New Year's Resolutions (Part 2)

So now that you have a better idea about what a resolution is, let's visit a site that discusses the top ten new year's resolution.

http://pittsburgh.about.com/od/holidays/tp/resolutions.htm

Do you see any one that that you would like to make your own resolution for 2010? If so, tell us! If not, that's ok too. What would your preferred resolution be?

New Year's Resolutions (Part 1)

With 2009 coming to an end and 2010 about to begin, let's think about new year's resolutions. But let's start with something basic. What is a resolution? For more information, visit this link to Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year%27s_resolution

Once you've read through what's there, come back to this blog & write about one fact that you found to be most interesting. Remember to focus on good writing, including correct capitalization, spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure.

Writing - Using a Thesaurus

Have you ever used a thesaurus to find a similar word? Imagine that you're writing a paragraph (or more) about a specific topic, such as "running." However, you feel that you've used the term "running" too much and want to vary your terms. If you'd like some suggestions, a thesaurus is the perfect place to go!

Here's a link to an online thesaurus.
http://thesaurus.reference.com/

Visit that site, type in a word up top, and click "search." The thesaurus will do the word and give you a list of synonyms (similar words). Then, come back here, tell us what word you picked and what results the thesaurus gave.

I'll start!

My word was "run." The thesaurus gave me the following similar terms: abscond, amble, barrel, beat it, bolt, bound. (There were more words listed, but for the purposes of this blog post, you don't need to list them all.)

Now you try!

Word of the Day

I love the Merriam Webster website & its "word of the day" archives. Check out this link (below).

http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/wodcalendar.pl

Once there, scroll through what you see listed as words of the day for November and December (up through today). Pick any 1 word that you don't recognize and click on it. You'll see the word and its definition. (If you want to hear the word pronounced, click the red speaker icon (which looks like this: ). Once you've done that, come back to this blog, post the date that your word was the "word of the day," the word you selected, and its meaning. Here's an example.

Date: November 3, 2009
Word: Regimen
Meaning: a systematic course of treatment or training

Tell me a story - December's edition

Let's have some fun with creative writing! Practice good writing skills and pay close attention to your spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and sentence structure. Tell a short story (4-7 sentences) that use the following items: sunshine, a single yellow daisy, laptop computer, baseball, and chocolate cake. Your story can be serious, funny, mysterious, or just plain silly! I look forward to seeing what you write!

AskOxford.com (Part 2)

If you're a regular blog reader, you probably already know that one of the best ways to improve your writing is not to try too hard to use big, fancy words! Almost always, simpler is better! In fact, this is another tip for better writing that is on the Oxford website!

Visit the site shown below and review what you see there, especially the 17 items at the bottom about how to keep your writing user friendly. Then, come back here & tell me the one or two tips that you found to be the most important!!!

http://www.askoxford.com/betterwriting/plainenglish/?view=uk

AskOxford.com (Part 1)

You may have heard of the Oxford dictionary. Their website has an area about better writing and has a great section that we'll focus on today about abbreviations and acronyms, especially those that you may see when doing text messaging.

*** Before going on, it's important to note that these abbreviations and acronyms are not appropriate for most writing that you'll do! This blog post is more of a "for your information" type so that you can be aware of what these items mean! ***

Visit this site (http://www.askoxford.com/betterwriting/emoticons/?view=uk) and look over the first part about abbreviations. Then, come back to this blog & tell me what new abbreviations did you learn (and don't forget to include what they mean too!).

Tell me a story - November's edition

This blog hasn't had any fun, creative writing topics in a while, so let's change that now! We'll return to the "tell me a story" theme where I give you a few items that you must somehow weave into your story. Have fun with it and remember to focus on all of those points of good writing: correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, sentence structure, etc.

Your story can take any direction that you want. It can be serious, funny, mysterious, or even based on real-life events!

Here are your items to use: turkey, 4 pencils, a digital camera, and a fishing pole.

Writing: "We Need This Yesterday"

How many times has someone asked you for something and they needed (or wanted) it done immediately? This could happen at work or at home. How do you deal with it? Check out this blog post from the Bad Language site. Then, come back here & let me know if you found it to be interesting & helpful.

http://www.badlanguage.net/we-need-this-yesterday-how-do-you-react

Happy Thanksgiving!

With Thanksgiving approaching, I wanted to take a minute & say "thank you" to all of the blog participants! Without you, there would be no blog! I appreciate you participating, trying new things, and working hard (even when you may be so tired that you don't want to do anything else other than close your eyes).

Please feel free to respond to this and tell everyone what you're thankful for. Remember to write your sentences correctly and pay attention to your spelling, capitalization, and punctuation!

Improve Your Writing By Learning Another Language!

Would you believe me if I told you that you can improve your writing by learning another language? It seems counter-intuitive, doesn't it? Well, check out this list of 10 reasons why this is true.

http://www.badlanguage.net/ten-reasons-why-learning-another-language-will-improve-your-writing

Which of the 10 tips did you find most interesting?

The Best Time to Write

Have you ever wondered when is the best time to write? Check out these 6 suggestions from the "Bad Language" site by clicking here. After you've had a chance to read that, come back here & tell me what you found most appealing!

Customer Service

As we approach a busy holiday season we become more aware of customer service skills offered by employees in all organizations (department stores, supermarkets, restaurants and businesses). It seems as most people tend to "stress out" during the season, which tends to bring about bad customer service experiences.

Last month (October 20th) we shared "10 important customer service words" that we should consider using. Today, we would like to share a two and a half minute movie that covers customer service.

Please watch the movie and share your thoughts (post your commment) on it. Did you like the movie? Can you think of ways to possibly provide better customer service in the future? Can you imagine being a better customer when you have to wait in a long line? Even if you do not deal with customers in your workplace, do you provide good (internal) customer service to your fellow co-workers? supervisor?

http://www.stservicemovie.com/index.html

Writing - Clichés

Have you heard of the term "cliché" before? Wikipedia defines it as "a saying, expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, rendering it a stereotype, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel."

BBC Magazine had a list of 50 office-speak phrases (clichés) that you love to hate. Check out the list by clicking here. In each of the examples, you will see the cliché shown in bold text. Which ones, if any, do you use? Which ones, if any, were new to you? Try to identify 2 items for each of those questions.

---

(Please note that British words may have slightly different spellings than their American counterparts. For example, on that BBC magazine page for item #32, you will see the word "realised" used. In America, we would write that as "realized.")

Better Business Writing

In my search to bring you some good information about business writing, I came across a website called Bad Language (http://www.badlanguage.net/). In case you're wondering, it doesn't mean "bad language" as in curse words.

What drew my attention to that site was that there is a free e-book that you can either read online or print. It's called "30 Days to Better Business Writing." I'd like for you to visit that site and go to page 2 of the book, which is the table of contents. Look at the topics presented for each of the 30 days. Pick one that jumps out at you and go read that section. Then, report back on what section you picked (including what day number to which it corresponds). Tell us what you learned or found interesting.

I'll start!

Day 7: Analyze Bad Writing
I liked how it gave seven characteristics of bad writing. These are things that I'm going to try to stay away from doing when I write!

Writing & Social Networking (Part 2)

Let's talk more about social networking & social media sites. Check out the image below & review those important points.


Look at the third point listed! It says "You are what you publish on the web (so be cautious of your image!)." Remember that your writing reflects you! Good writing skills, including correct capitalization, spelling, and punctuation, are so important and should never be overlooked!

Do you agree? If you were an employer and saw a potential employee who had massive amounts of misspellings and other grammatical problems on a social networking site, what would you think?

Writing & Social Networking (Part 1)

Have you heard of the term "social networking" before? Do you use any social networking sites, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, or MySpace? Believe it or not, employers and schools might be looking at this information that you have online. Even your writing on there is important and is a chance to look professional!

