Today's Assignment

1. Create, update, or edit your blogs, based on the Editing Checklist.
2. Listening and vocabulary on "Hiring for a Job"
3. Watch these interview tips and take notes.
4. With a partner, practise role playing this example of a job interview.

Employment Articles from LinkedIn

In line with our theme of Employment: Job Interviews this week, here are some articles that came from LinkedIn to my Inbox today:

LinkedIn TODAY The week's top news, tailored for you Hi Joseph, check out the top 5 news articles for you this week See all headlines  Want the latest news? Follow us @LinkedinToday Top Executive Recruiters Agree There Are Only Three True Job Interview Questions - Forbes forbes.com - Top executive recruiters agree the only three true job interview questions get at strengths, motivation, and fit. Trending within the following companies Oracle IBM Microsoft Eight Qualities of Remarkable Employees inc.com - Forget good to great. Here's what makes a great employee remarkable. Great employees are reliable, dependable, proactive, diligent, great leaders and great followers... they possess a wide range of easily-defined—but hard to find—qualities. Trending within the following companies LinkedIn IBM Microsoft

	The One Big Interviewing Mistake That's on the Rise
		businessinsider.com - I'm the Managing Editor of Business Insider, which means I'm responsible for all of the editorial hiring here. So I'm constantly meeting people of all different levels, from interns to senior editors. Lately, the majority of...
	Trending within the following companies
	LinkedIn ReachLocal Macy's

Have fun checking out these resources! Let's talk about them in class.

Today's Assignment

 

1. Update your blogs with corrections (use the Editing Checklist) or new posts (e.g. Emails for Peter).
2. Listening and Vocabulary: Nervous at an Interview II
3. Role Play: Nervous at an Interview I

MicroSkills East in a Murder-Free Neighbourhood!

There's been no murder in our Consumer Road neighbourhood for the last six years!

Check out the green (no homicides) and peach (multiple homicides) patches and all the rest of the interesting information at National Post.

Today's Assignment + Peter's Handouts

Just like in a real school, there's a ton of "homework" for us today!

1. Complete your outstanding blog work, whether from Peter's Writing Workshop or other unfinished writing or editing tasks.
2. Watch the video and write an email encouraging a friend of yours to attend her child’s PT interview.
3. Listening and Role Play: http://esl-lab.com/grades/gradessc1.htm
4. Vocabulary: Cheating on a Test 
   

Those of you who enjoyed (or wish to enjoy) Peter's Writing Workshop yesterday are invited to study the following notes, which he has so generously shared:

Today's Assignment

1. Update/Create your blogs and write a post about our field trip to the science centre, the email to Chitra on children's education in Ontario, or what you did over the Family Day weekend.
2. Listening and Role Play 1
3. Listening and Role Play 2

Those who don't know how to start an email account can watch these instructional clips.

Skiing Deals in Time for March Break

Toronto is surrounded on three sides by ski resorts. Blue Mountain's probably the tallest, but there are many mid-sized ones to choose from. It's a good idea to wait and go when there's a deal.

DEAL 1

Hockley Valley is less than two hours away by car.



$23 for a Full-Day Ski Lift Ticket at Hockley Valley Resort ($46 Value)

• Includes a full day ski lift ticket.
• Not valid and has no cash value before February 27th, 2012 and after March 17, 2012. Subject to availability and weather conditions.
• Limit 10 per person, unlimited as gifts. Must be used in 1 visit.
• Tax and gratuity are not included. Payable at time of redemption. Taxes based on $23
• Must present paper copy of voucher upon redemption - redemption by phone not permitted
• Expires: March 17, 2012

DEAL 2 Horseshoe Resort is just north of Barrie, Ontario, about an hour and a half from Toronto.

 

 

 

$37 for All-Day Skiing at Horseshoe Resort for 2 People, Valid Monday to Thursday from 9am to 10pm at Horseshoe Resort ($74 Value)

• Voucher is valid Monday to Thursday, from 9am to 10pm. 
• Not valid on Fridays. 
• Please call 1.800.461.5627 for inquiries. 
• Must present voucher at time of redemption. 
• No reservation is required. 
• Voucher's promotional value expires on March 31,2012. 
• Face value ($56) never expires. 
• Resort may close before March 31, 2012, depending on weather conditions. 
• Not valid with other offers and promotions. 
• No cash back or credit. 
• Taxes are not included and must be payed to Horseshoe Resort at time of redemption. 
• Cannot be redeemed before Saturday, February 25, 2012.

