Virtual classes can never beat in-person classes (QUARANTINE: DAY 81)

Now that this most bizarre school year is coming to an end and that we have had both in-person regular classes and virtual classes, it is time to think about which one of the two options we prefer and why.

 

From the point of view of a teacher, and although virtual classes can be an excellent complement to traditional teaching, I believe there is no such dilemma about the issue. The percentage of students who have dropped out or who haven't done things in a fair way is incredibly high and frustrating!!!

Here are some newspaper articles for you to read and a video in Spanish about an Italian university professor talking about the issue:

• Online vs. In-Person Classes (College Times)

• Can virtual classrooms beat face-to-face interaction?  (The Guardian)

• As the coronavirus closes schools and teaching moves online, will students still learn? (Poynter)

• 'I can't get motivated': the students struggling with online learning (The Guardian)

Nuccio Ordine, university professor and writer, tells us his opinion about the discussion (in Spanish) >>

Quarantine Scoreboard

Posts uploaded:  51

Students participating:  about 85 out of 110 (77%) at least once during the quarantine, but only 40% of them are really working!!!!

Comments written and corrected:    almost 1000

Emails exchanged: about 4200

PASEN announcements & messages:   about 3000

Things handed in and corrected: more than 2300

 

Visits to blog and site during quarantine: almost 25,000 (Average of 250 visits per day)

Video lectures (ONLINE CLASSES):    24  (+ 6 Dictations on line, 4 verb exams and 7 online exams) and several individual online tutorials

 

Important piece of news for everybody  (ALL LEVELS)   >>>>  As you already know your final mark, in case you are not 100% satisfied with the mark, please contact me and we will try to arrange an individual oral interview/exam.

Voluntary exams on Monday:

• for 4º ESO from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

• for 1º ESO from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

 Thursday, 4^th June

1º ESO

Tasks for today:

Unit 7 (page 152-153) >> Revising for the exam.

4º ESO

Smart Planet Digital books

Homework:

Revise for the final exams with the workbook (unit 9) pages 74-83

 

 

  HOMEWORK FOR TODAY:

• Keep finishing all the things you still have to hand in and revising for the final exams.

mmmEnglisht tells us How To Use SO & SUCH | Add Emphasis in English!

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 200603 / 03 June 2020    >>>  How to protect ourselves from a meteor strike (Defending ourselves from meteorites)  -    Language related to 'space'.  Need-to-know language: meteorite, orbit, Solar System, asteroid & shooting star.

Our teacher gets so salty sometimes (Quarantine: DAY 72)

It is true that sometimes teachers get very easily angry, but the truth is that these days there are always good reasons to make them furious: fake students, fake exams, cheaters, lack of solidarity, governments that don't care at all about educational matters, ghost students....

 

The English We Speak:  Why are people saying 'salty'? (BBC Learning English)

 

 

 

Some articles for you to read about the issue:

• When the Covid-19 crisis finally ends, schools must never return to normal (The Guardian) 

• Tackling bad pupils - and parents (BBC News)

• ‘Every lesson is a battle’: Why teachers are lining up to leave (The Guardian)

Quarantine Scoreboard

Posts uploaded:  45

Students participating:  about 85 out of 110 (77%) at least once during the quarantine, but only 40% of them are really working!!!!

Comments written and corrected:    more than 750

Emails exchanged: more than 3800

PASEN announcements & messages:   more than 2600

Things handed in and corrected: more than 2000

 

Visits to blog and site during quarantine: almost 21,000 (Average of 250 visits per day)

Video lectures (ONLINE CLASSES):    21  (+ 6 Dictations on line, 4 verb exams and 7 online exams) and several individual online tutorials

 

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE QUARANTINE

 Tuesday, 26^th May

1º ESO     CLASS    (<<<Click here)

Very good morning, ladies and gentlemen!!

 

I hope you are all well, safe and sound. Here's again the link to the session, just in case: https://eu.bbcollab.com/guest/379e7c0b009640fea3b23156deeba859

 

Solutions to yesterday's listening exercises:

Exercise 5. Because he has got a new phone number.

Exercise 6. Party for: Mike  //   When: last Saturday   //   Where: At a music club for teenagers on Main Street   //  Opinion of event:    nice excellent music, the DJ was very good, exciting, amazing, really nice    //  Who was there:  all our friends   //  Opinion of the food: very tasty

Exercise 7. 1. He was at home     2. It was chocolate cake and chocolate ice-cream

ATENCIÓN!!!! Hemos quedado hoy en clase que le doy un positivo al que me envie el audio del ejercicio 6 (pag 86). Tienen que grabarse leyendo en voz alta el ejercicio y mandármelo. Si no pudieran, quedan conmigo y nos conectamos, y lo leen. Deben leer en voz alta todos los días.

