Write your response as a comment before coming to class. Bring a word processed (and double spaced) copy to class that day.
Write a minimum of 100 words (and no more than 150) per topic. Provide a heading to each one in order to separate your text. One paragraph per topic seems to work best. Using a variety of sentences and punctuation will increase your score.
Remember that your words will be read by next term’s class, so try to provide useful and accurate information for them to better understand our studies this term.
8 comments:
Something New
English 11, with Brad, was definitely the most knowledgeable class for me. I loved the fact that everyday there was something new to learn. For example, (quotations should take up no more than 20% of the total words in an answer), was something new for me. The film about Temple Grandin’s unique brain and it’s ability to memorise two whole pages just by looking at it; was really new and interesting for me, I never knew that a person with this diagnosis could be that brilliant. Moreover, now I know more about Bel Air or “the Baghdad of Haiti”, and it’s “ghosts”.
There is no doubting the fact that the many new things I have learned from Mr. Brad have greatly expanded my knowledge much wider than it was before. 132words
Something Different
I have found English 11 at PALC different then all my previous classes, and it is all because of Brad’s unique style of teaching. He uses a combination of film, politics, environmental examples, our interests, and current events to teach us English. For example, he shows us a movie or a famous lecture, and then makes us write a response to it. This is something which I’ve found really beneficial because it has helped to improve my listening and writing skills. In addition, this process has also expanded my vocabulary. Another thing that has made this experience extra beneficial is the group work. Brad make us share almost all of our assignments in a small group before we hand it in, so that way we get one more chance to review and get to know other peoples’ point of view. It is unquestionable that Brad’s unique teaching methods make his class a beneficial learning experience.157 words
Something memorable
By attending almost every class, I have acquired many memorable memories from English 11. Some funny, some interesting, some embarrassing and so on. I recall the first week of school when we had to do a presentation in front of the class; I still remember the feeling, my legs were shaking, my face was turning red, and I was keep telling myself, “DO NOT LOOK UP!”, but somehow I got through it. Moreover, I will never forget the disagreement that I had in one of my group discussions with one of my colleagues, about an assignment, called “homework”, where she found the mother’s actions to where is her son very innocent, and I disagreed with this interpretation. Now when I recall that memory, it reminds me of how we are all different. All in all, I cherish the memories from English 11 because they have helped me learn many new things. 153 words
Something New
There is something new every day. This course had a bunch of stuff that I wasn’t familiar with. Academic writing guide and guide to literary terms were quite helpful in better understanding the stories that we studied during the course, such as the story “Old man and the bridge” by Ernest Hemingway. I find it impressive how the writer reveals serious problems by describing seemingly ordinary life situation, such as the forced migration of people, due to the military situation in the region. Also the how the old man, despite all the chaos, was still worried about his animals.
99
Something Different
What does “different” mean? The free online dictionary defines it as “out of the ordinary; unusual”. I am referring to the changing educational system. When I was studying in school as a young student, everybody was using books, pens and pencils. But now, with the development of high tech, there are more means and ways for students to study and communicate with each other. The rapid growth of computational power and decreasing cost of computers led to the widespread use of high technologies, allowing such things as internet, e-mail, distant education, etc. It’s good to see that Brad is up to date and actively using above mentioned technologies (e.g. blogging) in his educational approach. It allows some (old school) students to get familiar with new ways of studying, while others can appreciate the benefits of using above mentioned technologies. Also I would like to mention that besides using classical literature, Brad uses a number of modern writers and articles, actual in present time.
163
Something Memorable
I guess for me it was the group experience because, as everybody knows, Canada is famous for its multiculturalism. Meeting new people gives you the opportunity to broaden your own horizons and share your experiences. Often you can hear stories that won’t be broadcasted on television. It helps to differentiate truth from lies. It definitely helps to develop one’s language skills being in study groups because often the topic you are given is not something that you will discuss with your friends. One example of group work that stayed in my mind is when we were discussing the story “Ghosts”. The story was about gang violence, corruption and social inequality in Haiti.
112
BOGDAN NICOLAE RAPCEA # 56882
Something New
To come back to school after more than a decade and to study in a different language is, indeed, something new for me. If in the past –in my country, I was used with a specific way to develop my creative thinking, now I had to relearn, step by step, the “local” way of doing “things.” The group work was something unique in my student activity and at the same time I found it the most interesting way of communicating. Who wouldn’t like to talk and to be listened? To watch movies during the English classes was another new experience for me – very pleasant, too. To “write” a poem as homework was the most beautiful new thing I had to do. It has never happened in my previous school activity to write a poem – mostly reading and memorising it. To learn to write short and consistent ideas instead of long sentences, learned in my previous years of education was, another “big-time” that I had it.
