Summary: Today, we focused on your first Cambridge English Write & Improve essay in your breakout sessions in pairs with individual support for the teacher: Writing Academic English at Saitama University: The reasons you taking this Academic Essay Writing (AEW1) course Please use these question prompts to help you with a 200-250 word essay.​What kind of academic essay writing have you done so far in English?What is puzzling for you about academic essay writing (i.e., what questions do you have about academic writing)? Which specific writing concepts/skills do you most want to develop in this… Read More

Summary: There was an orientation to the course explaining the documents below, including what is expected of you in our classes, your homework, how you can do well, and how you can improve your English writing skills the most in this course.  How will your grade be calculated?  Homework (30%) IELTS Practice Midterm (20%) APA Academic Final Paper (20%) Class Participation (10%) Five Essays: Cambridge Write & Improve (20% – 10% is part of online class participation)     Total = 100%  Part One of the homework in class via email attachment on the day of the… Read More

Summary: There were three innovative observation presentations based on your reports. The first presentation was on _________________. The second presentation involved __________________. Finally, the third presentation ________________________________. Congratulations, presenters, as we had fruitful question and answer discussions.  Guidelines for your Presentation that are not included in the document. 1. Your talk should be about 8-10 minutes and then 3-5 minutes for questions, comments, and answers. 2. It is good to practice your presentation several times on ZOOM so you can focus on your content while speaking to the camera.  3. There are… Read More

Summary: I explained how to present your observation paper for your upcoming presentation on Monday or Wednesday. You also got into groups or pairs to discuss the interesting findings and the challenges of writing your paper. The guidelines of for your presentation are further below. You are all still working on editing your paper. We ran out of time for me to explain again about accepting my feedback and deleting (rejecting) the comments to send a clean paper, so here are two YouTube videos on how to use track-changes on Mircosoft Word:… Read More

Summary: We reviewed how to gather the information and write your entire first draft. You can write in a first-person narrative form as you would have a conversation as a support script for your final presentations. Then, time was given to reflect and start writing for your upcoming homework in individual breakout rooms for time to write. I consulted with each student about what readings and viewing might be helpful for your observations, guidance on your paper, and any questions you had. Guidance steps for completing your first draft: G = Put your… Read More

Summary:  Each student who wrote their paper got feedback on how to improve your paper for your upcoming second draft and you also learned about writing your paper by viewing feedback of other students’ work. Guidance steps for completing your second draft: G = Put your paper through Grammarly: Free Online Writing AssistantA = APA Style  -Owl PurdueV = Veritus Certify!  -Leander HughesE = Explanations attached below to check and download Attachments:  Instructions-for-ESP2a_Creativity-Observation-PaperDownload ESP2a_Creativity_Oberservation_Assessment-ChecklistDownload APA 7th Quick Guide A Very Quick Guide APA to 7th Homework: Your 2nd draft due on Tuesday, 06/01/2021 by 7 PM email (but earlier is… Read More

Summary: We had fun learning more about the GAVE process, which will help you write papers in other classes. We started typing our essays in class. You are working so very hard and dedicated to your observations. They are quite inspiring! Please book a Zoom meeting with me if you need any extra help. We are all in this learning experience together.  G = Put your paper through Grammarly: Free Online Writing AssistantA = APA Style  -Owl PurdueV = Veritus Certify!  -Leander HughesE = Explanations attached below to check and download Attachments:  APA 7th Quick Guide A Very Quick Guide APA… Read More

Summary: We are going to explore your chosen observation that leads to creativity and innovation for any topic, but hopefully it helps you in your daily life immediately. We are not hear to solve the world’s problems, but you can if you wish:). “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use the more you have.”  Maya Angelou a)     Please select an issue that you would like to observe that is COVID19 safe and interesting to you. b)    Reflect on your own experiences about what you have learned about creativity and observing skills by reviewing… Read More

Summary: We reviewed the Sawyer (2012) article and mainly had active conversations about the myths and grains of truth associated with creativity. I also gave a mini-lecture about Sawyer (2012) and other creativity researcher’s concepts in a PowerPoint slideshow. We then enjoyed the video below with reference to introducing us to things that block our creativity and how to build creative confidence. It is useful to remember to click the CC button on Youtube in the lower right-hand part of the screen to read the closed caption script in English to guide you along. Delightful Things,… Read More

Ireland on March 17th