Technology and Tools

Have you ever thought about the old and recent inventions in our lives?!! Some of them are now so commonly part of our lives, that we don't even see them as an invention before and we can't live without themanymore. Some are more recent and we don't see the need to purchase them hence if we don't keep up with one, the next invention is coming so fast and thus we can't catch up with our kids.
Thinking of inventions and new high tech, they have their pros and cons and not one invention is there to be of perfect use and no problem.
What do you think? Do you think all inventions are good? Which ones cause more problems rather than solving the older problems? How can we keep up with all new inventions coming? How can we avoid involving ourselves with so many machines in our lives?
Pls, Write your ideas and give examples. Explain also your point of view on the issue.

How is it important to come to school?

When I was a child I thought that coming to school is only neccessary to learn alphabet and a little bit more. After a few years I changed my mind, because I found out that it's important to go school and learn more to get a better life. Then I got a new idea which is "coming to school can give you discipline and put you on the right way".

Since I have come to the US, I have changed totally ,because I have learned that people don't come to school only to get what the theacher explains, or what is in the book. But they come to share their ideas as well.

Hakim Elkhattari

jaesook said...
In today's world, good jobs are not simple and people need to know a lot and have new skills. As you know studying hard and going to a good college can be important for us to succeed in life. Since we can not live without a job, we have to study for future and right job. When I was student my parents used to tell about important to study, for example, reading books, learning new things, and so on. Also they told me, "while you are studying is the happiest time in your life". I felt same look back my younger days. Another important thing we have to consider is to know what kinds of jobs the changing society will need. For that reason, I study English and computer again. Because we live in the age of information and globalization, many jobs need computer and English skills.
10:16 PM

All about USA

Fatima’s Computer/Internet Class
By Leslie Weaver for the Advanced Class – Fall Term 06 #6– October 27, 2006

I. US Government, Citizenship, History

A. As you read the information in the following websites, fill in the chart you have.
1. Ben's Guide to US Government: Branches of Government
Address: http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/government/branches.html

Read the information and then click on the links at the bottom to read more about the 3 branches.

2. The Democracy Project: How does Government Affect Me?
Address: http://pbskids.org/democracy/mygovt/capitol3.html
Read the first page, and keep clicking "Next" for information on the 3 branches.

B. Now try some quizzes to see how much you have learned!
3. Capitol & Representatives
Address: http://clerkkids.house.gov/games/trivia/flashquizzes/quizRep.htm

4. Fact Monster - Citizenship Test I & Citizenship Test II
Address: http://www.factmonster.com/quizzes/citizenship1/1.html
Answer the first 10 questions and then continue to the next part – Test II.

5. Longman: USA Country Quiz
Address: www.longman.com/country_quiz/usa.html

*Please note: #10 has a grammatical error! We use "on" with street and road names. It should say "lives on_________________".
C. The next websites will give you information on becoming a citizen.

6. Ben’s Guide to US Government: Citizenship
Address: http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/citizenship/citizenship.html

7. What are the three things you have to do to become a US citizen?
1._________________________________________________
2._________________________________________________
3._________________________________________________

8. You will probably need the official government website to find the form to fill out and practice questions for the test. Here is the US Citizenship & Immigration Services official site: Address: http://uscis.gov/graphics/index.htm

How do you know that this is an official government website? ________________
When/if you want to become a citizen, you can find the practice test questions here:
Address: http://uscis.gov/graphics/exec/natz/natztest.asp

9. Look at the list of options (choices) in blue on the left side. Where would you click to get the forms for citizenship? (Hint: What is another way to talk about becoming a citizen?) _______________________________________________

10. Where would you click for information about Student Visas? (Hint: Are
students here permanently or temporarily?) _____________________________
What is the visa that is for students studying here, called? ___________

D. US History Quizzes
12. American History, Part I – II - III
Address: www.factmonster.com/quizzes/amhistory/1.html


II. Here are some reading sites: Read some of the stories, choose the best one that interests you and write a summary about it.

1. Kenmei Internet Reading Lab (America Today and Tomorrow)
Address: http://www.geocities.com/yamataro670/readinglab.htm
All three chapters have some appropriate stories.

2. CA Distance Learning Project - Adult Learning Activities
Address: http://www.cdlponline.org
Again, all the topics seem to have good stories.

3. Readings for ESL Students
Address: http://fog.ccsf.edu/~lfried/stories/stories.html
Some of the "It Happened to Me Stories" are really cute! (Working at the Bank, The Cookies)

III. Game quiz on US Census Bureau http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/kids/game/game.html

Eid Fitr Feast with students

Hakim a student from Morocco wearing his traditional dress is showing us couscous.
Diana and Ivonnel both from Venezuelea are showing us a pack of Harina pan (Corn flour) to cook Harina. Jae Sook, She is from South Korea and in this photo she is showing us how to serve Jap Chae which is a mixture of sweet potato starch noodles and vegetables.

