Pearson ALC English 11 Students: Something New; Something Memorable

Friday, June 1, 2012

Something New; Something Memorable

Please post your comment here before next Friday's class. Remember to bring me a paper copy as usual for me to mark and comment. Thanks everyone for a great term (though long) and look for my comment below as well.

14 comments:

Andrew said...: Something New
During the past few months at PALC English 11, the things that were new to me were: using a projector, group work, assignments on the blog, and having no textbooks to use in class. Using a projector made everything more enjoyable - especially when watching videos and reviewing homework. Group work made me feel more comfortable and gave me more confidence when talking with my classmates. The assignments on the blog were a bit challenging for me at first; however, once I was used to it, I really enjoyed this part of the course, and I was able to read the work from my other classmates. Having no textbooks made things easier because we did not have to bring a textbook to class. I am glad that since coming to PALC English 11, I have experienced things I have not done before (I really enjoyed it). These are things I will not forget, which is why it is a good feeling when I learn something new. I hope that whoever comes to PALC English11 will have the same feeling. 166 words

Something Memorable
The things that I found most memorable were: meeting new people, Brad’s teaching method, and having a word count on every assignment. Meeting new people has been a great experience because everyone has a unique character, a different background, and a life time of experience. Brad’s teaching method is more efficient because he does not use material such as textbooks or novels but uses handouts instead. This way we only have to focus on the task at hand and not try to figure out which chapters in the textbook to study and which to skip. Using a word count on every assignment is also challenging - especially staying within the count he gave us. These are my most memorable things since coming to PALC English 11 (I will never forget them). It is unfortunate that it has come to an end; however, I found my interaction with Brad and my classmates very memorable. 153 words; June 6, 2012 at 11:10 AM
Chong said...: Something New and Good
Learning English language is not a new thing for me, but attending to English 11 class at Pearson Adult Learning Center is new to me. There are two new and good things: group discussion and the “blog” posting, which I like the most. For one thing, group discussion is an excellent teaching style. During our group discussion, we, the students, not only share the ideas of studying the subject from the handouts, but also learn the communication skills, which we cannot study from the textbook. The most interest thing is Brad, our teacher, who has always tactfully arranged students in different groups each time. Another exciting new object is the blog assignments. For me, it is a new teaching style - a brilliant teaching method. In the class, Brad explains the essential skills of reading and writing to students; he helps us to understand the requirements of doing the assignments. He also gives an example of demonstrating on the blog, which is like a light shining in the dark night (I use it to check and to see if I am on the right track or not.) English 11 class is an unique class where I learn more than just English language. (202 word)

Something Memorable
There are many precious experiences that I had in English 11 class. However, the most treasured things were the two presentation days: the encouraging day and the inspiring day. On the first presentation class, we had to recite our “Here I Am”. Amazing! Everyone presented in a confident manner; they wrote and recited their works beautifully. The spirit of the class was full of cheerful – it was remarkable! Then, the second requirement of presentation came. We were encouraged by our teacher, Brad, not only to write a poem, but also to present it to the class. Wow! It was a very challenging job. However, most of my classmates’ reactions seemed very calm and confident (We did not whine about the difficulties.). The excited moment arrived. Before reciting the poem, students needed to talk about their writing processes. Most of us had the same experiences: worrying, struggling, editing and reversing. I was inspired by all their hard work and talent; I was impressed by both poems and confidence. What an astonishing class! We all tried our best to overcome our language barriers. As Robert Allen writes, “We grow because we struggle, we learn and overcome.” Yes! We learned and overcame. It was unforgettable.
(202 words); June 6, 2012 at 5:05 PM
injapark said...: Something New

