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Make suggestions, report errors > "Welcome to ESL printables, we ´re glad to give you 5 points as a starter present and are looking forward to your contributions" - how does that sound?
"Welcome to ESL printables, we ´re glad to give you 5 points as a starter present and are looking forward to your contributions" - how does that sound?
This reminds me of another idea some one stated before.
What about making some of the wonderful tutorials on how to make good WS and PPTs free of charge for new comers. Of course, if their owners have no objection.
We could offer 3 (or five) free downloads from a pool of worksheets more than 1 year old . This would revive some of the old ones and still leave motivation for new members to get their hands on the newer stuff (they would have to upload worksheets to get to the newer stuff).
As for just giving a welcome 5 points, I ´m afraid we would suddenly have twice as many inactive accounts.
And Zora I agree with the elitism you are talking about, but it is, unfortunately, almost unavoidable anytime a good thing starts getting too popular.
That ´s why we often hear: "It ´s the best kept secret...."
There are a couple problems with paid memberships:
--people will have other expectations/demands because "they are paying for it"
--Many members may want their worksheets to be removed or demand royalties for them, since money is being made with them.
I ´m sorry, I ´m a BIG supporter of: "Free for educational use"
of course rules are necessary but when there are too many rules, it becomes unbearable.
I am a mother, have had the life I have had ( goodand bad)..... My child has become a responsible adult , my pupils ( and at my age I have had loads ) always come to me with a big smile when I meet them in the street and tell me about their life .... and I have never been an authoritarian teacher or mother .... I had some authority: yes but doubled with great generosity which meant they accepted they had to follow some rules.
So, this is also my attitude as a responsible adult, as far as this site is concerned!The law, yes, but a democratic one! Let us not the hungry starve or they ´ll change into the angry mob you want to keep away!
Dear Zora I don ´t think generosity has stopped in this site. Just browse the forum everyday and see how many people asking for help are there. And how many got the help they asked for. The site hasn ´t worsened. On the contrary, it has improved a lot. But, yes because we are so numerous and different we need rules. I don ´t see any harm in this. People have the right to protect their hard work. We upload here for others to use our WS in their own classes when they find them useful. Up to them to acknowledge of the real maker of the WS. Up to them to update and change it as they like as long as they use it in their classrooms. But re-uploading someone ´s works as it is here again under our own name, personally I can ´t stand it. We can be more generous if we, for example, don ´t stick to those minor matters (I don ´t say it is not legitimate) such as this is stolen WS because the member used a layout that bis "almost alike" mine or because the WS contains my name or someone ´s name in its abbysses. And we all forget about the content which is the soul of any WS. Isn ´t it great and very generous to be an inspiration to some one (quote). Yes, some may say what about permission and they are right. But isn ´t this another kind of generosity not forcing people to ask for permission for every little thing. How many wonderful layouts are there? And how many time shall we ask for permission? What if we ask and the "owner" is off the site for a long time?
I think all in all we need to draw some lines which shouldn ´t be TOO restrictive and not TOO permissive too.
I ´m in favor of keeping this amazing, wonderful, marvelous site exactly the way it is.
Because it ´s just perfect!
I do believe that all of us are.... let ´s say, quite special!!!! Otherwise we wouldn ´t be here! I know many English teachers and one of the first things I talk to them about is this fantastic site. They usually look surprised and tell me they ´ve never heard of it.
So I believe that the ones who are here are necessarily creative, generous, original, special, unusual, not-so-ordinary for sure!!!!
Let ´s be kind, yes, but let ´s respect the rules too. They are exactly right.
Love,
Aimee
"Rules are meant to be broken?" I´m a bit lost here, sorry...
I ´m a new member and I ´ve upload some activities without any problem. It ´s not that hard to become part of this place. I suppose that every teacher has something to share. It ´s true that when you preview the worksheets you think "Are my creations good enough?" But as goodnesses said maybe it ´s a good idea to make some tutorials available for new members (also some links from where they can download some cliparts).
Sometimes the difference between a worksheet and another is just the layout. What about some free layouts to download???
Hmmm...maybe you are misunderstanding the meaning of rules.
Setting rules and being authoritarian are very different things.
Authoritarianism: dictatorship: a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute
dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.)
We learn about all this at school first and when studying to be teachers then. So it should not be new.
I work with rules which they accept and we have great fun. When they finish, they are thankful to the huge patience I had...LOL you can imagine why... and for having being strict without killing anybody...LOL
Maybe the different cultures make the difference.
Anyway, my only aim was to give my opinion and defend my position. Done...
if so, I don ´t mind to make some boardgame layouts... I am willing to help... no problem... I am able to make 5-10 special layouts for the newbies... no problem... I have made hundreds :-) the clipart links are a very good idea too :-)
how about PARTICIPATE in making the tutorial for the newbies? make a brainstorming session? ;-D
Yes, we are special!
I don �t think the average ESL member is the average teacher.
We are certainly more lively, more creative, more dedicated, more committed,
more outgoing, more generous, and more obsessed maybe.
But we weren �t born like that!
We all started off modestly, simply, -- and slowly increased our possibilites.
Most of us were helped somewhere along the way.
So let �s help others to become special, too!!
Why don �t we trust the spirit on this site, trust that it will envelop them and light their fire? (Remember the wonderful saying: education isn �t filling a bucket but lighting a fire?)
It �s a favour we could do the teaching profession in general.
and for having being strict without killing anybody...LOL
)
