Thursday, April 11, 2013

Writing Prompts

Stream of Consciousness Writing for Fluency 
Busan, So. Korea

 Kotesol
April 13, 2013

The powerpoint from this presentation can be viewed here:
http://www.slideshare.net/pamilajohufs/stream-of-consciousness-writing-for-fluency
 


I remember the day my heart was truly broken.
My friend and I had an amazing adventure!
My parents are great people, but they are not perfect.
I want to ask God a question.  “God, I was wondering…”
I look so different today than I did a few years ago.
I saw a box on a street corner, and it was moving.  When I looked inside,
Here is my list of 100 things that make me happy!
People like me shouldn’t…
The day I was born was an auspicious day…
I wish I had said…
My deepest regret is…
I’m the kind of person who…
My greatest fear is…
I saw true courage once.
There aren’t many things worth dying for.
Fairy tales are a big fat lie!
I saw someone recently and wanted to meet them. 
I wish someone would invent…
There was one time I was so amazingly stupid!
There was one thing that destroyed my confidence.
If I were to die tomorrow,
I wonder what would happen if…
I like to play with words, play music, play sports.  How many ways can I play?
If I could wake up anywhere in the world tomorrow, I’d wake up in…
Before I die, there is one place I really want to visit.
I had the strangest dream…
I am going to write a recipe for…
My favorite piece of art is…
Nobody ever noticed…
My body is really making me mad.
Criticism is a double edged sword…
I read a book once that really spoke to my soul.
I don’t want to write today.
Let me tell you about my house.
Why can’t I…
I always forget…
I am soooooo fabulous!
I try hard, and I still fail.
The best gift I ever gave someone…
If I found a wallet on the street,
Everything I ever really needed to know…
I really love some things about myself.
I saw a really strange person one day.
My most prized possession came into my life…
Alcoholism is very different from social drinking.
An accident changed my life.
If there is one habit that makes me bonkers, it’s…
I get a lot of energy from…
I couldn’t live without…. (or) I don’t want to live without…
Once, I did this really great thing.  Nobody knows about it.  Shhh!  It’s a secret!
I took a deep breath, and I felt transported back to my childhood.
It is important to protect…
The worst thing anyone ever did to me was…
I wanna be a rock / movie / sports star!
One time I was really mean to someone.
I can’t wait to …
I lost my keys one time…
Controversies are really…
What I truly want is…
I feel like the most amazing person in the world when…

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Music Meditation

Storytelling Elements using Music
This meditation takes the student out of the equation. There are 2 worksheets below - one for teachers to track the songs, and one for the students.  The teacher then leads them into a state of relaxation. Finally, the teacher plays one minute of music from a number of different genres and has the students answer the questions at the headings. The teacher specifically does not note country / place to allow more creativity. For some students it is enough to write “Paris” while for others it is more comfortable to write “a café in Paris.”

n.b. It’s helpful to have songs without many English words or with words from a language the students don’t know so they can focus on the emotions and interpretations. Music names should not be made available to the students until after the meditation.
Music pieces used by the writer of this paper:
Music
Number
Links


 La Vie En Rose, Edith Piaf






Miserere Mei Deus, Allegri


Get Busy,
Sean Paul






Flower Duet,
Lakmé


Sueño Mama, Roberto Poveda


Kongurey,
Ondar and Pena


Song for the Morning Star,
R. Carlos Nakai


Tidal Wave,
R. Sotomayer (The Art of Fusion)


Beethoven’s Fifth as Salsa


Lys til nattsvart jord,  Helene Bøksle








Music Meditation Student Sheet
 Music
Number
Where
or When
The people / characters and their relationship
Action – What are they doing?
1




2




3




4




5




6




7




8




9




10




11




12