We had continental feast that day and everybody enjoyed different dishes from different countries.

Also thanks to Karim who took all these photos.

Gino said...
Last Tuesday, we had an interesting party at our English advanced class in Pimmit school.Many students brought to the classroom diferent kinds of food and traditional clothes from their countries too. They explained the recipes and the origins of each food. We tasted all different dishes and we invited some teachers from others classes to enjoy with us. Defenitely it was a kind of "melting pot" of dishes, because we had food from almost the entire continents. We had food from Tibet(China), El Salvador, Korea,Cambodja,Vietnan,Guatemala, Honduras,Venezuela, Sudan,Morocco and Egypt. Everbody had fun during the food festival because it was a good moment to know each other and get together.It was really amazing.

Fatima’s Computer/Internet Class
By Leslie Weaver for the Advanced Class – Fall Term 06 #5– October 20, 2006

I. Personal Health and Staying Fit

1. Read about having healthy kids and keeping them safe:
a. Go to: www.cdlponline.org (You will need headphones.)
b. Click on “Health and Safety,” and then click on “Healthy Baby.”
c. Listen and read the story and do all the activities/questions.
d. Click on “Back,” or “choose another story” or “pick another story.”
e. Click on “Health and Safety,” and then click on “Keep Kids Safe.”
f. Listen and read the story and do all the activities/questions.
2. Check your nutrition knowledge and habits:
a. Go to: www.umass.edu/nibble/director.html
b. Click on “Practice Quizzes” and test your Nutrition Knowledge by taking 5 or 6 of those quizzes.
c. Go “Home,” click on “Assess your Diet” and do 2 – 3 of those quizzes.
3. What sports and exercise should you be doing?
a. Go to: www.bam.gov/sub_physicalactivity/physicalactivity_misfit.asp
b. Take the “Motion Commotion” quiz and submit it.
c. What kinds of sports are good for you? ________________________
4. Put it all together and find out how long you will live!
a. Go to: www.northwesternmutual.com/games/longevity
b. Click on “Play the Game” and be honest!
c. How long will you live? ____________________________years old.

II. Reviewing Count, Non-Count Nouns & Quantifiers

5. Adjectives with Countable and Uncountable Nouns (General Information)
Address: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/esl/esladjnoun.html
6. Better English Exercises – Much/Many – Matching Exercise
Address: www.better-english.com/easier/much.htm
7. Better English Exercises – Not Much – Matching Exercise
Address: www.better-english.com/easier/notmuch.htm
8. English Usage – Fewer or Less?
Address: www.englishquizzes.prv.pl
Scroll down and click on “Fewer or Less.”
9. Do you need some eggs?
Address: http://members.aol.com/adrmoser/hotpotatoes/need.html
10. How much do we need?
Address: http://members.aol.com/adrmoser/hotpotatoes/howmuch.htm
11. Count/Non Count Nouns – Sentence Practice
Address: http://depts.gallaudet.edu/englishworks/grammar/f_count1.html

III. Prepositions and Phrasal Verbs

12. English Page – Prepositions and Phrasal Verbs
Address: www.englishpage.com/prepositions/prepositions.html
13. English Phrasal Verb Lessons
Address: http://www.carolinebrownenglishlessons.com/
14. eflnet – Phrasal Verbs
Address: www.eflnet.com/pverbs/index.php

IV. Slangs
Address: http://www.englishdaily626.com/slang.php

Taking care of yourself

People are always concerned on how to take care of their health and live a healthy life. Giving guidelines on a nutritious diet and exercise, write in 10-15 sentences, How we can take care of ourselves.

Summarize and review what discussed in class today and write two paragraphs about healthy food and the need of more exercise.

Diana said...
Today we learned how to take care of ourselves through exercise and healthy food. Doing exercise is very important for our health. Without enough exercise, adults are at risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, etc. It’s important to exercise at least 30 minutes four days a week. However, it isn’t necessary to go to the gym or spend a lot of money to do that. There are different ways to do more exercise, for example:- Take the stair instead of taking the elevator,- Play outside with our children,- Park far away from the entrance to a building, etc.Eating healthy food is important to our health too. Some recommendations to improve our eating habits are:- Eat more fresh vegetables and fruits,- Avoid food that is high in fat and sodium,- Eat more white meat and less red meat,- Avoid saturated fat,- Use whole grain product instead of regular products (brown rice is better than white rice)- Avoid junk food,- Drink plenty of water.In conclusion, we have to do exercise and watch what we eat to keep a good health. But, also it’s important to be optimistic and see the life in a happy way.
4:53 PM

