That's What They Say

I found a great show from Michigan Public Radio called, "That's What They Say," and it's with University of Michigan professor Ann Cruzan. Lots of great segments on langauge, so check it out here.

Quantifiers

This is from one of my favorite sites, xkcd.com. There's a lot of good stuff about language, and this image perfectly sums up quantifiers.



As I always say to my students, language isn't black and white!

So funny!

This is one of the funniest posts I've read on an ELT blog.

Northern Cities Vowel Shift

I have pretty much been obsessed with the Northern Cities Vowel Shift since I went to college and all of my friends from other places (ahem, Tom) highlighted how my Michigander friends and I said his name ("Tam"), as well as many other words, "weirdly." 

Here's a summed up version of this phenomenon from Slate. While it's mainstream and doesn't get into much detail, I wanted to share because, well, I love reading about NCVS. Also love the picture at the beginning of the article:



DA Bears....

Service-Learning Conference Abstract

I would like to share the abstract for the conference at which I will be presenting in October. I am assisting Dr. Elizabeth Cameron (Professor of Business Administration), Dr. Peggy Thelen (Associate Professor of Education), and Ms. Anne Ritz (Coordinator of Service Learning), all of whom are from Alma College.

     Theme:   Service-Learning

     Proposal Type:  Panel Discussion

Presentation Title:  A Collaboration in the Pursuit of Civic Engagement through Service Learning

     Abstract:

This panel will explain unique collaborative programs between the Alma Community and Alma College.  The panelists will discuss cross-disciplinary collaborations with the Alma Public Schools and the powerful learning experiences of college students and elementary students.  The panelists will discuss the unique experience of blending college education majors with business majors to provide an innovative impact on our community.  This discussion will provide models from Alma College programs that have successfully turned theory into practice.  The panelists will provide examples of service learning projects, both domestic and international, from a variety of disciplines including: Spanish, Sociology, Communications, Chemistry, Business, Education, and Political Science.  The panelists bring extensive applied experience in service learning and civic engagement.  The presenters will discuss the achievements and challenges of many service learning projects.

As an undergraduate student, I went on a service-learning trip through Alma College (I attended the University of Michigan) to Quito, Ecuador, and I will be discussing my experience as an undergraduate participant. When I volunteered, I not only had the opportunity to learn how to speak Spanish, but I also worked at an after school program, where I taught English lessons, assisted with homework, created crafts, served snacks and dinner, among other responsibilities. It was a wonderful experience which solidified my decision to become a teacher of English, so I look forward to sharing at this conference.

Pinterest

It's a fact: I'm obsessed with Pinterest. I love it for decorating, clothing, food, hair, and crafting ideas; but I also love it for teaching ideas. There are an abundance of teaching ideas on the internet, which can be daunting to sift through. However, looking through Pinterest is fun (right?!?!), so it doesn't seem like "work," when looking for new teaching ideas. For ESL teaching, I sometimes gloss over the non-language learning material on other websites, but when it's on Pinterest, it is totally relevant to my teaching (I realize this is all mental and only because I love the site so much).

I just found a link (from Pinterest, of course) that has great ideas for using foldables in reading, social studies, language arts, and math. Some of my favorite pre-, during, and post-reading activities are also on here, and I admit, I never thought about using foldables for old standbys, such as "Somebody, Wanted, But, So" and "Know, Want to know, Learned (KWL)." ESL teachers could also use these for verbs (present, past, participle) in grammar class. The possibilities are endless. I'm here on Pinterest, with lots of boards, which I add to daily!

I have a couple days away from the office before I am back for planning week. Before I know it, students will be back on campus, and I will be back in the classroom. But not before a small (and deserved, if I do say so myself) break.

Teaching is worth it

Despite the endless hours spent grading, whining, and repeating (over and over and over) the directions, one student gives a token of his/her appreciation, and I remember how much I love what I do and how special teaching is.


This is a magnet I received from a very special student who is a hard worker, bright, and determined to succeed. It's the little things in life that help me remember to keep going.  Thanks!