Collaborative Writing and Guided Compositions

Collaborative Writing and Guided Compositions

INSTRUCTIONS

1.pick up paragraphs, copy and paste, then adapt the text to suit your needs,

2.formal writing style with some informal expressions to jazz it up-no contractions

3.Please use TimesNewRoman type of 12

4.print it out and deliver by December 12/13

5.introduce ammendments and rename document as DVC- FirstNameLastName 5ABC – chapter

6.send to dmncmndz@gmail.com with name of document as subject

Syntactic and Style Analysis of Chapter …............ from

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

This three-page chapter describes Character's struggles to run away from.../discover the truth/reveal the identity/accomplish his objective of (gerund)

 (Name of character) (describe action) in this short/long fast-paced chapter, taking place in... and involving as well (name of other characters).

The action of this chapter takes place in …., is described from the point of view of (name of character) and involves as well (name of other characters). The chapter deals with... and its most striking/surprising aspect is...

 As compared to the film, this chapter is included in one scene/takes a few seconds/minutes/is omitted.

 I loved/liked/disliked/loathed Tom Hanks' interpretation of symbologist Robert Langdon, as well as Audry Tautou in the role of cryptographer Sophie Neveu. It is interesting to see/I just can not believe that topics such as the holy grail, the supposed marriage between Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene, their descendence, the sacred femenine, etc... have stirred up/provoked the interest of millions of readers from all walks of life/ranging from scholars, critics, christians, etc...

At a linguistic level, the vocabulary that I found more interesting/practical/exotic for personal use in compositions or conversations is … (no more than ten-include them with a synonimous or short definition).

The most unusual syntactic structures spotted/found in this chapter were coordinate/subordinate/conditional/passive/subjunctive sentences (write a note and include the examples at the end of the composition).

Other topics researched here included are /From all topics of research suggested/, my focus of interest has been on.../my personal preferences led me to analyse...

verb tenses,

sentence types,

connectors, including conditional sentences,

gerund clauses,

phrasal or prepositional verbs,

use of prepositions as connectors,

transposition of clauses, use of adjuncts,

direct speach/indirect speech,

figures of speech,

I selected/preferred these researching topics because I need to impove my speaking command of the foreign language, not only for my job and education but also for holidays; besides, I think that good speaking skills will bring about an immediate improvement of the rest of skills, being listening or even grammar/

I selected/preferred these researching topics because I need to improve my writing skills in college; besides, I feel more secure with a good understanding of grammar, that is, how a language works and what are the rules before practicing orally/

Since I read the novel and watched the film, and since I have also read the rest of novels by this same author, Angels and Demonds, Deception Point, The Lost Symbol, I can also compare style and plot structure or the differences between the book and the film/

Since I dislike this kind of teasing novels but empty of good literature, I have compared syntactic and grammar features with the same characteristics in my favourite kind of novel/ what it is believed to be a master piece of world literature/

These are the elements recounted which were found from a total of ….......... units or sentences of chapter …........

list of elements and numbered notes (if you din't do it before),

Therefore, my research seems to/ does not seem to confirm our hypothesis.

Name

Place and date

NOTES

copy a selection of examples from the novel in italics.

Proyecto final de máster: "Vídeo en el aula"

Hola de nuevo, Mingo.

¡Gracias! lo postearé.

Te envió al final del mensaje un texto explicativo sobre mi proyecto. Te agradezco mucho el que hagas difusión, de verdad.

Por lo demás, no conozco ningún curso como el que dices, aunque compañeros del máster han planteado proyectos similares pero utilizando Twitter. La verdad es que las nuevas tecnologías dan mucho juego, se pueden hacer muchas cosas. Lo que no sé es cuántas personas pueden hablar a la vez por skype, en caso de que planteeis un curso en grupo.

Saludos,
Vanessa


****************
Soy Vanessa Ramírez , licenciada en Bellas Artes, aficionada al cómic, la música y el cine, y disfruto trabajando con niños y adultos en aquello que tenga que ver con la expresión y la comunicación.

Actualmente estoy realizando el Proyecto final del Máster en Educación y TIC de la UOC, que consiste en una plataforma colaborativa virtual para potenciar el uso didáctico del vídeo en el aula, de forma que:

• se potencie la visión crítica respecto las imágenes, reflexionando sobre lo que nos dicen y cómo se pueden usar.
• se estimule la expresión y comunicación de ideas y pensamientos en el aula.
• se trabajen contenidos de diferentes materias, ayudando en la práctica docente y estimulando la participación de los alumnos.

