This year, March 19, 2015 is the day the United States celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the work he did for civil rights. We have no classes that day.  It is a national holiday.  Many schools and businesses are closed.  Read the directions and then watch and listen to the video from History.com.  See if you can answer the questions.

Before you listen, think about what you already know. What do you already know about the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.? What do you already know about the history of  civil rights in the U.S. in the 1960’s?

Listen and Watch the Video from History.com                     Click on the link in blue type below:

King Leads the March on Washington

The speech is fast paced so listen as many times as you need to.  

Can you answer these questions?

1. What happened in the South in 1963?

2. What did President Kennedy do?

3. What was the March on Washington?

4.How many people participated in the March on Washington?

5. Was the March on Washington peaceful or violent?

6. Dr. King, Jr. is remembered for being a great orator.  What words from his speech do people particularly remember?

What did you learn from the video?  Leave a comment.

Who was the real Santa Claus? Watch this short video and find out.

Click on the link:
The History of Santa Claus

What is Black Friday?

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving. This year it is on Friday November 28.  It is the beginning of the holiday shopping season. Many retailers offer big discounts and special sales on Black Friday. Many stores open very early in the morning on Friday- or even on Thursday night.  Many people stand in lines to get the special deals on products.

Why is it called Black Friday?

Many retailers have very good revenues on that day.  In accounting, profits are written in black numbers and losses are written in red numbers.   This one shopping day is very important to get the retailers “in the black”  or showing profits for the year.   That  is why it is called Black Friday.

Have you ever shopped on Black Friday?  What time did you go?  Are you going to go shopping this year on Black Friday?  Post your responses.

If you are on Facebook, you can improve your English!  USA Learns is a safe site that has a Facebook page which posts interesting things for English language learners and the U.S.A.  Simply ‘like’ the page and you will receive updates with good lessons.

Here is the link:  USA Learns on Facebook

The GED testing service is providing free practice tests through October 3.  The tests will  tell students if they are ready to take the tests, and will also allow us to pinpoint exactly what students would need to study!

My students can ask me in class about this first ever opportunity.  Remember, the test is available in Spanish, too.

Click on the link and learn a little about the U.S. national anthem:

Smithsonian Star Spangled Banner

I hope you are enjoying your summer break from class.  Let me know what you are doing this summer by sending an email, a text, or by responding to this post.  For many Minnesotans, it is a time to enjoy our state’s lakes.  Do you like to go to the lake?

Fall classes will start the week of Sept. 8.

• St Michael, Albertville starts on September 8 at 9:00am-11:30am
• Monticello starts on September 8 at 6:30-9:00pm
• Big Lake morning class starts on September 9 at 9:00am-11:00am
• Big Lake afternoon advanced class starts on September 10 at 1pm-3pm
• Big Lake evening class starts on September 11 at 6:30pm-9:00pm

Do you visit your public library?  Do you have a library card?  There are many things to do at the library.  Patrons can check out DVDs, CDs, books, audio books, and magazines. You can order books and download them on your e-reader.  There are programs for children and adults.  You can order books from a different library online.  There are even books in Spanish, French, and other languages, too.    You can use the computers.  You can use the WiFi.  And everything is free! If you have questions, you can ask the librarian.

Thursday May 22, Gail Anderson was honored for her 1000+ hours of tutoring at the Minnesota Literacy Council’s Annual Journeys Reading and Awards Ceremony at the Loft Literary Center.  Seven of the thirteen students who were published in this year’s editions read some of their works.   Some of the photos are from the MN Literacy Council. Visit their site to see all of the photos:  http://www.mnliteracy.org/  

• Are you a little afraid of making mistakes when you use a computer?
• Have you ever wanted to  learn a few more computer skills to help with your job search?
• Do you have a lot of computer skills, but you have nothing to show to new employers?
• Have you ever wished you had something such as a certificate proving to new employers that you have computer skills?

We now have a new program in class called the Northstar Digital Literacy Project. The teacher can sign you up to take a  computer assessment,   then if you need additional skills she signs you up for on-line lessons you can do in class or at home.    After you complete the lessons, you take another assessment.  When you pass, you get a certificate saying you have completed those skills.  The certificate can be put in your job portfolio and shown to employers.

The certificate has your name and date of completion of the lessons for the following skills:

1. Basic Computer Use
2. World Wide Web
3. Windows 7
4. Mac OS X
5. Using Email
6. Microsoft Word