Want to know more about social networking, what it is, and how it works? Check out this short Common Craft video for a great explanation!

http://www.commoncraft.com/video-social-networking

After you've viewed the video, come back here & post your thoughts on it!

Spelling & Resumes (Part 2)

Yesterday's blog post talked about how bad a misspelling on a resume can be.  Have you wondered what are the most common misspelled words on resumes?  If so, check out these links!

http://www.pongoresume.com/blogPosts/111/top-100-misspelled-words-in-resumes.cfm

http://www.oet.ky.gov/des/vws/resume/commonly_misspelled_words.asp

After visiting the second link shown above, which 5 words jumped out at you?  (HINT: A great way to learn the spelling of commonly misspelled words is to use a flashcard & to study it a few times a day.  Read the word out loud & then spell it, letter-by-letter.  If you do that 3-4 times a day, for 5-7 days, you will start to know that word by memory & be less likely to misspell it in the future!)

Spelling & Resumes (Part 1)

Do you know where the worst place (or one of the worst places) for a spelling mistake is? In my opinion, I'd say on a resume! Think about it: you're trying to put your best foot forward and to show a potential employer why they should hire you (and not someone else). A spelling mistake can jump out at a hiring manager and make him or her wonder if you didn't know how to spell the word or, possibly worse, if you didn't care enough to proofread your resume!

Check out this link with resume tips.

http://www.resumesandcoverletters.com/tips_blog/2008/07/typos-and-misspellings-a-top-p.html

Of the 6 tips listed at the bottom, which one (or ones) did you find to be the most important?

Reading & Writing

Yesterday's blog post (http://elearningbroward.blogspot.com/2009/10/how-to-be-good-writer.html) gave you a link to a website that listed 15 steps that could help you become a good writer (or an even better writer than you are now)! The second step listed was to read more!

The Internet is home to so many great sites that you can read and some of my favorites are for newspapers. Why do I love the online versions of newspapers? Each day (and sometimes multiple times within one particular day) there are new stories to read and almost every subject is covered: politics, technology, entertainment, restaurants/cooking, real estate, health/wellness, and more! Everyone should read for at least 30 minutes each day and I find that the easiest (and cheapest) way to do that is to visit online websites for newspapers. A few links for you are below.

Miami Herald: http://www.miamiherald.com/
Sun-Sentinel: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Palm Beach Post: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/
Treasure Coast News: http://www.tcpalm.com/
Orlando Sentinel: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/
New York Times: http://nytimes.com/

Pick one (or two) of these sites and make it a "Favorite" or a "Bookmark" in your browser. Commit to visiting that site daily and reading there for 30 minutes!

Which site (or sites) did you pick?

How to Be a Good Writer

Would you like to be a good writer? Check out the 15 tips given on this website: http://www.wikihow.com/Be-a-Good-Writer. Out of those 15 tips, which one (or ones) do you currently do now? Which one (or ones) will you try to do in the future? Please post those thoughts in response to this topic so we can see them!

Did you notice that much of what those tips covered (writing a lot, reading a lot, using good spelling and grammar, etc.) are all things that have been covered on this blog?! That's no coincidence!

Customer Service, Customer Service, Customer Service

In almost every position, good customer service is invaluable. Whether you are a doctor, teacher, attorney, administrative assistant, clerk, technology representative, hair dresser, sales associate and on and on.....customer service is key! Remember you may not work with outside customers but even your fellow co-workers should/can be considered customers.

Please read these valuable customer service "words" shared by Steve Ventura in the book
Serve Right


TALKING YOUR WAY TO BETTER SERVICE

The 10 important words to say:
I apologize for our (my) mistake. Let me make it right.

The 9 important words to say:
Thank you for your business. Please come back again.

The 8 important words to say:
I’m not sure, but I will find out.

The 7 important words to say:
What else can I do for you?

The 6 important words to say:
What is most convenient for you?

The 5 important words to say:
How may I serve you?

The 4 important words to say:
How did we (I) do?

The 3 important words to say:
Glad you’re here!

The 2 important words to say:
Thank you.

The 1 important word to say:
Yes.

Share your comments on these customer service "words". What words work for you or have worked "on" you?

Inspirational Quotes

As we come to the end of our semester, we should reflect on our accomplishments and consider our long or short term goals. At times we may need some inspiration to get us to take that next step or keep the momentum going.

Please take 3 minutes and watch this inspirational movie below (click on link)

http://www.simpletruths.tv/movies.php?movie=GQGL

Once you have completed watching the movie please share your comments to the following questions: Did you enjoy the movie, Did any of quotes inspire you? Would you share this movie with someone else? Is it nice to know you can inspire yourself with a quick movie link at your fingertips?

Lastly, do you have a favorite quote you would like to share with us? If it is in a different language you can share it and translate it for us!

eLearning Blog - A Look Back (Part 13)

During December 2008, there was a big emphasis on prefixes. Many, many common words use prefixes and knowing the meaning of some common prefixes can help you figure out the meaning of a word. Take a look at all of the blog posts from December that discussed prefixes. Which two or three prefixes were you least familiar with? Post the prefix, the date it was discussed in the blog, and the meaning of the prefix.

http://elearningbroward.blogspot.com/2008_12_01_archive.html

Enjoy & happy learning!

eLearning Blog - A Look Back (Part 12)

November 2008 had the second highest number of blog topics presented in 2008. Lots of great topics were covered, including different types of sentences (simple, compound, complex), verbs, spelling, and more! Take a look!

http://elearningbroward.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html

Pick any two topics, read through the blog post for each, and then participate in the discussions to practice those skills. Come back & tell us what were the dates & topics you selected!

eLearning Blog - A Look Back (Part 11)

This next set of posts for this week will bring us through the end of blog from 2008!

October 2008 was the most active month in the eLearning blog. There were 30 total topics presented that month which means only one day didn't have a new topic added! Wow! Review what was covered and pick two topics in which to participate. Then come back, tell us the topics & dates of the things about which you blogged!

http://elearningbroward.blogspot.com/2008_10_01_archive.html

eLearning Blog - A Look Back (Part 10)

September 2008 was a good month at the eLearning blog. There were 2 big "series" of posts: using hyphens correctly and problem phrases. However, even outside of those topics, other helpful things were covered! Please visit the September 2008 blog posts, pick one of the "using hyphens correctly" topics, one of the "problem phrases" topics, and one other topic (other than something from either of those two series). Participate in all three of those discussions and then come back here to tell us what you learned!

http://elearningbroward.blogspot.com/2008_09_01_archive.html

:-)

eLearning Blog - A Look Back (Part 9)

During August 2008, the eLearning blog had 18 topics presented. Go check them out!

http://elearningbroward.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html

Next, pick two of them, participate & tell us what you learned!!!

eLearning Blog - A Look Back (Part 8)

Our next stop on the "look back" tour is going to take us to July 2008. Like June 2008, there were 19 different topics covered that month, so you've got a lot to choose from when reviewing what's there! Take a look through the topics, find two that interest you, participate in them, and then come back to report the topic titles and dates of the original blog topics to which you responded (such as "Usage - Who Versus Whom" from July 30th).

http://elearningbroward.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html

Happy blogging!

eLearning Blog - A Look Back (Part 7)

During June of 2008, there were 19 different blog topics discussed. Go take a look, pick 2, participate in them, and come back here to tell us what you learned!!!

http://elearningbroward.blogspot.com/2008_06_01_archive.html

eLearning Blog - A Look Back (Part 6)

In May 2008, the eLearning blog had 14 different topics presented. I'd like you to review them, pick 2 and participate by responding to those topics. Then, come back here, let us know the topics & dates you selected (such as "Don't Confuse Your Homonyms" from May 31, 2008).

http://elearningbroward.blogspot.com/2008_05_01_archive.html

Have fun!

eLearning Blog - A Look Back (Part 5)

Let's take a look back at some of the great topics we've had on this blog!