Por otra parte, el proyecto pretende aprovechar las interacciones que hacen posible las TIC en sus diferentes vertientes (comunicativa, informativa, etc) con tal de que los docentes interesados en el uso didáctico del vídeo puedan compartir experiencias, hacer preguntas relacionadas, buscar propuestas y recursos, inspirarse en otros trabajos...

La plataforma, realizada con la colaboración de la Asociación Espiral, es la siguiente: http://videoenelaula.wordpress.com/

Me gustaría animaros a participar en ella, para que pueda ser útil y enriquecedora. Podeis hacerlo de diversas formas, explicadas aquí.


¡Muchas gracias!


Vanessa Ramírez León
http://about.me/vanerale

***********

2011/11/30 Vanessa Ramírez <vanerale@gmail.com>
¡Gracias Mingo! te envío el link al post sobre Livescripts:

http://videoenelaula.wordpress.com/2011/11/28/livescripts/

Si te puedo ayudar en algo, aquí estoy.

¡Saludos!

Vanessa

The Young Ones - Demolition transcripts

While you can find all transcripts from The Young Ones in http://www.ratman.biz/archive/young_ones/index.html, I went to the trouble of picking up this one and cutting down the fourteen original pages to simply four just by taking off everything except characters's innitials, dialogues and organizing the text in three columns with a 10'5 type size. I usually print it out on both sides of a DIN A3 sheet of paper and ask my  students to fold it up in half which gives the appearance of a magazine. I might have saved you about an hour and a half of work, but reading it like this should be more appealing for everybody. Now it is easier to drum up a few comprehension questions if you want to, or simply enjoy reading and watching it.

Students are expected to read through them on weekends and we watch a fragment of the tv series  the last ten or fifteen minutes of one of the classes of the next week. We believe it is a funny way to improve listening skills which students are likely to keep up even after they have finished their courses because it should be pleasant.


Often, the general population of countries not dubbing foreign movies are said to have better listening and speaking skills in FL. In some cases, like Sweden or Holland, such improvement may be due to other deeper structural reasons like high GDP, a reduced demography, an effective educational system, more similar germanic roots, etc... but some other cases, like Portugal or Greece, watching movies in original version looks like the only linguistic resource to justify such a practical command of a foreign language.

So enjoy reading it.

Karaoke -for FLT purposes

A student suggested we could either agree to drop by Pub Dainzu or book this multi-purpose joint for a karaoke session. I've been giving it some thought and concluded it might well be one of the coolest and most unforgettable experiences in our course if properly tackled.

Karaoke involves READING, LISTENING and SPEAKING skills; besides, it connects directly with EOI syllabus' objectives of fostering autonomous learners and long-life education, that is, your willingness to keep studing a foreign language after you have obtained your certificate with appealing and effective activities like this one. Moreover, a GRAMMAR and PHONOLOGICAL test based on lyrics chosen would be a requirement -prior to the fun and merry- with the usual 65 % passing mark as a pre-condition to the singing and dancing.

This is the way to proceed:

1. The class delegate or any other student will collect the entrance fee from a minimum of 15 students per class and keep those funds until further notice,

2. Students will organize themselves in groups and select a number of songs from this collection, they will provide the trainer with a list of groups, components and titles selected.

3. We will pick up one song from group and trainer will create a GRAMMAR exam with the lyrics by erasing rhymes and some of the words -just like in our coursebook section Use of English.

4. if students pass that exam, they will still have to pass the test of a short and general rehearsal in our classroom. If group participation, performance and motivation respond to everybody's expectations, we will then:

5. book Pub Dainzu on a Monday and Tuesday, of December or any other month, from 16:00 to 21:15 and have our classes there including the one-hour session of conversational assistant. Then finally, we would devote the remaining one hour and a half to singing and dancing. Singing and screaming compulsory; choreography, attire and nudity optional -just kidding.

So there you are, my part of the job organizing the event is done so far, now it is up to you guys. I really think this is a fantastic opportunity for everybody to improve their linguistic skills, not only merely pronunciation but also entonation and connected speach. Furthermore, some of you have excellent speaking skills but your voice is too low; a karaoke session should do the trick to turn up your volume and build up your confidence. Not to mention the fact that screaming is psychologically liberating.

Entrance fee right now is 12 E per person for a group of 15 to 25 people and it includes two drinks. We could cut it down if other classes joined us.

***
 
Hi Mingo,

It's me again. I've a proposal to do for English class or at least for English's classmates.

