1. Distance Learning Foundation and the US Embassy RELO Office Unlocking Students’ Voices Session #1 6 January 2012

2. What do we mean? Unlock Students’ Voices What is a Voice? Why is this important?

3. Overview of Session#1 Writing Personal Opinion Choosing topics worth writing about Op-Ed (Opinion – Editorial) Essay Planner Rubric for assessing planning

4. Guidelines What makes an opinion powerful in writing? Let’s look at an example – and see what you think.

5. Op-Ed “In The Dark” on Electricity From the Bangkok Post Is this a good letter or a poor letter? Why?

6. Hurricane Irene Flooding in Vermont Unusual for a hurricane because of Vermont’s location Devastating

7. Op-Ed Statement Joyce Marcel is a writer, based in Vermont. She makes writes frequently. What do you think? What makes her statement strong? What makes it weak?

8. Thailand Two perspectives, both are from Blogs 2011 Flooding Flooding in “old days”

9. Brainstorm a letter for Bangkok Post Topic? Work with a partner What’s your opinion? How will you express it?

10. Language for Persuasion: Adjectives Vast Rare Magnificent Handsome Desolate Scrawny Malicious Tough

11. Language for Persuasion: Adverbs Briefly Regretfully Anxiously Cautiously Wrongly Patiently Firmly

12. Language for Persuasion: Verbs What do you think? Brainstorm with a partner.

13. Essay Planner Walk through the steps Try it with your topic – with your partner

14. This I Believe Statement of personal belief Isabele Allende

15. When will your students use this? How does it fit in your planning? What topics might your students like to write about? Where might they “publish” their thoughts?

16. Personal Statement Rubric Intro to rubric for assessing writing How can a rubric help you and help your students?

17. Practice makes Perfect Trying it out What will work? What will be difficult for your students and classes?

18. Assignment Due 8 February Ajarn Shei One good sample of persuasive / opinion writing on a topic of your choice from each site.

19. Review of the Day A look back on the day. What have you learned today? What questions do you have? How do you feel about persuasive / personal writing?

20. Next Session Friday, 20 January The topic is: Spoken opinion See you then! Thank you!!!