Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Networking Essay Example for Free

Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Networking Essay  « Vocabulary and Grammar – An Elementary lesson for CELTA trainees at CELT Athens What steps are part of the process of designing a syllabus? What knowledge skills do teachers need?  » The Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Networks for Language Teachers Does this look familiar To –ing or not to –ing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦that is today’s question! One of my students asked me last month why we use the –ing form for blogging, networking, computing†¦..Good question! My answer? Because technology is constantly changing and plus usually these actions are constant, happen often, plus they are amusing but can be annoying – so we use the present continuous form†¦. On Wednesday 18 January, #ELTchatters wished each other a Happy New Year and got their teeth into a very stimulating chat. As language teachers, do we find these social networking platforms and services amusing or annoying Our students are already using a wide-range of social network sites and teachers are beginning to familiarize themselves with such sites, to keep up with technology but more importantly, to discuss and exchange ideas and develop as teachers. We read and write blogs, visit forums, develop Nings and Wikis, all of which are constantly changing and being updated. The #ELTchat itself is proof of this†¦.it’s fast, furious, fun and educational! We have joined ther World of Technology, for good or for bad? By the way, did you know that if Facebook was a country, it would be the third largest country in the world!!! So in the ELT world, here are the main themes from the discussion. Advantages: * There will be more pro chatters tonight as most members are keen SN users. * #ELTCHAT is one of the major advantages of SNs for teachers. * SNs have radically changed teachers’ lives. We will never feel alone again. * Facebook has become a professionally developing site rather than just a social network. * SN has revolutionized the way we think and opened wider perspectives. * SNs are global and 24/7. * SNs should be harnessed by 21 century teachers with enthusiasm. * Use Facebook for personal contacts and Google+ for PD. * SNs are an extension of staffroom chats with links, banter and discussions. ‘Virtual staffroom†. * #ELTchat is great as it is an ‘outer of class collaboration’ discussion, as few teachers in the workplace know how to collaborate. * SNs create friends which lead to face to face meetings. * Share worksheets/mind maps for students, time-saving. * Twitter tags can inform parents’ of students’ progress. * Non-native teachers are also exposed to real language in the modern world. * SNs, like Twitter and #ELTchat are energizing! Plus, through #ElTchat, you find more people to follow! So, start following!!! Disadvantages: * All SNs are time-consuming. * Some teachers find SNs too daunting to tackle. * SNs can become addictive. They can take over your life, leaving little time for family and friends. Knowing when to stop is crucial – try to switch off! * Replication of themes from one SN to another is annoying. * Students become obsessed in finding their teachers on FB and intrude in teachers’private lives. * Privacy issues with FB AND Twitter – do not accept people you don’t know or protected accounts on Twitter. * Tweetdeck often has technical problems. Mentioned sites, platforms and services worth checking out: * http://www.edmod Secure Social Networking for Teachers * http://moodle.org/Moodle is a Course Management System (CMS), also known as a Learning Management System (LMS) or a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It is a Free web application that educators can use to create effective online learning sites * http://www.blackboard.com/ Blackboard helps clients enrich all aspects of the education experience by engaging and assessing learners, making their daily lives more convenient and †¦ * http://www.collaborizeclassroom.com/ is a free online collaborative education platform that allows students and teachers to transcend the boundaries of their physical classroom to engage in an online collaborative  learning environment. * http://bloggerindraft.blogspot.com/2011/08/introducing-google-scribe-in-blogger.html-an aid to write your blog! * http://aplanet-project.org/ Autonomous Personal Learning Networks For Teachers * http://www.scoop.it/t/interactive-teaching-and-learningExploration of engaging learning spaces and technologies that suppo rt them. * http://www.evernote.com/ Remember everything! * http://www.diigo.com/ To collect, highlight and remember those bookmarks! The chat went on to discuss the issue of coping with lack of time and organizing information and links shared. This lead to a variety of suggestions for bookmarking and who prefers Twitter, FB, Google+. Everyone had their own opinion! A blog challenge was proposed: @esolcourses: Best method for organizing #ELTchat bookmarks! Choose one and demo! As ever, there were some great links shared: * http://t.cohttp://evasimkesyan.edublogs.org/2012/01/18/evo-digitalstorytelling4kids-and-the-tool-of-the-week//JBbayIuc * http://learningfundamentals.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Focus.jpg How to focus in times of distraction. Excellent mind map presentation! * http://cybraryman.com/facebook.html All you need to know about SN s and your students. * http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8142721/Social-networking-teachers-blame-Facebook-and-Twitter-for-pupils-poor-grades.html * http://educationland.wordpress.com/my-worksheets/http://educationland.wordpress.com/worksheets/http:/www.facebook.com/pages/Education-Land/221436857914023http:/t.co/gzX8zGIR Share worksheet and ideas! That’s the summary folks! I would like to add that I didn’t mention specific names on the summary as so many people commented on this chat, so there is something from everyone!! Thanks for another energy-boosting, informative chat! Happy Social Networking!!!