Vathany said...
Health is an essential part of my life. Health is important for me in order to work, to enjoy family relationships, and to participate in social activities. I can’t live my full life if I am not in good health. An important element of health is food. I need food to sustain my body and be healthy. However eating to much or not healthy food can make me sick. Food that are good for my health are fish, vegetable and fruits. Food that are not good for my health are: fast food, sugary food, food high in cholesterol, and salty food. Another element for being healthy is regular exercises. I should stay active by walking, running and working around the house. I also need to sleep at least 6-8 hours , drink a lot of water and watch movie or listen to music to relax and release stress.
4:56 PM

Ji-young said...
To take care of ourselves and to stay healthy, we need to take care of ourselves in our daily life. One of the most important things is to intake wholesome food. We know about the healthy food well- less meat, more vegetable and fruit, less fat, whole grain, moderate dairy, and most importantly not excessive amount of food. Drinking good water regularly is also necessary. Secondly, we’d better exercise regularly since our lives are becoming too convenient to move enough everyday. Unless cars had been invented, we wouldn’t have had to work out in the gym. However you don’t have to register for the gym to work out unless you want to develop your muscles like bodybuilders. Taking stairs instead of elevator, walking short distance as often as possible, doing light exercise while watching TV, all kinds of little more activities will work. Just make these habits routine. Then you will stay in good shape and you won’t have to remember how old you are.
7:16 PM

Mauricio said...
We learned in our class how to take care of ourselves.If you want to live longer you have to eat very healthy food like vegetables,whole grains,fruit,and drink a lot of water.Be sure when you go to the grocery store ,read and undertand all the lables,because you know how many colories, fat and sodium you consume.According to the expert you have to exercise four time a week for 45 minutes a day.Try to avoid smoking and alcohol,this is very important for your health.
12:30 AM

Jae Sook said...
Healthy food and exercises are the bottom line for being healthy. Not only avoiding junk food is an important part of a healthy diet, but also there are a lot of other benefits. For example, when we eat at home instead of eating out, we consume less cholestrol, fat and calories. Our body needs different nutrious food groups. So, don't eat too much of one thing to balance your food choices. However, drink a lot of water or juice instead of coffee. We should avoid drugs and alcohol, eat and drink moderately and exercise frequently. If you need to go on a diet, you'd better eat soy bean instead of meat. Soy bean protein is cholesterol free, low in saturated fat, and contains virtually all of the essential amino acids needed by the human body. Exercising helps adults avoid health problems. If you don't have time to exercise, walk and take the stairs instead of taking the elevator. We 'd better make physical activities a part of our daily life.

Fatima’s Computer/Internet Class
By Leslie Weaver for the Advanced Class – Fall Term 06 #4– October 13, 2006

Vocabulary Review: Suffixes, Prefixes

1. Quia Prefix Skills Flashcards (scroll down to read the directions)
Address: http://wcache.quia.com/fc/572174.html

2. Englishlab.net – Negative Prefixes I – Adjectives (1 quiz)
Address: www.englishlab.net/wb1_negative_prefixes.htm

3. Manythings.org – Prefixes and their meanings
Address: www.manythings.org/wbg/prefixes-jw.html (1 quiz)

4. Manythings.org – More Prefixes
Address: www.manythings.org/fq/m/2992.html (2 quizzes)

5. The Road To Grammar - Quizzes for ESL, EFL Students (16 quizzes)
Address: www.roadtogrammar.com
a. In the topic box, click on #9 (Agreeing and disagreeing) and then click on “Go.” After you check your answers, click on “Home” to get back to the topic box.
b. Next, do these topics: #32, #57, #58, #59, #151, #235, #237, #240, #314, #316, #319, #322, #323, #356, #358. Remember to click “Go” after each number.

6. SMIC English Exercises Online (1 quiz)
Address: www.smic.be/smic5022/wordformation3.htm

7. JohnsEsl - An online community for students of ESL (1 quiz)
Address: www.johnsesl.com/Projects/prefixes.shtml

8. English Vocabulary: Prefixes from EnglishClub.com (info only)
Address: www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/prefixes.htm
This is a list of many common prefixes in English, along with their meaning
and some examples.

Health Insurance

What did we learn this week?
Summarize in 10-15 sentences what you learned about health and health insurance?
The Best ones will be published on the main blog under their owners' names.

Ji-young said...
In the U.S, health insurance is provided by private companies not the government, so you need to figure out which one would be best for you. In addition, you should be careful not to be fooled by wily insurance companies. However, since no body can be sure he would stay healthy in his whole life, we need to insure ourselves against unexpected emergencies, though it seems very costly. Here again, we need to choose between lower-cost-but less coverage and higher-cost but more-coverage. Basically it depends on your budget and health condition.

Diana said...
It is important for everybody to have insurance to avoid unexpected financial burden. During this week, we learned important and common concepts of health insurance policy. Knowing the meaning of the related words, we can negotiate with the insurance company or at least avoid being taken to the cleaner by them and understand our rights. Also, we learned the different types of insurances, and now, we can choose the insurance policy that more adjusts with our needs.