SHARE
 
An Ideas Page by Omar Villarreal and Marina Kirac (c)
 
Year 2          Number 15       March 25th   2000
 
 
Dear SHARERS ,
 
Another Saturday afternoon and the renewed opportunity to join this incredible community of SHARERS that keeps on growing every week at a fantastic speed we had never dreamt of when we sent SHARE 1 to a handful of friends. Can you believe it ? We are more than 1500 SHARERS today !
But more important than numbers is the messages and contributions we receive. In each of them there is a dream, an illusion, a need to reach out to others... the true spirit of SHARE 
 
In SHARE 15...
 
1.-   Little Teddy´s Father
2.-   St.Andrews Univerity announces
3.-   Humour from Rosario
4.-   Good News from Tucumán
5.-   A Little Rose in your life
6.-   The Rosario Congress
7.-  You´ll never make it ?
8.-   Trinity 2000
9.-   Jimena and the Puzzle-makers
10.- Apiba Language SIG
11.- A Sharer, a poet : we are all proud of you
12.- From Lawrence Paros: Nitwits
 
(1)  LITTLE TEDDY´S FATHER
 
 
You surely remember Little Teddy Soddard´s story in SHARE 12 that was sent
to us by José Luis Morales, our Uruguayan friend. He writes to us :
 
"Dear Omar and Marina,
Great, as usual, to receive "Share".  I´ve been trying to find the source of the story of Teddy Stoddard, since I got it from Arnie Cotton, Macmillan Heinemann´s  distributor in Chile, and he hadn't quoted the source. I hope none of your readers thought it was mine, because it isn't. I have, since then, found out that it comes from one of the series of books called Chicken Soup for the Soul, Another cup of chicken soup for the soul, and the latest in the series More Chicken Soup for the Soul.  I'm afraid I still haven't found out who the author is, but one of the sharers may know.  Could you pass this message on? It would be nice to find the actual books and read more stories like Teddy Stoddard's."
 
With all best wishes,
 
Jose Luis Morales  < jmoralesmachelt@netgate.com.uy>
 
Right you are José Luis ! The books are available in Argentina in English and in its Spanish version called Chocolate caliente para el alma. Anyway, Thanks a lot for sending us a taste of the Chicken Soup (or the Chocolate) !
 
 
(2) ST.ANDREWS UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES
 
Jason Beech <jbeech@udesa.edu.ar> from Universidad de San Andrés sends us this list of "Cursos de Actualización Docente de la Escuela de Educación de UdeSA"

"Nuevas propuestas para el uso del cuaderno y las carpetas en la escuela"
Dra. Silvina Gvirtz
Sábado 3 de junio de 9 a 17:30 hs.

"Estrategias de aprendizaje de una lengua extranjera"
Dra. Florencia Cortés Conde
Fecha: Del 27 de abril al 22 de junio. Todos los jueves de 18 a 21 hs. (8 reuniones)

"Internet y educación:taller de análisis de sitios web para la EGB y el nivel polimodal"
Dr. Diego Levis
Fecha: Sábado 8 de abril de 9 a 17:30 hs

"Nuevas respuestas al conflicto en la escuela: proyecto de negociación de la Universidad de Harvard"
Dra. Sara R. de Horowitz
Fecha: Sábado 20 de mayo de 9 a 17:30 hs.

Further information can be requested on escedu@udesa.edu.ar or by phone at 4725-7089

 
(3) HUMOUR FROM ROSARIO
 
Dear Omar and Marina,
 
My name is Sonia Ficarella, ficarella@arnet.com.ar  and I became a "SHARE addict" a very short time ago. Thank you very much for giving us all the chance of  receiving  SHARE. I would like to make a little contribution by sending these jokes:

Rookie Policemen

Two rookie police officers found three hand grenades in the street and decided to take them to the police station. "What if one of them explodes" asked the younger officcer.

"It doesn´t matter," reassured the other. "We' ll say we only found two."

Improvised Thieves ?

