A COMMON PLACE

HI ENGLISH TEACHERS!
HERE YOU ARE, A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN COMMENT ABOUT NEW THINGS IN THE CLASSROOM. A PAIR OF COURSES AT THE UNGS  HELPED ME  REFLECT ON TEACHING IN A DIFFERENT WAY. I  AND OTHER TEACHERS WILL GIVE  YOU A PIECE OF ADVICE ABOUT TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM AND  ANSWER SOME DOUBTS. GOOD FOR ME, GOOD FOR YOU. CONTACT ME THROUGHTOUT THIS LINK. GO TO GOOGLE, CHOOSE THE BLOG OPTION AND TYPE http://englishonlinebyolga.blogspot.com/

BLACKBERRIES AT HOME

  Cooking for family´s birthdays or harvesting http://eibol.blogsome.com/2008/03/01/frutas-del-bosque-berries-currants/blackberries at home, every summer, are some of my cherished memories related to meals with loved ones.

   Before the end of November, our garden in San Miguel, Argentina,  becomes the most beautiful place I´ve ever been after getting up in a sunny morning, even a cloudy one, Ha!  The green area of grass begins blurring the dried yellow holes on the ground.  Trees are full with large green leaves and the blackberries, live hidden behind an old orange tree.  They are ready sweetened to eat or to prepare my favourite and simple recipe.  We have to collect them as they are not too read or too black.  By combining sugar, this exotic fruit and pectin I get an exquisite jam which can be used on toasts, over delicious ice-creams, in cakes, and with many other desserts.

   Basically, what I usually make is simply blackberry jam.  The secret is to harvesting the fruit with the appropriate colour.  The leaves are not particularly dangerous, but nevertheless they are not something you´d want to do every day.  The sharp needle-shaped thorns annoy your hands and arms for two or three days. Anyway, making blackberry jam is more than gardening or cooking, it is having a good time at home. As soon as I have a big bowl of blackberries I´ll show you a good recipe. Be patient!

TECHNOLOGY AND THE CLASSROOM





Internet is becoming increasingly important in our professional lives, and our learners are using technology more and more.  If teachers do not get trained in the use of TIC –Information and Communication Technology-, it will be more difficult to catch up with the student´s level in this field.  But this is one of the reasons why teachers have to brush up their skills.  The resources available on the net are really fantastic.  Learners can use ICT tools such as blogs, wikis, chat or dots for reading and listening, homework assignments and summaries of classwork for learners who miss class. Other fundamental reason for using the internet resources is that young learners are growing up with technology, it is an integrated part of their lives, and teachers who are the main “human” part of the educational system do not have to miss the possibility of taking part of that world.  In addition, the internet presents us with new opportunities for authentic task material, technology is offered with published material from serious sources such as course-books and articles from newspapers. Using a range of ITC tools can give learners exposure to and practice in all of the four main skills.  Internet resource is such a valuable tool that expands the universe of learning teaching-learning experience in an amazing way. Teachers, you simple need to know how to find them!

COOKING WITH OLGA

It´s spring! Let´s make a lemon pie!!!    I have a little lemon tree in my back garden.  It has more than 100 lemons on it and they are waiting to be processed in my kitchen.  I love cooking! Have I mentioned before? My specialty, which I´ve featured on this blog, is my successful lemon pie.  It´s not too much acid or sweet but great for a wormy spring afternoon…

RECIPE

Lemons are an endless source of vitamins, and they are at a good price in spring.  We can start this delicious lemon tart with a shortbread crust. Of course, this is not made from cookies! Just put the flour, sugar, eggs, cold butter and a little of cold water in a bowl, previously covered with a film –a thin plastic used for food- Mix the ingredients until you see a dough beginning to form, and place the dough wrapped in the film in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile the dough is getting cold we are going to cook the lemon filling.  It consists of lemon juice, sugar, the egg yolks (=the yellow part), water and corn starch (=maize, British). Put them in a pan, turn the fire down and cook until smooth, whirling constantly. When the filling is ready, place the dough on a plastic film on the kitchen table and press it with your hands and fingers, turn it over, and cover the lower part of a pan cake or tin (British). Then, the crust is baked till is golden brown, about 13-15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 180 degrees. Finally, the topping is made of egg white (= the white part) and sugar. Both ingredients are mixed until the cream is just set. The filling is then poured into the baked crust tart and covered with the white cream.

CRUST 300 grams plain flour (It´s different from self-raising  flour which contains no baking powder) 150 grams sugar 150 grams butter 1 water table spoon 3 egg yolks LEMON FILLING 4 table spoons sugar 4 egg yolks 1 1/2 cup water 4 table spoons lemon juice 2 full spoons maize TOPPING 4 white eggs 16 full spoon sugar Some drops of lemon juice

THIS IS AN OPTION FOR TEACHING PASSIVE VOICE!!

HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT

To my followers:

I love to spend time outside in nature.  It keeps me energized and in shape and it can also be very peaceful.  Even though health and the environment are closely connected, these terms do not go hand in hand in modern times.  We are becoming more and more aware of the impact of human action on our environment.  Firstly, the indiscriminate use of pesticides on the vegetable we eat.  These chemicals pollute the soil that crops grow in.  Secondly, leaders in industry must develop alternative ways to create energy and stop selling fossil fuel.  Thirdly,   governments have to foster projects to give up the use of coal as source of energy, as well as the habit of recycling material such as paper, glass, plastic.  In addition, the overwhelming exploitation of electronic radiation, the problem with the nuclear plants which failed in Japan and Russia, the increasing use of mobile phones which waves also affect our health, and so on, are rightfully concerned by this danger.

  These environmental hazards directly impact on our health producing respiratory and skin infections; various forms of digestives disorders and diseases such as diarrhea, cancers, etc.  People are exposed to natural radiation on daily basis. Natural radiation comes from many sources.  It is generally present in radioactive materials found in soil, water and air.  However, the most dangerous   comes from radioactive material released into the environment during an emergency in a nuclear plant.  Drinking water may be dangerous too.  Chemical and radiological hazards and microbial are issues of public concern.  Finally, air pollution produced by urban traffic, and acid rain complete the list of elements which can destroy our environment and consequently our health.  This is not an apocalyptic vision but the evidence that human beings depends on a responsible use of nature.

Thanks God this growing awareness is reflected in recent environmental initiatives from government and other organizations.  Creating green spaces and water fluoridation and moving towards sustainable methods which allow us to continue life without causing damage to the environment.