Words 166
Something Different
To learn English language with Brad – a native English teacher -- has a more positive impact upon the student – me, in this case, than learning it in a country of non-English speakers with wherever teacher is teaching it. If in the past—in my country, I had to learn English from a teacher that struggled so hard to emulate the real English accent, know I had the opportunity to learn English from a real one – teacher, with his real accent – English. To face the reality is not always as easy as I thought, especially, when you have to “deal” with somebody who not only speaks English almost perfect, but has a tremendous knowledge about it. So, having these two advantages, one learning English in Canada, and second having Brad as a teacher I could really say that something is different.
140 Words
Something Memorable
Something memorable? Oh, yes! I will never forget the day I had the Poetry class, and one of my classmates started to read aloud, in front of us, “his way of life.” “Life is the only way, to eat a banana in the kitchen.” Indeed, he had a different point of view of what poetry means for him, rather than all others that tried to impress – more or less, at this chapter of literature. Despite the fact that everyone was so amused about that – including me, still a question raised in my mind “What is wrong with eating the banana in the kitchen”? Come on! Everybody does that, if not at least once in a life time. Besides that, his poem was a “healthy” one, banana being well known for its health benefits. Of course, there are other memorable moments in my mind but sometimes little funny things like “eating the banana in the kitchen”, becomes an immortal image in my mind.
Words 162
Something New
This term, my first experience with “Group Work” left a deep impression on me. In “Group Work”, our teacher, Brad, usually asked students to write a short paragraph explaining our first reaction to the stories, movies, etc., and this work is called “Individual Work”. Then students go to “Group Work” to discuss their comments and opinions about the stories, movies, etc.. Because of the students’ different cultural backgrounds, the students’ reactions are also quite different. Because we have various opinions and sometimes even arguments, group work can help us to more deeply understand the themes of the stories from different perspectives, and to improve our analytical skills. But during group work, some students are very quiet and this sometimes leads to the group work getting stuck. Next term I hope that the teacher can inspire every student to actively join in these discussions, and students can also encourage each other because every one can learn something from others through group work. (161 words)
Something Different
This term is the first time I joined Brad’s class. I noticed two things which are unique compared to the courses I have taken through adult education. One thing is worksheets. The worksheets show us the teaching schedule of every course very clearly. For instance, what the students should do in and after the class, the homework’s requirements and so on. When reviewing all of my courses, I found that the worksheets were so well organized that reviewing went very smoothly. Another unique aspect are the presentations. Students are usually asked to “give some short remarks on the process … and any difficulties … experienced.” Although these questions are simple, students can learn new things from each other, such as how to work out the plot of the presentation and their experiences. But sometimes presentations are hard to understand, especially poems. Next term it would also be very helpful if students could use Powerpoint for their presentations. (157 words)
Something Memorable
ince the students in our class are from different cultural backgrounds, we have quite different comments and opinions about the same stories. For instance, after reading “Home Work”, some students think George’s mother should not tell George about his grand parents’ unfortunate experiences, as these experiences will have a bad effect on George. But in our Chinese culture, parents usually think it is very important to let their children learn from these unfortunate experiences because children may then more appreciate their present happy lives. Actually it is very interesting that we may learn different opinions from different cultures through our group work. This term we had the chance to write a list poem, and this was the first time I had to write a poem in English. Although using Szymborska’s poem “A Note” as a model, it was still very hard for me. I hope that we have another chance to write a poem again next term because writing poetry is very challenging and interesting. (165 words)
Something New
Studying English 11 at PALC is a new experience for me. Our teacher, Mr. Brad, always tries to bring something new to his class, which is just right for our level. For example, Mr. Brad chooses some meaningful subjects, such as "Occupy Wall Street", the video "Pepper Spraying of Students" and a thought-provoking movie "Nineteen Eighty-Four" in our course. Not only could we learn something new from his well-designed contents, but also we are guided to think something of society more deeply and independently, which beyond the learning language itself. In the teaching style, Mr. Brad also impresses us on something new. One of them is blog. Nothing should be probably more suitable than blog to interact between teachers and students in today’s internet age. I like English 11 of PALC because there is always something new felicity in the every class, even sometimes challenge me.
[146 words]
Something Different
Learning English 11 at PALC, there is something different from my previous classes, especially in teaching style. For example, the teacher, Mr. Brad often asks us to discuss and share our assignments with other classmates. Furthermore, he required us to write down opinions of other classmates in the later assignment, which often enlightens and improves our own ideas. As a result, we acquired how we could learn something different from others. I still remember, in "Homework," one of my classmates, who is a mother, shared her experiences of education with her children. Moreover, apparently, Mr. Brad gives considerable emphasis on interactions between him and his students. Compared with other teachers, he uses some modern information technology, such as blog and wireless keyboard in his courses, which makes our interactions more intimate and easy. I think, our teacher and his teaching style are closer to a professor at a university. As an adult student, I like it.