 

Roaming the Science Centre

A whole bunch of us MicroSkills LINC participants, staff, and guests descended en masse on the Ontario Science Centre today. And what a fine and fun time was had! Enjoy the videos and pictures below:

Have a wonderful long weekend and a great Family Day on Monday.

See you back in school, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, Tuesday morning!

Field Trip Friday Feb 17 - Ontario Science Centre

View Larger Map

Please meet at the entrance of the science centre around 9:30 a.m. If you are late, you will need to pay the normal entrance fee. You can get there from Don Mills Bus Interchange on Bus #25 and get off just south of Eglinton Avenue (see map above).

See you there, and enjoy the long, long weekend (Monday, Feb. 20, is Family Day, a statutory holiday--so no school on Monday!).

Chris's Assignment

Create a Story

I wanted to read the newpaper, but I didn't have any cash.

I came off the bus but realized I had left my book on the seat.

I took five overdue books to my local library.

My son brought home a new book from school, and it turned out to be my favourite children's book.

I looked up from the book I was reading and realized I was in another town I've never been in before.

Today's Assignment

Welcome back! Our theme this week is Public Libraries!

1. Update your blog on the IEP Conference field trip last week.
2. Listening and Role Play: A Trip to the Library
3. Research and Discuss with a Partner: What ESL & Newcomer Services are available at Fairview Library?
4. Task-based: Put a new movie on hold, and check your Toronto Public Library account to confirm.

Meeting and Greeting Other Professionals

Jack and Jessie, with their mommies, might have been the youngest "participants" at this year's IEP Conference.



While their mommies were taking in the specialized seminars for those in accountancy, the two youngest "professionals" kept this LINC instructor entertained with silly songs and antics.

Jane, Bernice, Ying, Julia, Henry, and Alice (pictured earlier, with her husband) represented MicroSkills!

What a distinct pleasure it was to have run into alumnus Shuijing, who's now in an ELT program!

And what a load of loot--great business contacts, career information, and souvenirs galore--was to be had at the Marketplace!

Until next year, let's make the best of the information from this conference!

Field Trip to IEP Conference, Friday, Feb 19

The federally sponsored IEP Conference happens on Friday, and our whole class is attending.



Following registration from 7:30 a.m., the program starts at 8:30 a.m. with various presenters, including Dr. Lionel Laroche of Multicultural Business Solutions. After the morning break, there are special sessions for people in different sectors, such as engineering, ICT, finance and accounting, and healthcare. Time to stretch your listening skills!



Let's meet for lunch and photographs at 12 p.m. in the foyer where lunch is served, outside Room 106/107.

See you there!

Just What the Judge Ordered ...

Listen, and list your answers:


1. stop by _____________________
2. get _____________________
3. get _____________________
4. get _____________________
5. go _____________________
6. _____________________ Red Lobster
7. _____________________ bowling
8. sit down and _____________________ counselling


Complete the blanks, and post your answers either in the Comments below or on your blog.

Today's Assignment

1. Listening and Role Play: Preferring Different Work Styles (Think: What are the pros and cons of having a similar skill set as other people?)
2. Vocabulary building: Finding a Niche in Business 
3. Watch this Skills Assessment Video with a partner. Then take dictation of the audio from 0:19 through 1:00.

Drag your cursor over the text below (or type Alt-A) to check your answer:

Good day, my name is Michael E. Murray, and I'm the designer of this Life Skills Assessment worksheet, or the LSA, if you will.
More and more companies are looking at life-skill assessements over and above the educational credits you may have earned in a college or vocational institute.
What I've done is tried to convey that information in chart form, if you will.
To this column to the left, I've listed all my talents and abilities, and I've rated them. I will show you how I rated them and how this chart was produced. And to the right is ...

Today's Assignment

This week's theme is Skills Assessments! If you haven't signed up for the IEP Conference yet, please do so right away (instructions in earlier posts below).

1. Listening and Role Play: Preparing a Video Résumé
2. Self-Assessment and sharing with a partner: Entrepreneurial Skills
3. Find an area of interest you have in Centennial College's programs and take a sample assessment test here. Post your results on your blog.

Today's Assignment

1. Check out the program schedules for the upcoming IEP Conference and Small Business ARTS Forum. Feel free to register for them.
2. Listen and role play with a partner: Describing Brisk and Slow Business
3. Watch and take notes on the latest episode of CBC’s Dragons’ Den