 

4º ESO

Smart Planet Digital books

These are the tasks for today: 

• Unit 9 (Smart Planet 4) , page 98  >>> Exercises 1 - 2 & page 99  

Once you've done all the page 99 you can do the last writing exercise we will do this year:

Unit 9  >>>> 

Wr17: Ejercicio de producción escrita sobre el tema : "Film piracy", bajo el formato de "An online article", en el que se utilizará pasiva del tipo 'it is said that', relative clauses, conditional sentences, comparatives and reported speech, además de todo lo visto en la página 99. La redacción debe estructurarse en 4 párrafos: Introducción - Desarollo del tema en 2 párrafos - Conclusión (este último párrafo es nuevo con respecto al modelo que se ofrece)

 

 

Describing an experience/experiment at our Science Week (Writing Exercise 15). An inphograph made by Lucía Espinosa (4º ESO A) about how to make a volcano  >>>>

 

English in a Minute:  TALKING ABOUT PAST ABILITIES: 'could' vs 'was able to'   (BBC Learning English)

 

Further information about PAST ABILITIES:

Using 'can', 'could', 'be able to' and 'manage to' - 6 Minute Grammar (BBC Learning English)

 

 

  HOMEWORK FOR TODAY:

• Keep finishing all the things you still have to hand in.

• Start revising for the final exams (For instance, you can revise the Grammmar Reference section at the end of the textbook and do the exercises proposed). Here are some more exam exercises   >>>>

158. COMPARATIVES. Fill in the gaps with the comparatives of superiority and the     superlatives of the adjectives you are given in brackets:

1. For (far) ______________ information on the passive you should revise the grammar revision.

2. Mick Malone's (old) _______________ brother came from Ireland to visit him.

3. This is (bad) _______________ football match I've ever watched.

Translate the following sentences into English:

4. Ella no llegó tan tarde como de costumbre.  

5. Cuanto más estudio, menos problemas tengo con el inglés.

6. Los exámenes se van complicando cada vez más.

/ 6

159. Insert the second sentences into the first ones by means of RELATIVE CLAUSES:

1. That is the boy. I borrowed his motorbike last Saturday.

2. Southampton is a busy sea port. It is on the south coast of England.

3. Jimmy Connors was once married to Chris Evert.He was a very famous American tennis player.

4. Apolo XI was the spaceship. It took Armstrong and Aldrin to the moon.

5. Last year I had to read the book. You are looking at it now.

160. CONDITIONALS. Put the vers in brackets into their correct tense and fill in the gaps (...) with     these words:  IF  /  WHEN  /  PROVIDED THAT  /  UNLESS /  AS LONG AS         

1. I am going to Rome next week. ................ I (BE) __________ there, I (SEE)______________    the Colisseum.

2. .................... we (GO) ____________ now, we (MISS) ____________ the train.

3. I (HELP) ____________ ....................... I (FINISH) _____________ first.

4. .............. she (HAVE) _____________ a ticket she (GO) _________________ to the concert.

5. Albert sr.(PLAY) ________________  with you tomorrow morning ..............  Albert jr. (NOT EAT) ______________ every three hours.

mmmEnglish  >>>>  Everyday habits to improve your English

 

 

Skeleton crew needed! (QUARANTINE: DAY 65)

 

We needn't have all the people to run a business or our school, for example. But be sure that our English teacher will always be in the skeleton crew!!!

 

Let's check first what a skeleton crew is. Don't worry, there's nothing to be scared about!

The English We Speak  >>>> Skeleton crew (BBC Learning English)

 

And here's another vocabulary aspect to revise:

English in a Minute:  'needn't' vs 'not need to'   (BBC Learning English)

Quarantine Scoreboard

Posts uploaded:  41

Students participating:  about 85 out of 110 (77%) at least once during the quarantine, but only 40% of them are really working!!!!

Comments written and corrected:    more than 700

Emails exchanged: more than 3500

PASEN announcements & messages:   almost 2500

Things handed in and corrected: almost 1600

 

Visits to blog and site during quarantine: more than 18,000 (Average of 250 visits per day)

Video lectures (ONLINE CLASSES):    18  (+ 6 Dictations on line, 4 verb exams and 7 online exams) and several individual online tutorials

 

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE QUARANTINE

 Tuesday, 19^th May

1º ESO     CLASS    (<<<Click here)

Very good morning, ladies and gentlemen!!