English 11 class is different from other classes. My teacher uses the unique method: posting homework on the blog. Through the blog, students can share their thoughts and ideas with classmates. Also, we can learn not only vocabulary but also writing from other students’ paragraphs. Another different thing is that students work together in small groups (four or five students per group) every class. We discuss the same topic, so we can extend our perspectives. We can also improve the ability of speaking and listening from group work. To practice writing a paragraph within a short time is a big difference compared to previous classes. During the first writing, I was nervous—my head was blank. In the beginning of the class, our teacher gives us a new instruction paper telling us what we have to do on that day. Because this is new material, I am always worried and can’t be relaxed before and during class; I feel happy and thankful to the teacher after class because I can get lots of information and knowledge. Even though I sometimes got stressed during homework completion and studying in class, I am convinced that my English has definitely improved
(204 words)

Something Memorable

During English 11 class, one of the most unforgettable things is when we had Sir Ken Robinson’s lecture--the video lecture about education. After watching the video, my teacher required us to write a paragraph within a very short time. It was still very early in the semester to understand what the video was about for me. Therefore, I received the comment: “not exactly on topic” from my teacher. After that, I deeply thought about whether I would continue or renounce this class (I assumed this class was too high level for me). I made my mind up that I would decide after I saw the result of the first unit test. Fortunately, the result of that test was much better than I expected. Consequently, I gained a little confidence and could continue this class. Thus, his video lecture and the first unit test are the most memorable things in English 11 class. Another memorable thing is that I had the opportunity to write a poem and a narrative essay. I enjoyed composing them because I could look back at the old days and ponder about my future. Before this class, I had very low self-esteem; however, I am now confident that I can overcome any challenge I may face. (217 words); June 6, 2012 at 5:33 PM
Lucia said...: Something New
English 11 class with my teacher Brad was very interesting in every class. He gave us a variety of materials, and those were unique to learn. From imitation a poem to anecdotes an article, “Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?”, they were unexpected and new to me. Imitating the poem was one of new activities: I created the first my own English poem proudly. Also, Brad let me know new learning source that I haven’t heard—“Press Play”. The video essay about “Dark Knight” showed very critical viewpoint to us; however, I, as a movie fan, was very excited because it was good impact to learn how to watch a movie. Furthermore, the biggest assignment was to write one thousand words narrative essay. With imagining my story published, I poured my energy to complete the story about influences in my life, and I finished it at last (after editing many times!). Writing the narrative essay was an opportunity to improve my language skill. Though Brad didn’t use academic materials such as classic novels, those activities let me approach easier, or effectively to finish English 11. I was so thank for that. -190 words

