portfolio 12

The Benefits of Oral Presentations for Future Teachers

               

Oral presentations constitute an important part in the process of learning how to become a teacher. Future educators should get acquainted with speaking aloud in front of a class . At Teaching Training Colleges, future teachers learn the topics from the Syllabus while benefiting from the practice of speaking. As it is this last skill an essential part of the teachers’ work. There are relevant factors concerning the usefulness of this oral presentations as well as our own experience in class.

                As regards my presentation about ´Coherence´, I considered essential issues related to my posture, voice and main points to expain. I used a clear loud voice, tried to speak fluently while making pauses, paying attention to intonation and the correct pronunciation of words. I also maintained eye contact so as to check my mates´understanding while looking at different people to check whether they were interested and paying attention. Another necessary issue was to explain our topic without reading, and gave the opportunity to clarify meaning or paraphrase when needed. In opposition to other groups , we focused on the main points to consider and divided them among ourselves. The first of us gave an introduction of the topics that were to be developed by the rest in a more specific way. Visual aids were extremely important, not only for us but also for the listeners, as it helped them as a guide to follow the presentation . The search of our own examples were vital to clarify the theoretic part . The reading of the material was smooth as I was familiar with the topic and due to the author´s  inclusion of several examples.  During the groups´presentations I took down notes of the points discussed with the teacher, especially in the linking of the concepts and relations among the different topics.

                Concerning  ways of improving my presentation, there are some related with technology. I think that the Powerpoint slides should be easily seen by everyone. It would be a good idea to signal the different points to follow both the reading and  order. At the end of the lesson, it would be advisable to send a copy of the presentation to the people that were listening and include a summary with the main information. Another interesting way of checking wether they had understood, is to prepare some ´True or False´ statements to discuss in groups and checked orally to allow time to clear doubts.

                The topic of ´Coherence´is extremely important for the English as a Foreign Language class because it concers meaning. Students should obtain the ability to relate the text with their schemata so as to undertand the writer´s intention and message. I think they should read different genres to find coherence and cohesion, and be aware of their when writing.

                To conclude, in my opinion oral presentation should be performed from the very beginning in all subjects , as they give future teachers the opportunity to obtain confidence in speaking in public, to be aware of ther posture, language and loudness when , together with other features that concern the maintenance of the audience´s  attention and interpretation.  

Give Peace a Chance

Syria is now widely regarded as the greatest humanitarian crisis of our generation. The Syrian civil war is an ongoing armed conflict between forces loyal to the Ba'ath government and those seeking to oust it. The conflict began on 15 March 2011, with popular demonstrations that grew nationwide by April 2011.  Protesters demanded the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad, whose family has held the presidency in Syria since 1971, as well as the end of Ba'ath Party rule, which began in 1963. After months of military sieges, the protests evolved into an armed rebellion. Opposition forces, mainly composed of defected soldiers and civilian volunteers, remain without central leadership. The Arab League, the United States, the European Union and other countries, condemned the use of violence against the protesters. According to the United Nations, about 4 million Syrians have been displaced within the country and 2 million have fled to other countries. In addition, tens of thousands of protesters have been imprisoned and there are reports of widespread torture and terror in state prisons. International organizations have accused both government and opposition forces of severe human rights violations, concluding they were the greatest in gravity, frequency and scale. The Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that a lack of reforms from the Syrian government may have led to the current strife. He stated that:"Syria as a country was rife for some kind of change. And the government of Syria should have felt that in due time and should have undertaken some reform. Had they done that, what we're seeing in Syria today would have never happened”. In times of bacteriological wars that caused numerous deaths, violent conflicts should be solved with peaceful solutions. 

                The clear message has to be that of seeking peace through diplomatic means.  As regards the present conflict, the Pope is leading a strong offensive against a possible military intervention. He condemned the use of chemical weapons and called for “peace breaks out" in society and "special strength". In the G20 meeting he asked the Great Powers to avoid military solutions and sent a letter to President Putin, in which he prayed the world leaders to find "a peaceful solution through dialogue and negotiation." Russia, an ally of Syria, together with the whole international community, maintains the opposition to prevent an attack. The British Prime Minister, David Cameron, stated “ We have turned our backs on military intervention to help the children…the very least this country can do now is ensure every other possible step is taken to help them through aid and diplomacy – and hope we show more gumption when that next chemical attack rains down.”