After your advice of trying to speak a little of English every day, I started to try to memorize some English songs that I like, and when I drive or I walk the dog I go singing that I remember. I love to sing, and I also like karaoke, I know it doesn't sound glamorous but I like it :) Then, I tought could be a good experience to go to a karaoke with the classmates and sing English songs, because it's a fanny and motivating way to memorize and speak some sentences.

There is a karaoke in Manresa. Yesterday I called there and I spoke with the manager, he told me that there are two possibilities:

a) Go there after dinner (it's openned on Thursday and Friday also), it's free entrance, we can take some drink and sing.

b) If we are enough people they would close the local for us (on Thursday and maybe Friday), we can negociate the timetable (they can open at time that we prefer), then we can use the local as a rented place, just for us, so we could bring ourself some pizzas or sandwichs or nothing, and negociate a price for drinks ar the local renting, they told me it's not expensive if we are around 40 or more. It's just a possibity.

I don't know what do you think about that, maybe is difficult to carry on, but would be fanny. Even, I've thought it could be a good idea to extend the proposal to other groups of eoi, English groups or not, could be a nice expereience to make a multilingual karaoke, actually you can check the song list and you will find songs in all languages. You can find attached the list of English songs, the karaoke's manager print it for me. And clicking on this link you can check all songs  http://www.dainzu.es/forum/viewforum.php?id=5
Knowing the songs that we will find there everyone could choose which they want to sing and prepare a little bit at home before go there. I could also ask to the karaoke's manager the list for German, French and Italian songs.

Well, take a look if you want and let me know what do dou think about that.

Have a nice weekend.

Guided Debate on Gender Parity

Institution.........................................................Date..........................

GUIDED DEBATE ON GENDER PARITY

Group Components Self-evaluation Evaluation-Coordianator
Name....................................................................... individual report …............................
                                                                                            individual interaction.........................
Name........................................................... …..................
Name........................................................... ….................. Group mark …..............................
Name.......................................................... …..................
Name.......................................................... …..................

A. POSITIONING PHASE. Write down the names of the components of your group and pick up a moderator. Choose among these statements, change whatever you need or use the blank lines to include your own opinion. Point out your mates's position and define whether you all share the same stand or there are different opposing teams; if possible, in one single round of words.
….......................................................................................................... (10 minutes).

• It is better to acquire a good education and job before compromising with anybody, that way, I could pick up a partner without prejudices. After all, lust wears down and only affection and affinity with yours remain.

 

• Better getting a wealthy partner who supports me. After all, lust wears down and only material things remain -”Diamonds are a girl's best friend” like the song goes.

• Sex is necessary for pleasure, affection, reproduction and spiritual progress.

• Sex is only to be practiced in marriage.

• Men and women should have the same rights; and perceive the same salary for the same job.

• The state should aid maternity and paternity as it is done in nordic and central-european countries.

• Women have been motors of technical and social evolution of humanity in the past.

• Women's share in the course of history, politics and science has been obviously forgotten.
• Women's share in the course of history, politics and science has been obviously secondary.

• Women enbody evil and temptation just like the Genesis describes it which confirms their role submitted to men.

…...............................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................
…...............................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
…..............................................................................................................................................

B. DISCUSSION PHASE. Give reasons from articles, statistics or personal experiences to justify your opinion. Mention the group components you agree with and defend yourself/yourselves of the oposed views in about three rounds of words. If you are asked to clear up any point, do so. Otherwise, write down your reply and wait your turn without monopolizing the conversation or talking in circles. Summarize everybody's stands and jot them down.
….................................................................................. (20 minutes).

• Women have had an extremely important historical protagonism that has not been socially recognized from the Agricultural Revolution of Neolithic to their capacity of physical work during the World Wars.

• Despite women progressively joining the work market in fields like education, health, public administration, politics, etc... publicity keeps abusing of her image for her sexual appeal.

• Women have been motors of social revolutions like in the first Christian communities -and Catars afterwards- during the French Revolution and the Unions movement that have been silenced.

• History is written by winners.

• Madame Curie has been the only person to win two Nobel Prizes.

• The Patriarchal monotheism -Judaism, Christianims and Islam- have been responsable for limiting women's roles in social and public life.

• Women's reproductive function confirms their role as housewives.

• This aspect and their work absentism justify their lesser earnings for the same job.

• Unemployment would finish if women worked at home.

• Men and women have been equally victims of the same oligarchic political and economic system.

…...............................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
…...............................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................
…...............................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................
…...............................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................
…...............................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................
…...............................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................
…...............................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................
…..............................................................................................................................................

C. CONCLUSIONS PHASE. By turns and briefly, define what is your stand at the end of the debate, whether the same or different regarding the beginning and the reasons to keep or change your mind. Summarize as well your mates's conclusions....................... (15 minutes).
 

