Classroom without Walls :: Friends blog

Here are some websites for more TOEFL practice.  Good luck! 

TOEFL STRUCTURE PRACTICE:

http://www.examenglish.com/TOEFL/toefl_structure_1.htm

TOEFL VOCABULARY PRACTICE:

http://www.examenglish.com/TOEFL/toefl_vocabulary.htm

TOEFL READING PRACTICE:

http://www.examenglish.com/TOEFL/toefl_reading.htm

TOEFL LISTENING PRACTICE:

http://www.examenglish.com/TOEFL/toefl_listening.htm

http://edutechnologyrevolution.blogspot.com/2008/11/purposegamescom-how-to-make-map

I searched long and hard for an easy way to make a map quiz for my Academic ESL World History class and I came across a website that's pretty cool. Purposegames.com is website that lets you create and publish your own quizzes on the web. This has been before, but what is unique to this site is that you can upload images, put dots on your image, and ask quiz game takers to match inputted text with the dots. Put all of this together and you get a custom map test fast and easy. Check out the one of the Middle East I made for my class:

http://www.purposegames.com/game/world-history-cp-quiz

http://edutechnologyrevolution.blogspot.com/2008/10/how-to-upload-and-post-document

Here is a quick and easy video tutorial that shows you how to upload and post a document in moodle so that your students can see it. This is a fast way to post syllabi or other documents that will open with desktop software such as Word. Another way to display text, that is completely in the browser is to compose a text or web page, but we'll save that for another tutorial.

Click the link below to watch the video:

How to upload and post document in moodle

     I went to QUEEN KA'AHUMANU elementary school yesterday, and I used both verbal language and non-verbal one. I think it is important to use both of them to have good communication with the students. When they studied about difficult things, they could easily understand what I meant by non-verbal language. But it is difficult to understand each other if we don't use verbal language. I used mostly verbal one yesterday. So I think verbal language is the most important when I would like to talk with them.

     I will show you that I told a little boy what the root was. I read his textbook when he told me he couldn’t understand what the root was. He also told me that he didn’t know that with these words. “I can’t understand what this is.” “What does this picture show?” “Can you tell what the root means?” “I want to know that because I don’t know now. I am interested in this picture of this page.” Then I was surprised because he had never talked so much. I thought he really wanted to know what the root was. I had a little knowledge about nature because I liked studying nature at our public junior high school and senior high school in Japan. I told him what the root meant in the textbook and could show the root with the plant on the ground fortunately. He looked happy and excited when I told him that. I became happy and smiled. I felt a little bit of happiness with teaching them something.

     In fact, I couldn’t tell a girl who was also one of the elementary school students what a picture in her textbook meant before. I thought I had to speak perfect English because I was a senior high school student and elder than them. But it was obviously important to keep speaking. I felt that when I couldn’t talk with her and stopped moving. Then I could have used non-verbal language if I had realized about that.

     They inferred from my expression that I was happy or not. If I smiled at them, they smiled back at me. I thought smiling was a kind of non-verbal language. I wonder why behavior is also non-verbal one.

     Dnilo, my English teacher told us the percentage of verbal language is 93 percent and the percentage of non-verbal one is 7 percent actually. I come to feel it is truth after my experience at the elementary school. The communication style that I used most with my elementary students was verbal language and a little bit of non-verbal one. But it was mostly verbal. I can say that people use verbal communication more than non-verbal one. We have so many emotions and we are human beings who can communicate with speaking and not animals.

Service teaching.

Today, we went to Queen Kaahumanu elementary school. It was twice of service teaching. This time I taught two boys and one girl. I have never taught them. Therefore, I introduced my name and said “Nice to meet you” but they looked like very ashamed and they didn’t say that. In addition, they couldn’t pronounce my name. I wonder if my name of pronounce is difficult for foreign people. This time we learned with their books. It was a science text book. At first, I felt sad a little, because I didn’t know stems and puddles. Of course, I know these things in Japanese. However, I didn’t know these words in English. Therefore, the book was very useful for me too. Then, Mr. Delzotto said that having unknown words are not ashamed thing, because English is second language for us. However, I should prepare for the teaching. Therefore, I should know many words. This time I didn’t get nervous very much. However, I couldn’t get attention of children very much. It is same as last time. I want to know how to get attention of children. I talked with Kei about this thing. She said that there is a kind of psychology. The name of psychology is child psychology. I didn’t know this subject. Therefore, I want to learn this subject. I think that having communication with children is more difficult than having with adult. I think this service teaching is not only service but also study for us. I found new words and one kind of job. I feel thanks because this field trip is one of the best trips which I have ever experienced!   