                Another serious matter is the alarmed number of casualties and exiles since the beginning of the conflict. As statistics show, the estimates of deaths in the conflict vary widely, with figures, per opposition activist groups, ranging from 83,260 to 110,370. On 2 January 2013, the United Nations stated that 60,000 had been killed since the civil war began. The High Commissioner for Human Rights

Argumentative Thesis Statement

Navi Pillay said  "The number of casualties is much higher than we expected, and is truly shocking”. As Sir John Bright, the 19th-century British Radical, famously remarked, “Force is not a remedy”. He also stated that a remedy for the appalling situation in Syria is certainly needed, but without the addition of more destruction and more misery. His exact words were: “…unavoidable collateral damage to civilians will not provide a remedy…(T)he consequences of the measures are unpredictable, and the scope and the implementation out of control”. He thinks just like the parents of the 7,000 children who have been killed so far in the Syrian conflict. In his last trip to Jordan, he met some of the 130,000 Syrian refugees living at the Zaatari Camp and saw how they were being supported by Save The Children and other charities. Each had a story of loss and grief. Apart from that, an important number of Syrians were forced to flee the country. The amount doubled in just six months to 2 million. The United Nations describe the refugee crisis as the worst in history. The High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, said Syria had become "a disgraceful humanitarian calamity with suffering and displacement unparalleled in recent history."

                The lack of evidence about the use of chemical weapons must be assumed seriously when deciding on the proper measures to take. The US President, Barack Obama, is said to have proof of its use against civilians, and advocated the use of a "tailored, limited" military strike in response. While he accused Syria of having violated an international law, the real fact is that the conflict hazards American interests in the area. Although Obama accepts that more people may die, he stated, while referring to an alleged chemical weapons attack in Damascus where 355 people were killed, that “President Assad has used poison gases which have caused mass deaths… and has vast stockpiles of this stuff …a bully who isn’t challenged will strike again … despite being outlawed by international ­humanitarian law”. He announced to the US-based Public Broadcasting Service (PBS):  "We have concluded that the Syrian government in fact carried these out… there need to deter the government from repeating such an attack”. Although they did not present any direct evidence to back up his assertion, they would take action without the backing of Allies or the United Nations. The Syrian Government has strongly denied the accusations, and has challenged the West to come up with "a single piece" of evidence. They warned that any military intervention in Syria could spark a "regional war". Moreover, they blamed rebel "terrorists" for releasing the toxins with the help of the US, Britain and France, and explained that in case of an attack, it would be a "graveyard of invaders".  As regards the participation of other countries, Russia and China led the decisive rejection of retaliation by the United States. Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, stated in the French newspaper Le Figaro: "The Middle East is a powder keg, and today the fuse is getting shorter." Besides, the Chinese State Media said that any military intervention "would have dire consequences for regional security and violate the norms governing international relations". The British Prime Minister, David Cameron, promised British lawmakers he would not go to war, until a United Nations chemical weapons team on the ground in Syria, has a chance to report its findings. A ComRes survey for The Independent British newspaper, has underlined public opposition to military intervention in Syria. Two–thirds of those polled said they were against American plans for military strikes against the Assad regime.

                To conclude, after the two World Wars of the 20 th century, international organizations were created in order to avoid military interventions. They ensure a space for rational negotiation and they represent those who are damaged in the conflicts. It is unbelievable that countries, without the support of the United Nations, maintain the position of attacking, no matter the number of innocent people that are killed. International Representation that advocate peace are to be respected without exception. In the resolution of crisis, examples of peace and diplomacy are essential as a reference for the future. As a result, the Great Powers Countries in conjunction with Humanitarian Organization should attempt for solutions that do not imply the use of violence. It is inadmissible that there are still families that are torn apart or suffer the loss of a relative due to violent civil wars. There has to be always a possibility for dialogue and diplomacy. A non violent resolution, that avoids more deaths and seeks the welfare of civilians, could be attained by the mediation of the United Nations and the powerful countries with  both parts of the conflict.

Outline

Introduction

→ Thesis Statement:   “In times of bacteriological wars that caused numerous deaths, violent conflicts should be solved with peaceful solutions”. 

