Participant´s+Introductions

toc

To add information to the table, first click **"SIGN IN"** in the top right corner of this page and enter your username and password. Then click **Edit This Page** above. The "**Editor**" window will appear. Next, put the cursor in the place where you want to add your information. Write your name in the first column. Then, click on the insert **Image icon**: to add your picture. A window will pop up. You can either upload an image from your computer or write its URL. I will advise you to go to the site [|Tinypic] and upload the image there selecting the "thumbnail" size (160x120). Once the image has been uploaded and the code generated, copy the code of the fourth option ("direct link") and paste it in the URL box of the picture window of this wiki. Double click on the image and it will appear in the last place where the cursor was. **NOTE**: Picture file names should not have blank spaces (i.e. my photo, my_photo, myphoto)

Close the window and click on the edges of the picture to re-size as needed. Click in table cell and begin typing your profile information (the "Editor" Floating Toolbar will help you add font features). Do not worry if the columns in the table move a bit around as you are entering your information. They will later resize themselves.

To get your name into the **Table of Contents** on the top right of this page, simply highlight your name in the table where you wrote your information and in the "Editor" window select "Heading 3" next to the "A".

Well, I think that was that. Good luck, hope you understood my long instructions. We will definitely like to know more about all of you!!!

Should you want to write about your experiences, success or difficulties in this process and how it went, you can leave your comments in the upper tab that reads "discussion" ** Do not forget to click "SAVE" before you leave this page. **

=Participants:= I hold a B.A. in Modern Languages from Unimet and an M.A in Education from Boston University. Last year I spent a wonderful sabbatical at the University of Toronto where I met some of the most well-known experts in my research area. It was a thrilling experience. I belong to several online EFL/ESL [|communities of practice] with whom I have learned to use certain e-learning tools that I hope we will all explore in this course. I am very excited to participate in this course with all of you. Can´t wait !!!
 * NAME || PHOTO || PROFILE ||
 * ===Berta=== || [[image:http://i26.tinypic.com/3096d5s.jpg align="center"]] || I have been an EFL teacher for more than 25 years. In the last 16, I have worked at [|USB] where I am currently an [|Associate Professor] in the Language Department. I have taught EST reading comprehension for freshman students, Communicative English, TOEFL, graduate courses in our Applied Linguistics program and now EFL writing.

My blogs are at: http://bleiva2003.motime.com/, http://itwilldefinitelywork.blogspot.com/ and http://bleiva2003.wordpress.com/ The blog for my freshman class is at: http://www.readingatusb3.blogspot.com/ || I graduated from María Santísima High School in 2006. I haven´t taken any English courses, just the basic high school English, and I have learned a lot from video games, but still I consider I have an intermediate level. I have never had a job and actually, besides my regular studies at the USB, I´m in a basic Japanese course offered by the Embassy of Japan in Venezuela. I have high expectations from this English course and I hope it helps me to improve my writing, and I have a good time doing something I like.
 * ===**María Gabriela**=== || [[image:me.jpg width="87" height="117" align="center"]] || I was accepted in 2006 at the USB, which means I am class 2011. I made the preliminary English test and was exempted from the regular three English courses. I´m studying Electronic Engineering.

My blog is at: [|Mari´s Stuff] ||
 * ===Gabriel=== || [[image:DSC00240.JPG width="104" height="116" align="center"]] || I am class 2011. At present I'm studying Mathematics but I want to transfer to Computer Engineering. I learned English from a private teacher when I was fourteen years old. I was for 8 months in that course. After that I have kept practicing it with video games and chatting. I graduated from U.E. Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in 2006. I really like English but I'm really bad at writing in English. I expect to improve my writing skills and learn more vocabulary in this course, because I know that in my near future I'll need this language a lot.

My blog is at: http://gabrielartiles.blogspot.com/ ||
 * ===Antonio=== ||  || He asked to have his information removed in January 2011. ||
 * ===Gerson=== || [[image:http://i26.tinypic.com/334hkpx.jpg width="132" height="103"]] || I'm class 2010. I'm studying mechanical engineering. Basically, all my English knowledge that I have, is through video games, the three regular English courses and high school. I graduated from U. E. San Antonio de la Florida in 2006. I'm very good reading texts but it is difficult for me to write in English. My English is intermediate. I can understand when someone is talking to me but I'm unable to express my answer correctly. I really like English and I expect to improve my writing skills and my grammar in this course. ||
 * ===Sergio=== || [[image:http://i31.tinypic.com/1z6e36f.jpg align="center"]] || I'm a class 2011 student at USB. I'm at math degree studies, however my real choice is computer engineering, so I'm looking for a program transfer. I graduated from U.E "Boyacá". Curiously I have many things in common with the profiles of my classmates above, such as my career matters and the way I learned basic and intermediate English. My way to learn English since I can remember were through video games basically. TV watching helped a lot as well. Now with the use of the internet it is much easier than before, because I often read English sites and I'm also writing in English forums everyday. In general I like foreign languages, in fact I've been studying Japanese for about 2 years and I'd like a formal learning of it. Last but not least, I consider my English is pretty much decent, even though I should improve my talking because I lack fluency in that aspect. I hope the entire class could make everything well at the course, and if I have any kind of typo on this writing, please let me know. See you.

My blog is at:http://sampz-smblog.blogspot.com/ ||
 * ===Eduardo=== || [[image:writing.jpg align="center"]] || I'm studying Mechanical Engineering since 2004 although I have been at the USB since 2003. I was transferred from Mathematics to Engineering later. I graduated from U.E ARAGUA in Maracay and I did all the basic courses of English at USB but I have never gone to a professional English academy. Because of that, I always wanted to extend my knowledge and skills in writing in this interesting and useful language. I believe that this course is a great opportunity to achieve that.

My blog is at: http://writingeduardofk.blogspot.com/ ||
 * ===Jeanette=== || [[image:jeane_corto.jpg width="115" height="147" align="center"]] || I'm studying electrical engineering. I'm class 2011. My knowledge about the language is kind of homemade. My parents speak English both so it was easier for me to understand a few things, and it started to improve with music. I started to look for the lyrics I loved and my mom helped me with understanding what they said. So, I learned a very informal English, and my expectations from this course are to make the things I know about English better, and in a more professional way than what a song can teach, and to learn how to write a more formal English, because, just to know how to write it we already will know how to speak it. I also hope to have a great communication with my classmates and teacher, and from all of you I hope you make me notice any mistake I make (or have made starting with this text) in my writing so with that you'll be helping me to improve.

My blog is at: http://jeanettewriting.blogspot.com/ ||
 * ===Samir=== || [[image:http://i32.tinypic.com/246nvjb.jpg align="center"]] || I'm class 2011. i'm studying computer engineering. I've studied school at Colegio Agustiniano Cristo Rey, who is located in Santa Monica, Caracas. I learned english at the CVA. I stayed learning english there for approximately 5 years. My other knowledge english is from the internet and from some video games. My speaking English is good but I need a little bit more of fluidity. With this English course I expect to improve and learn more skills in my writing in English.

My blog is at: http://samirsayegh.blogspot.com/ ||