Yuna Ito (a former Honolulu "McKinley High School" graduate) and Celine Dion (a French Canadian) have collaborated on a single called "A World to Believe In" (Anata Ga Iro Kagiri). This bilingual tune features Ito singing in Japanese and English and Dion in English. I think it's great!  Please listen to it on this YouTUBE video and enjoy!

Im sorry. Otono's computer doesn't work. She had many mistakes in this blog. Therefore it is correct essay about our field trip.

I was looking forward to go Doll plantation since three weeks ago. I went to　the Dole plantation for field trip. There were many kinds of flower, tree, and so on. A old man explained about these tree and colorful flower, and gave us a cute flower, so I learned name of flowers and trees. It is difficult to memorize for me, but there were many trees and flowers I saw for the first time, so I enjoyed it. Therwere tree that changed colors when peeled. According to the man, paper is made by the tree. It looks like hard paper and we can write down the tree, so I wanted to try to write on the tree. so I wanted to try to write on the tree. I smelled jasmine flower. I sometimes drink jusmin tea, and I like the tea smell, but I did not know how I looks flower. I saw for the first time the flower. It was very cute and small white flower. The smell was really same, so I was suprized. I also tried to make jusmin tea by the flower. I was excited because I saw many things first time. After that, I saw cutting pain, and eat pain. A young man dusted red flour. I was surprise. It was very delicious. Then, I went to maze. Before I got to the maze, I was excited, but during the maze, I thought it was hard because it was very difficult and I was using one's brain very much and it was too hot. I cooperate with Narumi, so I got five stamps. I have gone to mazes before , but I experienced a big like this maze for the first time. I have no sence of direction, but Narumi taught me how to look map, so I looked at the map while I was walking. After maze, I ate paineapple ice cream. It was more delicious than usual because I did my best for maze. When my family comes to Hawaii, I want to go Doll plantation again, and I want to clear eight stamps by my self

On wednesday was lucky day because no school,no in class essay.We(CORE2B students and Samantha who in our core class teacher.)went to Dole plantation. The weather was so beautiful. I was really glad because field trip can change of pace which means I can refresh through the field trip because I can talk to with my friends and I can enjoy one's self.
In the begining of field trip, we heard name of plants from old man. There was a lot of strange name of plants and also we learned a lot of name of plants. After a while,we took a short break. Then we saw how to cut a pineapple. Actually, I really love a pineapple. Therefore I was interested in pineapple's how to cut. We ate a piece of pineapple.It was delicious!!! I love it! After that, we tried a maze. Before we started, we got a paper which was a map of the maze. It was so difficult to me because we should fill in the boxes above using the stencil found at each secret stations located in the maze. End of the maze I could find only five locations because I was lost in the maze. However,I walked the maze with Otono,we could talk a lot. Of course the maze was difficult, but I had a good time with my friend Otono!
Finally, we ate pineapple ice cream before we go back to our dormitory.However,Samantha didn't eat ice cream. I hope next field trip, we can eat delicious food,and will be fun!!. Thank you Samantha!! and everyone!

Something new! The world histroy teacher changed from Nick to Danilo.
Dear Nick:Have a nice vacation! Please take care of your physical condition.I will try to do my best to move up to the bext grade! I can do that!!
I believe that good results will be followed.
One more thing, I woke up at 4 o'clock in this morning. Then I studied TOEFL, History, and so on. I put on pressure on myself!

but....little bit tired.

I had unforgettable memory today. I tried body boat with Otono who is my classmate. I was very tired these days. However, I felt refreshed!!
It was exciting!
Of course, I should study more and more. I can do it!!!