Something Memorable
For me, the most memorable event in English 11 class was to write paragraphs continuously. My teacher Brad gave us unexpected materials to learn – the various social issues, and surely Brad gave a follow-up assignment every term: Writing a paragraph (not an essay!) in class or outside of class. Each paragraph gave me lots of challenges how to express my thoughts within a limited length. It could be logical, but I tried to be honest with myself. Thus, I stood up whole night sometimes, or I almost burst my tears in writing. Those jobs were too hard to balance my daily routine, but looking back now, it all paid off already. Also, when I presented my poem and the progress in front of the class, my hands were shaking, and my heart was pounding so hard; however, I got into it so much, and I enjoyed it! Moreover, I remembered that a group discussion was very active. Each classmate was enthusiastic to participate in a group. This atmosphere in class was so lively positive that I could enjoy to participate confidently. -181 words; June 6, 2012 at 6:41 PM
Berlin Chow said...: Something New
For the “Something New,” In English 11, there were many new things to recall, such as attaching personal essays to the blog, and practicing a plot from the movie in the class. It was my first time making a blog. At the beginning, I did not know how to do it. I have never had Gmail account with Google. I have learnt lots of writing skills from the blog of my classmates. Before I wrote the essay for the blog, I studied lots of strange idea from the classmate. Meanwhile, Brad shows the structure of the essays and the idea to prepare for the essay—no teacher does it before. It seemed like a guideline, a path for all the students to follow. We did not need to stand at the crossroad for the essay. The second new thing was making the movie in the class. It was a good practice for listening. From the movie, I needed to practice a lot of things: setting, context, plot, and the frame. It was a good method for poetry and essay. It was very fresh. –183 words
Something Memorable
For the “Something Memorable” in English 11, Brad set a new idea for all the students, for each needs to present twice. We needed to speak audibly about our process and detail of the poetry. Nothing is as exciting as the presentation - standing in the middle of the class in front of all the students. Some of students were very shy. Some of them had a long idea to prepare their poetry. Presenting the poem was easy, but describing the process of the poem was quite difficult in the beginning. The second memorable thing was the words “NM”; it was the meaning of “NO mark”. It was quite useful and more powerful to remind me what I could do with perseverance and courage. All of my classmates were scared about the essay and poetry. Some students told me that they had never known the meaning of “NM”. I put the word on a photo frame and set on my desk to remind me every day. It is my motto.—170 words; June 6, 2012 at 8:14 PM
Yu-Min, beautiful World 郁敏的世界風情 said...: Something New
In English 11, I gained the most new experiences in a class, for there was something new to learn every day. I also was amazed at these: discussing in the group, describing the process of doing my homework, doing a presentation, commenting on the articles and movies, and posting homework on the blog. However, the most remarkable part of the class was the teacher's demonstration. Previously, I had some trouble writing some paragraphs or essays. I desperately desired to see some examples which were written by my teachers; however, my needs were rarely satisfied until this class. Brad always shows his writing ( some paragraphs, poems, and comments) to lead us to write well and gives us some rules or limits to offer more chances to learn something new. For example, one dash, one semicolon, one colon, and one parentheses. On the blog, I also saw my classmates' writing which aroused my imagination and inspiration. I naturally learned more new knowledge and writing skills. In addition, Brad carefully remained us --don't correct the wrong vocabularies and comments should be polite. I must thank Brad for permitting our lapses during our growing process.--193 words
Something Memorable
English 11, with Brad, gave me some memorable experiences. I remember that I felt uncomfortable when I got a low mark in my previous homework. Nevertheless, I still did my best to do my homework. One time, I was astonished that my homework showed no mark. I carefully read the comment by Brad: "You concentrate on the love story aspect here, but you need to also mention a little bit about the plot around pollution." I hesitantly asked Brad about my homework. He answered, "You need to redo it." Suddenly, I was like an airplane rapidly crashing down from the sky. Consequently, I couldn't hear anything that Brad said. Afterwards, I redouble my efforts to write my homework and tried to focus on the main idea. In addition, I realized that I had read the article wrong. When I handed in my homework, I told Brad about this. Brad smilingly said, "It's ok." Therefore, I calmed down my worried mind-- like a child who made a mistake. I clearly know that my learning style belongs to the visual type (Instead of listening, I need to watch some words or pictures to learn well). I thank Brad reflects on my learning style; I will never forget this lesson. --207 words; June 7, 2012 at 6:53 PM
Nadia Siddiqi said...: Something New:
Since coming to PALC English 11, I have experienced many things that I have not done before. Our teacher Brad has unique style of teaching; I cannot compare him with anyone else. He made us work in a group that is more comfortable to me. I was brought up following teacher’s notes and lectures on the white board, but in this high tech era where everything is computerized. There are many ways to study. For example, he shows us movie and make us write a response to it. Another thing that makes this class special is presentation. Speaking in front of everyone helps me to improve my confidence. Almost every assignment, we post (including Brad) on the blog that I found exciting new experience and we all get a chance to know other people point of view. Writing a poem is also a new experience of my life which had never happened in my past school days. 156words

Something Memorable:

Brad’s class gives us an opportunity to share our ideas through group work. Each classmate is friendly and cooperative that made this class memorable forever.
Writing poem “Note to myself” left a deep impression on me where every student had a different point of view of their poetry. “The Gold Boy and Emerald Girl” story can stay in my memory forever, how they (Hanfeng, his mother and Siyu ) influenced each other. They share their lives only to find happiness for themselves. Moreover, the students in our class are from different cultural background and we all have different opinions about the same topic. For instance, after the story “Homework” some students thought George’s mother should not tell her son about her past grand parent bad experiences. But some said children should know everything because it is good for father-son or mother- daughter relationship and they can learn from their experiences.
150 words; June 7, 2012 at 9:36 PM
young said...: something memorable