 

I hope you are all well, safe and sound. Here's again the link to the session, just in case: https://eu.bbcollab.com/guest/379e7c0b009640fea3b23156deeba859

 

 

Tasks for today:

• Let's watch again these episodes (Old That's English)  >>>>  Unit 6   >>   Programmes   1 016   2    017  3  018

   

and send me all the dishes they mention. Then try to tell me some typical dishes of a Spanish menu.

 

4º ESO

Smart Planet Digital books

These are the tasks for today: 

• Unit 9 (Smart Planet 4) , page 95  >>> Exercises 1 - 6 (Send me the answers to exercise 6)   

• Watch these two episodes from New That's English to revise the Conditional sentences:
                     MODULE 5  (NOTES)        Unit 6A            Unit 6B    

 

 

 

1º Bach  >>>  Homework for today:

Let's revise for our final exams by having a look at pages 107-123. Try doing the exercises at the end of each unit and let me know if you have any problems or doubts.

 

English with Lucy   >>>   DO NOT SAY 'Can you repeat?' or 'I don't understand' - ask for repetition in this BETTER way!

 

 

FREEDOM!!! (QUARANTINE: DAY 64)

 

TENTH WEEK OF LOCKDOWN and at last we got to phase 1!!! We still cannot do much, but at least we can move around the province without any problems. So I can visit you in Itrabo, Salobreña, Molvizar, La Caleta or even in Los Guajares!!!

 

 

You will understand now how important FREEDOM is. This week we'll be having several songs connected with this topic. Pay attention to the lyrics. The first one is by George Michael:

 

 

George Michael - Freedom! with lyrics  

 

 

Important piece of news about the Official Language School and about dates to register and exams for freelance students  >>>>

Quarantine Scoreboard

Posts uploaded:  40

Students participating:  about 85 out of 110 (77%) at least once during the quarantine, but only 40% of them are really working!!!!

Comments written and corrected:    more than 700

Emails exchanged: nearly 3500

PASEN announcements & messages:   almost 2500

Things handed in and corrected: more than 1500

 

Visits to blog and site during quarantine: more than 18,000 (Average of 250 visits per day)

Video lectures (ONLINE CLASSES):    17  (+ 6 Dictations on line, 4 verb exams and 4 online exams) and several individual online tutorials

 

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE QUARANTINE

 Monday, 18^th May

1º ESO

Tasks for today:

• Unit 7 (page 91) >> Exercises 6-9. Send me your answers to the listening exercise (exercises 8 & 9)

• Read the text on page 92 and look up all the words you don't know in the dictionary.

  And tomorrow we will be correcting the exam in our online class!!!

Here are the solution to the Listening exercise on page 78:

Exercise 5 -   Vampire bats can help people with health problems.

Exercise 6 - 

1. They are mammals.      2. Bats prefer countries with warm weather.     3. and some live in trees.
4. can catch 1,200 bats.      5. don't drink people's blood.

Exercise 7 -

1. They can fly.       2. They help trees grow.

and exercise 3 on page 85:

1. You wear them in your hands when it's cold, especially in winter.

2. It is an animal with four legs. It lives in a farm. You can ride on it.

3. You wear it in your head when you ride your motorbike or bicycle to protect you.
4. They are a kind of shoes. You wear them in the summer time.
5. It is a ship. You live in it.
6. An athletic person loves doing sport.
7. You use a racket to play tennis, to hit the ball.
8. It is a long reptile. A python is a snake.
9. (across) It is a place full of sand. There aren't any trees, grass or lakes. There isn't any water.
(down) It is a sport. You do it in the see. You jump and get into the water to see the fish.
10. It is a popular sport in Spain. You play it with a ball and two teams of 11 players each. Messi plays this sport.
11. It is the animal with the longest neck in the world. It lives in the jungle.

4º ESO  

There is only online class for students in levels 4 / 5 as we will be correcting the exam they did on Thursday.

However, if you have any doubt, you can join in the class and ask me.

  CLASS    (<<<Click here)

Very good morning, ladies and gentlemen!!

 

I hope you are all well, safe and sound. Today we will be correcting Unit 8 in our session: https://eu.bbcollab.com/guest/55c766d756b946bd8cf62f7443269e0b

 

Here are the links to the exams (you'll have to send me your exams by 11 a.m.):

• Exam:     EXAMEN DE MÍNIMOS    

• Exam for Inés Cruz, Abraham & Sara Rodríguez   Examen de PENDIENTES    
  

 

ONE language, THREE accents - UK vs. USA vs. AUS English!

 

 

 

 

1º Bach     CLASS      (<<<Click here)

Very good morning, ladies and gentlemen!!

 

I hope you are all well, safe and sound.

