You absorb the music, the atmosphere and words of these songs and some special moments in them make your heart beat faster and faster.

2 string. Almost the same happens, when it comes to the nostalgia string. But this one is touched gently and joyfully. It turns into sunny sparkles, which settle in your mind and show you pictures from the past. Personally I see checked shirt and jeans, sunless but pleasant air before the rain, gray-blue sea and feel the endless freedom and creativity. All these come to my mind when I listen to Russian rock music. And these memories are the warmest.

3 string. And the next one is anger string. Sharp teeth of music bite it, try to tear, play furiously and satisfy your need of destruction. Your crazy fire inside faces the same wall of music fire and gradually calms down.

The only thing, that is left is a feeling of endless drive and power. And you understand, what the words "Fight fire with fire" mean.

4 string.  The string of sadness has something common with that of anger. But the difference is that, touching it, music usually can not calm your sadness or despair down immediately.

It jerks this string reminding, hurting, causing pain, making you cry. But that's the cure. So taking it reasonably, you feel, you're getting stronger. My beloved song for this string is: "You rise, you fall, you're down and you rise again. What don't kill you, make you more strong". It works.

5 string. And here it comes to the last, but not the least, calmness string. Almost invisible and intangible kisses of music make it fluctuate. The silk of tranquility penetrates into your body and mind with its violet tentacles.

 

 You sink in the cotton silence and some pieces of the outer world reaches you through the halls in it. Such a wonderful state of abstraction.

All these strings can be touched even simultaneously, causing the vortex of feelings. Of course, everyone has his own ones. Your heart can be available  to all the kinds of music, or only to one of them. It doesn't matter. The main point is that these strings exist and make us feel music, accept and enjoy it.

   

Some books are to be swallowed, some to be tasted and some to be chewed and digested.

Add some epithets according to your taste, mix them with unusual descriptions and pour everything with unexpected plot. Serve with bright cover. Something like this should be written in a cook book "How to cook a book". Because some books are to be swallowed, others to be swallowed and some few are to be chewed and digested.
Those, which are so tasty, made by  perfect cooks don't need extra spices and dressing. They are delightful and delicious. And it doesn't matter, whether they are prepared by a professional, or by a housewife, they are stuffed with the warmth of their souls - the most expensive and rare component. So, we try to taste them for a long time, even eat them every day to find new sophisticated tones.These include mainly classical cuisine, but it is to be completed by some modern dishes.

But some books are to be swallowed. This detective and love story fast food, which is bought only to fill your stomach with something, no matter if it is tasty or not. Yes, they are popular, but one day these ones will make your stomach ache. In other words, your mind will be littered and become shallow. So, don't swallow this literary garbage, unless, it is prepared by the real representatives of national (or genre) cuisine, such as Agatha Christi, A. C. Doyle, etc. But these ones are so tasty, that they belong to the first type.

 

And the last kind of food is the one, which should be chewed and digested. It brings pleasure not always, but it is healthy and useful for you digestion. Sometimes it is hard for your stomach to digest it, I mean, you can't sometimes understand, what the author wants to say. But, after precise chewing you can extract some useful matter from it. These books are food for your mind, which make you think The non-fiction literature, books of philosophers and some fiction books can be referred to tis type.

 

So, remember, that you are what you eat. Treat yourself with unbelievable taste of Bulgakov's, Chekhov's and Turgenev's dishes. Though they are also useful, it is necessary to have a kind of diet and eat food, which needs chewing and try not to eat fast food. But if you are fond of it, mix these hot-dogs and hamburgers with something more tasty and profitable. Show, that you have a good taste/

Poem for Halloween ( translation)

Coffins and dark moss with rats, wild and wicked...
Tree covered moon drifts with humid fog thickened...
Black cats crossing a crooked dark path,
All you can think of is a future blood bath.


Thirteen-years-old, you pull out your own mirror,
it falls to the ground then your chances come clearer.
Perhaps you should turn around, but what will you see?
A mummy, a vampire or a walking zombie?


Taking a breath, fear sheds off then you go...
until you hear howling hoping it's a ghost.
A shadow casts witches riding on broom sticks.
Mystical harvest or is it mind tricks?


Faces of pumpkins with an ax to grind...
Frog sounds, a lake must be somewhere close by.
But the only thing you see are bats with long wings...
Until a spider crawls up your pant leg of all thing

   

Wizards couldn't match the candle with you,
as you spoon up a fire to trench your way through...
bushes and brush with apple size thorns.
Alarm clock rings you awake, in the new autumn morn.








Ярко-грязная плоть обнаженной луны
В черных тисках искривленных ветвей,
В призрачном свете нечетко видны
Всполохи глаз и железо когтей.


 Беспокойно в гробах шевелясь
 Ветошь плоти и гладкость костей
 Вновь срастаются, чтобы смеясь
 Выпить кровь заплутавших гостей.


 Ты спасенья искал в зеркалах,
 Но их осколки пророчат лишь горе,
 И туманом сгущается прах
 Над кровавою яростью моря.