There are many memorable things in Brad’s class: a caring teacher, challenging tests, and gaining knowledge. First of all, I had the opportunity to increase and explore my social knowledge through fiction novels such as “Gold Boy, Emerald Girl” and “Homework.” Also, group working was helpful for my thinking process and understanding various ways in writing due to the sharing of ideas with my classmates, who come from diverse cultures and have had interesting experiences, so I could gather information from different points of view. Moreover, I have had a chance to write a poem about myself, “Who am I?” - that was a wonderful experience (I never thought it would be). The first time I stood in front of my classmates to read my poem was nerve-wracking, and my voice trembled; however the second time, I noticed that I could speak more easily and with more self-confidence because I overcame the anxiety of my first experience. Also, Brad’s teaching ideas and methods allow me to see the things around me with more insight.
176 words

something new

I have learned many new things in English 11: writing at a higher level, speaking in public, and critical thinking. Studying annotation was a very new experience for me and reinforced my writing skills; it made me keep up with my homework and stay in class even though my writing was poor. Also, I learned by reading and imitating others. We had to post our homework (on the blog), and it helped me greatly. When I was given assignments but had difficulties, my classmates’ thoughts and ideas influenced me to confidently develop my own opinions. Also, I felt my teacher, Brad, evaluated and treated us fairly; I felt safe in his class even though my English was not good. However, using the computer to post my homework was difficult in the beginning because I did not know how to do it properly, but it also helped me to do it better in the end. My previous teachers instructed the class orally regarding a test instead of handing out a paper that explained what was required in the test. In the beginning, I missed some questions and made mistakes - I was in a rush. I am happy to learn in his class.
200 words; June 7, 2012 at 10:30 PM
Sabiha said...: Something New

Unlike other courses at PALC, I found English 11 very worthy and informative. For instance, group discussion was really a top-notch idea to promote “networking”. Reviewing the same topic with different classmates made me easy to understand them better then before. It was a great opportunity to meet new people up, and look kindly on each other opinion; in addition, a group work always ended up with new thoughts and lessons. Posting homework on the “Blog” was another different thing. At the beginning, I used to hesitate for posting my homework on the blog because of mistakes, but the preview option on the blog really helped me to overcome my all mistakes before posting my final draft. Last but not least; writing the narrative essay was daunting task at first— but did it eventually (hoping did well). Overall, Brad’s variation in teaching English was quite effective and fruitful in the end. Instead of “something new”, I found every thing new and versatile in English 11.

(Words—165)

Something Memorable

The most memorable part in English 11 was my presentation. Being new immigrant, I never thought that I could dare to stand up and speak few words in front of the other classmates. I still remembered my first presentation on “Here I Am”— I was little nervous. Finally, I nerved myself up to make it. During presentation, I noticed some admirable things in my audience were: listening speakers with concentration, giving a positive impression to build up their confidence, and appreciating them nicely at last. Through the presentation, I learnt different ways of processing (Some of them were very interesting!) and presenting a meaningful write up with the confidence in front of the classmates. Watching Wall-E movie and figuring out his character with different angle was amazing experience. And, analyzing video clips to enhance the full understating of any topic was tremendous effort done by Brad. Moreover, I never imagined in my life that I could write any “poem”; it was unbelievable! Now, it has become believable and memorable.

(words—169); June 7, 2012 at 11:42 PM
Grace Liu said...: Something New
What interesting new things that I have studied in the English 11 course: lectures, movie reviews, anecdotes, long narrative essays, and psychological research. I like the materials Brad gives us since they are all related to my life (especially the communication style of the new world.) This term I have spent more time thinking than writing; it is different from other classes I have taken before. Furthermore, posting my writing on blog is also new for me, so I do it carefully. I always check several times before I post my homework. The word count is a challenge for me—crossing out the unnecessary words—because I always wrote over the limit. It helped me write more clearly. The movie review is new for me as well. Brad guided us to notice how the director uses sound effects and lights to manipulate our emotions. It interests me that they are the same as using sensory languages, metaphors and similes that I use to make my writing readable. The most interesting new thing is Brad to be a “role model” to guide us how to write. It makes us feel confident to follow the exact directions. Though Brad marks rather strict, it’s fun to learn in English 11.