[156 words]
Something Memorable
There are lot of something memorable in this term, for instance, the subjects of "Ghost," "Homework," "Occupy Wall Street" and "1984." But the most memorable is that we are asked to write a poem. And also, we are asked to recite our own poems! The last time I wrote a poem was when I was a high school student. Conceivably, what a challenge work is! Fortunately, Mr. Brad gave us some samples. "A Note: Life is the only way," which aroused some echoes in my heart, is one of them. Yes, life is a one-way journey. In the blog and classroom, we shared our own poems. It is memorable because it is the first time I try to write an English poem. It is memorable because I experience that "you never know you can do it until you try "! Maybe that is what Mr. Brad endeavors to encourage us!
[150 words]
Something new
English 11 was a very different class than my other previous classes I've had in the past. I have found Brad’s way of teaching something new, since he has his own technique of teaching for his students. For example, we have worked through many movies, and clips that I have never had in any other English classes. This class was also very directness with Brad’s experience which it shaped up into a unique class. For instance, in a group work the students could confidently comment and express their ideas about a topic or a lesson whether it was right or wrong. We have also learned so many things about each other’s, such as background, personality, and cultures. (117)
Something different
This class wasn’t as hard as I expected. Thanks to our teacher that made us all feel like part of a team. However, in this team we did most of the assignments with a very least instruction from the teacher (Brad), which was kind of the opposite from other teachers that I've had in the past. Since I never had the chance to a write poem or work on my poetry skills in my other classes I also got this opportunity for the first time to write one in Brad’s class which was something I had never done before. So I’ll take it as a great experience, which I have added into my skills. (115)
Something Memorable
There was also a lot of fun in this class most of all during our group discussions. The funniest day I can remember was the day when we were all asked to tell an amusing story to the class where we all each ended up with a sarcastic one. In fact I have to acknowledge that this class was very useful in many ways. I have learned major of new things like facts and people that I wasn’t aware of them such as "temple Grandin, we’re the 99%, and occupy Wall Street" which in this class we got the chance to find out about them, and study them. (109)
Something New
Every single day of school is basically a new day to learn and experience something new. In English 11, the first and my favorite new thing was I introduced with all brand new people (classmates) including my teacher (Brad). Then, the blog assignment which was a totally new material for me. In fact, it is very helpful tool; like one or two times I had no idea how to write the homework and after reading other’s assignments on the blog I got the idea. And the good thing is I can easily check online everyone’s homework as long as I have computer or smart phone. I really thank Brad for coming up with such a great concept.
-119 words
Something Different
The experience of English 11 semester was much different than any other classes I have ever had. When I used to go to school I have never written any poems even in my native language (Dari). The first time I went over the blog and looked at previous English 11 student’s homework; they talked about writing a class poem and presentation. I realized this class could be different and very challenging that need to be study hard. Now with the help of Brad, I have learned how to write good structured poems. Furthermore, the assignments that Brad gives us are different from other teachers. It’s not easy to find it over internet and copy it off. You have to dig deep your mind and express your own feelings.
-128 words
Something memorable
During English 11 class I had many memorable moments; I think the most memorable one in this semester was all the group discussion we had. The way everyone interacted with one another even though, they were all from different races, opinions, and thoughts. We came up with consensus decision. Despite the class discussion, outside of class during the break time the little unforgettable chats and conversations we had were also interesting. We got to know each other a little better and that’s what I liked about it. I wish English 12 will be with full of good memories and new awesome people.
-104 words
Something New
Significantly new experience I’d had in this term were conversation during classes and the classroom blog. In class, we formed a group with about four people to share ideas about homework we’d done or a subject of the day. Of course, we went off the topic sometimes; however, it was a good intellectual challenge to communicate each other. I was stimulated by a real war experience or a deep insight about life told by classmates. Also, I enjoyed our presentations because I could experience others’ interesting and different thought. Sometimes I read our blog, so I saw how we develop paragraphs differently about a same topic. Most of all, I felt confidence about my English for the first time that is absolutely meaningful to me. (125 words)
Something Different
If previous courses were focused on new words and grammar, I could think more critically about topics in this course because it awoke my inside as I learned. Every assignment contained current issues about our life, and students are expected more than comprehension about the given article. Brad told us relating information to help us to think widely about the topic, so we could write with more developed ideas with gut. Sometimes I got small ideas regarding how to live as a part of community. Realizing many social and political situations are going on around me, I lifted my chin up to see a little bit further. (107 words)
Something Memorable
I learned about various people in the world; how they influenced to others is memorable. I started looking up words in a dictionary, but soon I took a close look into extraordinary people’s life. Temple Grandin’s confidence and passion is impressive when she says that we’re living in a cave now without “geeky and nerdy children.” Also, she emphasized on a need of mentorship to develop their talent. Secondly, Language as a Window into Human Nature gives me an organized idea about everyday conversation. Also, it taught me skills about communication because I like talking directly and I get a direct result sometimes. The last thing is “Human can be plastic,” from the movie 1984. The movie was dark, but the possibility of positive ways of being a human and a good belief in us let me think over and over. (141 Words)
Post a Comment