A Work of Fiction

Rudolf and Sakura escape the frigid ARC to write in the sunshine.

Students today were engrossed in their challenge to write a sports-themed fictional story during our Content Class. They wrote furiously for the 50 minutes they were given to sort out their ideas and put them on paper. The students in my class haven't had a writing challenge as difficult as this in a while and it was a challenge they met with determination and success! Without the use of any technology, the students wrote more than a full page each using our RLA Weekly Theme: Sports & Recreation. I am impressed with their work today and I look forward to reading their completed stories later this week. A job well done, class!

Jimmy, from China, sat on the deck for inspiration.

CLICK HERE - Homework for Wednesday, July 31, 2013

On the Hunt!

Content Class today had a fun twist on the RLA Weekly Theme: Sports & Recreation. Students in our class had to race against time, and each other, in a sports-themed Internet scavenger hunt! Each student received a list of questions about different people, sports teams and leagues, and game rules which they then had to use the Internet to research and correctly answer in a limited amount of time. This assignment combined our reading comprehension and research skills into a fun and exciting activity. All students did a great job, but the title of Scavenger Hunt Champion went to our friend, Kohsuke! Great job, class! 

CLICK HERE - Homework for Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Parks and Rec

Keeping with this week's RLA Weekly Theme: Sports & Recreation, the students in my class today created their own sport or game. They had to come up with all of the rules, materials, and even a name for their invented game. Once they accomplished this, they then had to explain the game and teach the other students in class how to play. It was great to see students working together to create a completely new game that actually worked well and combined different aspects of existing recreational activities or sports. Coming up with a list of new rules and teaching them to others is also quite a challenge. The students exceeded expectations and were able to get their classmates excited. One game was similar to shuffleboard, only students received points for knocking other coins off the table. Another team came up with a game that combined elements of dodgeball and darts, which was really creative. The students were innovative and their commitment to the task showed in how much fun the students had playing their games. Nice work, teams!

CLICK HERE - Homework for Monday, July 29, 2013

Prepare for Prepositions!

We finished out last week saying goodbye to one of our classmates, Max. He won't be away for long though as he rejoins the New Hampton School's ranks this coming fall. I hope that what we've learned in class will help him in his classes here.

We are starting the week off with a more in depth exploration of prepositions and prepositional phrases in our ESL Class. This really has the potential to be quite overwhelming for students given the amount of available, and useful, material out there. With our first ESL Class of the week under our belts though, I am confident in everyone's ability to put their new vocabulary to good use.

We also welcomed a new student to our class, Jimmy from China. He is a great addition to the class and I believe that he has brought with him the right combination of enthusiasm, willingness to learn, and a can-do attitude. Welcome to the AELP, Jimmy!

CLICK HERE - Homework for Sunday, July 28, 2013

I'm Feelin' Hot, Hot, Hot!

Our class rounded out the week on culinary arts by talking about the different tastes and textures we have discussed and experienced. Today we focused on spicy and on the different spicy foods we can find around the world. We also watched an episode of Modern Marvels on The History Channel and learned all about the different uses of chile peppers, the heat scale, and the names and origin of some of the hottest chiles in the world. In the picture above, you can see the bhut jolokia from India, by far the most spicy pepper in the world! I bet the students are happy we're not taste tasting this week!

CLICK HERE - Homework for Friday, July 26, 2013

Fast Food Nation

Students today were discussing the advantages and disadvantages of fast food and the role that it plays in the lives of ordinary people. The students did a lot of brainstorming and came up with a great list of positive and negative things to say about fast food ranging from flavor to convenience, and cost-effectiveness to health. The students concluded that there are times when fast food was good, but that overall it should be avoided if possible and should be substituted with foods with a healthier nutrition profile. Bravo to the class for having a great conversation today!

CLICK HERE - Homework for Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Facebook me..

Social media profiles for our famous chefs!

The students in class today used their research on famous chefs in American pop culture to create mock social media profiles like those of Facebook or other international networking sites. The students really seemed to enjoy blending last week's technology theme with the theme of culinary arts, which we are studying this week.

 Students used their colorful and interesting profiles to help explain to their classmates how these chefs became famous, what kinds of foods they are best known for, and how they share their recipes and expertise with the public. I think that everyone was very surprised at how these chefs started their careers just like normal people and then rose to fame through hard work, rather than just luck. Great work, class!

Sakura, our newest student, profiled Emeril Lagasse.

CLICK HERE - Homework for Tuesday, July 23, 2013

A Little Pop Culture

Rudolf, working hard on some research.

Today, our class is working on a project in our Content Class that blends last week's RLA  theme with this week's culinary arts theme. Students are doing research on some big-name chefs popular on American television. From Rachel Ray to Woflgang Puck, and Martha Stewart to Jamie Oliver, each student is putting in the time to learn about how these people got their start in the industry and what contributions they have made to the field of culinary arts. Students are going to use this information to create fun, new (mock) Facebook profiles for their chosen chef. They will present their new profiles to the class tomorrow. I am really looking forward to seeing how students will blend food and technology in this assignment. We will have to wait and see!

Kohsuke and Max find information on some famous chefs.

CLICK HERE - Homework for Monday, July 22, 2013

Culinary Arts

Our class this week is exploring culinary arts in a fun, educational, and interactive way through our ESL, Content, and Project Classes. So far we have started off with a great vocabulary to build on throughout our weekly adventures. Students in my class needed a little bit of a review on the five main food categories though, as several exclaimed, "Dessert!" as a food group!

The students are looking forward to learning more about how food can be more of an art, rather than just something you eat. We're also looking forward to sharing recipes about foods from our own countries and exploring the regional delicacies found here in the United States. I'm especially looking forward to what the kids will be working on this week in our Project Class!

CLICK HERE - Homework for Sunday, July 21, 2013

Space... the final frontier..

Students have been exploring the many facets of our RLA Weekly Theme: Science and Technology. The excitement keeps building with fun experiments and fascinating research and presentations on famous scientists, useful inventions, and trips to some amazing sites in New England, including a visit to the Boston Museum of Science this Thursday!

Today in class we spent a lot of time searching online and discussing the origin of the names of the planets in our solar system. Students were really intrigued to learn about how the physical characteristics of the planets had been translated to meaningful names by ancient civilizations hundreds and thousands of years ago. We had a lively discussion topped off with a fun guessing game.

CLICK HERE - Homework for Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Comix

As you know, our Real Life Adventure Weekly Theme is Science and Technology. Today students learned about and explored the use of technology in creative industries. Students discussed how technology could be used in the workplace and brainstormed the different jobs that may require such technical skills. Students then put their own technical skills to use when they were asked to create their own comic strip using a very cool website called Make Beliefs Comix. The students had a lot of fun working on their characters and coming up with some interesting dialogue. Students seem to really be enjoying the RLA theme this week!

CLICK HERE - Homework for Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Invention

Today the students in my class spent a lot of time talking about and researching inventions. Some students chose very new inventions, while others chose from a number of much older inventions from decades, even more than one hundred years, ago. Students spent a whole class period doing some research to answer questions like, "Who invented it?" and "Why did this person invent it?" These and other important questions were answered as the students continued in their quest for answers.

After students concluded their research, they were also asked to reflect on how these different technologies have improved their daily lives and how different their lives would be if these items did not exist. I was particularly pleased that students chose inventions like the airplane and the automobile as great examples of technological achievements worthy of our research.

Great job today, class!

