Blog Session 10 Instructions

Dear Class,

As this is the last post, write about your experience using blogs in the English Class. 

Say:

a) What you think about the experience in general
b) How much you feel your writing skills have developed
c) What you would like to include in the future
d) What else you would like to write about


Please write this in 200 words minimum and don't forget to make comments on at least three of your classmates' posts.

Good luck,

Belén Farías G.

Free post (Third and last free post)

Sample Post

Cinema: moving pictures or the industry of making films

Today I’m going to write about cinema. I’m interested in this topic because watching films can help us understand a great deal about life and human relationships. Every time we watch a film, we learn about other worlds and lifestyles and at the same time, we travel about two hours to other realities. Cinema is important because as a teacher, I can use films, short films, documentaries, trailers or clips to present topics or issues so students can discuss or debate.

I will be talking about where cinema came from, secondly who invented it and finally, I’m going to mention the most important periods of the history of cinema around the world. Let’s begin with the origins of cinema; moving images have always been popular. In China, for example, 5,000 years ago, they used firelight to project images of puppets onto screens and this was called “shadow plays”.

Cinema became possible by the invention of two French brothers, Louis and Auguste Lumiere, in 1895. The Lumiere Cinematograph” allowed large audiences to watch “moving pictures”. They showed several short films and they were all documentaries. Let’s continue with the periods of the history of cinema. There are seven important periods; the history begins in the Far East, with shadow plays. The, The Lumiere brothers in 1895, The Silent Era (1912), The Talkies (1928), The Golden Age (1932), The TV Revolution (1950) after the Second World War and currently, the Modern Film Industry.

I’m going to conclude by quoting Auguste Lumiere, who said: “Cinema can be exploited for a certain time but apart from that, it has no commercial value at all”. I’d love to hear what Auguste Lumiere would say about making films in this century, after all the commercial value given to the Modern Film Industry.

Blog Session 9 Instructions

Dear Class,

Now, maybe the context helps you to write about the following topic:

Your favourite subject this term. Among others, include:

a) Name
b) Describe what you do in classes
c) Mention the main contents you have seen
d) Explain why you like the subject
e) Make comments on at least 3 of your classmates' posts.

Don't forget to write 180 words minimum.


Good luck,


Belén Farías G.

Sample Post

My favourite subject: History of Chile

I can’t say History was my favourite subject when I was in school but I can say teachers can make the difference no matter the subject they teach. History, in general, can be very interesting if you’re curious and wonder how civilizations or processes started. Therefore, I think Universal History and Ancient History are quite fascinating especially when historical events are presented in a way I can connect with my own world. I also think the more History we learn the more we understand and analyse what happens around the world, in different cultures and also, at so geographically different towns, cities and countries.

In terms of the History of Chile, I started studying since elementary school and in secondary school we used to read “Chile y su Historia” by Sergio Villalobos. Valid or not, in this book I’ve seen images of the old Santiago and Chile and I remember vividly. I’ve always enjoyed reading and now I’m trying to read more about the native people in Chile because there so much I didn’t learn at school.

I must say I really enjoy studying the History of Chile. As some people say, “... those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” and I think it’s essential to learn from what has happened, maybe this way human beings are going to kill each other a bit less. I’ve learnt by listening to and asking questions to my Grandmother as well as other elderly in my family and life and it is amazing how one single event can be seen and understood in very different ways. We can find examples everywhere; we can talk with people in Chile about what their opinion of the long dictatorship is, or if we talk to people who survived the Second World War in London, maybe our understanding of that event could change, maybe partially or completely.

Blog Session 8 Instructions

Dear Class,

It is time for a free post. Feel free to choose the topic of your post. Remember you have to write 160 words minimum as well as the three comments on your classmates' posts.

Good luck,

Belén

A portrait made by a raper

Dear Class,

I enjoyed the "real-life" context of this song and  it's also a great portrait of Quilicura. Not sure about the value of technical aspects but I think it's a good idea to watch this clip.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbRatX5LT6k


Belén

Sample Post

To choose one photograph I like it’s not possible because I love colours but I also enjoy black and white. There are so many choices; photographers round the world have always been “making” photos. I definitely prefer black and white and I miss going to the dark room and developing my own film and pictures.

One of the photos I will always remember was taken by Luis Poirot, a well-known Chilean photographer. In this photo you can see Chilean song-writer, actor, singer and activist Víctor Jara, killed in 1973 by the military officers. That day Víctor and Luis were near Cerro Blanco, in Recoleta. They were trying to obtain a photo for Víctor’s new album cover. Here we can see part of the complete photograph. I found this darkish copy on the internet but it’s not the photo I have on my wall (or the postcard version of the photo I was given). In the portrait I have, apart from Víctor Jara holding his guitar, and the old lady behind him, there’s a boy to the left, next to Víctor, and the boy is looking at the camera. You can also see the entire guitar Víctor is holding. One more difference between this picture and mine is that Víctor is not looking at the camera.

This photo was taken in 1969. According to Luis, the photographer, this photo wasn’t authorized by the Communist party, so Víctor’s new album cover for “Pongo en tus manos abiertas” was the one – you might have seen- with two open palms.

Last but not least, I really like this photo because Víctor Jara is in it and of the various photos where Víctor appears, this one is my favourite portrait of him. I admire and respect everything he was and did.