Commonly Misused Words: Shudder and Shutter

With hurricane season just around the corner, this next set of commonly misused words is quite appropriate. Even though the words "shutter" and "shudder" have similar pronunciations, they have very different meanings. Let's take a look!

The word "shutter" is generally used as a noun. Think of the shutters you put on your home when a hurricane is predicted to happen. (It can also be used as a verb if you're going to "shutter" something up.) Examples of both uses are below.

Example ("shutter" as a noun): We put metal hurricane shutters up on our windows.
Example ("shutter" as a verb): My neighbors are going to shutter their windows tomorrow.


The word "shudder" can be used as a noun or a verb. As a noun, it means a small shake or vibration. As a verb, it means to shake.

Example ("shudder" as a noun): There was a shudder in the car as we drove on the bumpy road.
Example ("shudder" as a verb): Sitting in the very cold room, John shuddered.


Now it's your turn. Pick one of those words and use it correctly in a sentence.

Commonly Misused Words: Peace and Piece

Let's discuss two more commonly misused words: peace and piece. These words are homonyms. They are pronounced almost exactly the same, but have very different meanings and spellings.

The word "peace" means harmony, calmness, or a lack of fighting.
The word "piece" means a part of something.

Can you use those two words correctly? Try it now by writing two simple sentences that show the correct meanings of "peace" and "piece."

Here's an example.

1.) There is no peace when war is happening.
2.) I'd like to try a piece of the chocolate cake.

Commonly Misused Words: Which and Witch

Halloween won't be here for a while, but that's ok! This next blog post is about the words "witch" and "which." These words, like many others that we'll discuss during the "Commonly Misused Words" topics, are homonyms or homophones. They're pronounced almost identically, but have very different meanings. Let's look at each one a bit closer!

The word "witch" is meant to be used when describing the Halloween character who has the pointy hat, pointy shoes, and rides a broom. It can also be used to describe a nasty, mean-spirited person.

The word "which" can be used as a pronoun, as in the example below.
"Which of these should we buy?"

It can also be used as an adjective, shown in the example below.
"I spent the day at the mall, during which time my car was being fixed."

Probably the easiest way to remember this is to ask yourself if you're talking about a person or character, similar to what you see in the picture below. If that's not what you mean, then go with the word "which."


Can you write two sentences that show how to use the words "witch" and "which" correctly? Give it a try now!

Writing - Compound Words

A compound word is one that has two parts to it. Think of the word "pancake." That's a compound word made by combining the terms "pan" and "cake." So why is it important to know about compound words? Well, like many of the things we've discussed, the more correct your words and writing are, the more effective you'll be in getting your ideas across to the reader!

Test your knowledge of compound words. Try this activity and see how you do! Did you know all of them? Did you know most of them? Pick out your favorite compound word from the activity and use it in a sentence.

Writing Terminology

No matter what test you're doing (GED, FCAT, SAT, etc.), there are some basic terms associated with essay writing. In fact, if you've ever attended one of the online workshops about essay writing, you've probably heard these terms used.

Try this Quia "Rags to Riches" game that tests your knowledge of writing terminology. It's ok if you don't know all of the terms; for those that you don't know, however, consider writing them down and making flash cards to help you learn them!

Once you complete the game, come back here & blog about your results. Was this a review for you or did you learn something new? What terms (if any) were you not familiar with, but learned after doing the activity? What was your final score? Did you enjoy this activity?

Quia game link: http://www.quia.com/rr/311270.html

(Please note that although this game is referencing the FCAT test, everything presented is still 100% valid for those who are not doing the FCAT. Feel free to share this with any friends or relatives who are working on their FCAT writing skills, as this can help them too.)

Have fun!!!

Commonly Misused Words: Break and Brake

Words that sound the same, but have different spellings and meanings are called "homonyms" or "homophones." In your writing, it's important to make sure that you use the right word. Remember that writing is a reflection of you and you always want to make a great impression, even with your readers!

The word "break" can be used as a verb or as a noun. Let's look at some examples. (The first two sentences use "break" as a verb, and the last two sentences use "break" as a noun.)

1.) If you drop the glass, it will break.
2.) The burglar was going to break into the neighbor's home.
3.) There will be a break between the morning and afternoon classes.
4.) Let's stop the car and take a break at the gas station.


Quite the opposite, though, is the word "brake." This word can also be used as a verb, noun, or adjective, but has very different meanings.