Something Memorable
I feel I am treated like a college student in English 11 because the work and discussion style that Brad gives us makes me think deeply. This term, I have spent a lot of time thinking critically and logically in order to finish my homework. I remember the lowest mark I received was for “Gold Boy, Emerald Girl.” When I asked Brad what’s was wrong with my writing. Brad gave me some suggestions, but the most important thing he said was, “It has nothing to do with your grammar. It’s more about your ideas.” As a result, I realized that though I took a lot of time to understand the complicated personalities of the characters, I didn’t express my feelings and thoughts well through my writing. After that, I have improved my ability to express my thoughts and feelings despite my limited English skills. In addition, I obtained new perspectives from my classmates with different ages and backgrounds; it is fun to realize my classmates and I have exactly the same ideas by reading their writings on the blog. All in all, I have enjoyed every moment we shared together as a class.
(400 words); June 8, 2012 at 9:22 AM
Unknown said...: Something New
English 11, a totally different teaching style by Brad, is a unique course – a course that doesn’t have text book. Every material used in English 11 wouldn’t be the same as next semester. Brad used many articles which were new and living such as “Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?” Even though Brad’s class was unpredictable, he gave us the huge assignment (a one thousand words narrative essay) from the very beginning of the term, and the due date was end of the term. It’s a huge challenge for me; not only the quantity of the wards, but also the quality. Many teachers I had before all had the same hobbies: give the homework and use the same materials. However, in English 11, you would felt totally different atmosphere. Brad wouldn’t just assign the homework; he would also give us an example which means although the materials are “fresh”, he’s doing the same job as we were. And probably you would notice from the first day of the class when you sitting in the class; Brad wouldn’t give the daily class outline until he read the contents and discussed it.
189 words

Something Memorable
Although one semester is less than 6 months, there are lots of amazing memories. The most important thing to do in Brad’s class was – always follow his assignment requires. I would probably remember this for a long time when I got a “NM” (no mark) on my first homework because I didn’t follow the requirement. Some people would say he is a harsh teacher that stingy on the marks, but I felt it just means we still had much knowledge to learn. Whoever was in his class, wouldn’t forget the experiences about the poem. Writing a poem to express how you really feel was already very tough, but he made everyone have to do the presentation. I think it’s a good practice; it helped us gain our courage. Furthermore, there were two things you were going to be very familiar with: posting your homework on blog and group work. These two things would accompany you through the whole semester. On the blog, you may not only see Brad’s example, but also how other students’ responds. Sometimes you might lose the direction; therefore, blog is the best place to visit. Doing the group work made you know the assignments could have many other answers.
203 words; June 8, 2012 at 10:29 AM
DANA QIU said...: Something new
During English 11 class I had many new and interesting experiences: movie reviews, group work, anecdotes, and assignment on the blog. Ms.Brad always tries to bring new something for student, which is just right for our level. For example, Brod asked every student to go to our class blog and read teacher and other student’s paragraph. It’s good way to study English for me. We find many inspirations from this bolg (it is very interesting), because everyone has a unique character, a different idea, and a life time of experience. In addition, he showed us a movie or famous lecture, and asked us write a response to it. Then we talking with my classmates and helpful for my understanding, group work gave me more confidence. This is something which I have found really beneficial, because it has helped to improve my listening, speaking and writing skills. I will not forget that I have studied something new things in this class. It is unquestionable that Brad’s unique teaching methods make his class a beneficial learning experience.
--180 words

