Last Day in London!

First of all, thanks, guys, for joining us on this trip, hope it was a good one!

Second, if you get a chance this summer, you really should check out the movie Shakespeare in Love.

Third,  a few pics of the Globe and the Tower of London, and a link with an interactive Globe interior pic:

Interactive Globe Theater

Finally, a few questions (You don't need to answer these question by question, they are just suggestions to get you thinking):

1. What was the best part of this trip?

2. What did you enjoy more: the guided tour, scavenger hunts, roleplays, or just walking around? What was best for your English?

3. What things do you remember the most strongly?

4. Did you learn a lot of English? What sort of things?

5. How could we use this tour to help students learn, and USE, more English? Any ideas?

5. If you could do this virtual tour your way, how would you do things differently?

6. Anything else you'd like to comment on?
















Thanks, guys!!!!! Bye! --Molly

London Catastrophes

Over its 2000-year history, London has had its share of disasters. For Next Week:

What can you tell me about the Black Death in London?

Bubonic Plague: The Black Death



And how much do you know about the Great Fire of 1666?

The Great Fire, 1666

The Great Fire of London, 1666

Who designed St. Paul's?

St Paul's Cathedral

And how about the Blitz of 1940?

Afternoon Tea during the Blitz

The Blitz

In Dec. 1940, a miracle

Sleeping in the Tube: The Blitz, London, 1940

Still gotta deliver the milk...but where did all the houses go?

And, while this is recent history, not exactly a catastrophe, more like a soap opera, who knows what this is about?

The queen viewing flowers left outside of Kensington Palace

Who is she?

St Pau's, Sir Christopher Wren, Cheapside, the Blitz...and pubs

Hi all, hopefully today we'll get to St Paul's and Cheapside. We are really in the heart of old London now.
Sorry about the files from last week, I sent them, but they were too big. It was two days later before I got the failure-to-send notice, so they must have been REALLY big!

Next time, see what you can find, pictures, illustrations, about what this part of London looked like in Shakespeare's day, before the fire. Also a little about how people in London lived at the time?

Maybe a couple of you can research the Blitz.

And of course, pubs and pub food.

For a little extra fun, check out the Red Lion pub on youtube ( a different Red Lion, not the one we saw!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKcLva2Vn7k
And check out Camden Market and Portobello road market--also on youtube. Fun!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZYBxOdiasg

The Old City of London

Check out the files I shared with you today: pubs, the Inns of Court, Samuel Johnson, the Temple church, and tiny Twining's Tea,the oldest tea shop in London, still operating after all these years. This is where it all started--the British tea craze that led to the Opium Wars and the British-occupied territories in China.

HW: find the Westminster Arms Menu, Sherlock Holmes Pub Menu, or Punch Tavern menu in their folders. collect pictures of all the foods, especially the ones you don't know (just go to google images and type in the names). Next class, be prepared to share your pics with your classmates! Also next class I'm gonna ask you about your likes and dislikes on one of the menus, so think about what you'd order if you could!--Molly

Commenting on where we've been

Just like we talked about in class today, but here you have a little more time to reflect and think on your own.

Talk about where we’ve been. Where would you like to go back and wander around more? Where would you like to go inside? What surprised you? What do you think you would miss? Is there anything that’s NOT there that surprises you?

Check out the map below while you're at it, and some images from inside Buckingham palace. Also Queen Victoria, both young and old.

For a special homework, go to google maps this week (just the regular kind, like in the picture below), and make sure you know just where the places we've been are!

See you next week in the City of London!--Molly

P.S. Pub food: here are some names you can check out, but be sure to go online for pub menus, cause I'm sure there's more...
steak and kidney pie. spotted dick. toad-in-a-hole. bangers and mash. fish and chips. ale. stout. 

Going Places

Hey, guys!

Something a little different today--

First, a link to London transport passes for travelers:  http://www.londonpass.com/london-transport/index.html?aid=19&gclid=CPqg2LP8gLACFUZNpgodWEZVGQ

and second, a link to a tube map!  http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/standard-tube-map.pdf

Finally, for today, a link to a trip planner--which tube line to take to which place...  http://www.metazone.co.uk/tubemap/

OK, using the trip planner, see if you can figure out which lines to take between the following places:

Westminster to Aldgate
Trafalgar Square to Notting Hill
Kensington to Bank Junction

Good luck!--Molly

May 7

Sorry guys, just got in. Today would be a good day for opinions about what seems to work well and what doesn't! Also, what did you think of the scavenger hunt? What was the best part about the hour? Or whatever else moves you!