Supplementary material

→ Diplomatic solutions

→ Avoid deaths and exiles

→ Lack of evidence in the use of chemical weapons

Conclusion

→ A non violent resolution, that avoids more deaths and seeks the welfare of civilians, could be attained by the mediation of the United Nations and the powerful countries with both parts of the conflict.

Graphic Organizer

Sources

Assad might yet win in Syria thanks to Iran's Revolutionary Guards. (2013, May 30).

Assad backed by 1,500 fighters from Hezbollah.(2012, October 6). The Times

BBC.(2012, June 15). Why Russia is standing by Syria's Assad.

Ben, I. (2013 January 8) According to Al-Watan, members of the Shiite Lebanese militia have already killed 300 Syrian                               rebels. The Times of Israel.

Ben, W. (2013 June 17).Russia’s sole support for Syria casts a pall over G-8. The Washington Times.

Borger, J (2013 March 4). Iran and Hezbollah 'have built 50,000-strong force to help Syrian regime. The Guardian.

Casualties of the Syrian civil war. (n,d) Retrieved from http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/syria-shocking-video-emerges-            showing-2253820

Foreign involvement in the Syrian civil war. (n,d) Retrieved from http://www.clarin.com/mundo/Obama-San-Petersburgo-      Cumbre-G20

France funding Syrian rebels in new push to oust Assad. (2012 December 7). The Guardian

France 'Ready To Punish' Syria Over Gas Attack. (n,d). Huffington Post.

Holly, Y (2013 August 29). Syria allies: Why Russia, Iran and China are standing by the regime. CNN.

Iran: IRGC member killed in Syria buried in Tehran. (2013 August 3) Ncr-iran.org..

Iran: Three IRGC members killed in Syria fighting for Assad regime. (2013 August 3) Ncr-iran.org.  .

Lund, A (2013 June 17). Freedom fighters? Cannibals? The truth about Syria’s rebels. The Independent..

Phillips, A.(n,d). The G20 meets in St Petersburg, Russia. Retrieved from http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/syria-weary-          wars-assad-nasty-2248522

Rick Gladstone (2012 July 19). Friction at the U.N. as Russia and China Veto Another Resolution on Syria Sanctions. The                 New York Times.

Rodriguez Yebra, M.(n,d). Support for the Syrian government. Retrieved from ://www.lanacion.com.ar/1617678-la-cumbre-del-g-        20-cerro-con-el-mundo-dividido-por-httpla-crisis-siria

Statistics for the number of martyrs. (n,d) Violations Document

Syrian Civil War. (n,d). Wikipedia.org. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_civil_war

Syria: Opposition, almost 11,500 civilians killed. (2010 March 1) Ansamed.ansa.it.

Syria’s target and capabilities. (2013,08). Retrieved from http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/08/2013

The Structure and Organization of the Syrian Opposition. (2013 May 14). Center for American Progress.

Entry #11

What I learned so far in writing, is the importance of following the five Steps Model . As it has never been easy for me to write from scratch, I learnt to follow the items . They have helped me not only during the brainstorming stage, but also in the organization of my writing.
In the past months, I realized the importance of knowing how to look for material up in the web, and cite them correctly . Although I find the searching quite difficult, I discovered it resulted of massive help in getting ideas and myself organized.  As part of the planning , I learned how to divide a paper in paragraphs and what am I suppose to write in each of them. For instance, the topic sentence in the introductory paragraph to state the main idea to be developed.  The body with several paragraphs where the ideas are explicated, and finally the concluding paragraph to restate the main topic or giving a final opinion, so as to leave the reader thinking about what he read.  In conjunction with this, is the importance of getting the readers’ understanding, as well as smoothing their reading by paying attention to cohesion and coherence. It is very useful for me, as I still have a tendency to amalgamate ideas and make my works difficult to follow. Moreover, I also conceive the importance of avoiding  redundancy and I try to include more linkers and formal words that are a distinguishing feature of academic papers. It was practical to get acquainted with different genres and its characteristics too.
As a whole, I think I have improved the way I write by keeping in mind the steps of writing. Not only are they essential to produce a well written text but to make the reading more understandable and easy.