Finishing their shopping at the mall, a couple discovers that their brand-new car has been stolen. They file a report at the police station, and a detective drives them back to the parking lot to look for evidence. To their amazement, the car has been returned and there's a note in it that says "I apologize for taking your car. My wife was having a baby and I had to hot-wire your ignition to rush her to the hospital. Please forgive the inconvenience. Here are two tickets for tonight's Shania Twain´s concert."

Their faith in humanity restored, the couple attends the concert. But when they return home, they find their house has been ransacked. On the bathroom mirror is another note: "I have to put my kid through college somehow, don't I?"

Heaven or Hell  

George dies and goes to hell. He notices one sign that says "Capitalist Hell," and another that says "Socialist Hell." There's a long line of souls waiting for Socialist hell, but no one waiting to get into Capitalist hell. George asks the guard, "What do they do to you in Socialist hell?"

"They boil you in oil, whip you and then put you on the rack," says the guard.

"And what do they do to you in Capitalist hell?" George asks.

"Same thing," replies he guard.

"Then why is everybody in line for Socialist hell?"

"Because in Socialist hell," the guard explains " they're always out of oil, whips and racks."

Lawyers will be lawyers  

A lawyer was opening the door of his BMW ,when a car came along and hit it, riping the door off its hinges. The police arrived and found the lawyer hopping up and down with rage, complaining bitterly about the damage to his precious car. "You lawyers are so materialistic you make me sick," a police officer commented, shaking his head in disgust.

"You're so worried about your beautiful BMW that you didn't even notice that your left arm was ripped off"

"Oh, no!" said the lawyer, looking down and noticing the bloody stump where his arm had been. "Where's my Rolex?"

 
(4) GOOD NEWS FROM TUCUMAN 
 
The Instituto de Educación Superior "Lola Mora", organizers of " Primeras Jornadas Internacionales para Profesores de Inglés del NOA" send us additional information about their Congress :

 
Speakers (confirmed)
Prof. Dr. Fernando Fleurquin - Uruguay
Prof. Miriam Rabinobich - Chile
Prof. Gabriel Díaz Maggioli- Uruguay
Prof. Jamie Ducan -
New Zeland
Prof. Ana María Armendariz
Prof. Omar Villarreal
Prof. Daniel Fernández
Prof. Lucrecia D`Andrea de Mirande
Prof. Rosa Perea de Otrera
Prof. Sara López
Prof. Ricardo Sampedro
Prof. Susana Soler de Bertini
Prof. María Cristina Carlosiano
 
Venue:
 
Hotel del Jardín- Laprida 463 - San Miguel de Tucumán
Tel. 0381-4310500/0462/431/0405/0404/0368/0173
 
Dates and Times :
June , Friday 16th, Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th  (Monday 19th is a National
Holiday !!) 2000 from: 8:30 a 20:00 (coffee and lunch breaks )
Fess:
 
$ 50 if paid before May 26th 2000
$ 60 if paid before June 16th 2000
 
Enrolment and additional information:
I.E.S. Lola Mora- Muñecas 219-Planta Alta- San Miguel de Tucumán
E-Mail: lolamo@tucuman.rffdc.edu.ar
Tel. (0381)-4305316 (07:00 p.m  to 11:00 p.m)

No doubt a Conference that is bound to attract  teachers by the hundreds .
A golden opportunity to spend three days in the agreeable  autumn - almost winter of Tucumán listening to top-notch speakers (I´m the sole exception) and enjoying what is surely going to be an impecable organization !
 

(5) A LIITLE ROSE IN YOUR LIFE

A very dear friend, José Luís Garcia from Catamarca < jlg@alumbrera.com.ar> wrote to me this week. It was really moving to hear from José Luís again. I met him quite a long time ago now and together we shared unforgettable moments in a number of FAAPI´s and each of my many visits to Catamarca in the past. He wrote :

"Dear Omar,

First of all I would like to say thanks a lot for this  opportunity to SHARE so many things with so many people. It's just Great. I am not surprised, since you have always been creating amazing  things in the teaching and in the human fields. I am also very proud to become a SHARER and I can not stop thinking that perhaps  we will all meet some day in a course or just for the sake of knowing each other faces. It would be marvellous, don't you think so ?