 

Today we will start revising from 11 a.m. to 13 a.m. RELATIVE CLAUSES & REPORTED SPEECH, apart from finishing the PASSIVE VOICE & CONDITIONAL SENTENCES in our session, whose link is, just in case: https://eu.bbcollab.com/guest/c32436f87fda4ceea41aa7897f70a93b

 

Here are the solutions to the Listening exercises on page 102:

Exercise 1 - 

Symptoms are any feeling of illness, or any physical or mental change that is caused by a particular disease.

Anxiety is an uncomfortable feeling of nervousness or worry about sth. that is going to happen in the future.

Rush is to go or to do sth. very quickly.

Exercise 2 - 

She is going to talk about the main symptoms of exam stress and some easy things you can do to reduce stress.

Exercise 3 -

The main symptoms of stress, How to look after your body & What to do on exam day

Exercise 4 -   A   C   B    B   C

Exercise 5 -   

1. You may also find it difficult to wake up in the mornings, or have problems sleeping at night.

2. What's more, you could be having problems concentrating and lose focus quickly.

3. You might have answered the questions really well.

 

 

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 200513 / 13 May 2020    >>>  Our plastic ocean (Plastic in the oceans)  Record levels of microplastics discovered on the ocean seabed -    Language related to 'plastic pollution'.  Need-to-know language: accumulation, flushed, breaks down, fragments & fragile.

FULL VERSION 1981 - Borg vs Lendl - French Open Roland Garros

 

NATURE IS SPEAKING!!!

Spain: Civil Guard spots eight-metres-long shark off coast of Granada

Fake exams for fake students? NO, PLEASE! (QUARANTINE: DAY 60)

We have to check again how we are doing. This afternoon at 5 p.m. I will be telling you how to do our exams in the levels of 1º ESO and 4º ESO. So, be ready and remember to send me photographs of your handwritten exams by 7 p.m.

Be honest and don't be a fake student!!! like these FAKE NEWS (new section in BBC Learning English):

Fake News: Fact and Fiction  >>>> What does 'fake' really mean? (BBC Learning English)

Quarantine Scoreboard

Posts uploaded:  39

Students participating:  about 85 out of 110 (77%) at least once during the quarantine, but only 40% of them are really working!!!!

Comments written and corrected:    more than 700

Emails exchanged: nearly 3300

PASEN announcements & messages:   almost 2400

Things handed in and corrected: more than 1350

 

Visits to blog and site during quarantine: more than 16,000 (Average of 250 visits per day)

Video lectures (ONLINE CLASSES):    15  (+ 6 Dictations on line, 4 verb exams and 2 online exams) and several individual online tutorials

 

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE QUARANTINE

Thursday, 14^th May

  Here are the links to the exams (you'll have to send me your exams by 7 p.m.):

• Level 1     EXAM   (Audio for the listening exercise)     

• Level 2   EXAM 2     (Audio for the listening exercise)    

 

If you do level 2, tell me if you use any material (folder, textbook, dictionary...)

Si hacen el nivel 2, diganme si usan algún tipo de material (archivador, libro de texto, diccionario...)

 

Homework for the weekend:

• Exercises 1-2 on page 82  (Buying a ticket)

• Write clues for the puzzle (exercise 3 on page 85) and send them to me. Here are some examples:

You wear GLOVES in your hands in winter when it is cold.

HORSE is an animal with four legs. It lives in the farm. You can ride it.

An ATHLETIC person likes doing sport and physical exercise.

• Further information about FOOD >>>  Watch these episodes (Old That's English): 

  MODULE 1    ( Notes )  Unit 6   >>   Programmes   1 016   2    017  3  018

 

 

 

 

Smart Planet Digital books

 

Today we will have the first part of the exam and we will be doing some exercises from the workbook (Use the link above or this one) as part one of our exams >>>  On Monday at 9 a.m. we will be doing the second part:

 

• Dictation (page 67) Exercise  5

• Listening exercises 1 & 2 on page 68

• Reading & Comprehension on page 70 - Exercises 1, 2 &3

• Writing on page 71 - Exercises 1, 2, 3 & 4

There are no levels in this part, but students in 4º ESO B (levels 4-5) will be doing the exam for 1º ESO (level 1).

 

HOMEWORK for the weekend as this afternoon you will be doing the first part of your exam.

• Do all the exercises from unit 8 in the workbook using the link above.

REMEMBER THERE WILL BE NO POST IN THIS BLOG FOR YOU TOMORROW AS WE ARE WORKING TODAY. 

 

 

  HOMEWORK FOR TODAY:

Unit 8 - page 106 

100+ Ways to Say What You’re Feeling in English