Money, money

Last Sunday started with rain, but then we had a glorious winter afternoon, perfect for a bush walk around Manly. Here are some photos of the day (the quality is not brilliant, they were taken with a mobile phone). If you have time, take yourselves there by ferry, walk to the beach and follow the walk to Shelly beach. There is a bush walk up the cliffs that takes you back to Manly going past the old seminary. It's great!

BubbleShare: Share photos - Find great Clip Art Images.

Health Expo is coming! We are going to work with Marion's class, AMEP A (level 4) to build a page around health topics. Go to our f2f wiki, the Events page, and follow the instructions below the Health Expo.

Last week we started talking about money matters (one of the topics you wanted to work with).

AMES VILC has several stories about consumer issues, Mind your Money. The listening doesn't seem to be working (try at home, just in case), but you can do some of the exercises and also have a look at the links provided in other languages. Let's look at Mario and Marta's Wedding exercise 1 . Then do exercise 2. Finally read the whole story and check out the advice and links below it.

AMES VILC has also got weekly listening news items. Listen to this week's news here.

Next week we can do another one. The list of topics is here. Look at them in Know your consumer rights! and tell me which one you prefer to do first.
Today you can listen to a new podcast, John: Global Citizen. Print the worksheet first. It will help you with the listening and the writing.

We have a new f2f wiki, so you'll need to update your links. It's going to be on our permanent links on the right of this blog and will replace the pbwiki one.

Look at this!

Look at this watch. It looks like a normal watch, doesn't it?

It was given to an EFS student as a present. He came this morning to see if he could use one of the computers to print his homework.

When I said "yes, go ahead", he produced this watch.... and proceeded to connect it to the computer.

Look at these pictures!

Stress

• We have been looking at modal verbs at a higher level. Please go to Time4English Grammar book, click on the letter M and do the exercises on can/could, can/could/be able to and must/have to. Write notes about how to use them in your note book. Add examples to help you understand their use and to help you remember it.
• Last week we were also talking about how stress affects different age groups. Listen to this passage in Time4English, Are you stressed? (lower Intermediate 6I). It is a stress test. See what your stress levels are like!
• Listen to this podcast of a casual conversation amongst 4 teachers about stress. Can you write down the topics we talked about? Also take note of the language used to change topic or to relate one topic to another. How is feedback given?
• Let's catch up with our Audacity work. I will help you one by one to use Audacity to record your voice and improve your introductory podcast, This is us!
  

This photo is for the geeks out there!
Good work everyone! Last week you learned how to create and post a photo album. I hope you continue using your new skills to send photos of your family to friends and relatives. You can also add sound and today we will try to do it.

Look at Bing's blog. He wrote a good personal piece on If I were an animal... . Try and write something yourself.

Today you will have some time to catch up with your podcast listening. Check last week's post for the links to the 4 podcasts due this term.


Last week we created our first podcast by recording it onto an mp3 player/recorder. Another way of creating audio files is the program Audacity. A couple of you tried it at the beginning of last term. Today I would like to find time for everybody to record your voice using Audacity. Follow this steps:

1. Listen to your very first podcast: This is us! (Ft 2008). YOu will also find it in our podcasting blog: Let's talk!

2. Click on Audacity

3. Connect the headphones/speaker to the computer

4.Press the red button to record your voice

Time to relax!
Marion and Sally have told me about online karaoke and I found this blog, YouTube Karaoke, where you can practise your English (at home, as it is blocked at TAFE) while singing. Have fun