April 2008 was when it all started! Even though there was only one post that month, it was a nice way to start the blogging experience! I'd like you to visit that topic, read through it, and participate. Then come back here & let us know what you wrote!

http://elearningbroward.blogspot.com/2008_04_01_archive.html

Writing & Typing (Part 3)

Have you ever been asked how many "words per minute" (WPM) you can type? Do you know the answer to that? Here's a website that can tell you!

Visit this link (http://www.typingtest.com/). Once there, you can select what time period you'd like (1, 2, or 3 minutes) and what you'd like to type. (The topic "Astronauts" will be listed first, but you can click that to see a list of other choices, including "Aesop's fables," "Rules of Baseball," or even "Today's Travel Headlines" from the NY Times.)

Once you've completed the timed task, see what your results are in the "Net Speed (WPM)" section. Then come back here, let us know what time period you selected, what topic you picked, and what your overall words per minute rate was. Don't worry - it's not a contest and if you don't have a high WPM, that's ok!

Writing & Typing (Part 2)

When you type, your spacing is important. Without proper spacing, it can be hard for the reader to follow your thoughts and understand your breaks & pauses.

Please visit this site (http://www.geocities.com/clefevre.geo/rules.html) for more information about correct spacing when typing. Of everything listed there, I think the first two items are the most important (and also the ones that you'll need to use the most often).

* All sentences begin with capital letters. Type one space after each word, and after commas and semicolons.

* Type two spaces after each end of sentence punctuation mark (periods, question marks, exclamation points). Type two spaces after colons.

Read over the rest of those typing rules. Then tell me the answers to the following questions. First, did you know about those 2 rules listed above? Secondly, which of those other rules listed on that site did you find interesting?

Writing & Typing (Part 1)

This week, our blog topics will focus on typing. Are you asking "why" we're going to do that? Well, almost everyone will need to type at some point, whether it's for a job or just for playing around on the Internet. Being a fluent typer will make this much easier (and enjoyable) for you!

Knowing how to "touch type" will help you get done typing your words, sentences, paragraphs, and essays faster than being a "hunt and peck" or a "search and peck" typer. But what's the difference? A "touch typer" can type most words without having to look at the keyboard. Instead, that person can focus on the screen. A person who does "hunt and peck" is looking at the keyboard, searching for each particular letter, and typically doing this for every single letter needed in each word. Sometimes this is referred to as being a "two finger typer."

Believe it or not, it's not super hard to learn how to become a touch typer. The most important part, though, is practice, practice, and even more practice!

I'd like you to visit this website: http://www.sense-lang.org/typing/. Look over the tips for success that they give. Then come back to this site, let me know whether you are a "touch typer" or a person who does the "hunt and peck" method. Lastly, tell what tip you found to be the most important!

Letter Writing (Part 6)

The last 5 blog topics have all given you links to different things covered at The Letter Writing Guide site. However, we focused only on a few things: apologies, requesting recommendations, letters of interest, interview thank you notes, and resignations.

Now it's your turn to visit the site and pick something that this blog did not focus on yet! Maybe you want to focus on how to write letters of appeal or maybe even love letters. Please visit The Letter Writing Guide and scroll through all of the various topics there. Pick one that this blog didn't cover, read through the material, and then come back here to tell us what you picked and what you learned about it!

Letter Writing (Part 5)

Well, you wrote a stellar letter of interest that then got you an interview. You followed-up after the interview by sending a thank you letter. What if you get the job? If you're currently employed, you'll need to let your employer know that you're leaving. But how do you write a letter of resignation that's well done?

Check out The Letter Writing Guide for help with this!

http://www.letterwritingguide.com/resignation.htm

Read over what's there and then view the sample letter at the bottom. What did you find to be the most interesting of what was presented about the letter of resignation? Do you think you could write one if you had to do so?

(Remember that you can share any of these blog topics with your family and friends if they're in need of letter writing information!)

Letter Writing (Part 4)

Ok, so let's say that you wrote a great letter of interest and got called for an interview. First of all, give yourself a pat on the back for that! Next, think about how you're going to make another good impression. You may think that your part is over and all you can do is wait. But that would be wrong! Take the time to write a thank you letter after your interview is complete!

Want to know more about what goes in to a good thank you letter? Visit "The Letter Writing Guide" site below.

http://www.letterwritingguide.com/thankyouletters.htm

Once you've read over the things there, be sure to review the sample thank you letter at the bottom. After that, come back to the blog & tell us what you found most important!

Letter Writing (Part 3)

There's so much to love about the letter writing site that we've been exploring (http://www.letterwritingguide.com/). Let's continue this week with a few types of letters that can help you (or someone you know) in the employment arena.

Have you ever heard of a "letter of interest" when it comes to seeking out a particular job? This can serve as your first opportunity to make yourself stand out in a good way!

Check out this site: http://www.letterwritingguide.com/interest.htm. Be sure to carefully read through the information there, including the 5 tips they give you. Then use the link at the bottom to see a sample letter of interest.

After looking over both items, come back to this blog & tell me what you felt was the most important thing that you learned about a letter of interest.

Letter Writing (Part 2)

This letter writing site (http://www.letterwritingguide.com/) has some great resources, so let's continue our exploration of different types of letters.

Many times, you may want (or need) a letter of recommendation. This could be to help you out in the search for new (or better) employment, to start or grow a personal business, to include with a school application, or just to put in your own personal file for future reference.

Check out this link (http://www.letterwritingguide.com/requestingrecommendation.htm). Once you've read through what's there, be sure to click the link at the bottom to look at a sample letter of recommendation.

What did you find to be most important? Have you ever had to ask for a letter of recommendation? If so, from whom did you request it? If not, do you ever see yourself having to ask for one in the future?

Letter Writing (Part 1)

I've been a bad blogger lately. While I had good intentions of doing 1 blog post per day, that just didn't happen last week. It's a good thing that I don't get paid per blog topic, isn't it? Just kidding!

However, this has actually inspired me to do today's blog post about letter writing. In fact, today we'll focus on writing an apology letter! (Yes, this is my way of apologizing for being a bad blogger.)

Visit this site (http://www.letterwritingguide.com/apology.htm). Did you know that there are two types of apology letters that you could do (business and personal/friendly)? Did you learn anything important about each type? Have you ever had to write an apology letter?

Tell me a story - August's edition

Normally, each month begins with a "tell me a story" blog post. This month, it's a little late. But that's ok because it's here now!

Get those creative juices flowing. I'd like you to write a short story (4-7 sentences). Your story must start with the portion of the sentence that I give you below. You can then take your story in any direction from there. Have fun with it, be creative, and focus on all of those good writing things that we've talked about in our blog: planning/pre-writing/brainstorming, subject-verb agreement, correct capitalization, correct punctuation, and more! (It sounds like a lot, but I know you can handle it!)

Ok, are you ready? Here's how you should start your story.

"One hot summer day, a few of the students at the school decided to. . . "

SpellingCity.com (Part 4)

One of my favorite "classic" novels is The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. If you haven't read it, ask for it at a local library and make it your "end-of-summer" reading!

SpellingCity.com has a vocabulary list for this novel that has words that everyone should know (even those who haven't read the book). Your task for today is to visit that word list, pick out 2 words that you don't know, look them up in an online dictionary (found here) and then to post each word & its definition.

The Scarlet Letter vocabulary list can be found by clicking here.

Have fun! :-)

SpellingCity.com (Part 3)

Have you heard of the book "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley? I bet you have & you might have even seen the movie too.

SpellingCity.com has a vocabulary list that goes along with that book. However, even if you haven't read that book or seen the movie, it's chock full of good, important words to know!

Visit the list (http://www.spellingcity.com/view-spelling-list.html?listId=1208624) and pick out 2 words that you either don't know or don't know too well. Then visit an online dictionary site (such as Merriam-Webster) and look up those 2 words. Lastly, come back to the blog, post each word & its definition.