OUTLINE
TOPIC SENTENCE

• What I learned at this stage in the year is the importance of following the five steps model for writing

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL

• how to look for materials up in the web and cite them correctly
• organization in paragraphs and what they have to include
• cohesion and coherence

CONCLUSION

• As a whole, I think I have improved the way I write and keep in mind the steps of writing. 

Vocabulary

• From scratch (idiom). From nothing. Without resources
• Explicate (  tr.v).  To make clear the meaning of . Synonyms : explain.
• In conjunction with ( Adv.) together with Synonyms: combined;
  collectively, conjointly, jointly
• Redundancy ( noun) Repetition of linguistic information inherent in the structure of a language, as singularity in the sentence It works. Excessive wordiness or repetition in expression. Synonyms: repetition, wordiness
• Amalgamated (v.tr.)  To combine into a unified or integrated whole; unite. Synonyms: mix.
• smooth (verb used with object) to make more polished, elegant, or agreeable, as wording or manners. Synonyms: polish, fluid
• conceive (verb), 1. comprehend. 2. accomplish, effect.  Synonyms: realize
• characteristic (noun) a distinguishing or typical feature . Synonym: feature

SOURCES
The Free Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/explicated
Dictionary. Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/

Entry #10 - Essay

Essay from natycarla

Entry # 9 CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH

       To conclude, driving while using a cellphone is a harmful and irresponsible behaviour. Tough laws to punish this attitude must be reflected in stronger sentences and higher fines. As it was stated in the previous paragraphs with examples and proofs, regulations on this matter are needed urgently, in order to avoid unnecessary deaths and injuries. As human beings, we should value our life, and demand the authorities the implementation of legal measures to assure the safety of pedestrians as well as drivers.

Entry # 8 Immigration

Immigration: A Government’s Principal Responsibility

         Immigration policies and control ought to be taken as a serious matter by the government. Countries with permeable international borders and no walls, permit the passing of illegal people daily through natural borders such as water or mountains, with no register of the goods or people admitted. The shortage of watchmen makes the control between one nation and another difficult and allow criminals or people taken against their will to cross through illegal checkpoints without completing the regulations forms. In addition, examinations of identification papers and means of transport should be rigorous at border offices to avoid the entry of forbidden products or people with judicial problems. To conclude, as it was listed in the examples above, the control in hands of the government’s immigration offices are of great importance for any country.

Entry # 7

In my country, state-run and private secondary schools offer students the choice of  different and varied programs of study. For those students interested in a general education, there are schools that cover different subjects in their annual program. Nevertheless, alternatives related to certain specializations, such as Humanistic Studies or Science can be found, both at public and private establishments. For candidates interested in a technical education, the possibility of a Technical School is the best option to obtain specific preparation and practice from the very beginning. Moreover, the person who likes foreign languages, can master  English or Portuguese by attending classes at  private schools that offer a considerable amount of hours and a variety of subjects in those languages, while at state-run schools they only get a general view with two hours a week of English. Increasingly interesting in recent years is the possibility that students have within a variety  of subjects and specializations that are available at secondary schools.  

In my country, once we finished primary school , we have a wide range of opportunities to choose in order to continue studying. For those students interested in a general education, there are schools that cover different subjects in their annual program. Nevertheless, alternatives related to certain specializations, such as Humanistic Studies or Science can be found, both at public and private establishments. For candidates interested in a technical education, the possibility of a Technical School is the best option to obtain specific preparation and practice from the very beginning. Moreover, the person who likes foreign languages , can master  English or Portuguese by attending classes at  private schools that offer a considerable amount of hours and a variety of subjects in those languages, while at state-run schools they only get a general view with two hours a week of English. As stated before, the opportunities are promising and it is up to you to follow your educational dream.

Metacognitive Analysis

I think that my partner addresses the audience in a direct way while I do not. He also makes his statements more general and I am more specific as I describe the possibilities on both kinds of schools. In both cases the overall meaning is understood. The word people is replaced for student or candidate and subjects for preparation and specialization. My mate replaces ‘wide range of opportunities’ for ‘the opportunities are promising’, and ‘to continue studying’ for ‘to follow your educational dream’. I replace ‘the choice of  different and varied programs of study’ for ‘  variety  of subjects and specializations that are available ‘. In my opinion, both alternatives clearly reflect the arguments developed, related to the opportunities and options available. I think that my topic sentence is more suitable as the arguments mention the alternatives at private and state-run schools.