Let's blog

Our blog will include fun and interesting activities, readings and exercises from the Internet that you can do at home when you feel like it (= quando te apetecer). You can also send me your suggestions of activities! I will publish them on this page.

So. . . when you have a suggestion, or something you would like to tell us, please click on the email icon on the right (the bottle). Don't forget to start your message with "Hello" or "Hi" and to include your name and class (7A, 7B, 7C) at the end! I will not publish anonymous messages!

Remember: We are in this together!

With your participation, this blog can be great fun!

Send in you first message right away and I will put it on this page immediately!

Let's blog!

Interesting pages

Jogo do 24 Photos: 1+2, 3+4, 5+6

Intriguing page

Student work

Student Recipes (9th grade, 2001-02)

Blog archives

first activity:

'Decode' my message!

Find the "mystery words" behind the symbols (top left)!

The first student to send me a message with the correct words

will get a prize next class! Get to work!! Hurry up!!!

Hi, kids!

I returned from the Algarve this afternoon after a fabulous seventeen days lazying around, sitting in the sun, swimming in the pool and at the beach, walking, reading and eating very well.

I was very amazed at the increase of 150 visits to our blog during this period. I was also very happy with a recent message from an elementary school teacher-colleague in Chicago, Alberto Delgado, showing interest in our blog. He has a link to it, in my name, in his Edblogger Praxis under EFL/ESL Link List, Aug. 20, 2003. This is the second link we have to our blog. Isn't it exciting that other people in the education world are interested in what we are doing? Aren't you proud? I am!

I have updated our blog with the latest messages received during this short vacation: from Graham Stanley and Alberto Delgado, my colleagues, and from Catarina (your colleague), who has been in regular contact with me all summer. Catarina, thank you all your nice messages and for thinking of me. And 'thank you' to Ana Cláudia and Ariana! It is nice to have students who do not forget us even on vacation. Isn't it interesting that these bloggers are all girls and all from 7C? Hurrah for the girls!

Hey, boys, where are you and what have you been doing all summer? How about some messages telling us what is going on with you?

Well, I am going away for a few more days, but will be back on Sep 1 with news about what I visited in the North.

In the meantime, enjoy your last three weeks of holidays!

23Aug03

Subject: Invitation to my TypePad Weblog

Teresa,

I'd like to invite you to be a guest author on the TypePad weblog,
EdBlogger Praxis. Just follow the instructions in this email message,
and you'll be able to quickly sign up for the service and post within
minutes.

I have posted your site on this blog. If you have a chance, post a
message, a note, an update, a link regarding your site and its use as
an educational tool .

Hoping you have a very good year.

Al Delgado

Click on the URL below to accept or decline this invitation:

https://www.typepad.com/t/app?__mode=invite&session_id=4b69cdac409b91d0a519d531935f59dc

Albert Delgado

23Aug03

This is what I posted in Alberto's weblog.

Subject: Teacher-Student EFL blog

Hi Al(berto)!

Thanking for inviting me here as a guest author and for including my teacher-student Let's blog! weblog in your postings.

My aim so far has been for my students to use English outside of class in a carefree way, talking with me and/or colleagues about anything they feel like, and making natural and normal mistakes without the interference of corrections, just for the sake of extra practice without any curriculum restrictions so to say.

I decided to try out a weblog after reading Aaron Campbell's paper. I especially liked the idea of a teacher-student blog and and how it could prolong interaction outside of class, maybe in a less inhibited way for some through writing and far from the eyes and ears of peers.

In terms of second/foreign language acquisition, my hope is to help my students
- realize the importance of learning another language, especially an international language such as English through which they can talk with most anybody all over the world;
- gradually feel more comfortable with the language they are learning; and,
- accept the fact that mistakes come with the territory: it isn't a shame to make mistakes, it is a natural part of the learning process.

Best wishes,

Teresa Almeida d'Eça

24Aug03

Subject: I was wondering about your use of weblogs in teaching

Hello,

I am collecting models of weblog use in education.
 I was wondering why you chose to use weblogs? 
How does it help second langauge development?
Are you planning to use them for the coming year. 


The models are posted at http://educational.blogs.com/edbloggerpraxis

Al 



Albert Delgado
Teacher
Whittier School
http://www.whittier.cps.k12.il.us

21Aug03

Re: I was wondering about your use of weblogs in teaching

Hi Al!

Thanks you for contacting me, referencing 'Let's blog!' and for your enthusiastic short intro in the edbloggerpraxis page.

My aim so far has been to try and have students use English outside of class in a carefree way talking with me and colleagues about anything they feel like, make natural and normal mistakes without my corrections, just for the sake of extra practice without any curriculum restrictions so to say.

I chose a weblog after reading Aaron Campbell's paper. I especially liked the idea of a teacher-student blog and and how it could prolong interaction outside of class, maybe in a less inhibited way for some - not only thorugh writing, but also far from the eyes and ears of peers. 'Let's blog' has been developing gradually and, if I have the same students in 8th grade, I will certainly continue the experiment.

Most of my 7th grade students visited the blog, but only about half of them made a contribution. I don't know if this can be considered good, bad or acceptable. I guess I was expecting more, but don't we always?! On second thoughts, maybe it's quite good for students who were in their third year of EFL and with little contact with technologies at school or at home.

In terms of second/foreign language acquisition, my hope is to help my students

realize the importance of learning another language, especially an international language such as English through which they can talk with most anybody all over the world;
gradually feel more comfortable with the language they are learning; and,
accept the fact that mistakes come with the territory: it isn't a shame to make mistakes, it is a natural part of the learning process.

Best wishes,

Teresa

23Aug03

Subject: sorry

hi teacther and sorry i don´t have time for writhe for you...but i like my birthday, ariana and monica did ate in my home ....bey bey and kiss for you

catarina menezes

6Aug03

Re: sorry

Dear Catarina,

I'm in the Algarve having a wonderful time out in the sun and at the beach, above all, doing nothing!!!

I'm glad you had a nice birthday with Ariana and Monica. Please say 'hello' to them for me when you see them.

A kiss from your English teacher

12Aug03

Subject: weblogs

Hi Teresa!

I have been e-mailing Barbara Dieu about her weblog too, so now I’m building up quite a lot of information and case studies – I’d like to thank you and her for your help. I have also revised the look of my weblog, so now you’ll find the comment about your weblog here:

http://blog-efl.blogspot.com/2003_07_27_blog-efl_archive.html

This is so you can link to it if you want to.

BTW : Sorry to hear about the terrible fires you are having in Portugal at the moment. My girlfriend and I are going to Lisbon in two weeks time (it’ll be the first time for me in Portugal) for a holiday – we’re really looking forward to it.

Regards

Graham Stanley

6Aug03

Re: weblogs

Dear Graham,

I've been away on holiday so I just read your message today. I know Barbara from the Webheads. BTW, your blog's new look is great!

I'm in the Algarve, but I'll be home for two days on Aug 22 and 23 and then off to the North till Aug 29. After that, it's back to work. If you are in the Lisbon area that first weekend, maybe we could just meet. Or maybe when I get back at the end of the month. My home phone is . . . and my cell phone is . . .

The forest fires have been tragic this year. They're still on. Thank you for your thoughts.

Happy holidays,

Teresa

12Aug03

I will only be posting new content in September, but you can continue sending your messages.

I hope you are all having a nice vacation. The weather has been fabulous for the beach, but it's been a very sad summer with so many horrifying fires all over the country, nine deaths so far and so many people who have lost all their belongings. Let's hope that these tragic times end very soon.

See you in September!

5Aug03

Created on 11Feb2003

Teresa Almeida d'Eça

Visitor no.