Uncle Toms Cabin Essay examples -- Uncle Toms Cabin Essays

Few books can truly be said to have altered the course of history, and even fewer can be said to have started an entire war. Uncle Tom's Cabin, written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, was one such novel. It is a realistic, although fictional view of slavery, that burned into the consciousness of America the images of brutal beatings and unfair slave practices. Uncle Tom's Cabin helped to turn the tide of public opinion against slavery in the 19th century. This controversial novel was initially written to question slavery and to convince people of its immorality. It was the first book that brought the problem of slavery in America to the attention of the world. It became not only a bestseller, but a social documentary of the lives of slaves. The closest parallel to the success of Uncle Tom's Cabin was Sinclair's The Jungle, but even The Jungle did not start an entire war.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The main characters in this story are Uncle Tom, Eliza and George Harris. Uncle Tom is a good man, trustworthy, a model slave. He refused to make trouble, and is accepting of an institution he cannot change. A very spiritual person, Uncle Tom tries his best to obey the Bible and to do what is right. He is the figure meant to show the good of man, and how that good was trampled by an unjust institution. Eliza is a beautiful slave owned by George Shelby, Sr., the same person who owns Tom. Eliza has a son, Harry. Eliza's husband, George Harris, lives on a nearby plantation. George is a ...

Trainspotting: Addiction and Familiar Environment

I chose not to choose life; I chose something else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin? Mark ‘Rent Boy' Renton is a young Scot that suffers from heroin addiction and is on a downward spiral of drugs and crime. He repeatedly wants to quit and tries to do so, but always seems to succumb to just one more hit in order to cope with his life. With his friends, he is trapped in a seedy urban underworld in spite of the efforts of his family to get him clean.However, Mark has a secret desire to make more of his life, and finds himself facing a choice; staying with his friends in his familiar environment or starting his life over. ‘Trainspotting’ is a very controversial film, which touches upon quite a bit of themes, though drug abuse is certainly the main issue dealt with; Mark and his friends are all addicted to heroin and the film explores the causes of drug abuse and its dangerous aftermath – which in this particular ca se is death; Mark’s friend, Tommy, dies from an overdose and even a little baby girl dies, presumably from living in the intoxicating atmosphere of 4 drug addicts’ flat.Beyond drug abuse, another concurrent theme in the film is redemption – and how unattainable it is; we follow Mark making his way out of drugs, on his journey to redeem himself. He struggles to break out of the vicious circle he is stuck in but lastly succeeds, finds redemption and forgives himself. Trainspotting’ deals with national identity as well, in this case the lack of a true Scottish identity; Mark sees Scotland as nation ‘colonized by wankers’ and feels as though the stereotypical Scottish identity (with connotations of valour and honour) is false heritage. He escapes from Scotland hence his Scottish identity when he moves to London and isolates himself, though he can’t abandon his ‘Scottishness’ completely.