Verb Example: I had to brake hard to avoid hitting the skunk in the road.
Noun Example: Tim had the brakes replaced on his truck.
Adjective Example: Pep Boys will have brake pads on sale this week.

Notice that in all of those examples, there is some relation to a vehicle. (You could also talk about "brakes" on a bicycle, motorcycle, scooter, dirt bike, etc.)

Can you use those words in two sentences and use them correctly? Give it a try now!

Writing-Handling Numbers

Sometimes when you write, you're going to need to include a mention of numbers of things. In formal writing, it's best to follow this simple rule: write the numbers from one (1) to ten (10) using letters; numbers eleven (11) and larger can be written using just the numbers.

Below are two examples illustrating this rule.

Terry bought nine types of soda for the party.
There were 45 people at the city council meeting.

Why does this rule for writing out the numbers using words only apply when going up to ten?

Well, first of all, those are sho rt, easy words to write (or type). Could you imagine having to write every number with wor ds? Gosh! It would be a pain to have to type one thousand five hundred twenty seven instead of 1,527. Secondly, remember that this is just for formal writing, such as essays. Other types of writing (informal emails, lists, or memos) can use numbers for any value.

Start to look for this when you read newspaper or magazine articles! I bet you'll begin to notice this more and more.

Give it a try. Write two sentences. The first one should use a number where the rule tells you to write it out using words. The second sentence should use a number that does not have to be written in words. Let's see how you do! I'll start!

I can run up to four miles. I hope to be able to run 13 miles one day!

Writing-Stay Away from "Fluff"

Look up into the sky and find the fluffiest cloud you can see. It's probably large and "poofy." But if you condensed it down, there wouldn't be much substance there. Well, fluffy writing is the same way! It's large (fills up a lot space on paper), but doesn't have much substance to it. Since your goal is to be an effective writer, you want to avoid the "fluff" as much as you can!

You're probably asking yourself, "What exactly is fluffy writing?" and that question is important. If you know what it is, you know what to avoid. Below are a few examples of "fluff."

The following phrases/sentences are things to stay away from in your writing.

1.) "Let me tell you..." (You're doing the writing, so it's understood that you'll tell it.)

2.) "Let me explain this." (It's expected in your writing that you'll explain your topic.)

3.) "As I will show..." (You're the author, so you're in charge! There's no need to state this.)

4.) "I believe that..." (Since this writing is coming from you, it's implied that this is what you believe.)

5.) "As I've shown..." or "As I've explained..." (There's no need to state this, unless someone else did the "showing" or "explaining," the reader knows that you showed/explained these things.)

Sometimes it may be hard to not use these phrases. But you're all good writers, so you can always find a different way to state what you're trying to say in a strong, effective, compelling way!

Now, look back at something you have recently wrote (email, homework, letter) and share where you may have found some "fluff" or share your thoughts on this topic.

Usage- "Like" versus "Such As"

Did you know that formal writing makes a very clear distinction between the terms "like" and "such as" when using them to cite examples? (Don't worry, I didn't know that either until I researched it a bit, but it does make sense!)

Both terms are used to make comparisons, and here is how to know when to correctly use each one.The term "like" is used if you're citing only one example. Look at the sentence below that demonstrates this.

Search engines like Google help people locate information quickly. Conversely, the phrase "such as" is used if you're citing more than one example. The sentence below shows this.

Search engines such as Google and Yahoo help people locate information quickly.

Try it out! Write two sentences where one uses the term "like" and the other uses the phrase "such as." Let's see how you do!

Writing - Common Misspellings

When writing, you want to focus on the ideas and how you're conveying them. But don't let your ideas get overshadowed by misspellings. To see a more complete list of the most common misspelled words, visit this link http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0781709.html.

I've picked a few words from that list. Now you get to practice using the word and spelling it correctly. Please select a word and use it in a sentence.

believe
changeable
definite
embarrass
government
grateful
guarantee
independent
knowledge
library

Writing - What's Your Purpose?

When you write, you always need to have a clear purpose or reason in mind. Are you trying to be serious and convey facts? Do you want to be persuasive and try to get someone to change his or her opinion? Would you like to be funny and make the reader laugh? No matter what you're trying to do, you always need to know your purpose before you even put your pen (or pencil) to the paper!