CLICK HERE - Homework for Monday, July 15, 2013

Technology and Us

This week we're beginning an exciting new Real Life Adventure Theme: Science and Technology! Students started off this interesting topic by asking themselves about all the ways that technology affects them in their every day lives. We also discussed the advantages and disadvantages of all this technology surrounding us almost constantly. We asked ourselves what life would be like without smart phones, computers, and even Facebook! Some thought the world would be a decidedly more bleak place, while others thought that a life without all these distractions would allow us to enjoy the more simple things like friends, family, the outdoors, and books. Eventually, we began to focus on this idea of BALANCE. We can limit the negative effects of technology on our lives by limiting our use of these distractions and spending some time focusing on things that require a little more attention, like personal relationships. I have no doubts about the thought-provoking and exciting discussions that will ensue in the coming days.

CLICK HERE - Homework for Sunday, July 14, 2013

I'm Leaving On a Jet Plane...

Today marked a bittersweet moment for some of us at the AELP 2013. Students, staff, and teachers left for a weekend Calumet Camping Trip for 2 days of outdoor adventure! Unfortunately, after the camping trip a few of our classmates will be heading back to their homes. The friendships that have been built in the last two weeks have affected us all. Students in my class will miss their classmates and expressed their excitement to spend two days camping with them before they take off.  Of course I am looking forward to seeing my students again on Sunday to begin another new week of exciting Real Life Adventures, but I hope that they are able to really enjoy and make the most of their time out in the wild!

I would also just like to congratulate my class on doing a great job this week. It is so wonderful to see my students reach personal milestones on a daily basis. I can't wait to see what is in store for us next week! Awesome job, guys!

CLICK HERE - Homework for Thursday, July 11, 2013

A Little Grammar Never Hurt Anyone

Today in class we spent plenty of time reviewing and practicing subject and verb agreement in our ESL Class in conjunction with the lessons we've been doing all week on irregular verbs and using simple past, present, and future tense. All of the grammar points we have focused on this week thus far, have been building blocks to better writing, speaking, and overall communication skills. The students in my class have put a lot of effort into applying what we have done in the classroom to the variety of outdoor adventure activities throughout the week. Job well done!

CLICK HERE - Homework for Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Teach, Taught.... Think, Thought

Today we spent a lot of time as a class talking about irregular verbs and what makes them so. The students did an excellent job of identifying them and then using them in complete sentences, a skill that we have been practicing very much this week.

Once we developed a comfortable relationship with our irregular verbs, we put them all into the past tense and practiced making sentences and asking and answering questions with them. Students were split into teams and then compete for the top spot in a game of target practice. Everyone worked hard today and deserves an "A" for effort!

CLICK HERE - Homework for Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Outside

As you might have guessed, our Real Life Adventure Weekly Theme is Outdoor Adventure! Students in my class are incorporating a variety of stories, experiences, and projects into their understanding of the week's focus. Today, students worked in pairs to research some very daring, dangerous, and sometimes deadly, adventures on Outside Online. Articles that students featured in class today included extreme sports such as base jumping and trekking Mount Everest.

Once students spent some time reading they had to summarize the article for the class and review all the important and relevant details concisely and clearly. They did a great job working in their teams and learned a lot about extreme sports and outdoor adventure. They also acquired new vocabulary through their research that they all hope to use more often in their pursuit of fluency in English.

Great job today class!

CLICK HERE - Homework for Monday, July 8, 2013

Adventure Research

Kohsuke and Jimena

Today marks a new theme of the AELP 2013 session and students are already working hard to meet the upcoming goals for the week. Outdoor Adventures encompass a lot of different activities that the students have found interesting and exciting. We also welcomed our newest student, Katharina from Germany. I'm very excited to have her in my class!

Rudolf

In our Project Class, students were divided into four teams to each select a different outdoor adventure of their choosing. They began their research today on their adventure choice and will be working towards a final presentation this Thursday. Each team will be preparing a visual presentation with the goal of persuading their peers to select their adventure activity or sport to be the featured selection on the cover of our faux "Outdoor Magazine."

Students will be developing and utilizing their research skills to combine with their knowledge of technology to create a cohesive marketing presentation for their peers. They will also have to develop and foster a commitment to teamwork in order to achieve their goals in this demanding project.  We can't wait to see what they're planning! Even more exciting is seeing which team will be chosen on Thursday!