Well, I want to take advantage of this fantastic occasion to greet your wife and all the colleagues that I have met in Seminars  and conferences. I really have nice memories of most of them.

What follows is a nice reading I got from a foreign  friend. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

A big hug

JOSE LUIS 


The first day of school our professor introduced himself and  challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know.   I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.  I turned around to find a wrinkled little old lady beaming up  at me with a smile that lit up her entire being. 
She said, "Hi handsome. My name is Rose.  I'm eighty-seven  years old. Can I give you a hug?" 
I laughed and enthusiastically responded, "Of course you may!"  and she gave me a giant squeeze. 
Why are you in college at such a young and innocent age?" I  asked.  
She jokingly replied, "I'm here to meet a rich husband, get  married, have a couple of children, and then retire and travel". 
"No, seriously," I asked.  I was curious what may have motivated  her to be taking on this challenge at her age. 
"I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm  getting one!" she told me. 
After class we walked to the student union building and shared a  chocolate milkshake.  We became instant friends.  Every day for  the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. 
I was always mesmerized listening to this "time machine" as she  shared her wisdom and experience with me. 
Over the course of our 4 years,  Rose became a campus icon and  easily made friends wherever she went.  She loved to dress up and  she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. 
She was living it up in every respect.  At the end of the semester  we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. Usually we had a famous player or known professional as our "feature",  but as more  or less of a joke, we decided to invite Rose in to speak to us that evening... 
She was introduced and stepped up to the podium.  As she began to  deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her 3 X 5 cards on the floor. 
Frustrated and a little embarrassed, she leaned into the microphone  and simply said, "I'm sorry I'm so jittery.  I gave up beer for Lent  and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech in order,  so let me just tell you what I know." 
As we laughed she cleared her throat and began:  "We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing! 
There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving  success.  You have to laugh and find humor every day. You've got to have a dream.  When you lose your dreams, you die.  We  have so many people walking around who are dead and don't know it. There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.  If  you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't  do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old.  If I am  eighty seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything  I will turn eighty eight.  Anybody can grow older.  That doesn't take  any talent or ability.  The idea is to grow up by always finding the opportunity in change. Have no regrets.  The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did,  but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets!" 
She concluded her speech by courageously singing, "The Rose". She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our  daily lives. 
At the years end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago. 
One week after graduation, Rose died peacefully in her sleep. 
Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the 
wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all 
you can possibly be. 
 
Hope your life has a little Rose in it also... 
 

(6) THE ROSARIO CONGRESS 
 
Ameghino Bookshop and the Centro de Estudios y Capacitación Empresaria from Rosario invite teachers of English to join them in their FIRST NORTHEAST CONGRESS to be held in the city of Rosario on Friday 7th and Saturday 8th of April.
 
The theme of the Congress will be : CONTEXTUALIZED METHODOLOGY : the What and the How.
 
The Speakers will be renowned specialists from the Province of Santa Fé and
well-known all over our country :
 
Prof. Mary Calvo de de la Vega . 
Prof. Daniel Fernandez  
Prof. Graciela Castelli
Prof. Viviana Valenti de Ronco
 
The plenaries will be held at Teatro "El Círculo", Laprida and Mendoza, and the concurrent sessions at Fundación Libertad , Mitre 170.
 
The fee is $ 35 with very important discounts for APrIR members and members of other FAAPI associations and students from Colleges of Education.
 
The Congress has the auspices of APrIR , Asociación de Profesores de Inglés de Rosario, and participants will receive certificates of attendance with official recognition from the Ministry of Education in Santa Fé.
 
