Universidad Europea de Madrid

FInd the Message 1

Try this word puzzle and see if you can find the message.

Look at the crossword puzzle. Click on the number and you will see a definition of the word. Type the word in next to the definition.

If you don't know the word, click on the HINT (pista)
Then ENTER. You can CHECK your answers and get your score.

Can you get them all?

Wendy

Publicado por shakespeare

Virtual keyboards & Touch-typing

This mini-computer looks like a pen.
When opened up, it creates its own stand, and produces a virtual keyboard

Here’s another instrument which produces a virtual keyboard.
You can use these new gadgets on any flat surface.

All 3 of these gadgets are used without a traditional keyboard.

They’re useful, but YOU still need to type in the information.
Maybe you should work on your typing skills. There are on-line courses
to learn to “Touch-Type”. Try one this summer.

I remember learning to type and teaching my kids to type.
We started with “ fff jjj fff jjj” and moved on to “fa fa fa ja ja ja”
“je je je jo jo jo” “ca ca ca no no no” etc. Before we knew it we could type all kinds of combinations without looking at our fingers. And it was even fun.
Once you’ve trained your fingers, see if you can type the following sentence without looking at your keyboard. It includes all the letters of the alphabet:

“The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”

Technology is fabulous. I’ve gone from a manual typewriter to an electric typewriter to a desk-top computer to a lap-top and I’ve tried a virtual keyboard. It’s fun. It’s futuristic. I love new gadgets. And I can type fast.

What about YOU? Do you know how to touch-type? TEACH YOURSELF NOW !

Useful Vocabulary:

gadget- an instrument, appliance, gizmo, device
In Spanish: artilugio, chisme
Maybe you remember the cartoon:
"Inspector Gadget"who had lots of gadgets.

Laptop- a portable computer that you can use on any surface, including
on your lap.
Lap- the top of your upper legs when you are sitting down.
In Spanish: regazo
A desk top computer is always on top of your desk.

You can use a laptop anywhere, but it was designed to use on your lap.

Touch-type
To write on a typewriter or a keyboard without looking at your fingers.
In Spanish: escribir a máquina sin mirar, mecanografiar al tacto

Publicado por shakespeare

Abbreviations: Do you know what they mean?

You may know what most of the following abbreviations mean.

You should know what the last one means, what it is used for, and how to use it. Some day it could save your life !
USB
DVD
CD
SMS
MMS
MTV

SOS

The answers are below.......

universal serial Bus
Digital Versatile Discs
compac disc
short message service
multimedia messaging system
music television

Save Our Souls or Save Our Ship
This is Morse Code for emergencies: ... --- ...
Dot Dot Dot DASH DASH DASH Dot Dot Dot

Publicado por shakespeare

STUDYING MADE EASY

The educational system in Spain and all over Europe is changing. The infamous “clases magistrales” in which the professors lecture from a raised podium and the students take copious notes for hours is finally coming to an end. The professors still have some large classes, but they also have seminars and tutorial sessions with all their students.
And the students are doing group projects, giving power-point presentations and speaking up in class discussions. There is more action in the classroom and the focus is on the student, not on the professor. There is a give-and-take, just like in the real world.