CLICK HERE - Homework for Sunday, July 7, 2013

Snaps for...

 I would like to congratulate my AELP students on doing a terrific job their first week. It has been quite a challenge for these teens to travel to New Hampton School from all around the world and focus their time and energy this summer to develop and exercise their English in a complete immersion environment. They have been studying and working hard all week on a variety of ESL skills, group projects, and community building activities in and out of the classroom. It is great that they get to end the week with a wonderful Fourth of July celebration in Meredith, New Hampshire watching exciting and colorful fireworks.

Kohsuke, Rudolf, Andreana, Julia, Max, and Veronika worked nonstop on their group project focused on creating their own amusement park in our Content Class. They displayed a great level of teamwork and developed clearly defined roles for themselves within their tasks, functioning as a well-oiled machine. On the academic side of things, these students have been studying for days to master the five senses and how we can use descriptive language to better describe the things we touch, taste, see, smell, and hear. They have also been keeping up with their blogs every evening and sharing their thoughts and insight on a variety of topics.

They deserve a round of .... SNAPS.

CLICK HERE - Homework for Thursday, July 4, 2013

A Birthday in Hampton Land

Firstly, today we wished Rudolf, joining us from Moscow, Russia, a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

 

This week in our Content Class, students have been working feverishly to complete an assignment to create their own amusement park. They brainstormed in small groups about all the elements of successful parks, including food, rides, games, and aesthetics. Eventually they settled on "Hampton Land" as the name of their park, which includes nationally themed food stalls of the countries represented in our class. Today began the final phase of the project with the finalized map and descriptions of everything their park can offer to patrons.


Students used brochures of nearby theme parks in New Hampshire to give them ideas on how to organize their park and what to include in its offerings to customers. Tomorrow, students will be putting their finishing touches on their park before hosting their own carnival on campus later in the day. We're all excited to be able to put on such a great event for the campus community!

CLICK HERE - Homework for Wednesday, July 3, 2013

One Word

Our Class, L to R: Veronika, Kohsuke, Andreana, Max, Rudolf, and Julia

After some great reading and writing practice, students were asked to think of one word that they want to represent themselves to the AELP blogosphere. Some of our campers haven't gotten over their jet lag. Joining us from the Czech Republic, Veronika chose "SLEEP" as her descriptive. With a positive attitude, Kohsuke chose "CAN" as his word because he believes that he can do great things in class. Andreana wrote "HELPFUL" as she enjoys working together in teams and leading classmates in activities. Max was torn between a few options, but he settled on "FANTASTIC" as his word because he wants to be a fantastic person! Rudolf opted for "COOL" as his describing word and Julia chose "PLANT" because of her love for biology and living things.

CLICK HERE - Homework for Tuesday, July 2, 2013

The First Day

I would like to personally welcome the students in my class to the AELP 2013. As of Monday, July 1, 2013 we have six students in our class. Kohsuke, Julia, Rudolf, Andreana, Max, and Veronika introduced themselves through a fun classmate interview activity.  They will be studying and working together on a number of assignments and projects in addition to preparing individual daily blog postings as part of their ongoing journal. I am really looking forward to teaching this class and I know they are capable of great things.

During our time together we will be exploring the English language through a variety of lessons, activities, and projects that will help us to increase our knowledge, understanding, and comprehension. This week the students will be preparing to introduce themselves to the New Hampton School community with a smorgasbord of games and other fun activities, such as a balloon toss, card tricks, and face painting as part of our "Carnival" theme. Students will also oversee advertising for the event. We are really excited to put together an awesome time for the campus's families this Thursday afternoon.

In the coming weeks, students have the opportunity to use language to build a portfolio of ideas and skills based on weekly themes throughout the camp. These themes crossover from our classroom to the students' weekly activities where they will be able to apply what they have learned to real life experiences, experiential learning at its finest.

Welcome again, AELP Class of 2013!

CLICK HERE - Homework for Monday, July 1, 2013