Google Sites

A New Site, A New Start, Like Masters, Hit Deep in the Heart 

Welcome 

Because

This is

Google Sites

A page beyond a button

Changeable scenes

Ready templates

Easy access and share

ALL FOR FREE

What is this tool?

Google Sites is a well-designed wiki  and web page-creation tool provided by Google as part of the Google Apps Productivity suite. 
Everyone is able to create a web - page that allow people to be able to work collaboratively.
Anyone can start a pre-built template. They are easy to use. 
Just click to create, choose a template and go on to edit whenever you want.

How can I access ?

Just type https://sites.google.com/ on your web browser. Go for sign up. You just need a g-mail account.

Then go for create and choose your template.
Everything is easy then.


What does it have for (EFL)TEACHERS?
Google Sites allow teachers to create a classrom template. It is like a cyber classroom.

A well-designed home page

Also you can upload your own picture and add information.

It also provides teachers class announcements, class calendar, reading lists, useful links and form and documents links.

In class calendar teachers are able to announce daily or weekly plans. At reading list section teachers   can upload reading texts. Useful links can be beneficial for students to look at more educational web sites. Last and for all at forms and docs sections students can see their duties from other sections

It can easily be edited. You can also change its layout. 

It can also be added new pages and templates.

 With pencil button users are enabled to organize it as they like.

KWL - Wiki

I knew only wikipedia.org and wikileaks and I know people can share information on wikipedia.org by just clicking to edit but they need to sign for the web site. I don't know how reliable they are but they give references to the sites they use.
You may find more information about wikis by clicking the link below.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki

I learnt how to be a member of wiki clubs a pbworks.com. Moreover, at settings list saw that Each individual workspace has its own "Settings" tab, which allows me to tweak the individual settings of the workspace. Then the settings for each workspace are separate, and there is no tool to modify the settings for multiple workspaces. Also. page and files link showed me how to browse actions we did before.  Further, with PBworks editor button, I learnt that Pbworks have edit tabs that allow users to write, edit and administrate workspace pages.
With last button I saw PBworks can be used for business and educational purposes.

You can pay a visit to my wiki account by clicking the link below.


http://ridvan1923.pbworks.com/w/page/61482980/FrontPage

Student Anxiety in Learning English

We all learnt English since childhood. We all know that we felt anxious while learning this foreign language because we were feeling like living in a foreign land and didn't know what to do. Nobody could give a hand to come back from this land. What was/is the reason behind this? It sometimes was behalf on us, but sometimes it was very rude to us.

Some of us didn't like English, some learnt it for future purposes, and some liked it very much. Motivation came through this anxiety.
Sometimes we were laughed by others because we felt very uncomfortable and not able to understand instructions in that language. Doing roleplay activities made us feel at unease. Homework was good for some of us, but some weren't comfortable with it. Sometimes we were angry because we weren't understanding anything. Becauuuuseeeeeeeeeee

We had anxiety!

What is this anxiety?

Anxiety is a general term for several disorders that cause nervousness, fear, apprehension, and worrying. They affect our feelings and behaviour, they can manifest real physical symptoms. People often experience a general state of worry or fear before confronting something challenging such as a test, examination, recital, or interview. These feelings are easily justified and considered normal. Anxiety is considered a problem when symptoms interfere with a person's ability to sleep or otherwise function

Anxiety and Learning English

Bailey points out despite its negative aspects, anxiety is not necessarily a bad thing in itself. Even it can be very helpful. Scovel distinguishes between debilitaling anxiety, which creates difficulties in learning and performing, and facilitating anxiety, which actually helps people to do better than they might otherwise. Yes, if we know that success is attainable but not guaranteed, we may do better precisely because our anxiety has spurred us on. On the other hand, if we feel that, no matter how hard we try, we are going to fail, then our anxiety might discourage us from doing our best. Another possible source of debilitating anxiety is the fact that learning a foreign language makes people feel, to some extent, in a foreign land, with all the cultural implications of this situation.

Scovel also makes a distinction between trait anxiety, which is a relatively permanent personality feature, and the less stable state anxiety, which is evoked by a particular set of temporary circumstances. State anxiety is an acknowledged feature of language learning, whether as cause, effect or both. But why should anxiety be a special problem for language learners? Aren't students anxious about other school subjects? Why should language learning be different? One possible answer is that in most language learning situations, students are required to perform in the target language, which deprives them of their normal means of communication and behaviour. When forced to use the language they are learning, they constantly feel that they are representing themselves badly, showing only some of their real personality and intelligence. This sort of deprivation breeds anxiety about communicating with others, both in class and outside it, thus these learners will not fully profit from practising the language which has been learned.

Now I would like to ask questions about anxiety in English language learning:

How do you feel about anxiety before reading this blog? Good or bad ?

Do you think that anxiety can be useful tool for learning English or any other language ?

How can you learn your students' anxiety when you're an English language teacher?

Is anxiety a required feeling for the English language learning or is it only non-sense and must be eliminated? Why do you think so ?

If you like to read more on anxiety and anxiety in English language learning following links are good to help you:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/anxiety/

http://hera.ugr.es/tesisugr/16235290.pdf

Ridvan & Lauren

It is broadcasting time, friends ;))

Technology

An interesting conversation with Mr Balzac. He is a well-known man in whole India. He is answering my questions about technology.

KWL

I have know nothing about readability tools. I want to understand how those tools calculate or estimate readability rates.
Its nature allows me to choose the best for my students because while in the text A readibility rate low, B has more rates. It is obvious it can be very good for students who are at lower levels or at upper levels of English.
But then I wonder how it does simply decide how readable a text. Could it be that it is a time saviour of a teacher because with one click you got your  results in front of you while sipping your coffee.

Text A

 Text B

Integrating Blog

I  have never realized that I will be signing a contract for blogs. It is so interesting to do so.
I learnt that an expert or good blogger has unique ideas. They make good entries, comment on other members' blogs. They share their ideas and help each other. All the missions they took completed on time and properly. Using grammar properly makes their blogs seem interesting. Responsible at work, respectful towards others these are characteristics of bloggers. I will try to be at their sense. Moreover, a blogger is not harmfull but s/he must a useful or beneficial source for others.
Following daily life, co-operating with others make them more accountable.
Creativeness also is a key word for bloggers because good bloggers are good at being creative. Senseful for creating good blogs.
They must keep in touch with other good bloggers and encourage other fishman to be good bloggers.