• We all share the same point of view.
• There are different opinions in our group.
• Mostly, we thinkg that ..............................................................................................................

…...............................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................
…...............................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................
….............................................................................................................................................

• There are two groups;

 1st view ...................................................................................................................................
2nd view....................................................................................................................................

• We have all kept our opinion,

• Some people have changed their minds by the end of the debate,

• If Eva's original sin meant women's submission to men, the acknowledgement of the sacred character of human sexuality could bring about the redemption of humanity as well as the overcoming of our crisis of ideologies and markets.

• The treatment of women -maternity, paternity and education- is the key for a real social justice for women and men alike.

…...............................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
…...............................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................
…...............................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................
…...............................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................
…...............................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................
…...............................................................................................................................................
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…...............................................................................................................................................
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…...............................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................
…...............................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................
…...............................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................
…...............................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................

References
Eisler (1987) The Chalice and the Blade. Our History; Our Future. New York: Harper Collins.
Anderson-Zirsser (2009) Historia de las mujeres. Barcelona: Editorial Crítica.

Unconscious Dynamics of Gender Parity -Slides' transcript.

[2] [3]
They say women are such chatter-boxes,
three times more than men, to be precise.
[4]
No wonder some authors attribute to women a higher protagonism in the creation of Language as a result of interacting with their off-springs,
[5]
which implies higher conceptual and abstract thinking capabilities than their mates,
[6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]
In fact, who do we attribute agriculture? Who usually cooks, sews, educates, heals..?
[14] [15]
It is common knowledge that girls madure and enter puberty before boys do;
and this pattern could be applied to human evolution as a whole;
[16] [17] [18] [19]
which suggests a well-defined role division for each gender,
with men more especialized in defending the clan,
just like other primates show – gorillas for example.
Archaelogical remains and mythological accounts seem to confirm a long period of time
with a certain sexual parity in social structures,
[20] [21] [22][23]
the paintings of hands and vaginas, thousands of venus found all over the world,
the femenine or dualistic character of megalithic constructions,
[24] [25]
Finally, these less sexist agricultural communities were conquered by bands of cattle breeders, refugees, dispossessed and mercenaries with patriarchal structures and their martial revengeful god,
[26] [27]
the Herew tribes described in the Bible could be an example, like Arians, Hitittes, Vandals...
spreading an ideology and morality that has reached our days,
[28] [29] [30] [31]
Eve and Pandora may have been accused of causing all our disgraces...
...but in the last 3000 years, men have proved to be as secretive, mean and cruel
as the stererotyped witches or harpies,
[32] [33] [34] [35] [36] [37] [38]
Women are recently asking for equality of rights; but in a historical perspective that could go back in time thousands of years, it looks more like men striving to show the same abstract thinking skills -with which women were first endowedwith
accomplishments like the Industrial Revolution, the arms race or the space program.
[39] [40] [41]
And however paradoxical it might seems, this one could be the unconscious dynamics of
sexual inequality in so many cultures and times:
proving gender parity.
[42] [43]
Today, obviously gender does not determine skills or attitudes,
we all, men and women, can almost do any thing,
[44] [45] [46] [47] [48] [49] [50] [51]
we have completed a cycle that started thousands of years ago,
where are we going now?

Sex and the City - Pilot Episode- transcripts

While you can find all transcripts from Sex in the City in http://www.satctranscripts.com, I went to the trouble of picking up this one and cutting down the fourteen original pages to simply four just by taking off everything except characters's innitials, dialogues and organizing the text in three columns with a 10'5 type size. I usually print it out on both sides of a DIN A3 sheet of paper and ask my  students to fold it up in half which gives the appearance of a magazine. I might have saved you about an hour and a half of work, but reading it like this should be more appealing for everybody. Now it is easier to drum up a few comprehension questions if you want to, or simply enjoy reading and watching it.

Students are expected to read through them on weekends and we watch a fragment of the tv series  the last ten or fifteen minutes of one of the classes of the next week. We believe it is a funny way to improve listening skills which students are likely to keep up even after they have finished their courses because it should be pleasant.


Often, the general population of countries not dubbing foreign movies are said to have better listening and speaking skills in FL. In some cases, like Sweden or Holland, such improvement may be due to other deeper structural reasons like high GDP, a reduced demography, an effective educational system, more similar germanic roots, etc... but some other cases, like Portugal or Greece, watching movies in original version looks like the only linguistic resource to justify such a practical command of a foreign language.

So enjoy your reading.