In the words of the organizers : "This journey will have a practical framework with theoretical pillars to understand why the global (Semantics) and the local 
(Pragmatics) go hand in hand to help students acquire Grammar in a meaningful, topic-based context"
 
Enrolment at : APrIR 0341- 4473214, Libreria Ameghino 0341- 4471147 or
0341- 4498906, bookshop@ameghino.com.ar and CeCe 0341-4245000
 
We wish the organizers the very best in this professional event which we are sure will meet with the support of ELT practicioners from all over the country
 
 
(7) YOU´LL NEVER MAKE IT  ? 

An old and dear SHARER, Bernardo Banega (h) buck@mail.pccp.com.ar , banega@rec.utn.edu.ar writes to us to dedicate this poem entitled LESSON to all his fellow students from the INSPT-UTN (in particular, to three trembling
young ladies who passed ALL their 1st. year final exams with flying colours
on this December/March call!).

They said "You'll never make it."
And they thought that they were right.
But I kept on plodding onward,
Because I hoped I might.
And they shook their heads in wonder,
That I lacked the sense to quit,
But I held my chin up higher,
And I didn't mind a bit.

They said "You'll never make it."
As the problems multiplied,
But I had to make an effort,
And to know at least I tried.
So I dug my heels in deeper,
Though sometimes my spirits lagged,
And I shouldered what was lightest,
And the rest I sort of dragged.

And I found to my amazement,
At the end of the day,
That what they said I couldn't,
I had managed anyway.
It took three little words,
"Lord help me," and I rid
Myself of doubt, and all they said 
I'd never do......I did!

Says Bernieh "I hope you like it. It is a nice poem by an unknown author I found in the Internet (the poem, not the author! :-)

Did you know ? Bernardo, or Bernieh (with an aspiration, please) has his own Web page with resources and links for English Teaching/Learning . We can , assure you it is worth visiting at  http://bernieh.com.ar . BRAVO for our local web hero !!

(8) TRINITY 2000
 
Erna Berntz - National Consultant for Trinity The International Examinations Board, trinityeb@ba.net, announces Trinity 2000 Teacher Training Seminar : "Task-based learning in practice: heuristic approaches to language learning" 
by Catherine de Lara M.A., a teacher trainer and oral examiner with ample experience in different parts of the world.

Ms de Lara will address the theoretical principles behind task-based language learning and present a number of case studies related to this particular methodology. She will also offer grading and examination preparation guidance for Trinity ESOL spoken examinations.

The Seminar will take place on Saturday April 8th from 9.30 AM to 12.00 AM and from 1.00 PM to 3.30 PM at  Belgrano Day School Auditorium,             Juramento 3035 - Capital Federal.

Admission to the seminar is free of charge but enrolment is essential.Please contact:  Trinity International Examinations Board Tel: 011- 4798-0983 Fax: 011- 4793- 4803.

(9) JIMENA AND THE PUZZLE- MAKERS
 
Jimena del Azar ,jimedelazar@hotmail.com, a recent but very cooperative SHARER sends this contribution  

"Dear Omar, Marina and Sharers,

Unfortunately I haven't had the pleasure to meet you, but I have been
receiving SHARE for three weeks now and I am delighted. You all really help
us look forward to our week.

I would like to thank Paula Peralta very much for the tip she sent. I found
a good page that can be of help to teachers who like to create puzzles and
word searches. It is in http://school.discovery.com inside the teacher's
part and it's called Puzzlemaker. With it you can create your own puzzles in
minutes. Check it out, it's worth it!
Thanks again for everything!
Love,
Jimena del Azar "

Thank you for your tip, Jime and let´s keep on SHARING !

(10) APIBA LANGUAGE  SIG

Analia Kandel,APIBA SIGs Liaison Officer apibasigs@hotmail.com wrote to us to announce the first meeting of APIBA Language SIG  coordinated by Prof. Daniel Reznik and Prof. Daniel Carballedo . It will take place at  Cultural Inglesa de Buenos Aires, Viamonte 1475, Cap. Fed. on  Saturday, April 29 from  10 am to 1 pm.