In previous blog posts, I've asked you to tell me a story where I gave you some items that you had to include. The story could have been funny, romantic, informative, or even scary. This time, I will give you some items to use, but your goal is to make your writing funny or whimsical. Your events, situations, and characters can all be as outlandish, crazy, or odd as you'd like!

As you write your story, be sure to include the following elements: yellow school bus, three packets of artificial sweetener (such as Splenda or Sweet-n-Low), a lawn chair, and Sam's parakeet named Lucille Ball.

I can't wait to see what you come up with! You've got your purpose, you've got your items, and you're ready to get creative!

The Semicolon

Semicolons can be thought of as being very, very similar to periods. They should only be used when what falls on either side of it is a complete thought. Let's look at an example of this!

Today has the most beautiful weather; I spent the whole day outside.

Each part is a complete thought (with a subject and a verb). You could say "Today has the most beautiful weather." That is fine. Then, you could start a new sentence and say "I spent the whole day in the pool." That is also fine. Each of those could be sentences on their own. However, if you'd like to keep them "connected," you can use the semicolon (like you see above).

Now it's your turn. I'd like you to write 2 separate sentences. Then, write those same thoughts as one sentence where there is a semicolon as the punctuation between them.

I'll start!
Separate: My cat is so tired. He spent the whole day sleeping on the comfortable chair.

Combined: My cat is so tired; he spent the whole day sleeping on the comfortable chair.

The Colon

The English language is interesting. There are countless ways to say the same statement. Many times, it just depends on your style of writing. Today, we're going to examine the colon, which is a type of punctuation. The colon looks like this : (two vertical dots). Generally, colons are used to show that a list will follow. Let's look at a two examples. You'll see that the same idea can be written with or without a colon. It just depends on the format you're most comfortable with!

Example 1.)
The guests brought many items: ice, soda, cookies, cake, and even napkins.
Or
The guests brought many items such as ice, soda, cookies, cake, and even napkins.
(Notice that the first sentence uses the colon to symbolize that the list of items will follow. The second sentence doesn't need a colon because it uses the phrase "such as." Both ways are correct.)

Example 2.)
Kevin had a lot to do tonight: study for his test, prepare lunch for his younger sister, and change the oil in his car.
Or
Kevin had a lot to do tonight. He was going to study for his test, prepare lunch for his younger sister, and change the oil in his car.
(Notice that the first sentence uses the colon to symbolize that the list of what Kevin has to do will follow. The second sentence doesn't need a colon because it has separated the thoughts into two complete sentences. Both ways are correct.)


Which way do you prefer? Take a moment and write a sentence that uses a colon. Then, write the same idea, but make your sentence (or sentences) so that no colon is needed.

Vocabulary - Use It Or Lose It (Part 4)

It's time to expand those minds & vocabularies. This next segment is the last section from part 1 of the Academic Word List. Please pick one word and post the definition. You may use an online dictionary (such as this one: http://www.merriam-webster.com.).

role
section
sector
significant
similar
source
specific
structure
theory
variables

Vocabulary - Use It Or Lose It (Part 3)

It's another installment of the "Academic Word List" to help improve your vocabulary skills! Please pick one word, look it up in a dictionary, and then post the word & its meaning. Choose a word that has not been picked already by another blogger. (HINT: If you do not have a dictionary, you can use an online one! Try this: http://www.merriam-webster.com.)

Here are the next 10 words from that list.
occur
percent
period
policy
principle
procedure
process
required
research
response

You've got to love those adverbs!

Adverbs are words that help describe verbs. They tell how something was done. Like adjectives, adverbs help to paint a more exact picture in the reader's mind. Here are some examples of adverbs: quickly, quietly, gladly, angrily, sheepishly, slowly, and loudly.

Read this sentence and picture it.
Samuel ran down the track.

Have you pictured what that event looked like? Are you sure you were picturing it exactly as I had seen it? Well, without an adverb to describe Samuel's running, you can't be sure that your image is the same as what mine is. To make sure we're thinking of something similar, I'll use an adverb. Now read this sentence. When you're done, ask yourself if you have a better, more exact picture of the event and how it happened.
Samuel ran clumsily down the track.

With the inclusion of that one adverb, your vision of Samuel running is now better!

I want you to help me paint a better, more precise picture of some events. Take a look at the sentences below. In the blank, add an adverb that fits the situation. (It's helpful to remember that adverbs usually end in "-ly.") Pick any one sentence and fill in the missing adverb. It's possible that multiple adverbs could be used in one sentence, so don't feel as though there's only one right answer.

