Blogging from Norfolk

In order to make the most of her learning adventure in the USA, Mariana has decided to start a travel blog: http://www.mytriptonorfolk.blogspot.com/ to share her experiences in Norfolk with us. I simply suggested the possibility of starting an “online journal” about her trip to capture her views and impressions while honing her writing skills in English and she accepted the challenge right away!

Why blogging?

Because it allows us to engage in expressive and meaningful writing and develop self-reflection. What’s more, blogs are open conversations with the world. As a teacher, I’ve improved my own writing and learned more from other people than I could have ever imagined since I started sharing and spreading my ideas on the web, engaging in relevant conversations with my students and with colleagues worldwide.

Let’s join Mariana on her blogging trip and help her blog grow and develop. It’s a great way of keeping in touch with a friend while also learning ourselves and experiencing the joy of authentic communication.

TOEFL iBT Class Project

Dear all,

I am proud to announce a new edition of our TOEFL iBT Class Project!

Following the iBT integrated skills format, the project consists of oral presentations on an academic topic that belongs to your own fields of study, complemented by written summaries that will be complied on our class wiki for future reference.

The TOEFL iBT Wiki is an ongoing construction that represents our shared body of knowledge, our interests and our learning paths.

This year the first presentation will be delivered by Mariana next Wednesday (before her trip to the USA) on In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).

Can't wait to get started!

Cheers, Carla

Early Spring Musings

Is it all coming to an end? I wonder…
An amazing bunch, the TOEFL group fills up my life with challenging questions, compelling discussions and endless correction hours. As the end of the year approaches, some of you have to leave early to meet required deadlines and achieve your most cherished goals.
The TOEFL test is definitely not an end in itself, but a point of departure. Just like a crowded platform before a journey, filled with promises, hurried good-byes, a bit of anxiety and anticipation, it is a path to new beginnings.
After Vani’s farewell party , I have to confess I felt a bit sad, but before I could get too gloomy, it dawned on me that this space is a treasure box where some of those unique moments we spent together will be kept. And then I thought we can keep it rolling for new groups, new stories…
Why let this channel of communication dwindle when it can thrive and bloom with new voices?
What do you think? How do you feel about sharing this blog with another TOEFL group?

Class Project

What is the difference between a group of students and a community of learners?

"In a community of learners, teachers and students together construct a culture that values the strengths of all participants and respects their interests, abilities, languages, and dialects. Students and teachers shift among the roles of expert, researcher, learner, and teacher, supporting themselves and each other." Aída Walqui, West Ed, San Francisco, California

I think one of the strengths of our class is the possibility of learning form each other's knowledge and experience. Although this is exactly what we've been doing since the very first day, the aim of the present project is to create a collection of mini-lectures on specific academic topics related to your fields of study and close to your hearts. Topics that matter.

The start couldn't have been more powerful. Delivered with great clarity, passion and commitment, Maxi's presentation aroused great interest on a topic that is both too important and too painful to be forgotten.

Remember you can read a summary of his presentation on the wiki and you can also give your feedback or ask more questions there. Each presentation will then contribute to a kind of TOEFL iBT wikipedia we are building together.

I look forward to the rest of the presentations!

TOEFL iBT Photo Album

This album is powered by BubbleShare
I've uploaded the first group photo to an album. If you bring your cameras next class, we can add the rest of the photos here.

I just want to wish Pablo the best of luck in his new life in Spain. We are going to miss his him a lot!

And remember to get ready for the mid-term next week!
Complete test coming soon...

Next Week

Dear all,

As you already know, I'm traveling to Córdoba this Monday to attend the first Congress on Applied Technology in Language Teaching that is held in Argentina. I really hate to leave you, but I think it is essential for us teachers to keep abreast of the latest developments in our field. I strongly believe the successful integration of electronic tools in language classes can enhance students' performance by fostering authentic communication and providing access to a wide array of multimedia material.

Anyway, everything is set for you to go on working, so here's the plan for the week:

Monday (20.30-22.00)
You'll take your first mini-test at the computer lab.
The mini-test will feature the following tasks:





Reading: 1 reading passage (20 min.)

Listening: 1 conversation
1 lecture (15 min. approx.)

Speaking: 1 Independent Task
2 Integrated Tasks (15 min. approx.)

Writing: 1 Independent Writing (30 min.)

At the end of the test you'll check your scores on the reading and listening tasks. Please, write them down since Leda is going to keep a record of your scores. As regards the speaking and listening tasks, you'll record your responses and print your essays so that I can correct them the following week.

Important: Please, be punctual so that you can do the whole test within the time allotted.

Try to do your best and enjoy the experience!

