Forums: I need to learn how to administrate them!

Have you ever participated in forums?
I’ve visited some forums but only when I need some information about web programs. For example, before downloading any program from the web, I first check in forums what people thinks about it and I can know, in advance, the different problems I may encounter with the program I need.
What about using forums in our classes?
I know that forums can be used in the ESL class. I know it could be a good strategy for my students to use forums as they can share and talk about anything!
But I am not ready to administrate any forum. I am new with computers and all the internet features. I know I need to know about forums to provide my students with new strategies to use during their learning.
I guess I’ll have to spend summer in front of the computer!
Forums… They shouldn’t be THAT difficult… right?

Giving classes in the computer lab

Everything can happen…

Who is afraid of giving classes in the computer lab? There are thousands of teachers who feel afraid of these experiences (including me), why? These are some of the reasons I've listen to:

• The students have better computer skills than me: what if they have a question I cannot answer?


• The students break some equipment


• There are no enough computers so the ones who have no access to the equipment just loose their time


• The students were not working! Or even worse, they were playing games or searching for porn


• I cannot see what they are doing and I cannot control their work…

These are the common fears I’ve heard from teachers. I used to be very worried about taking my students to the lab but not anymore. I believe that these situations can happen in any class and not only in the computer lab. In any class, a student can ask for things we have not idea how to answer, they can break school property, they may have no material and be wasting their time. There are always students who are not working but doing something else and we, as teachers, cannot really control everything they do!
We must be ready for anything… Everything can happen! I believe that the best solution is to well prepare our classes knowing that they will not be perfect (we must be flexible!) We must think about our students and try to prevent different circumstances that could present.
What do you think?

Laval University is so expensive! I mean, for me...

Hey guys check the article « Controverse autour des Français étudiant en anglais au Québec » published by Le Soleil last Friday :

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20080328/CPSOLEIL/80328147/5019/CPSOLEIL

I really envy all French who pay so little money to study in Québec! They pay as if they were Québécois:

« Les frais des études dans les universités anglophones McGill et Concordia de Montréal sont de l'ordre de 3000 $ par an pour les Québécois et les Français, de 6000 $ pour les Canadiens non québécois et de 13 000 $ pour les étudiants étrangers. »

And it is the same story here at Laval University, the HUGE difference (which, by the way, shocked me!) is that they can pass their exams in French even though they are taught in English… I did not know that! Did you? That is awesome! I mean, for someone like me whose mother tongue is Spanish and second English, French is kinda difficult…

They are very lucky! They should give the same rights to Mexicans… Don’t you think? lol! Yeah, they should let us pay as Québécois and pass the exams in Spanish... Ahhh the perfect world.
What do you think?

«Moi j'apprends in english»

Hey! Do you have 5 minutes?
Check the article « Une éducation en anglais au bout du fil »

http://www.ledevoir.com/2008/03/26/182183.html

I actually do not see the point of criticizing the campaign. Actually, I found its slogan «Moi j'apprends in english» funny. It is true that it is using both languages but... come on! Don't we have something better to do? I mean, we know that Mme Malavoy looks for the respect of French and I do too! I believe French is a beautiful language that must be respected and loved but I really do not believe that the commission is being disrespectful in any way by using the slogan.
But well, none of these languages are my mother tongue. Maybe you have another point of view…
What do you think?
By the way, the only problem with the slogan is that English must be written with capital letter. That's disrespectful I'd say! ;)

Bullying at school

Watch the next video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Wcx2qM5C4g&feature=related

This happens everyday!
What is going on in schools? I really feel so bad for all those kids who are abused at school.
I am getting prepare to become a teacher but I am so afraid of not knowing how to react if I know my students are being abused. I know the first reaction would be to go to the principal’s office but it is not always the correct answer… Sometimes the result can be even worse…

English English and more English...

Be careful Quebec!

I was in a class last Thursday and someone came up with the fact of teaching English since first grade elementary. To my surprise, there were a lot (when I say a lot I mean at least 20 students out of 60, but 20 of us did not give any vote, so it was about a third of the class) who were against it! There were some people who even said that English should not be taught but after third grade... WOW!
It looks like I won't have a job teaching English in Quebec... lol
Seriously, I believe this is a very delicate topic, I could not believe the reasons why people is against the "enseignement de l'anglais" they say that children will get confuse having English and French classes, that they are not mature enough to learn a second language...
As a teacher, I know that we do not start teaching a language with grammar structures or complex language features so I personally do not believe that students would get confused with the two languages but I heard that it is what the new studies show... (mmm... What studies? Who said that?)
What do you think? Are you in pro or against? I really find it very interesting!

Exploring the Web

Well...
I am discovering all this world of computers, internet, blogs and stuff...
I know I know! I am late! But I'm there now, ok?
If you feel lost (like me) in this new web world you may want to check out the next page...
http://www.freevlog.org/