Below are the 6 most recent journal entries recorded in mdkrauss' LiveJournal:

Sunday, October 24th, 2004
9:30 am	sharks are fascinating creatures In preparing for my ORTESOL 2004 workshop, I came across a very interesting photo of a man with an unusual pattern on his skin. I didn't know what it was at first--some sort of skin disease or perhaps a scar. Then it struck me that the pattern was a wide oval and it could have been a shark bite. I showed the photo to my teenage son and his friend. They puzzled for a while and then guessed it was a shark bite too. As it turns out, that is exactly what it was, a huge bite made by a Great White Shark. I had been looking for a topic around which to build some Web-based lessons, so sharks it was. As I began to look at some of my favorite resources, such as Enchanted Learning, KidsClick and MarcoPolo, I realized that there were many appropriate resources. Seems that sharks are one of those fascinating creatures that have a universal appeal (perhaps because they generate a universal fear). If you'd like to check out some of the resources and ideas for creating lessons around sharks, have a look at the handout that I've prepared for my ORTESOL presentation. Current Mood: working (Comment on this)
Thursday, July 22nd, 2004
12:11 am	golf, the humbling game Today I was humbled as I played golf with my neighbor Redmond. We went to Wildwood, a course 30 minutes north of Portland, which is set among heavily timbered hills with views of Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens. About ten minutes into the round, I received a phone call, an issue involving my teenage son, and my game went downhill from there. Seems that my ball had previous plans made to visit many of the trees bordering creeks adjacent to the fairways. The only thing that really seemed to be working was my slice, and it was merciless. Oh well, not to dwell on the negative. It was great to get out, spend time with Redmond, and appreciate the warm, sunny day. Perhaps I should have just taken a walk! More later, Michael Current Mood: determined (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, July 11th, 2004
8:10 am	great trip to Russia My trip to Russia as an English Language Specialist surpassed my greatest expectations. Working with Bridget Gersten, the RELO (Regional English Language Officer), Jann Huizenga and Nancy Hubley (the other English Language Specialists) was a pleasure. Moscow, which I saw in a jetlagged, day and a half whirlwind, is somewhat of a blur in my mind. However, thanks to two of my former online students who hired a guide for Nancy and me, I'll never forget my tour of the Kremlin. The boat ride on the Moscow River with Nancy, after our Kremlin tour, provided a welcome chance to sit, resting aching feet, and to get a view from afar of the city and the wonderful parks that border the river. Here is a live WebCam shot of both the Kremlin and the river. Irkutsk, in Siberia was our next stop, where we participated in the Summer Institute of English, hosted at the Irkutsk State Technical University. Our hotel was a stately home built for a visit by President Eisenhower, which, sadly, never materialized. But this was fortunate for us as this place, "The Retro" was truly built for "royalty." The conference was very well planned and attended. I met several teachers from Irkutsk and surrounding areas who had taken my online course previously--it was such a kick to meet them face to face. After a week in Siberia, we made our last flight to Vladivostok, again seemingly a world away. This city on the bay was closed (center of Soviet naval operations) until 1992, and is located at the terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railroad. We attended and presented at the FEELTA PAC5 Conference. The conference opened with a lively session of Russian folk dancing and music and the energy permeated the conference from beginning to end. I left my colleagues, who had one more week to spend at another Summer Institute of English in Ulan Ude on Lake Baikal, and flew from Vladivostok to Seoul, then on to the U.S. All in all, this was one of the most rewarding experiences I can remember and I hope to make additional trips with the DOS in the future. Current Mood: cheerful (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2004
11:25 am	haven't had much time Well, it's like any other type of journal. It takes time and a commitment to keep it up. Since I've mentioned LiveJournal in an updated training page, I'd better at least have this post here so there will be something to read. Just finished by advanced reading class. Perfect example of how a heavy academic load can take the "fun" out of studying (not to mention teaching) English. Students are really "flat" because they are being asked to do so much and are feeling a lot of stress. It's a Catch 22: we're trying to prepare them for further UG work, so they need to know and get used to a heavy workload, but at the same time, if they lose their motivation, they'll be able/willing to do less work and may get jaded on the whole process. It's a tough balancing act. . . More later. . . Current Mood: disappointed (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Sunday, February 15th, 2004
5:27 pm	test with ijournal application I just downloaded an app. to make it easier to post to my livejournal so am checking it out. We'll see how it goes! Current Mood: creative (1 Comment |Comment on this)
11:47 am	my first post Hi all, I recently read an online journal by a friend of mine who was in Cuba. He was keeping a daily journal of his travel experiences and was sharing them via this very neat livejournal format. As I read his entry, I realized, "Hey, I want an online journal too. I can keep in touch with friends and family when I'm away from home." Today, as I updated some Web pages for a teacher training I will be doing, I thought, I think livejournal could be a great tool for ESL teachers and their students. So, now I've created my first livejournal entry and I'm ready to show this to teachers! Bye for now! Michael Current Mood: happy (3 Comments |Comment on this)