Be sure to check back often to see what words other bloggers have added! This way, we can all learn from each other!

SpellingCity.com (Part 2)

If you didn't yet review yesterday's blog post about the SpellingCity.com site, please do so before going any further. (You'll definitely want to go over the words first!)

Today, we're going back to SpellingCity.com, but this time, it's to play a spelling game. How fun is that?!

Visit this link (http://www.spellingcity.com/which-word-best-completes-the-sentence.html), play the "Which Word" game, and then report back on how you did!

SpellingCity.com

I love finding new websites that have helpful things and this one, SpellingCity.com, is very neat! Check out this part (http://www.spellingcity.com/view-spelling-list.html?listId=1044081). There you will find some "sound alike" words (also known as homonyms or homophones). View the list of 37 sound alike words. (If you don't know the meaning of some of them, be sure to visit an online dictionary like M-W.com to look them up!)

Tell me the"sound alike" words that you found most interesting & explain what they mean.

I found #19 (mall) and #20 (maul) to be interesting. The first one (mall) is a place where you'd go to shop. The second one (maul) means to be bitten or attacked by something (like a dog).

Now it's your turn!

Writing and Spelling

The whole point of writing is to get your purpose across to the reader (or readers). However, spelling errors (even small ones) can jump out at your reader and begin to pull the focus off of your ideas. We all make spelling mistakes, but the less of them you make and the more often you catch them, the better your writing will be.

Check out this fun spelling game called "SpellaRoo" and challenge yourself!

Click on this link (http://www.funbrain.com/spellroo/index.html) and then select the "beginner" or "intermediate" level. Each game will give you 10 turns. Play it and then report how you did! Was it enjoyable? Is that a site you'd share with anyone else (family, friend, co-worker)?

Essay Writing Online Workshop

If you're an active participant or even just an active reader of this eLearning blog, you know that writing is a super important skill. Come learn even more about essay writing, including how you can quickly & easily make a great, well-organized essay. Wednesday (8/12/09) will be essay writing day with 2 live online workshops to go over this topic!

Don't miss out! Attend the morning (11:15am) or evening (9:15pm) session by using the link below.

https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?sid=613&password=M.653D55F283174376BB1D5DEDEEB09A

Be sure your computer has working speakers and they're turned "on" so you can hear the presenter!

Will you be there?

Technology & Internet Terms (Part 4)

One of my new favorite sites is Common Craft because they have short animated video clips about different topics "in plain English," meaning that the explanations are simple & understandable. How many times have you tried to learn about something only to have the explanation confuse you even more? Well, that won't be the case with Common Craft!

When you visit that site, click the link to "Browse Videos" (on the left side). You'll then see some different categories listed (where the bottom one on the left is "technology"). Make sure that technology one is selected and check out some of the 15 topics listed! Each video is short, so if you only had 5 minutes, you can probably watch 2 or 3 of them!

Once you've watched 1 or more, come back here & report which one (or ones) you watched and what you thought!

http://www.commoncraft.com/

Technology & Internet Terms (Part 3)

Our next technology & Internet term is "podcast." According to Wikipedia's definition, "a podcast is a series of digital computer files, usually either digital audio or video, that is released periodically and made available for download by means of web syndication." Although it may seem like podcasts need to be played on an ipod, that's not the case! If you have a computer that can process digital audio/video files, you can play podcasts on that!

Check out this great video called "Podcasting in Plain English."
http://www.commoncraft.com/podcasting

Please note that some podcasts are available for download for free. Others may cost money.

Visit this site for the opportunity to check out more podcasts that are ready for download. Once there, be sure to look at the "Podcast Directory" on the right for some great categories such as art, comedy & humor, cooking, fashion, hobbies, sports, travel, and more!

http://www.digitalpodcast.com/


Prior to this blog post, did you know about podcasting? What did you think about the "Podcasting in Plain English" video?

Technology & Internet Terms (Part 2)

The next technology & Internet term we'll examine is "Twitter." This is a method of communication that's growing in popularity. Did you know that some celebrities like Oprah, Anderson Cooper (from CNN) and comedian Kathy Griffin all use Twitter?

According to Wikipedia's definition, "Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author's profile page and delivered to the author's subscribers who are known as followers. Senders can restrict delivery to those in their circle of friends or, by default, allow open access. Users can send and receive tweets via the Twitter website, Short Message Service (SMS) or external applications. While the service costs nothing to use, accessing it through SMS may incur phone service provider fees."

Just like other social networking sites, it's important to use common sense & follow some rules so that you're "tweeting" safely. Check out this site for 4 tips on how to use Twitter safely: http://ezinearticles.com/?Twitter-Safety---4-Ways-to-Use-This-Top-Social-Media-Site-Without-Compromising-Your-Personal-Safety&id=1589849.

Which rule did you find to be most important to follow?

Technology & Internet Terms (Part 1)

This week I'd like to focus on some technology & Internet terms that you might hear (or see) used often. First, we'll start with the term "social networking."

According to Wikipedia's definition, "a social network service focuses on building online communities of people who share interests and/or activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. Most social network services are web based and provide a variety of ways for users to interact, such as e-mail and instant messaging services."

Some popular social networking sites are Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

While these can all be great ways to stay in touch with friends & family, as well as to make new contacts for school or work, it's important that people follow some safety tips when using these sites. Check out Microsoft's webpage about social networking safety.

Which of those 10 tips listed do you feel is most important?

Writing - "Specially" or "Especially"

Here's a great site that talks about using the words "specially" and "especially" in writing.

http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000287.htm


My favorite parts of that site were these lines.

• "Most of the time there is little or no difference between the words especially and specially ."


• "In the sense of "particular" or "particularly," the words mean pretty much the same thing. Often they can be used synonymously. However, if you want to stress the exceptional or noteworthy quality, then especial or especially is a better choice. If you want to stress the distinctive purpose of something, then special or specially is the word you are looking for. "

Knowing that in most writing, the author is trying to denote something exceptional, I'd say the best rule is to stick with the word "especially."

So here's your "assignment" for this blog entry. I'd especially like if you would write one sentence that correctly illustrates how you could use that particular word! I'll start!

"I especially enjoy when students use the blog!"

Writing - What do you find to be the hardest part?

When it comes to writing, what part do you find to be the most difficult? Try to be as specific as possible and I'll do my best to make sure that future blog topics deal with those things!

Elluminate Bloggers!

Thank you for attending the Elluminate session today on "Blogging". I hope you now have a better understanding of what a "blog" is and how it can help you!

Please consider visiting the e-learning blog site again. It is a great way to practice your reading, writing, vocabulary and soft skills.

To become an official blogger today on our site please answer the following questions by submitting your comment. Remember, you can submit your blog without creating an account by clicking on anonymous. If you do select that option, please add your name at the end of the blog to receive credit for the assignment below.

Tell me about your "blogging" experience or share your answers to the questions below:
Do you plan to visit the e-learning blog site in the future? Have you used blogs in the past to make decisions on a purchase or to learn about a particular subject?

Thank you for your submitting your comment! Have an awesome day.

eLearning Blog - A Look Back (Part 4)

Now it's time to examine November's topics. There were some great ones covered that month!

Use the link below & browse through the blog topics presented that month. Pick one that you think you'll gain the most from reviewing, read through the topic carefully, and participate on that by adding your reply. After you've done that, come back here & tell us what topic you selected, the date it was originally presented, and what you learned from it! Have fun!

http://elearningbroward.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html

Can a word be overused? Absolutely!

Is it possible that a word can be overused in writing & speaking? Absolutely!

Check out this article from CNN.com about how the word "absolutely" is used too much. It's interesting!

http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/07/14/absolutely/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

What are your thoughts? Do you use the word "absolutely" in your writing & speaking? Do you feel that you use it too much? Do you know of anyone else who uses that word too much?

eLearning Blog - A Look Back (Part 3)

October 2008 was one of the most active blog months. Let's check out some of those great topics!

