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Make suggestions, report errors > Teachers with ZERO points and ZERO activity
Teachers with ZERO points and ZERO activity
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elderberrywine
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Teachers with ZERO points and ZERO activity
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THIS THREAD IS NOT ABOUT GIVING FREE DOWNLOADS TO NEW MEMBERS:
IT´S ABOUT ENCOURAGING THEM
AND ABOUT ACQUIRING NEW POTENTIAL
I had a look at the list of teachers on this site from my country tonight.
There are 305 pages of ESL members from Germany.
10 members per page, 3050 members.
How how many of them have zero points, what would you guess??
I was quite shocked to find out that zero points begins on page 44 of the list.
This means that less than 15% of the members from my country have actually gone beyond the stage of uploading something. It also means that over 86% of the members from Germany cannot download material from our wonderful site.
I also looked up how many members are premium members and entitled to 30 free downloads every day ( they need to have 30 points for that).
30 points starts on page 14 of the list, meaning that only 140 of 3050 members, leless than 5%, have reached the stage of premium member and can really profit freely from our daily contributions.
I think this is a waste and a SHAME and wonder whether there is something we can do to give them a better start. Giving them some free points when they join us was discussed a couple of days ago and found to be a bad idea because they would create new identities all the time to get more welcome points.
But what else could we do?
Do you feel like collecting some ideas?
Or do you feel that this site should remain select and exclusive and only live with those who had the guts or the energy to make the first couple of hard steps that we all made?
How about sending every new member a letter automatically in which we point out what makes worksheets attractive and point out the tutorials we have that help teachers to create those wonderful worksheets? Maybe it �s technically possible (and acceptable for the authors!) to "give away" those tutorials for free so that they can be downloaded with zero points.
Or what else can we do to enrich this community and enrich those teachers out there who gave up too quickly? I can �t believe they are all lazy and ignorant ....
EDIT: I just happen to be talking about German teachers, but I mean all those zero-points-teachers whichever country they come from. I don´t suppose Germans are untypical, but maybe I should check some other countries...
Dorothea
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14 Aug 2009
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reeta1
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I �ve already ranted and raved extensively about how exclusionary this website is and then I always get attacked by some rude member who tells me to a) read the rules and b) if I don´t like it, I can go somewhere else and never come back (you just wait and see-someone will post a comment like that). If someone would take the time to explain to us step-by-step how to make these oh-so-wonderful worksheets that get 200 downloads five minutes after they´re posted, there would be a lot more activity from a lot more members, guaranteed. But our hands are tied. But, for the record, friend, I do like your idea of allowing us a way to download a tutorial for free. |
15 Aug 2009
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aftab57
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In fact this same thing was discussed a while back but I can �t remember when and under which section. Many people participated and provided the statistics about their own countries. The situaton of germany is no different to many other countries. I wonder if someone can give a link to that thread. |
15 Aug 2009
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zailda
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Hi reeta1!
I �m not going to tell you or anyone else to go somewhere else and never come back! Sorry but the way you put it is hilarious.
I know that starting can be a hard experience, but you only will make it if you try. Of course your first work won �t probably get 200 downloads five minutes after you upload it and I wonder if someone �s will... In fact it �s not that easy to get a ws downloaded.
I started here in March and had no idea from where to begin, but I did. My first ws got 6 downloads, I think and I guess 6 lovely members decided to download it out of curiosity or just to encourage me. Come on, everyone here had to start and I can assure you that no one got hundreds of downloads at his first try.
You start, upload something - it doesn �t matter how it looks, the important thing is the content. If no one downloads it, be patient and try again. When you get your first points, I recommend you to download some tutorials we have here, on how to improve your work using the word tools.
Day after day your work will get better, you �ll find your peers (people who like the way you teach or who are teaching similar topics) and one day (not so far) you �ll find yourself completely hooked on this wonderful site.
If you need some help with word tools, just send me a PM and I swear I �ll do everything I can to help you.
Don �t go elsewhere, this site is unique. I �m sure instead of just liking, you �ll love it! And people will love your wss soon, if you start right now!
Cheers
Zailda Coirano
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15 Aug 2009
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miss.cecilia
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I think that free tutorials are a good idea, or as I said before some free layouts.
I don �t know if it �s possible but what about "something" that shows us which worksheets are being uploaded by the newbies (let �s say the word NEW MEMBER for example). That way we can download them. It could be a good way to encourage the new members that, at least, are trying. |
15 Aug 2009
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Jayho
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Hi all
This site is not just about WS �s. Members can also upload lesson plans, grammar-guides, readings, flash-cards and more.