1.) Shenea _____ called her sister.
2.) The jack rabbit _____ ate the carrot in the garden.
3.) Melissa _____ cooked a Thanksgiving turkey.
4.) April's son _____ ran into the office.
5.) Spanky the cat _____ ate his food.

Vocabulary- Use It Or Lose It! (Part 2)

For the blog post on February 1, we were discussing the "Academic Word List" and the importance of vocabulary for good writing. Today's the second installment of vocabulary practice. Here's the next set of words from the list.

Please pick a word, look it up in a dictionary, and then post the word & its meaning. Choose a word that has not been picked already by another blogger. (HINT: If you do not have a dictionary, you can use an online one! Try this: http://www.merriam-webster.com.)

indicate
individual
interpretation
involved
issues
labor
legal
legislation
major
method

Stop & check the signal words!

When driving, people use signals all of the time. You turn your blinker on to turn left. Your brake lights illuminate when you brake to slow down or stop. The traffic light tells you when to go and when to stop.

In writing, too, signals are important. The signals come in the form of "signal" or "transition" words and those help the reader to follow the order of things. Here are a few examples of some signal words that you probably already use in your writing: "first," "then," "second," "next," "after that," "third," and "lastly." (That's not a complete list of signal words, but to see more of them, visit this URL: http://www.somers.k12.ny.us/intranet/reading/signalwords.html .)

Below you see some signal words that help with chronological order. Please look over that list, pick one or two of the words, and write a sentence for each that demonstrates how it could be used to help improve your writing.

after	afterward		when				not long after
during	finally		first				following
then	initially		later				meanwhile
next	before		now				on (date)
preceding	second		soon				immediately
third	today		until				as soon as

Vocabulary- Use It Or Lose It!

It's no surprise that vocabulary is a big part of writing. Without vocabulary skills, a person's writing will be average, at best. Of course, we all want writing that's better than average!

The "Academic Word List" is one of several vocabulary lists that does not connect directly with a single particular piece of literature. Instead, it includes ten units of sets of words most frequently found in school text books of all types. (If you're wondering where this word list came from, it was developed by Averil Coxhead, of Victoria University of Wellington, in New Zealand.)

I'm going to post half of the first set of the word list. I'd like you to look over that list, pick a word, look it up in a dictionary, and then post the word & its meaning. Please choose a word that has not been picked already by another blogger. (HINT: If you do not have a dictionary, you can use an online one! Try this: http://www.merriam-webster.com)

This way, we all get to increase our vocabulary skills by working together! Be sure to check this post often, as new words and definitions will be added by the bloggers.

-----

analysis

approach

area

assessment

assume

authority

available

benefit

concept

consistent

constitutional

context

contract

create

data

definition

derived

distribution

economic

environment

established

estimate

evidence

export

factors

financial

formula

function

identified

income

Writing- Do you have a plan?

How many things in your life exist for which you have a plan? A few key examples come to mind, such as driving somewhere new, cooking a meal, and writing a good essay! Think about it this way: if you lived in Miami and had to drive all the way to Bunnell (FL), would you know all of the roads to take? If you've never been to Bunnell and you don't know where it is, you'd definitely need to have a plan in place before you hopped in your car and took off! Well, writing is no different!

Imagine that your goal is to write an essay about your most memorable trip. You can choose any type of planning, organizing, or pre-writing that you like. For this example, I'm going to stick to my favorite method: the outline! Look at what I have and ask yourself if you can see how my "plan" would then be turned into the essay. Then, show me your "plan" for your essay!

Topic: Memorable Trip (Utah)
Paragraph 1: Intro
Paragraph 2: First time out west
Paragraph 3: Amazing skiing
Paragraph 4: Unique landscape
Paragraph 5: Conclusion

What do you think? That wasn't too hard to do, was it?

The Dreaded Dangling Participle!

Have you ever heard of a dangling participle? It doesn't sound like a good thing, does it? Well, it certainly isn't something you want in your writing. Let's look at why that is the case.

First, we need to talk about what exactly a "participle" is. Every complete sentence will have a subject and a verb. Verbs can take many forms (past, present, or future, for example). A present participle verb is one that ends in "-ing." Some examples of present participle verbs are "running," "cooking," "sleeping," and "eating."

Here's a case of the dreaded dangling participle.
While sleeping, the alarm clock fell off of Tim's table.