Look for a topic that seems interesting. First read it; then participate in it by adding your response. After you do that, come back here & tell me the date of the topic you selected, the blog topic title, and what you learned!

http://elearningbroward.blogspot.com/2008_10_01_archive.html

eLearning Blog - A Look Back (Part 2)

Let's continue with our "blast from the past" look at previous blog topics! This time, we'll focus on topics from August 2008.

Scroll through & find one topic that catches your interest. Read it & participate in it by adding your response. After you do that, come back here & tell me the date of the topic you selected, the blog topic title, and what you learned!

http://elearningbroward.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html

eLearning Blog - A Look Back (Part 1)

This week, I want to look back to some previous blog topics that have been covered because we've had a lot of really good topics! Use the link below & go back to the July 2008 topics. (They will be presented in reverse chronological order, meaning the last blog topic of that month is at the top of the page & the first one for that month will be at the bottom.)

Scroll through & find one topic that catches your interest. Read it & participate in it by adding your response. Then, come back here & tell me the date of the topic you selected, the blog topic title, and what you thought about it!

http://elearningbroward.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html

Writing - New Words!

I read an article online recently about Merriam-Webster (yes, the dictionary people) and how they've added new words to their dictionaries. In fact, about 100 new words were added that largely reflect changing trends in American society.

Have you heard of the terms "frenemy" or "locavore" before? Those are 2 of the new words that were just added! (In case you're wondering, a "frenemy" is someone who acts like a friend but is really an enemy, and a " locavore" is one who eats foods grown locally.)

Check out the article for more information about this!
http://www4.comcast.net/articles/news-national/20090709/US.New.Dictionary.Words/

Use this link below to see some of the new words. Once there, pick a word you have not heard of before and click on it. You'll see the word and definition. (If you aren't sure how to pronounce the word, click on the little red megaphone icon to hear it stated. Be sure that your speakers are hooked up & turned on!) Then, come back here & post the word you picked and the definition of it.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/info/newwords09.htm

Expressions (Part 3)

Have you ever heard the expression "the rule of thumb" before? I have, but never really knew where it came from. Here's where you can find out about it! http://www.dailywritingtips.com/rule-of-thumb/

Once you read about that, come back here & tell me one rule of thumb that you have, whether it's about your study habits, your online course, or even just life in general.

Expressions (Part 2)

Check out this next expression! You might feel this way after a hard day at class or after a really tough job interview that had question after question given to you!

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/wracking-or-racking-your-brain/

Have you ever heard (or used) that expression before?

Expressions (Part 1)

Let's begin to explore some common expressions. The first one we'll focus on is "first come, first served." Have you heard of that before? Use this link (http://www.dailywritingtips.com/first-come-first-served/) to find out more! Then tell me what you thought of that information presented on the site!

Writing - 12 Important Greek Words to Know

I bet you've read (or heard) some of these words before! Check out 12 important Greek words that you should know. Which one (or ones) did you already know? Which one (or ones) were you least familiar with?

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/greek-words/

I had always heard of the term "kudos," but never knew it had Greek roots!

Tell me what you learned!

When is it ok to not have a subject in a sentence?

In writing, is it ever ok to not have a subject as a part of your sentence? Well, believe it or not, the answer is "yes" and "no." It will depend on your sentence & what you're trying to say. Let's look at some examples.

If you're telling someone to do something, you may use statements like you see below.

"Go to the store."
"Take the trash outside."
"Please call me back."

Even though you don't see a subject written in those sentences, it's understood to be the word "you."

If, however, you're not telling someone to do something (or making a command), and you're just making a statement telling about something, then you do need to have a subject included (even if it's the word "you"). Let's see some examples of what you wouldn't want to write and then the correct way to write it.

Incorrect way: "Went to the mall."
Why is it incorrect? Who went to the mall? Was it me? Was it you? Was it Linda?
Correct way: She went to the mall.

Incorrect way: "Is ready for exercise."
Why is it incorrect? Who is ready for exercise? Is it me? Is it you? Is it President Obama?
Correct way: The hospital patient is ready for exercise.

Incorrect way: "Cooked a delicious meal."
Why is it incorrect? Who cooked that meal? Was it me? Was it you? Was it a chef?
Correct way: The culinary instructor cooked a delicious meal.


Are you ready to give this a try? Write two sentences. One should be a direction (or a command) where you're using the "understood you" as the subject. The next sentence should be a simple sentence that clearly has a subject & a verb.

I'll start!

1.) Attend the online workshops this week.
2.) Everyone should attend the online workshops this week.

eLearning Blog - Happy 4th of July!

Hello bloggers! I just wanted to take this time to wish you a very happy and safe 4th of July!

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Did you know that there's a Twitter site that you can follow for quick updates on workshops & other goodies? Check it out by going to http://twitter.com/GED_Online.

Have you heard of Twitter? Do you use it? If you want to know more about it, check out this Wikipedia description of Twitter: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter.

Writing - Brain Food

Obviously when you write (or do almost anything), you need your brain to be ready to handle the work set forth. Did you know that certain foods are considered "memory boosting" foods? Some fruits, vegetables, grains, and fish can improve brain health!

Check out this article. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/18264218/ns/today_health/

After you've had a chance to read it, tell me if you eat (or will eat) any of the foods listed as potentially being "memory boosters."

Tell me a story - July's edition

I love starting off the month with a "tell me a story" topic! This time, however, I won't give you a particular start to the story, nor will I give you any items that you have to incorporate. The only direction that your story needs to have is that it needs to be funny or outlandish!

I can't wait to see what you come up with for your story! Have fun and be creative!

Vocabulary - Free Flashcard Maker!

Did you know that there's a site where you can make free flashcards for any vocabulary words you might need to learn? Visit http://teacher.scholastic.com/tools/flashcards.htm and click on the oval that says "Words." You can then make as many flashcards as you want where the word is on the front & the definition is on the back.

How neat is that?!

June Blogging - What did you like best?

Can you believe that the month of June is almost over? I can't!

We've had 20 blog posts (including this one). Which one (or ones) did you enjoy most? Was there a particular post or theme that you found to be helpful? What would you like to see more of in the future?

Let me know!
:-)

Vocabulary Extravaganza (Part 5)

Today concludes the week of vocabulary from Dictionary.com, and I hope you've enjoyed this series. This last topic will focus on April 2002. Do you want to know why I selected that particular month & year? That's when GED Online was launched in Broward County! Hooray!

Check out some words from April 2002. This time, I won't tell you how many you have to post. You can pick what you'd like to do & share with us! Maybe you want to review all of the words, but only post 1 of them. That's fine! Maybe you'd rather share with us the words from your favorite numbers. It's up to you! Feel free to post as many words & definitions as you'd like!!

April 2002 - Words of the Day

Vocabulary Extravaganza (Part 4)

The vocabulary extravaganza is almost over! Let's take our fourth dive into some past words of the day from the Dictionary.com website.

Check out these words from May 2000. Please pick 4 of them that you did not know (or didn't know that well). Post the words & their definitions.

May 2000 - Words of the Day

Vocabulary Extravaganza (Part 3)

We're halfway through our expedition on vocabulary! How many new words have you learned so far? I bet it's a bunch!

Let's explore the words highlighted during January of 2000. In fact, I'm going to pick one to do with all of you since this is a word you often hear, but when you see it, you wouldn't think it's the same word!

segue \SEG-way\ , intransitive verb:
1. To proceed without interruption; to make a smooth transition.
Sample sentence: The newscaster made a great segue from the story about restaurants to a story about nutrition.