For those starting out maybe you could upload a few of your best lesson plans to get some points to start with. Once you have a few points you can download some of the tutorials if you feel that you need them. WS are usually compiled using Word. Just experiment with Word to see what works for you - change the font, add a border, add some colour ... just experiment and play around with it. There are plenty of free WS on the net that can serve as a guide for you.
BTW, you don �t need points to access the tutorials here. You can acess them via the preview mode. This may be slow but if you really want to use the tutorial then this is what you must do.
Cheers
Jayho
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15 Aug 2009
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mena22
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I also agree with free tutorials. In addition, it would be nice if more of us could download new members � work. I �ve been doing that lately whenever I log in. Why waste our 30 free downloads instead of motivating new members by downloading their work and making some suggestions on how to improve it?!
I �m not sure what else I can do, but there is one thing I �m sure of - Dorothea is right. We must do something to welcome new members and make them wish to stay as active members. This is definitely one of the cases in which less is not more!
Hugs,
mena |
15 Aug 2009
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alexa09
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I agree with Miss Cecilia buty I also agree this thing of "exchanginf material" isn �t it the aim? to share in an even "way"? I �ve been sharing some papers according to the TIME I HAVE first day I had more time, so I looked for ecersices I �ve created (good ones, of course they �ve been useful for my students through the years...) si I shared the maximum (3 ws) on the second day I didn �t have time to share three I didn �t want "just to take anyone but my best ones....so I just didnt share any...so far I haven �t download any ws but I �d like to be able to download any time I need something I I dont want to use my same ws ...so in order to "get something new" I OFFER MY WORK IN EXCHANGE I DOWNLOAD OTHERS....Isn �t it the point???
On the other hand,....there are some "teachers" who want "the whole class including the warm up, developing and ending plus ws and test "come on! we are supossed to be graduated teachers who have spent so much time working on ideas, and creating exercises not be "given away" to someone who doesn �t contribute! Of course what I share may not interest teachers who teach to other groups different from mine, but there will be some who �ll seee them useful!
anyway, I �ve been reading some "asking for help" and I didn �t mind hepling out with some tips like how to introduce a topic or what the best context sholuld be.....
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15 Aug 2009
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alexa09
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sorry for some spelling mistakes !!!! I was in a hurry....
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15 Aug 2009
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ranclaude
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Hello to all the lovely teachers and educators out there!
I hope i don �t offend any one with my opinion, but here I go. I think that persistence pays. If you �re a new member, you need to actively upload your own worksheets and hope that they will attract interest. I think new members could also have a look at what attracts the most interest and see if they have any lessons or worksheets they could bring to this site. If you don �t actively be a part of this site, then it �s going to be a tad difficult to download worksheets. I have been on this site for about one month now and I have many worksheets that have only had a few hits, but I persisted and constantly tried to improve them so they could get more hits. I believe I �ve also learned how to make my lessons/worsheets a little more interesting with background colours, pictures and layout. I look back at the ones I had and the ones I now have (ones that have been modified), there is a big difference. I beleive I �ve learnt a lot here. I have also in return downloaded many worksheets. There are wonderful worksheets here! I can �t believe I hadn �t known about this site years ago, it would have made my life so much easier! Thank you to all the wonderful teachers who share their work here, you guys are awesome and very generous.
Lastly, I �d like to reiterate, a) persistence really pays, don �t give up, keep trying and b) this site is like a "two way street", about giving and taking.
Please don �t give up new members, once you �ve got the hang of it, you �ll be addicted, you �ll love it and have lots of fun uploading and downloading.
Lots of hugs from Australia
ranclaude  |
15 Aug 2009
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zailda
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I was doing the same edlerverein did, looking at the Brazilian members pages. 15.270 registered, 2.600 with at least 1 point, 930 premium members, 70 moderators.
I work at a private school and every semester 12/14 classes start, with 15/20 students each. It takes 13 semesters to graduate, but even joining classes we finish the course with no more than 10 students a semester.
I agree that we have to encourage and help new members, as we do as teachers for our students, but it �s a human characteristic to give up when one sees that what s/he wants involves some effort or commitment.
There are many members here who are very helpful, so new members can count on them - but they have to start doing their job first.
Cheers
Zailda
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15 Aug 2009
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