Why is that not a correctly written sentence? Look at that phrase in the beginning of the sentence ("while sleeping"). Who or what is that phrase really meant to describe? It's meant to describe Tim. He's the one who was sleeping. However, here's where the problem occurs. Due to the way the sentence is written, it implies that it was the alarm clock that was sleeping! Isn't that silly?

To fix that dreaded dangling participle, you can reword your sentence. Here are a few examples of a correct way to express that statement.
1.) While Tim was sleeping, the alarm clock fell off of the table.
2.) The alarm clock fell off of the table while Tim was sleeping.
3.) While sleeping, Tim heard the alarm clock fall off of the table.


Now it's your turn! I'll give you 5 incorrect sentences, all with dreaded dangling participles. I'd like you to point out what the problem is and then rewrite the sentence to make it correct!
1.) When walking, the sidewalk tripped Lourdes.
2.) Shopping at the mall, multiple bags were held by Carol's husband.
3.) While driving to school, the cell phone rang for Ana.
4.) Installing a new sink, tools were dropped by the plumber.
5.) When thinking about the long holiday weekend, an idea occurred to Mrs. Raether.

The weekend is here!

Friday is that wonderful day each week filled with excitement and anticipation of the upcoming weekend! Let's practice some outlining skills. Make a brief outline that shows what you have planned for the weekend! You can use a format similar to the one I have shown below.

I.) Saturday
A.) Sleep late
B.) Watch TV
C.) Check email
D.) Work on homework

II.) Sunday
A.) Sleep late
B.) Do laundry
C.) Watch "Desperate Housewives"
D.) Prepare for upcoming week
E.) Finish homework

Describe It - Weather!

I'm going to stick to the "trend" I've had lately about descriptive writing. The great thing about this topic is that there's so much out there to use as inspiration! Today, we'll focus on the weather. But this doesn't have to be about the weather that's currently happening. Maybe you want to think about a place you've been or a weather event you've endured: a rainy day, a hurricane, a snow storm, an August day in Florida, etc.

I grew up in New Jersey and went through many snow storms. The most beautiful part was at night as the snow fell. If you turned on a light outside, you could see the dainty, delicate, crystal flakes just slowly falling from the night sky. Once you stepped outside, you'd hear this very faint, but distinct crackling of the flakes reaching the ground and piling on top of the snow that was already there.

What type of weather would you like to tell me about? Write a few complete sentences that describe this. Remember that a complete sentence has a subject and a verb. Use those adjectives, as that's what helps paint that vivid, detailed picture in your reader's mind!

Describe It More!

The last blog entry I did talked about descriptive writing. This is essential in any type of communication you do. This time, I'd like you to pick a color that you like and describe it as best you can!

Turquoise blue - light, bright, vibrant, warm, tropical

Describe It!

Have you ever had someone describe something to you that you could perfectly picture in your mind? That's what we should all strive to do with our writing. It should be detailed in a way that your reader has a clear vision of what you're discussing.

Pick some item and describe it with a few key phrases!

I'll start with what I'm having for breakfast, potato salad. (Yes, that really is what I'm eating for breakfast today!)

Potato salad: chunky potatoes, creamy mayo, small chive pieces, crunchy celery bits

With those descriptive phrases, can you picture (and almost taste) that in your mind?

Now you give it a try!

Word of the Day

If you're a regular blog reader & participant, you know that the Merriam Webster website has lots of great resources, including the Word of the Day feature. Let's visit the archive. Once there, pick any word listed in the section for December or January (which you may need to scroll down to see). Click on the word and review the information given. Please come back to the blog, post the date the word was originally used, the word you picked, definition, and the example sentence that was given. Be sure to check back often to see what other words were picked by fellow bloggers!

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

I'll start!

---

December 11, 2009
namby-pamby
1.) lacking in character or substance : insipid
2.) weak, indecisive

Example sentence: The candidate criticized her opponent during the debate, calling him a namby-pamby flip-flopper who could not stand up for what he believed in.

New Year's Resolutions (Part 3)

Happy new year!!!

You've had a chance to learn what a resolution is and to see some of the top yearly resolutions. No matter what you have resolved to do in 2010, now is a good time to see some tips to help you be successful!

http://www.ehow.com/how_12076_keep-new-years.html

Once you've visited that site, tell me which of the 5 tips listed did you think would help you the most? Which one, if any, would help you the least?

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?!