Please use the link below, take a look at the words from January 2000, and pick 4 (not 3 like the previous blog topics). Come back here & post your words with definitions. Want an extra challenge? Try correctly using 1 or more of them in an original sentence! :-)

January 2000 - Words of the Day

Vocabulary Extravaganza (Part 2)

Here's part 2 of our week-long look at vocabulary from the Dictionary.com site. This time, you'll be visiting the archive of the September 1999 words of the day. Just like yesterday's blog topic, please select 3 words that you were not familiar with before visiting the site, come back here, and post those words with definitions. Be sure to visit this blog topic often so you can see what words get added after you post!

September 1999 - Words of the Day

Vocabulary Extravaganza (Part 1)

Vocabulary is such an important part of writing. Without words, where would we be with writing? I guess you could say that we'd be nowhere because you can't write without words! So in the spirit of that, this week will be a vocabulary extravaganza!!

One of my favorite sites is Dictionary.com because there are just so many neat resources there, such as a dictionary, thesaurus, word games, and more! But the best part is the "word of the day" archives! Every word of the day that they've had since May 3, 1999 is available!

Please take a look at the words highlighted during May 1999. Pick 3 words that you did not know prior to visiting that site. Then come back here, post each word, and its definition!

May 1999 - Words of the Day

Writing as a Memory Tool (Part 6)

Here's the fifth & final note-taking tip!

Review and edit your notes.

"Ideas won't keep; something must be done about them." - Alfred North Whitehead (1861 - 1947), English mathematician and philosopher

Academic skills centers and other authorities on effective study skills consider reviewing and editing class notes to be the most important part of note-taking and essential to increasing learning capacity.

• It is extremely important to review your notes within 24 hours.


• Edit for words and phrases that are illegible or don't make sense. Write out abbreviated words that might be unclear later.


• Edit with a different colored pen to distinguish between what you wrote in class and what you filled in later.


• Fill in key words and questions in the left-hand column.


• Note anything you don't understand by underlining or highlighting to remind you to ask the instructor.


• Compare your notes with the textbook reading and fill in important details in the blank spaces you left.


• Consider rewriting or typing up your notes. (Ellis).

Note: For additional techniques for study and exam preparation, go to Tips for Effective Study at http://www.cod.edu/people/faculty/fancher/STUDY.HTM

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This final blog post on this topic may be the most important of them all! As I've stressed to students during Elluminate sessions, notes are no good if you take them and don't look at them after the session is done! If you put them in a folder, lay them on a table, or file them away, you're giving up the chance to look over your notes & to help that information stick in your brain!

Now that you've had a chance to see all 5 note-taking tip blogs, what have you learned that you'll start doing or do more often?

Writing as a Memory Tool (Part 5)

Here's our fourth note-taking tip!

Play close attention to content.

"There is a great difference between knowing a thing and understanding it." - Charles Kettering (1876 - 1958), American electrical engineer and inventor

Knowing what and how much to write down is sometimes difficult. Rely on some of the following tips for what to include in your notes.

• Details, facts, or explanations that expand or explain the main points that are mentioned. Don't forget examples.


• Definitions, word-for-word.


• Enumerations or lists of things that are discussed.


• Material written on the chalkboard or on a transparency, including drawings or charts.


• Information that is repeated or spelled out. (University of Texas at Austin)

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For that fourth bullet point above, online students should add something about material written in their online courses, and especially Elluminate sessions!

Which one of the above items is most important to you? Why?

Writing as a Memory Tool (Part 4)

Here's the third tip to help make you a good note-taker!

Develop a note-taking method that works for you. (There are many methods out there; it's not a "one-size-fits-all" strategy. Find one that you can do & one that will help you remember the things you're hearing & seeing.)

"Learn, compare, collect the facts." - Ivan Petrovic Pavlov (1849 - 1936), Russian physiologist.

Fine-tune the structure and organization of your notes to increase your notetaking speed and comprehension later.

• Start each new lecture on a new page, and date and number each page. The sequence of material is important.


• Write on one side of the paper only. You can set them out side-by-side for easier reviewing when studying for an exam.


• Leave blank spaces. This allows you to add comments or note questions later.


• Make your notes as brief as possible. "Never use a sentence when you can use a phrase, or a phrase when you can use a word" (Berkeley).


• Develop a system of abbreviations and symbols you can use wherever possible.


• Note all unfamiliar vocabulary or concepts you don't understand. This reminds you to look them up later.


• For examples of popular note-taking formats, see Note-taking Systems at http://www.sas.calpoly.edu/asc/ssl/notetaking.systems.html

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Which one (or ones) of these do you think is the most useful? Why did you pick that one (or those ones)?

Writing as a Memory Tool (Part 3)

Here's the second tip to help you improve your note-taking skills.

Improve your listening skills. (This is especially important for those who take an online course, as many times, you are not seeing your teacher in-person, but rather hearing him or her on the phone or in an Elluminate session!)

"Learn how to listen and you will prosper even from those who talk badly." -- Plutarch (A.D. 46 - 120). Greek biographer and philosopher

• Start by entering the classroom with a positive attitude. Going to class thinking, "This is the last place I want to be today" only sets the stage for inattentive listening. Approaching lectures with a positive attitude allows one to be open-minded and enables you to get the most out of the information presented.


• Make a conscious effort to pay attention. Concentrate on concentrating. "Without concentration there is no focus, and without focus there is no learning" (Pauk 190).


• Adapt to whatever direction a lecture takes. When a lecture takes an unexpected detour, say a student asks a question you aren't particularly interested in, students have a tendency to "zone out." Before you know it, the lecture got back on track five minutes ago, and you missed crucial information that should have been noted.

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Please note that even though most of us aren't sitting in on a true "lecture" style class, any presentation or discussion can have these tips applied! :)

What do you think?

Writing as a Memory Tool (Part 2)

We're going to examine 5 tips so you can be an effective note-taker. These all come from http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/academic/notes-tips.htm, and even though they focus on traditional classroom-based, we'll talk about how they can be modified for online classes!

Go to class prepared. (This is true no matter if it's an online class or an "in-person" one!)

"Always have a plan and believe in it. Nothing good happens by accident." -- Chuck Knox, NFL football coach

• Use a three-ring binder instead of a spiral or bound book. Pages can be easily removed for reviewing. Handouts can be inserted into your notes for cross-referencing. You can insert your own out-of-class notes in the correct order (Ellis).


• Bring highlighters to class. Instructors will frequently make comments like, "This is an important concept." Or, "Make sure you understand this." These are direct clues that this will more than likely be on an exam. Highlighting these notes will help remind you later that this is definitely something you need to know.


• Read assigned material and previous class notes before class. Make notations about material or concepts you don't understand. Look up vocabulary words that are unfamiliar to you. You will have a better understanding about what the instructor is lecturing about and that will allow you to better decipher the more important points of the lecture.

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What do you think about these first few suggestions? They make sense, don't they? Do you do those things? If not, do you think you might start doing them?

Writing as a Memory Tool

Have you ever considered that writing can be a tool that helps you remember things better? That's not really a surprise to many of us, especially since so much emphasis is placed on taking notes or writing other important things down! Here's an interesting fact that I came across today!

Few people realize how fast memory fades. Studies on memory have shown that, without review, 47% of what a person has just learned is forgotten in the first twenty minutes and 62% is forgotten after the first day. (University of Texas at Austin).
(From http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/academic/notes-tips.htm)

Isn't that amazing, but also kind of scary?!

Our next set of blog topics will focus on how to be a better note-taker! So, let's do a little opening activity right now! How, why, or when do you take notes? Once you take them, what do you do with them? Share your opinions with us!

Writing - More Blogs!

As we've talked about in the past, an important part of being a good writer is being a good reader. No matter what you choose, you should be reading something every single day! There are some enjoyable blogs out there that you might want to visit! (For the entire list that was on the Sun Sentinel website, click here.)

Worst Pizza : http://www.worstpizza.com/

Jazz & Blues : http://jazz-bluesflorida.blogspot.com/

Human Resources & Employment : http://www.hrbartender.com/

Pets : http://www.southfloridapets.blogspot.com/

Try visiting one or two, read a bit, and then come back to tell us what you went to & what you thought of it!