Some of the points included in the agenda are :
1. Introduction of Language SIG Co-ordinators and members.
2. Presentation of SIG Internal Rules: comments, additions, etc.
3. Exploration of interests and needs to be taken up in later sessions
4. Following SIG event

APIBA members and teacher trainees pay NO FEE. Non-APIBA members: $10 per session. What a great opportunity to join APIBA ! Why don´t you  e-mail apiba99@yahoo.com ?

Those interested in participating in this first *Language SIG* session
please send an e-mail message to apibasigs@hotmail.com to confirm their
attendance.


(11) A SHARER, A POET : WE ARE ALL PROUD OF YOU !

A dear SHARER from Rosario ,María Ester Valdés mev@arnet.com.ar sent us a  very encouraging message and most importantly sent us a poem she wrote herself. Congratulations, Maria Ester! We are proud to have you as a SHARER :

"Dear Omar,

Thank you for SHARE. I've received from 10 on and each time I read it I have a really good time. I gave you my e-mail in Rosario, when you came to lecture here, and I must admit it was quite a long time I didn't enjoy a lecture so much, so thanks once and again and here I send you a contribution, it is a little poem I wrote a couple of years ago, when classes were starting: 

Short legs slowly glide, shorter arms hold on longer arms.

Parents' hands hold little hands in theirs.

Long legs plod their way.

Some rucksacks are dragged on wheels,

some others are carried on stooping backs.

Folders are gracefully carried close to girls' chests

and boys' flanks.

Cheerful voices, smiles and footsteps crowd corridors

and yards.

A building which has grown in size is gradually populated

by young children, juniors, teenagers, while adult eyes

survey the scene.

Back we are, welcomed we are.

A school year is ahead: plans, dreams and goals

are at work in everybody's mind.

 

Thank you and  hope to keep receiving your SHARE

María Ester Valdés "

(12) FROM LAWRENCE PAROS : NITWITS

Do you remember that in a previous SHARE we recommended Lawrence Paros List "A WORD WITH YOU" . Just as an example of the invaluable kind of material you may find there , we wanted to share with you an article entitled SOPHISTICATED NITWITS that Lawrie published this week

Had enough of witty and sophisticated people ? WIT´s original meaning was "understanding", "sense", "knowledge", or "intellect". People lived by their wits, and had their wits about them.  WITTY people were wise or sensible. That good sense was lost, however, when Shakespeare recorded its modern usage , making them simply cleverly amusing. Most witty people today are NITWITS (1922), thanks to nix "nothing", from the German nichts.

This also bears witness to those who think themselves SOPHISTICATED. To the ancient Greeks , sophia was "wisdom".But the sophists used their knowledge of rhetoric not to pursue truth but to win arguments , linking sophistry and sophistication to deception and adulteration.  The subtle trickery was forgotten, however, in 1850 , when sophistication became identified with wordliness and urbanity .

Sophomores were originally students whose second year entailed dialectic, sophist-like exercises. The superficiality of the teaching and the callowness of the youth contributed to making them sophomoric (1813) from sophos + moros, "foolish" or "dull" , showing WITS and SOPHISTICATES for the MORONS they are.

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Again this week we would like to end this issue with the words of a dear SHARER, Cristina Druetta from Córdoba jorgeycris@dcc.com.ar ,

" Hi, everyone, I'm writing from Villa Carlos Paz to say Congratulations!!!! and to tell you I really loved to find your issue 13 of SHARE in my mailbox. It was the first time I received your page (thanks to a dear friend that brought me your mail address, from a course she attended last month in Córdoba city)......Your work is undoubtfully fantastic!!

Congratulations and thanks for sharing with us more than work, that's warmth and love.....

Here is my little contribution. Laughter can be a magnificient aid to learning:

a.. A smile confuses an approaching frown

b.. Sow a smile, and you'll reap a garden of delight.

c.. Without love and laughter there is no joy; live amid love and laughter

d.. A grimace or a grin - how will your day begin?

e.. Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.

f.. It is bad to suppress laughter. It goes back down and spreads to your hips.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEK ... FILLED WITH LAUGHTER !

Omar and Marina

 
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