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ESL forum >
Concerning worksheets > Complaining about ws
Complaining about ws
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patt29
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Complaining about ws
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Hi everybody I �m a bit disappointed this morning when I see that my ws has only been downloaded 6 times. I have the impression that people only download ws when they are attractive with lots of colours but don �t really pay attention to their contents.
If it �s the case it �s really a pity!
Have a nice day
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28 Apr 2009
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Nezabudka
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Hi,
absolutely agree!!!
When I started all this (I mean, when I regestered here), I at first didn �t realize, why my things aren �t downloaded. Well, I work with 15-17 year olds, and of course my staff isn �t so colourful and in general I never aimed to include there pictures, photos etc. But I realised that people don �t want these, they don �t usually pay attention to the contents - they like brightness....and that �s strange. So now, I try to create smth colourful...because still I need points...
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28 Apr 2009
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flo84
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For my part I always read the description carefully and if the activity seems good I download the worksheet. However there are sometimes mistakes or words in mother tongue and in that case I won �t download it because it would require time to make all the corrections. On the other hand if the document is nice and colourful it is easier to notice it among the numerous documents that are uploaded every day.
A good day to you too!
Flo
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28 Apr 2009
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Naranjas
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As for me it depends on who the worksheet is aimed for. If I take one for my 5th graders I prefer colourful ones with lots of pictures because they work better with them.
If I search for some activity than I pay more attention to the description...
But anyway I don �t download the things which aren �t really useful - like a common exercise on Past Simple. I prefer original work.
As for making my worksheets I must confess I started to add more colour to them when I joined this site, but my children appear to like them more that way, so it �s not for points(anyway I spent only 150 of my 580 yet so I don �t need them much). |
28 Apr 2009
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Vickiii
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The thing is that most students like pictures in their work.
If I gave students a piece of paper with only writing on it - they would groan and hold their head in their hands as it is not very motivating.
People like to download worksheets that have been jazzed up with pictures that are applicable to the content - because that is what our students like.
Maybe you could go onto the internet - find a picture of John Lennon, maybe add a border - some groovy fonts and titles.
This would be more attention grabbing for the teachers and students and therefore more valuable a printable.
More appealing worksheets make your job as a teacher easier as well.
Good luck with your next upload.
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28 Apr 2009
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Logos
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Welcome to the world of commerce where packaging seems to be far more important than content. What is it that attracts people to buy perfume? Is it the smell or the way it looks? Initially it is surely the way the thing is packaged and maybe the smell will confirm the choice.
Sadly so it is true of worksheets. People are naturally drawn to attractive and colourful layouts and are not so concerned with content, though the discerning teacher should see through the glitz and see if the content matches the presentation.
Ideally the content and presentation should both be of high standard, which is why making an effective worksheet is both a science and an art. A science for good pedagogical content and an art for presentation.
So please do not be too dismayed at this principle, it seems to reflect much of society today. Please continue to upload good quality material and points will accumulate very soon. |
28 Apr 2009
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Paree
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I agree with you Logos.... Presentation is equally important.... I would say even for Adult Learners.
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28 Apr 2009
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Sasha_ru
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I fully agree with you . We must read first and then choose the worksheet, though the students (I mean young learners) like colorful pages and tasks, so I think a little color is not bad. |
28 Apr 2009
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maayyaa
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I agree with Logos saying that packaging is important. However, I would never download a worksheet simply because it contains lots of pictures and lots of colours. As for one, I can only hand out black and white copies to most of my students and pictures are not helpful if the exercise is pointless or bad. I also teach small classes of very young learners and they like colours and their school provides them with colour prints, so for them I would prefer colourful worksheets, but they still, have to have useful exercises!!
I agree with Naranjas and flo84, I also check out who the worksheet is aimed at and the description next to it. If t only says �I hope it is useful � I probably won �t even check it out.
And not to leave this out, this topic has been talked about here before and as it has been suggested many times, maybe you shouldn �t complain about the poor downloads (imagine what forum would look like if everyone did that) and check out some of the most downloaded worksheets and maybe get inspired by those. And when you reach the magic limit of 30 points you can stop worrying. We � ve all been there.
Enjoy this great community!
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28 Apr 2009
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ants
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I try to pick something that will be useful but attractive for my kids, teens and adults as I find this the best combination for me and my students.
Keep making your worksheets....and you �ll see that with a dash of imagination and some colour and the right content, you �ll get more points. 
Enjoy this wonderful site!! Fiona. |
28 Apr 2009
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sazzag
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I think you need to think about why people download worksheets.
For me the free daily downloads I use to download things that I don �t necessarily need right now but catch my eye because I know I can use them or adapt them in the future. With these something eye catching because of colour, nice layout or pictures is likely to be my choice. Especially as I know I have some time to make any corrections or tailor them to my students.
However, if I am looking for something I need to use today or in the next few days then the content is my top priority because I don �t have time to correct or re-write things. So when I search for worksheets on particular topics then I spent a lot of time choosing and previewing before I download.
What I �m trying to say is that although having good content is really really important if you are looking to increase your downloads some nicely chosen pictures or an elegant layout will certainly help.
Good luck.
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28 Apr 2009
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