MMIVSpringWeekEighteen

MMIVSpringWeekEighteen (2004.6.10)

Classroom Content

• We talked about keeping an organized, useful notebook. Writing notes is pointless unless you can use them to study in the future. I made the following suggestions based on observations of students' notebooks:
  • Always write the date your notes are for. Keep entries in WordNet:chronological order (ordered by date); they are make no sense if out of order.
  • Write titles and subject headings for each block of notes. For example, if we are preparing for a debate about marriage, write "Marriage Debate". If we are listening to role plays about confidence, write "Confidence Role Plays".
  • Paper is cheap! Leave LOTS of blank space for future notes AND psychological breathing room! Here's a hint: leave every other page blank! That way, you can go back and add notes easily without making your notebook a mess.
  • Use arrows to indicate relationships between ideas! Draw all over your notebook!
  • Draw pictures! Use different colored pens! Make your notebook fun and interesting, or you'll regret it when you go back and use it for review!
  • Don't concentrate on making your handwriting perfect. It's a waste of time! If you can understand what you've written, it's enough! Concentrate instead on writing down everything you want to learn in a way that will help you learn.
  • Don't simply make lists of vocabulary words. That will guarantee that your learning will be boring and unproductive. DO provide contextual clues to words. Example sentences and WordNet:collocations (words that usually appear together with a given word), as well as other usage notes, are a good start!
  • Keep up your effort throughout the semester! Students often start out writing notes, but get lazy as the semester progresses. Persist in writing notes every class, and you will be glad when it is time to review!
  • DON'T MIX NOTES FROM DIFFERENT CLASSES! It will just confuse you and waste your time when you look over your notes again.
  • Last but not least, WRITE YOUR FRICKIN' NAME ON YOUR NOTEBOOK! What if you lose it? If there's no name, you can be sure that you will never get your notebook back!

• Class A has definitely gone to culinary school. They drafted a masterpiece of a recipe for our Mystery Stew and dedicated it to me, BinoBino. I can't wait to experience this masticatory roller-coaster! My heart is warmed just thinking about this labor of love! Thanks guys!

  "Bino's First Love"
  
  Ingredients:
  
  Rocks         Needles       Fish          Oil
  Shit          Eggs          Tomato        Beer
  Beef          Pork          Spare Ribs    Coffee
  Sugar         Earring       MSG           Onions
  Ginger        Water         Smelly Socks
  
  Cooking Instructions:
  
  1) Chop the rocks. Chop the beef and pork into small pieces.
  2) Slice the shit into thin slices.
  3) Boil the water in a pot. Add the socks and eggs.
  4) Add pork, beef, and shit into the pot. Cook for 10 minutes.
  5) Add everything else. Stir and let stew for 1 hour. You'll know it's done when it stinks horribly.
  6) Time to eat! Serve with a straw. Garnish with a flower and enjoy!
  

Phrases And Sentence Patterns

Pronunciation

• allergy vs. energy

Usage

Vocabulary