Vocabulary - Resume Terms

Have you ever wondered if there's specific vocabulary that you'd use on a resume? Well, the answer is "yes." Take a look at this neat site that I found that does just that! http://esl.about.com/od/businessspeakingskills/a/j_vocabulary.htm

The first part of that site lists verbs that will help you express just exactly what you did with impressive vocabulary. These verbs are used to express responsibilities and tasks performed. Please look at the list below & identify 2-3 words that you'd like to look up so you can understand the meaning a bit better. Then, visit an online dictionary (like http://www.merriam-webster.com/), look up the word, and come back here to post each word with its definition!

accomplished
acted
adapted
administered
advanced
advised
allocated
analyzed
applied
approved
arbitrated
arranged
assisted
attained
blended
brought
built
carried out
catalogued
changed
classified
collaborated
compared
completed
computed
conceived
conducted
constructed
consulted
contracted
controlled

Vocabulary - Technology Terms (Part 4)

Let's work on some technology terms today! Visit this site (http://www.maran.com/dictionary/mgdiction2008.html) and click on any letter shown. You'll then see a list of terms that begin with that letter. Click on the word that you'd like to see the definition of, and then write that down. Do that for any 2 or 3 words (with any beginning letters you want to use). Come back here & share your words & definitions!

Be sure to check back regularly to see the other words & definitions that have been added! We can all learn from each other!

Attitude and "The Power of One"

Getting the best from yourself and others all starts with one:

one thought … one word … one action.

"One" is the first note in orchestrating the personal attitude that shapes and directs your life – and impacts the members of your team/family. Contrary to the lyrics from a classic rock song, one is not the loneliest number. It’s the most important one!

Your thoughts, words, and actions are like individual notes that work in concert to create the power of one person – YOU – to make a difference. You can harness your "power of one" if you simply: Catch one negative thought and turn it into a positive one;

Think of one thing for which you are grateful at the beginning of each day;
Say one "Fantastic!" when a friend or team member asks how you are doing;
Assume the best in one upcoming situation;
Keep on moving one more time when you experience adversity;
Help one friend or colleague in a time of need – and take pride in it.

A single act can make a difference … it can create a ripple effect felt many miles and people away. So, ask yourself: What’s one thing I can do today that will make a positive difference in my attitude? Then DO IT!

Repeat that process every day and your life will improve – and so will the lives of the people you work with/live with/study with. Attitudes are truly powerful … and they’re contagious!

Please share one thought, word or action you will or already incorporate into your daily routine that will help you and why?

Today's thought/solution comes from:
Orchestrating Attitude
By Lee J. Colan

Writing - Less May Be More!

Have you ever heard the term "less is more" used? Well, it's used when having more of something isn't necessarily a good thing. Graduation speeches are a perfect example of this! Sometimes, people may think that they have to do things a certain way or a certain length (for writing or speaking). However, having more is not always better! Less is often a more attractive alternative.

Let me present you with this situation. A person is giving a speech or presentation. Instead of covering the main points in 5 or 7 minutes, the person takes 15 or more minutes, leaving everyone wondering when it was going to end. In this case, less would have been more! Had this person covered what they wanted to do in less time, they would've received a more favorable response from the audience.

This is true with your writing. Never "fluff" it up. Cover your main points. Be concise. If you do that, it won't matter how short or long it was, as you did what you needed to do!

Have you ever heard, seen, or read something that was too long and you felt could have been presented in a much shorter way? If so, what was it?

Blogging - Pick a topic, any topic!

For today's blog, I'd like you to pick a past blog post (any blog post from any date), review it, and then come back here to report the following things.

1.) What was the date that the topic was originally posted?
2.) What was the topic you reviewed?
3.) What did you learn from it (or from the replies)?

Remember that you can use the "Blog History" on the right to help you get back to past topics, even ones from when the blog was first started (in April 2008)!

Tell me a story - June's edition

It's time to do some fun writing & to stretch those imaginations! I'd like you to write a short story that incorporates the following things: a lamp, Smith High School in Texas, and 3 pieces of paper.

Have fun!
:-)

Writing - What do you like?

What's your favorite part of writing? Is it being able to record things (like grocery lists or to-do charts)? Is it being able to create wacky, fun, and outlandish stories? Is it just being able to record thoughts that you might forget? Tell me!

Writing - Context Clues

In writing, you can gain a lot by context clues. If you don't know the meaning of a particular word, the other words in that sentence (or paragraph) may help you! I received an email today that perfectly illustrates this! (It also shows that teachers don't know every single word out there!)

Before showing you the email, let me give you a bit of background. I was asked to create some PowerPoint slides for a short presentation that'll be a part of a video conference. I needed these slides (and the information contained on them) to give viewers an idea of what I was going to talk about. I created the slides & sent them in to some "big cheeses." (Isn't that a great idiom?!)

Here's a copy/paste of the email that I received (minus the sender's name).

"Great job at hitting the salient points."

I was not familiar with the word "salient." However, from the context clues in that sentence, I was able to tell that the sender (one of those "big cheeses") was happy with what I did, so I knew the word "salient" couldn't be bad! But, because I didn't know it, I went to an online dictionary site to look it up. Here's what I found!

salient:
Pronunciation: \ˈsā-lyənt, -lē-ənt\
Definitions:
1: moving by leaps or springs
2: jetting upward salient fountain>
3a: projecting beyond a line, surface, or level
3b: standing out conspicuously : prominent; especially : of notable significance

So, based on the context clue in the email of "great" and looking at the definitions of the word, I learned the word (as used in the email I received) was using the final definition (3b).

:-)

Do you use context clues when you read? How much do you think they help you?

Vocabulary - Use It Or Lose It (Part 26)

In past blog topics called "Vocabulary - Use It Or Lose It," you were typically given a list of terms & then you would pick a few to define. This one will be similar, except I'm going to take an excerpt of an article from the NY Times.

The article is titled "Oxford’s First Female Professor of Poetry Resigns" and can be found here. The topic was not only interesting, but the article had lots of great vocabulary words in it. Here's a bit from the article, with some of those important terms underlined.

"Oxford University's first female Professor of Poetry resigned Monday after acknowledging she had helped publicize charges that her rival for the post had sexually harassed a former student.

Ruth Padel, the great-great-granddaughter of Charles Darwin, made history at Oxford when she became the first woman to be elected to the position of Professor of Poetry since the job was created in 1708.

The five-year post, which is usually awarded to prominent Oxonians, carries few formal responsibilities but packs a lot of prestige: Previous title holders include W. H. Auden and Seamus Heaney.

But Padel's election was marred by Nobel literature laureate Derek Walcott's decision to withdraw as a candidate from the election after anonymous letters attacking him were sent to Oxford academics.

British newspapers reported that the letters made reference to an allegation of sexual harassment made against the St. Lucia-born poet by a former student in the 1980s." (For the rest of the article, click here.)

Pick one of those words, go to an online dictionary (like Merriam Webster), and look up the definition. Then, come back to this blog, post the word, and the definition. Be sure to review this blog topic & the responses so that we can all learn from each others' replies!

Blogging - Writing vs. Speaking (Part 2)

Did you see the blog topic from May 15th about the audio blog? (To check that out, visit this link: http://elearningbroward.blogspot.com/2009/05/blogging-writing-vs-speaking.html.)

Let's return to Voice Thread to see another example of an audio blog in action & to see how people from all over are participating in it!

Click this link: http://voicethread.com/#q.b1191.i13695 and watch the voice thread. (If you want to participate on the voice thread, either by talking or typing, you will need to join the site. But that is quick & easy to do!)

After reviewing that, try to find some other voice threads that interest you! Go to this site (http://voicethread.com/#home and click the link that says "Browse" (on the top of the page, near the left side). Then, type in any word or phrase you want and press the "Enter" or "Return" key on your keyboard! See what comes up! (Key words like "math," "poetry," "history," and even "blog" bring up lots of neat voice threads!)