My experience: Imagine the professor in the large lecture class or even a smaller language class. He is the authority in his field. He wrote the text book himself, or contributed to its publication in some way. The grad students are in class with you, in the back, learning to teach by observing the Maestro. Other grad students are taking excellent notes which will be sold for the price of the paper in the university book store or photocopy center. The TAs (Teacher Assistants) hold weekly seminars for small group discussions about what was covered in the reading or the lecture. You, the student, go to every class. You have the text book, the quasi-professionally printed notes, and your own scribbled notes. You do your assigned reading because you’ve chosen a field you’re interested in. You do your own research and draw your own conclusions. You present your final project and defend your point of view.
This wasn't one more boring lecture series nor was it a race to memorize an interminable list of names and places and dates and formulas and statistics. It was a concise, integrated program of study in which you, the student, were an active participant.
I’m not talking about the new European Educational system of 2008 and beyond. I’m referring to my own experience as a student. Yes, way back when, we had to participate and produce. We had projects and papers, a midterm and a final. For the most part exams were in the form of essay questions. You didn’t just regurgitate everything you’d read or heard in class. You presented your ideas on the topic in your own way and in your own words. You had to write well. If your ideas were clear and your exposé coherent, you passed. You were graded on a curve. For the most part we really enjoyed our educational experience. We never even considered failing a course.
This has not been my experience in Spain until just recently. Spanish students have always complained that entire classes may fail a subject. There was much too much material covered, and they were expected to memorize everything. Even the most studious and those with photographic memories had difficulties and didn’t like to study or even read about the subject. This is not acceptable. The blame cannot be placed entirely on the students but on the system. Maybe there are too many required subjects. Maybe the teachers are demanding too much. Many times it is the teacher from previous years, the high school years, who did not require a minimum level of competence, hence the students are not up to par. Something must be done.
Why are Spanish students, European students made to memorize so much, especially now that we have all the information we could possibly digest on internet in a matter of seconds? Why not learn to type well, to write well, to do research and analyze the results? Students need to take a much more active role in their education.
Wendy

Publicado por shakespeare

The HONOR SYSTEM

The Honor System

No cheating on exams! What? Is that possible? Yes,it’s the HONOR SYSTEM.
The teacher can walk out of the room and the students are silent. No one even looks up. No one pulls out notes though there is an overpowering urge to glance at a neighbor’s paper. That’s not very productive because that person has covered the answers so that you CAN’T copy even if it occurred to you. There is a lot of competition and classes are graded on a curve. You need to be one of the best in order to get the best grade, in order to get into the best schools. You need to learn to paraphrase, analyze and give your opinion based on your experience. For the most part you’ll have essay questions, often in a blue book, a small booklet which is mostly covered by your hand as you write. It’s really hard for your neighbor to copy that. And if you’re taking a multiple choice test, you know that the questions have been jumbled so even if you have a good eye and can decipher the columns, the E C B D D, you know that the correct answers on your exam won’t correspond--you have a different version.
I’m referring to exams that are not highly supervised. You are on your honor not to cheat, not to use any notes or electronic devises. And you are not to help others either. The penalty is stiff. In high school you’ll be put on probation or expelled. At the university dismissal is often automatic.

Publicado por shakespeare

Stressing out over FINAL EXAMS?

That's right, it's "finals" time again. Time to be nervous and study like crazy. For some of you... For others..... ???

Of course, YOU are A GOOD STUDENT. You finished up your courses on time following the continuous evaluation plan.

You attended classes on a regular basis. You did your research, gave your power-point presentations and turned in your projects. You don't even have to go to finals because you've already passed everything. Good for you ! Congratuations! It sure feels good to be finished, doesn't it?

Some of you are trying to do too much. You're working and studying and taking care of a family. You're tired all the time and burning the candle at both ends. You finished some courses, have to take finals in others and still have your thesis to turn in. You're all stressed out.

Others are trying to do it all: party and study and work too. You need 30 hour days. You're just about to burn out. You fall asleep at the computer or going over your notes.

And THE OTHERS: You've left everthing till the end of the academic year and now you have to pull all-nighters, every night because you have a final in every subject. You had a great year because you partied a lot,but you just might have to repeat a few of those subjects next year. You're sorry you didn't take your studying a little bit more seriously.

You were warned. You were all advised and warned to pace yourselves, to budget your time. Well, you didn't listen. Now you have to study like crazy. Maybe you're planning to take the recuperation exams in July. Maybe you're still out there having a great time and ignoring your future. That's not a good idea. One of these days you'll get a reality check--your friends will graduate. They'll travel, get good jobs, move on and you'll still be taking those exams and trying to finish up
Well, it's dead week, the week before exams when everyone is supposed to be studying and there are no activities to distract you. That's true on campus, but not elsewhere. How many of you were at the big concert in Getafe this weekend: METÁLICA , RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE,... music and more music. No sleep, and exams this week. Ah, you're young. You can do it all. Or can you? Think about it.
Wendy

Publicado por shakespeare