London Journal, Day 1 of our Trip

Hey guys, this is my first time on a blog so I don't really know what I'm doing : ). Anyhow, this blog is for you to spend some time reflecting on your morning in London. We'll be asking you some questions just to get you started. Feel free to express yourselves about things you've noticed or felt that aren't on the question list, the questions are just a way to help you get started.


so, for example, you could talk about any or all of these:

1.  What kind of differences did you recognize between London and say, Taipei?

A)

2.  So far, is London the same as you had imagined? In what ways is it different?

A)

3.  What new knowledge have you gained?

A)

4.  In what ways is visiting London virtually with companions and a tour guide different than reading about it?

A)

5.  And I know we're just starting out, but....have you gained any English knowledge today? If so, what sort? (this is one question I will definitely be asking again!!!)

A)

6.  Anything else you feel like sharing?
A)


And finally, some photos (if they actually upload). Remember, for next week, learn a little about Westminster Abbey or the Thames and London's bridges to tell us all about! : D

See you then!!!--Molly

Global Warming

Mission of the Week April 21-30, 2011



Video I: Six Degrees Could Change The World 2:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSKrJ4akeCk&feature=related

Video II: 【±2℃】

http://www.blogger.com/goog_1417549955


Write two short paragraphs explaining—


1.What can we learn from the movies?  (first paragraph of 200 words)



2. So what can we do about global warming? (second paragraph of 200 words)






March 11 Tsunami

     March 11 is a day that no one is likely to forget any time soon. That was the day an earthquake measuring 8.9 struck, causing a huge tsunami wave to crash into Japan's north-eastern coastline. Entire towns were washed away by the force of the water. The death toll is already approaching ten thousand, and will continue to climb as more bodies are recovered from the rubble.
     This disaster is remarkable not only for the immense scale of the destruction, but also for  the immense amount of video that exists of the exact moment when the killer wave washed ashore. This was a singularly well-filmed catastrophe, and the shocking videos give a very real sense of the sheer, unstoppable force of nature as a black wall of water surges inland, smashing and carrying away everything in its path. Houses and warehouses are literally ripped from their foundations as the water rises, only to float away with helpless inhabitants trapped inside. Cars, trucks, and boats are tossed about like toys by the raging torrents of churning water.
     As the water receded, it left a surreal, post-apocalyptic landscape in its wake. The earth stripped bare and muddy where towns once stood. The splintered wreckage of houses reduced to little more than piles of kindling. Perhaps most heart-breaking of all were the mud-splattered personal belongings—a photograph here; a child’s schoolbag there. It was these items that spoke loudest of the loss of futures; the death of dreams.
     Equally unforgettable were the looks on the faces of the survivors: shock, bewilderment, grief. The strength of the Japanese character was always apparent, however, as evidenced by the way they immediately worked together to help one another, maintained order, and refrained from preying on each other in a time when so many were so vulnerable. So many have lost so much that can never be recovered: their loved ones, homes, possessions and businesses. The wounds will take a long time to heal, but Japan, as a nation, will recover.

Tsunami

Video I: Japan earthquake: Footage of moment tsunami hit

Video II: Tsunami waves crash ashore Japan


Mission of the Week March 21-27, 2011

The mission entitled “Tsunami-VEC3D 4.0” is to provide you with an excellent opportunity for building awareness about tsunami.

Write two short paragraphs explaining—


1.What can we do if a tsunami strikes? (first paragraph of 200 words)

2.What can we learn from the tsunami? (second paragraph of 200 words)

Turkey vs. Peking Duck (VEC3D 4.0)

Mission of the Week December 6-12, 2010




The mission entitled “Turkey vs. Peking Duck-VEC3D 4.0” is to provide you with educational and cross-cultural experiences. Write two short paragraphs explaining—


1. What new knowledge and experience did you learn or gain? (first paragraph of 200 words)



2. What kinds of cultural differences did you recognize? (second paragraph of 200 words)

The Trip to Banff-Dragon Boat (VEC3D 4.0)

Mission of the Week November 22-28, 2010


Read the blog entry entitled “My time in Banff National Park”. (http://vec3dteam.blogspot.com/2009/11/my-time-in-banff-national-park.html)

The mission entitled “The Trip to Banff-VEC3D 4.0” (http://faculty.ndhu.edu.tw/~vec3d/vec3d04-mission01.htm) is to provide you with educational and cross-cultural experiences. Write two short paragraphs explaining—



1. What new knowledge and experience did you learn or gain? (first paragraph of 200 words)

2. What kinds of cultural differences did you recognize? (second paragraph of 200 words)

Disneyland in Second life-Place Description

Mission of the Week June 7-11, 2010: (FOR STUDENTS ONLY)




1. Background Information is available using the following links:



Disneyland in SL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQWjVuqUfvc&feature=related
Place Description: http://grammar.about.com/od/developingessays/a/yesteryear.htm



2. Visit this SL Location: Mouse World (186.114.22)


Take a screenshot of your  favourite scene  in Mouse World.


3. Try to write a descriptive piece (50-100 words).

Describe a place in Mouse World, Second Life.


4. Edit a blog entry and publish it on your blog.

Disneyland in Second Life-Character Sketch

Mission of the Week May 24-28, 2010: (FOR STUDENTS ONLY)




1. Background Information is available using the following links:

http://faculty.ndhu.edu.tw/~vec3d/03-05-09.htm
http://grammar.about.com/od/60essays/a/ProseReader.htm

2. Visit this SL Location:  Mouse World (186.114.22)

Take a screenshot of your Avatar in Second Life.


3. Try to write a descriptive piece (50-100 words).
Describe a character (character sketch) or a place in Mouse World, Second Life.

4. Edit a blog entry and publish it on your blog.

Male fashion in the Edwardian period (early 1900s)

If I were someone like Jack, and a member of the working class, my clothes would be modest, but respectable. My shoes would almost certainly be lace-up, and made of leather. My trousers, or pants would likely be woolen or cotton, and would be sturdy. My belt, if I wore one, would be leather. I might wear a snug-fitting vest (often called a waistcoat at the time). My shirt would be collared, with buttons up the front, and I might wear a tie if the occasion called for it. My hair would almost certainly be short-cropped to a respectable length. When outdoors, I might wear a cap.

Dress Up & Walk On The Deck of The Virtual Titanic!

Mission of the Week May 10-14, 2010:




1. Background Information on the "Titanic" dresses: YouTube Video Rose's Dresses

2. Dress as a Gentleman or Lady for a Walk on the Deck of the Virtual Titanic!
(Related Mission Description: http://faculty.ndhu.edu.tw/~vec3d/03-05-07.htm)

• Edit your avatar's appearance in Second Life Guide
• Visit this SL Location: Titanic (52.234.43)
• Take a screenshot of your Avatar in Second Life

3. Try to write a descriptive piece (50-100 words). Describe your avatar's appearance and style preferences.

For example,
"I wear a tuxedo."
"My favourite is dinner dress."
"I love Rose's style and try to dress myself like that too!"


 4. Edit a blog entry and publish it on your blog.

Lunamaruna!

Lunamaruna is like an undersea world, of sorts. The entire place glows with an eerie purple light, and clouds of purple mist descend like fog. The buildings are curved and crooked, like something from a cartoon. Outside the boundaries of the town, manta rays swim slowly. We walked down a sloping pathway to the town square, where we rode on puffer fish that had puffed themselves up. From here, we explored the narrow cobblestone streets that branched out from the square. We checked out an abandoned control room, where computer monitors were smashed and wires hung from the walls. The chair and wastepaper basket were overturned, as if there had been a struggle! We also found an abandoned research lab, full of beakers and test tubes which had spilled out their contents (some mysterious green liquid) on the floor. We didn't see any humans; just angler fish, manta rays, puffer fish, and a dolphin smoking a pipe. I went for a swim, but got tangled up in the seaweed and had to be rescued by Diana!

Lunamaruna

Mission of the Week April 26-30, 2010:

1. Explore Lunamaruna in Second Life.

Location: Lennox Hill (42, 171, 3811)

2. What impressed you most about your adventure in Lunamaruna?
3. Read This Blog!

Lunamaruna in EUREKA - The Destination Guide Blog (https://blogs.secondlife.com/community/community/eureka)

4. Try to write a descriptive piece.

5. Edit a blog entry and publish it on your blog.

Free Music Island

Hi Friends!

I recently went to check out what was happening over at Free Music Island


It was pretty quiet when I got there, so I went to take a look around. I checked out the music art gallery, where they have art (of course), as well as some musical instruments, an old gramophone, a music box, etc. in glass cases, sort of like a museum.

The most fun I had was in the main club area. I was happy to see pictures of some artists I like, like Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones. BY the way, I was thrilled to learn Bob Dylan is coming to Taipei to perform on April 2nd! I may go see him in Hong Kong, too, since performers of his stature don't come this way often. Since there were a couple of people getting down on the dance floor,I decided to try my hand at DJ-ing. I took some pictures so you could see me! Cool, huh?

Finally, I clicked on the disco ball that was suspended from the ceiling and it animated my avatar and got me dancing like a fool! There are other icons you can click on that will make your avatar dance in different styles. It's quite fun, but will be better with a partner. I danced alone!