Something memorable
There are a lot of memorable things in English 11 class. For instance, my interaction with Brad and my classmates left a deep impression on me. I recall the first week of school when we had to do a presentation on platform of the class(I still remember the feeling) my legs were shaking, my face was tuning red, and I was keep telling myself, “Must look up!” , but I couldn’t look up. However, after three months, we need to do same practice again, I was felling better. I am glad that I have improved through this training. Another thing that has made this experience extra beneficial is the group work. Brad asked us share almost all of assignment in a small group before we hand it in, so that way we get one more chance to review and get to know other point of view with different ages and backgrounds. I believe that every student has my feelings and enjoyed every moment. I cherish the memories from English 11 because they have helped me learn many new things.
---181 words; June 8, 2012 at 11:24 AM
Farzad said...: Something New

There are many new things to experience in Brad's class (English 11). As I mentioned there are many, but what I like are group work, the blog, and Brad's teaching style. The group discussion is great because it gives you a great opportunity to share your ideas with other student. It also helps us to get to know each other better, improves our communication skills and be more comfortable with each other. The blog is other thing that I have never seen a teacher uses for his/her students to post their homework. It's also anther great way of learning and sharing experience with other students. I like the blog because when I'm there I like to read other student’s work, which helps my reading skills (I barely read, so I have to say it's a good thing for me). I have to admit that all these great things go back to the teaching style. Brad's teaching style was anther experience for me. He uses a different method than other teachers. He always tries to make the learning fun for his class, which is interesting. There are many things that I have experienced in his class that were new and great for me.

[204 words]

Something Memorable

There are also many memorable things about this class, but what I liked the most are meeting new students, writing and presenting my own poem in front of the class. I'm a person who likes to meet people and make friends. In English 11, Brad gives us a chance to meet many great people with great attitude and personality by giving some assignments to work in groups. Meeting new people is like discovering a treasure because everyone has different life story and experiences. Writing my own poem and presenting it is something unforgettable to me because I never thought I could write a poem and specially stand in front of the class and read it out loud. It was an amazing experience. I think the presentation was not only great, but also helpful. It helps me to be more comfortable and relax in front of a group of people next time. There are numerous of memorable things that I haven't mentioned, but these are the most memorable ones for me.

[172 words]; June 8, 2012 at 12:05 PM
Brad said...: Something New

Students, in their infinite variety, are always something new. Every term I meet new students; every term I bid them farewell. Often, I will neither see nor hear from them again—as it should be. Like Elzéard Bouffier, I have faith. I hope that at least some of you have been changed by your experiences in my class and will blossom forth as do the trees in the animated film. Once, a middle-aged woman did write to me after finishing my English 12 one June. She would not be returning to school, she told me, because she had regained her confidence and found a new job. What more could a teacher wish for? At the end of a long career, it feels good to have made a little difference in someone’s life. But I will never know (it is hubris to think otherwise) most of the time, and that is fine with me. The new students will arrive soon enough. Thanks to all you former “new” ones for your kindness, your participation, your hard work and, not the least, for your comments here. Farewell!

—184 words

Something Memorable

I always remember the first day I find my students chatting together before class, the day it all seems to “gel.” Classes differ a great deal (this term, especially!) but there is always a common denominator: once we’ve attended classes for a month or so, we have finished building the trust needed to really discuss things together. Teaching literature and language in a public school is political and cultural; there is no denying that. The curriculum directs me to nurture your creative and critical instincts, to help you learn how to decide what is good, what is true, what a writer means to say. To do that, we need some things to react to, talk about, discuss. That’s where I come in as teacher—selecting the “things” that encourage conversation. English teaching allows for a lot of creativity, from students and teacher. If I’ve done my job, students will want to be heard and to hear from others. Your relaxed chats at the beginning of class act as a kind of warm up to the day’s activities. I hope you enjoyed the chance to listen, to disagree and, most importantly, to learn how to present and defend ideas.

—198 words; June 12, 2012 at 3:12 PM

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Friday, June 1, 2012

Something New; Something Memorable

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