Once you've had a chance to do this, come back here & let us know what key word or phrase you used & what type of voice threads you found! Did any seem really good? If so, tell us so we can visit them too! :-)

OperationNice.com

When reading the NY Times online the other day, I saw an article that mentioned the OperationNice.com website. While this blog post won't specifically focus on writing, I think this is worthwhile to post.

The NY Times article gave the following description of OperationNice.com: "OperationNice.com links to news articles about good deeds and asks bloggers to take an oath of niceness. The blog was created 10 months ago by Melissa Morris Ivone, a 28-year-old graphic designer in Cinnaminson, N.J., who was inspired after a stranger held the door for her in an elevator. She wanted to create an oasis of good vibes online.

“Blogs, message boards and comments sections are just settings for people to verbalize their (usually negative) opinions,” Ms. Ivone wrote in an e-mail message. “Personally, I wanted a little corner that was free of all that.”

So far, more than 1,100 readers, many of them fellow bloggers, have taken her oath of niceness, allowing them to post an Operation Nice seal of approval on their blogs and Facebook pages."

Today's task is for you to visit the OperationNice.com website and then for you to come back here and tell us what you liked about it. Did you participate on the site? Did you find anything that inspired you? Do tell!

Always awesome alliteration!

Have you heard the term "alliteration" used before? Even if you haven't, I bet you're familiar with it or could recognize it. Take a look at the sentences & phrases below. Each is an example of alliteration.

Candace creates candy canes.
Stephanie sang so soulfully.
Trent's terrific trees
Always awesome alliteration

Wikipedia defines alliteration as a literary or rhetorical stylistic device that consists in repeating the same consonant sound at the beginning of several words in close succession. An example is the Mother Goose tongue-twister, "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers …".

Do you want to see some examples of poetry that use alliteration? Visit this link: http://library.thinkquest.org/J0112392/alliterationclassics.html.

Next, come back here & try writing a 2 or 3 word phrase that is an example of alliteration. (If you get stuck, you can "borrow one" from the poems that you see.)

Writing - Let's End Hunger (Part 5)

Do you remember past blog posts about the freerice.com website where you could play vocabulary games and help end hunger? For every question that you answer correctly, the freerice.com website will donate 20 grains of rice through the United Nations' World Food Program to help end hunger. Isn't that wonderful?

I'd like you to visit the site (http://freerice.com/index.php), play at least 3 vocabulary games, and then come back here & post your results. Did you win all 3 games? Did you win 2 of them? Maybe you won 1 of them. Don't worry about the result, but do give it your best shot & see if you can learn something new while helping someone else.

Paraphrasing

Many times, a boss or supervisor may want you to write a short summary to paraphrase what was said or what happened at an event (like a meeting). Paraphrasing or summarizing means that you're not giving a word-for-word account of what transpired, but that you're giving the most important points or an overview of things.

Let's look at an example.

Perhaps you're at a restaurant and your friend says this to the waiter: "I have some questions about the breakfast specials. Are they all prepared with butter? I'm not sure that I want butter. What about the pancakes? Are they made with butter too? Oh, forget it. I'll just order the waffles and not worry about it."

You might paraphrase that by telling someone that your friend asked some questions about the food, including if it was made with butter, and he decided to order the waffles. (Do you see how that is a much shorter way to give someone the main idea?

I'd like you to give it a try! Visit one of the sites below and pick a story to read. Then, come back here & paraphrase what you read in 2-4 sentences.

Travel Channel
CNN Entertainment
USA Today

Blogging - Writing vs. Speaking

I don't know about you, but when I think of blogging, I think of writing (or typing). However, I learned about a new website called "Voice Thread" which is a way to do a talking blog.

Visit the Voice Thread link below and watch the short presentation about writing an argument essay. If the presentation doesn't automatically start, click the play button (shown to the right of here). Once you've watched it, report back. Did you like the "talking blog" that was Voice Thread?

http://voicethread.com/#q+writing.b240964.i1254955

More Vocabulary?

Do you want to do more vocabulary? Try this link. http://www.sadlier-oxford.com/vocabulary/Choice/Level%20A/Level%20A%20Unit%201/multiplechoice.html.

Report back on how you did!

Vocabulary - Word of the Day

The Merriam-Webster website is really great! You can find an online dictionary, thesaurus, Spanish-English translator, and even definitions for medical terms! (To visit the site, click here.)

One of my favorite things at the site is the "word of the day" archive. This lets you see different past words of the day and you can click on any one to view the definition. So let's work on some vocabulary today. Please visit the link below and click on the word listed for any 3 days. Write down each word and definition. Then come back here & report what you found!

http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/wodcalendar.pl

I'll start with one that you might already know!

May 13, 2009
calamari: squid used as food

Remember, do that, but for 3 words! :-)

Writing - When do you capitalize a title for someone?

Have you ever wondered when you should capitalize the title for someone? Sometimes it can be hard to know when it's correct and when you don't need to do that. The following rule comes from the Online Writing Lab (OWL) site.

Capitalize titles preceding names, but not titles that follow names.

Example 1.) She worked as the assistant to Mayor Hanolovi.

Example 2.) I was able to interview Miriam Moss, mayor of Littonville.

Notice that when the title of "mayor" comes before the name (as you see in example 1), it must be capitalized. When that title comes after the name, it does not need to be capitalized. If you're not using a name at all and just using the title, it does not need to be capitalized. An example of that is shown below.

Example 3.) Mr. Brown was interviewed by the principal of the school.

Now you try! Write two sentences that involve a title. Make sure you follow the two rules from the OWL site and write those sentences correctly. Some sample titles to use are below.

officer
pastor
commissioner
mayor
governor
councilman / councilwoman
bailiff
judge

Tell me a story - May's edition

Let's work on some creative (and fun) writing! For this edition of "tell me a story," I'd like you to compose a short story (4-8 sentences long) and to incorporate the following items: flowers, rain, rabbits, 2 red pens, a laptop computer, and a local park. Remember to write your sentences correctly and be creative! Your stories can be funny, serious, romantic, or just plain odd! It's up to you!

Writing - Subjects & Verbs (Part 5)

Are you ready to test your knowledge of the verb "to be" and see how well you can use it correctly? Try this Quia activity and post your results!

http://www.quia.com/rr/57599.html

Writing - Subjects & Verbs (Part 4)

Here's a fun Quia activity to test your knowledge on some of the most common irregular verbs. Try it & then report back with how you did!

http://www.quia.com/mc/1054976.html

Have fun!

Writing - Subjects & Verbs (Part 3)

Yesterday's blog post dealt with verbs, but more specifically, regular verbs. Recall that regular verbs fall into a "regular" pattern, especially when you think about the present, past, and past participle forms. Below is an example with the verb "dance."

Present tense: I dance all day long.
Past tense: He danced at the wedding last year.
Past participle: They have danced before.

However, irregular verbs don't follow that nice pattern, so they're harder to learn & use correctly. An example of an irregular verb is "sing." Look at the forms below for present, past, and past participle.

Present tense: I sing at choir practice.
Past tense: She sang at the audition.
Past participle: We have sung that song before.

Notice that with an irregular verb, like "sing," the format is changing each time! Plus, if you picked another irregular verb, like "buy," the form would change, but only some of the time! Other irregular verbs, like "cut," have no change at all! Gosh, isn't it tough?

Take a look at this list of irregular verbs by clicking here: http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/irregular-verbs-list.htm.

Pick 1 set of irregular verbs & write three sentences where you're illustrating correct use of the present, past, and past participle forms of the verb. Remember that the past participle form will always have a "helper" verb.

Here's an example.

Irregular verb: write
Present tense: I write letters to my family.
Past tense: Last year, I wrote over fifty memos.
Past participle: I have written many poems.

Now you try!