Practicing with connectors

Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Hello and welcome everybody!
As you have notice, at the moment of writing, you have been struggled because you are not sure about what the most suitable and the right words are. You have heard about connectors to put sentences together in a coherent way. So, today you are going to practice how to use link words to connect sentences at the moment of writing.
Assignment 1: Discriminating connectors
Lesson: writing a story: What Ricky´s life is going on.
Follow these directions to complete this assignment:
1. Read each one of the cards. Identify which words are linking the sentences of the cards.
2. Click on http://www.cfkeep.org/html/snapshot.php?id=67526670701361
3. Build a paragraph using the types of connectors you find. Please, do not change the main idea of the story.
4. Write it down. Be ready to share
Review of the Lesson and Website Resource
Students: Eighth semester university students. They are Hispanic.
English Language Level: they are Intermediate English students. EFL
Lesson time: Half an hour in Lab
Class Location Environment: this will be taught in the University’ computer lab. The computer´s room assistant will long in, students will open a browser, go to the class blog and read the directions and click on the link.
What is the instructional purpose?
This is a writing skill activity. Students at the university have to write academic papers, assays and reports frequently. So they need to comprehend how connectors are used in writing. This is a web side where people can practice connectors and apply the exercises in a regular room. They can practice on that webpage and then put on practices that exercise in the used classroom.
How will you the website to meet my instructional purposes?
When students received all the directions and explanations from the teachers they get bored. I have realized that they enjoy more the class when teachers bring copies or transparencies to work in the classrooms. On the other hand, when they have to rewrite the story and use their own connectors, I will work with them in the classroom in order to share all the students’ works. The lab is so busy and many classes have to use it. So for this moment I thought about create a half time class one.
What are potential problems students might encounter in using this website?
They only have the opportunity to go to the lab when there is not any class there. There is a specific time to go there and it is usually when they are taking other courses. They can waste the time and go to other sources. But, I consider that that activity is so easy, they do not have to click on more sites. In general, the access to internet is limited due to the fact students have to pay extra money for each hour they are on the internet. Some computers spend much time to long in and that can frustrate them.
2. Why is this topic, information or content appropriate for the lesson you plan to create (e.g., level of authenticity, relevance to target language, register, accuracy, interest level, and motivation)?
That communicative project is the final one, then, students have to start writing final projects in many subjects. Furthermore, in writing, students avoid using connectors and they use commas instead. Another factor is that, it is common that “and” “because” and “but” are overused. Having the opportunity of creating paragraphs about daily topics can be more beneficial for them to practice writing because they have to write more papers with elaborated and complex topics. Meanwhile they are learning they can practice on straightforward topics to apply them in the academic ones.
3. Are the format, organization, and design and language level of this resource appropriate for your instructional goals?
Yes, I am not interesting in building vocabulary or comprehensions skills. For this opportunity and I am interesting in how connector are usually used. Besides, that language level is so basic and they are used to read complex language texts so that will be easier.