Nickel And Dimed On By Barbara Ehrenreich - 1196 Words

The article â€Å"Nickel and Dimed On (Not) Getting By In America† written by Barbara Ehrenreich, who has a PHD in biology, informs the reader about the struggle a low-wage worker in America has to go through. Ehrenreich goes undercover and takes low-wage jobs to experience how a person with minimum wage of $6-$7/hour survives. During her experiment Ehrenreich only uses the money she earns from her job to pay rent, buy groceries,do laundry, pay for phone, and car. Throughout the article Ehrenreich’s purpose is to make high class feel grateful for what they have but at the same time she encourages them to rally support to change conditions for low-wage workers. Ehrenreich uses rhetorical techniques of syntactic repetition, pathos, ethos, and evidence to persuade middle and high class Americans to realize the need to raise the minimum wage in order for low-wage workers to live comfortable lives. One of the many rhetorical techniques Ehrenreich uses is syntactic repetition as a way of instilling emotions in a readers in order to make them feel sorry for the conditions low wage workers endure and then help in some capacity. In very first sentence of the article Ehrenreich lists; â€Å"At the beginning of June 1998 I leave behind everything that normally soothes the ego and sustain the body - home, career, companion, reputation, ATM card - for a plunge into the low-wage workforce† (Ehrenreich 243). In this quote Ehrenreich just lists facts of what she leaves behind but it makes a readerShow MoreRelatedNickel And Dimed, By Barbara Ehrenreich1636 Words   |  7 Pagesperiod. Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, by Barbara Ehrenreich, specifically highlights a more modern time period, from the late 1990s to the early 2000s. Within this narrative, author Barbara Ehrenreich depicts her struggles of finding equality within the multitude of jobs she works in order to make a living throughout multiple parts. She strongly asserts, within the breadth of her anecdotes, that the American Dream is not easily attainable. In accordance to Nickel and Dimed: On (Not)Read MoreNickel And Dimed By Barbara Ehrenreich1494 Words   |  6 Pages In the novel Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich, the author goes on an experiment in which she moves to new towns and becomes a low-wage worker. In each town she has to find a place to live for the amount she can afford each month off of minimum wage jobs. She went undercover so she went into these jobs without showing her level of skills, college degrees, or writing skills she has. She spent a month in each town between the years of 1998 and 2000. Before starting her experiment she set rulesRead MoreNickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich1721 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Barbara Ehrenreich began her research to explore how people attempting to move from welfare to work are managing—if at all. This exploration also extended to those who are apart of the working class and having not been on welfare. Attempting to place herself in the position of her subjects, Ehrenreich strived to see if she were able to survive on the minimal income provided by a series of low level and low paying jobs. In was her foreknowledge of laws and the inclusion of these lawsRead MoreNickel And Dimed By Barbara Ehrenreich1670 Words   |  7 PagesNickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich is a book about trying to survive while living on a minimum wage salaryWhen first reading this book, I thought it was just going to be another book assigned that I just didn’t want to read After reading the first few pages, I was very intrigued, I began reading way ahead what was assigned for the week I m glad I actually got into this book because it made it so much easier to read She goes and starts her life over in different cities in order to see if itRead MoreNickel And Dimed By Barbara Ehrenreich1192 Words   |  5 PagesIn ‘Nickel and Dimed† by Barbara Ehrenreich, the main claim made by the author was that the low-working class are, in general, forced into an inescapable cycle of poverty. The low paying jobs they have to take are barely enough to pay rent, buy food, and other necessities. This doesn’t even include those in less favorable conditions than those Ehrenreich mimicked in her experiment. In general, Ehrenreich was trying to prove that the â€Å"living wage† offered by entry level jobs is not, in fact, â€Å"livable†Read MoreNickel And Dimed By Barbara Ehrenreich2290 Words   |  10 Pagesthe Great Depression, but who’s to say that we have recovered from it? My claim is supported by Barbara Ehrenreich, an American author, who published a novel called Nickel and Dimed which digs deep into the economic s ituation in the early 90’s. Ehrenreich decided to run an experiment becoming a blue collar worker to see if she can manage to make a living on low wages. She later blogs of Nickel and Dimed in 2011 to see if any change has taken place, and a possible inside on how things would be if sheRead MoreEhrenreich s Nickel And Dimed, By Barbara Ehrenreich1284 Words   |  6 Pages A Call to Action In her novel, Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich states the working poor should be categorized as a â€Å"state of emergency,† and while that may first appear as extreme title, it would certainly promote action in our society. This â€Å"call to action† is one of the main motivations behind Ehrenreich’s writing of this novel. If viewing the working poor as a state of emergency promotes society to take action, then so be it. It is clear from Ehrenreich’s novel that the life of the workingRead MoreBarbara Ehrenreich s Nickel And Dimed978 Words   |  4 Pagesperforms â€Å"down.† By using the excerpt Serving in Florida from Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich and the play, Six Degrees of Separation, by John Guare, we see how performing different classes than the one each person is a part affect themselves and those around them In Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed, Barbara went â€Å"undercover† to perform and learn about a class that was not her own. Although it was for only a month, Barbara struggled to keep up the effort and survive in a lower class thanRead MoreNickel And Dimed By Barbara Ehrenreich Essay1954 Words   |  8 Pagesor three-part time jobs, or working full time at low-wage paying jobs. However, working full time or having two or three part-time jobs, still isn’t enough to make ends meet, support themselves, and their families. In the novel, Nickel and Dimed (2015), Barbara Ehrenreich, the author, does a great job going into the workforce to be employed as a low wage worker, plus acquiring information about how low wage workers make ends meet. Ehrenreich’s reasoning to do so is for research purposes. AlthoughRead MoreAn Analysis Of Nickel And Dimed By Barbara Ehrenreich3343 Words   |  14 PagesNickel and Dimed Analysis 1. What is the topic? Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich is the autobiography of when Barbara went undercover to find out more about the life of a medium wage worker. She first goes to work in Key West, Florida at the restaurant â€Å"Hearthside†. She had worked there for a couple of weeks realizing how incredibly strenuous it was being a waitress especially when under a boss named Phillip that is constantly bickering and ranting on how poor of a job she is doing by having