Wednesday

Beatriz will meet you in room E2 at the usual time. Please, bring your book and booklet and remember to do Vocabulary Ex. 8.

Do not hesitate to leave your comments or questions here. I'll keep in touch throughout the week. I'm really going to miss you a lot. (I mean it!)

Good luck!!

How do you feel about having a class wiki?

I'm sure all of you have heard about Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia anybody can edit.

A wiki is then a fully-editable user-generated website that allows a group of people to share and build knowledge collaboratively. For example, I'm sure each of you keeps a record of new vocabulary. What would happen if every student added a word to a common vocabulary page on a daily basis? We would soon have a huge resource of relevant vocabulary. The same would happen with writing tasks and extra reading resources.

Anyway, this is just a suggestion. You can visit our baby wiki at www.toeflibtprep.pbwiki.com . I just started it today, so I could only add a couple of pages. Once in the wiki, click on the sidebar on the right to see the pages. Also, the default home page features two videos: one on how to edit a wiki and the other on the use of wikis in education. Have a look!

I'll send you the password by mail just in case you want to give it a try.

Class Update

Last class we started dealing with Lesson 1 (Factual and Negative Factual Questions) in the Guide to Reading section. This lesson features three short articles you have to scan in order to find specific information. We worked on the first passage (on Dentistry) in class and the other two were assigned as homework for Wednesday.

Apart from learning about the unusual origins of dentistry and its early fearsome methods, we had a look at some modern dental procedures such as scaling and root canals. In addition, we read some real stories written by people suffering from phobia of dentists or dental phobia and discussed its causes as well as some possible ways both dental professionals and patients can cope with this problem.

By the way, I found this wacky website about Unusual Phobias and was surprised to see the weird (completely illogical) phobia I suffer from is actually one of the most popular ones. Can you guess which one it is? ;)

Next Monday, we are going to start working on the Grammar Tutorial in your books. You are supposed to do the exercises on pages 706-708 for homework.

See you in class!

An early bird...

Mariano has sent me an e-mail to let me know he’s already signed up for the TOEFL. He’s also posted an entry on his blog: New development on the road to happiness where he wrote some nice words about our group and the time we spent together. He’s planning to drop by on Monday to tell us about it. I really hope we can keep in touch and share all the exciting experiences he’ll have along the road.
Thanks, Mariano, for your enthusiasm and contribution to our class.
Best wishes,
Carla

Reminder

There has been a slight change in the class schedule. On Mondays, you’ll have Computer Lab Sessions from 8.30 to 9 p.m. and classes from 9 to 10 p.m. On Wednesdays, we’ll have classes from 8 to 10 p.m.


By the way, I wanted to congratulate you all on your wonderful performance last Wednesday. You all managed to record your speaking tasks successfully and the jig-saw listening activity proved both interesting and appropriate to your level. I think relating TOEFL tasks to different types of authentic material can help us see the relevance of the skills we are learning in everyday communication. I’m also pleased to see some of you have gone beyond the tasks and tried to find out more information about the topics we discuss in class. It’s a pleasure to teach such a group of motivated and self-directed students!

Keep up the good work!

Dear all,

I've just been informed that we'll have no classes today.
Let's reflect on the terrible events that have taken place in Neuquén.

Pegarle a un maestro por Mex Urtizberea (La Nación)

See you on Wednesday,

Class Summary

Dear all,

The second week is over and here’s a summary of all we’ve done:

After introducing ourselves and talking about our expectations and reasons for joining the course, we discussed the necessary skills to succeed in the new TOEFL iBT. Have a look at this brief summary: Skills Chart - Longman (pdf)
Then, we started working on a diagnostic test, which was an overview of the actual test, for you to get acquainted with the type of exercises and consider your strengths and weaknesses in each area.
Next class we are going to start using the book. You are supposed to do the first Reading Preview Test (pages 18 to 21) for homework. Before reading, check out the tips on page 11 (How to approach the passages and questions). On the actual test you will have 20 minutes to read each passage and do the exercise. Of course, it will take longer this time; just make sure you read the passage at a comfortable speed and do the exercise at once. After completing the task, you can go back to the text and analyze or look up the specific vocabulary and identify the question types. In class, we’ll go over the passage and questions and clarify all your doubts.

Good luck and enjoy the challenge!

Welcome to TOEFL Prep!

Hello everybody!
This will be our online journal and our “virtual classroom” throughout the year. Here you’ll find lots of multimedia activities and information to access at the lab or at home. Check out the sidebar for useful sites, online dictionaries and extra exercises. You’ll also be able to post any comments or queries or just keep in touch with classmates. Let’s make the most of this wonderful tool! Let’s start blogging!