     Слышишь этот кошмарный вой,
     Отраженный стеной тишины,
     А в тенях, что стоят за спиной,
     Признаешь свои худшие сны?


     В хороводе горящих глаз,
     В танце злобных улыбок-оскалов
     Дышишь ты как в последний раз,
     Ощущая, что воздуха мало.


     От касанья мохнатых лап
     В сердце страх расцветает мольбой,
     Ты беспомощен, жалок и слаб,
     Ты уже не владеешь собой.
   
     И летучих мышей силуэты
     Режут крыльями холст темноты,
     Ты пробиться пытаешься к свету
    Сквозь пропахшие кровью кусты.

 Но вот спасительный звон в ночи,
 Ты несмело открываешь глаза
 И в них радостно ярко кричит
 Рассветных небес бирюза.
     

Halloween poem

I’ve made a perfect ignis fatuus,
Я резал вместо тыквы кактус,
But it has spoiled my good status,
Сосед швырнул мне в спину вантус.

I had a costume of vampire,
Ходил вокруг, людей пугая,
But they all said, that I was liar,
Ругались, кактус вспоминая.

“That man is to be burnt to dust,
Коль он дух праздника предаст!
Let’s kill him now, or just bust”.
Кричал сосед энтузиаст.

I wanted to propose them cash,
Они орали: «Ты их съешь»!
“We want your blood and want your flesh”-
Бесилось сборище невеж.

I’ve left my home without the host,
Сбежать задумав на погост,
And, suddenly, I saw a ghost,
Когда ступил на ветхий мост.

But, luckily, he was not evil,
Не задушил, с моста не кинул,
He looked so kind, even civil,
Вздохнул печально так и сгинул.

I passed the bridge and saw a kid:
Костюм изорван, глаз подбит.
He asked me: “Give me something sweet”.
Конечно дам, ведь я не жид.

“I don’t want candies, but your skull”-
Сказал пацан и зарычал.
“Oh, yes, this evening is not dull”-
Подумал я и побежал.

He was so fast, though he was dead,
Меня отправил на тот свет.
Now I play football with my head
И ем детишек на обед.

What makes a good foreign language teacher?

The first and the only thing, that makes difference between a bad teacher and a good teacher is that the last one can sing perfectly. Yes, just sing. Don’t think, I am talking about conservatoire, I simply want to say, that the teaching process can be compared to singing. And it is up to singer to make it sound unforgettably. So, let’s make a list of songs, which are to be sung by a perfect teacher.

Song 1. “All, that I have, all, that I’ll ever need is right here inside
Let the wings of freedom be my guide…” (Symphony X)
Yes, it is right here – in your mind. Try to fill it with knowledge, because you should be a professional in you sphere, know methodology perfectly well and be as many-sided as possible. Only then you’ll feel this very freedom, which will accompany you while teaching, only then you will be respected by your audience.

Song 2. “Do you feel good, do you feel fine,
Did you achieve what you had in mind”? (Helloween)
Ask your students, whether they feel fine. Because it is you, who should provide a friendly atmosphere at the lesson. Use humor, but don’t over try and, of course, don’t let students violate the discipline. Be sympathetic, but strict enough.

Song 3. “You rise, you fall, you’re down and you rise again,
What don’t kill you, make you more strong”. ( Metallica)
Oh, yes, remember it, when you come to your class for the first time. Don’t be afraid of them, or they will feel it and you’ll mocked and even humiliated. Show yourself, make the students respect you. Yes, it is a challenge, but be a winner.

Song 4. “Can it be true, why can’t you see? I’m burning for you”. (Symphony X)

You look at your favorite student and read something like this in his or her eyes (of course, he doesn’t burn, but raises his hand). No doubt, that this student is the smartest, the cutest and the brightest, but don’t dare show your preferences. If you want to be a good teacher, you have no right to be prejudicial.


Song 5. “Say your prayers, little one,
Don’t forget, my son,
To include everyone” (Metallica).

And, believe, it is very important. Activities on your lessons should be various, be able to interest students and be oriented on all the types of learners. Moreover, you are to know students’ social and family backgrounds, in other words, you have to include everything and everyone.

Song 6. “Another time, another place,
Where I could care no more”(Y. Malmsteen).

But you should! Time changes and a teacher must follow these changes, be acknowledged of all the innovative techniques and methods.

Song 7. “You don’t remember, I’ll never forget”(Y. Malmsteen).

Shame on you, who don’t remember. Not to forget about time and activities, teacher should plan everything beforehand and schedule his or her time correctly.

Song 8. “It’s a lie, it’s a lie, it’s a lie
We couldn’t learn to fly”(Helloween).


A good teacher will never limit students’ imagination. He or she will only encourage their creativity, but to some extend, because speaking about flying hamsters instead of learning grammar is not the best thing to do.

So, try to compose your own song and make it sound perfectly. Don’t be a pop-star for a week, create immortal masterpieces.