Michael Buble

I saw Michael's fantastic performance on TV and was amazed on how music could touch people's hearts. Of course, we are all burned out and stressed by the school and personal lives. However, a wonderful piece of music could change your day totally.
After a long hour of working on my school projects, I had to switch my brain's mode to something else; so I tuned to KCTV. I've always liked their programs-very educational and high quality entertainment shows. Then I saw Buble on TV, I was introduced to his music couple years ago and felt in love with his music right away. Therefore I was very excited to see his live performance. Of course the whole time was a gift from heaven to me and I just started thinking how graceful it is that people (both the song writers or him as a singer) are blessed with such gifts that they are able to create such a wonderful music to connect millions hearts.
I wish in my career path, I'll be able to use "my potentail" and do the same thing.

Creativity in the classroom

I was browsing on YouTube website and found this interesting microteaching as a graduate student's final project on teaching the turn-taking strategy. In the beginning of the show, I thought it's just a practical topic to teach our ESL students because turn-taking is one of the most important element in the American discourse analysis.
The PowerPoint presentation seemed making quite a lot of sense, then the teacher used the amazing video clip as a source for students to debate over the topic of superpower. As instructed the students are required to use the given phrases which indicate lead-in for turn-taking in a debate.
I just think this is such a creative method to teach the theme of turn-taking strategy which can help integrate the four skills, especially after we are equipped with the latest technology.
No matter which side you take on the debate, please take a look at the video on the right, I am sure you'll be blown away by it.

CA TESOL Handout

Looking over all the handouts I got from our TESOL Society Goodies Giveaway, there are lots of resources and methodologies shared by the pioneers in our field. Also, I am very thankful that our TESOL society is such a supportive and sharing student association. Although being passionate about teaching ESL students, I realize the gap between reality and ideal. Now the matter is how big of the gap it is. Well, I think it varies and I wouldn't know the answer until I have my own class. However, I am determined to brige the two languages (L1& TL) and the two cultures for immigrant adults.

My mother and I

Mother's Day is just at the corner. Even though my mother has been at the other side of the globe in Taiwan, I am still deeply dependent to her for emotional support and life consultant at some critical moments. My mother has been a role model and a teacher to me because she is the one who shapes my philosophy and moral values. My mother had been a helper to my father's business while being a full-time mother of two children. I remembered she used to spend time in doing homework with me and sat besides me during my piano practice on some nights after dinner. She also traveled with me when I came to the U.S. for the very first time and experimented the bus riding with me so that I learned how to take a bus from home to school. She also used many real life scenarios to teach us about morals, personal values, and interpersonal skills. Of course, she also lives as an example for us so that she practices what she preaches. Now, I'd like to take this opportunity to express my great admire to all the great mothers I know, especially the greatest mom in the world, my dear mother. I also would like to share the article from Wikipedia about when different countries celebrate the Mother's Day historically. Please click on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother