THE EMPTY CLASSROOM

1. Look at the unit tittle and the photograph. Fewer students are studying in the
classtoom. Where are they studying?

They are studying on internet some online courses. Nowadays, online courses
becomes popular for lots of reasons such as the time when students can do it. On
brick and mortar courses students have to follow a Schedule instead of an online
course where students can study on their free time. Internet is a wide place where
persons of all the world can exchange their knowledge so, take an online course
becomes on other way to share info between different cultures and countries.

2. A new modelo f online distance learning, called a Massive Online Open Course
or MOOC, is becoming increasingly popular. What do you think the benefits
and the challenges of this type of model are?

One of the most important benefits is the fact that lots of MOOCs are free, to join
them a student just need a Gmail account and free time. Other benefit is the
possibility of boost the skills of students. Just think a minute on it: A very hard
topic will be studied on the class next week, some students will prepare themself
reading books. Others will check videos on youtube (that probably have wrong
info because we don’t know how prepare/Smart is the person explaining) and the
last ones will take online courses on universities on their country or others. This
ones will be prepared better because they can ask any doubt to their online
professor or post it on the classroom chat and they gonna be answered by
professionals, other students or even the professor.
Also a MOOC can boost the resume of young workers. Courses like Safety and
Health on Work, OHSAS, ISOS, and others are very popular on internet and are
requeriments to get an interview or to get a job.

3. What would happen if online distance learning were the future of education?

The interaction in classrooms is very important on kids because it helps to their

ability of comunication at very young age. They usually enhance this ability on
schools so, apply this kind of learning on them could be risky.
On the other hand, for young adults (universitary students on their 17’s) could be
a good idea. They could have time enough to work or investigate about the career.
On adults who usually have family, work and less time to study than young adults
MOOC’s and online careers or masterships are the best way to rise their
knowledge and boost their resume.
 Vocabulary

1) Assumption: Something that you think is true without having any proof.
Possibility, hypothesis, belief
Assume, assuming
- My sister have assume that I was purchased 2 gifts to owr mom (one from
her and one from me). Unfortunately I just purchased one :v
- On the assumption that we can produce four pages an hour, the work will
be finished tomorrow.

2) Issue: noun. An important subject or problem that people are talking about.
Verb. To officially give something to someone.
Controversy, problem
- Today, on day’s mom party, the hot issue between cousins was “Who
could get the ironchair?” to prepare ourselves for the night.
- All members will be issued with a membership card.

3) Enhance: verb. To improve the quality, amount, or strength of something

Enhancement, enhancing.
Boost, intensify.
- To enhance my resume I took courses of Security like OHSAS 18001,
ISOS and others. Fortunateky it help me to get a job.
- These scandals will not enhance the organization’s reputation.

4) Overall: adj. considering everything or everyone

Noun. a garment worn over ordinary clothes to protect them from dirt etc
Global, long-term.
- Usually I wear an aluminized overall to work on Copelation lab. I do it
because of the safety protocols on Alfred H. Knight Corporation.
- The overall cost of the flight was $900.

5) Dissapointed: adj. sad because something is not as good as you expected, or

because something did not happen
Upset, frustrated
Dissapointing, dissapointment
- I feel dissapointed after I’ve watched on TV how Mayweather defeats
Marquéz.
- I was disappointed to hear that the party had been cancelled

6) Dispute: Noun. a disagreement, especially one that lasts a long time.

Verb. to disagree with something someone says.
Friction, misunderstanding
Disputation, disputable
- My girlfriend and I usually dispute about who will clean the apartment.
- They disputed the ownership of the land for years.
7) Adjusted: Verb. to change something slightly to make it fit or work better or
to change the way you behave or think and become comfortable in a new
situation.
Accustom, adapt
Adjustable, adjustment
- One of the hardest problems at Copelation Lab is to adjust all the
parameters to melt the minerals. If the temperatura or the composition of
chemics added is not correct, the gold that we get will be contaminated.
- You can adjust the temperature using this control.

8) Via: prep. going through or stopping at a place on the way to another place
or using a particular machine, system, or person to send or receive something.
Along, way
Viability, Viable.
- All the family will watch GOT 8x05 on my parent’s house via streaming
by HBO GO.
- Reports are coming in via satellite.

9) Subsequent: adj. happening after something else

Consecutive, consequent
Subsequently
- My sister thinks that the subsequent King of the seven Kingdoms will be
Sansa Stark.
- Those explosions must have been subsequent to our departure, because we
didn’t hear anything.

10) Diversity: noun. the fact of many different types of things or people being
included in something; a range of different things or people or the fact that
there are many different ideas or opinions about something.
Diversification, assortment
Divert
- The diversity of parameters that affect the production of etanol by used oil
was studied by my cousin Alfredo at Agraria University.
- Does television adequately reflect the ethnic and cultural diversity of the
country?
 SYNTHESIZE

Choose one of the scenarios. For number I, write a response from Margie. For number
2, write a response from Professor Duneier. Use the information from Step I. Write in a
separate piece of paper.
I. From a MOOC student to Margie: “You are really lucky that you learn via
technolody. Before I took this MOOC course, I had always wanted to have
the flexibility that an online course allows. I also enjoy the international
perspective offered by my cyberclassmates; now I am so happy. You must
be, too.”
Your assumption is wrong. The truth is that I don’t have the flexible schedule
that you think I have. My mom made to me an schedule that I follow to
enhance my learning speed. Also, you probably be dissapointed to hear this
but, the robot teacher is too boring, this machine have never tried to do jokes
or something to make his class enjoyable. The info that this machine gives to
me isn’t interesting but is the info that I need to pass to the next stage. I’m not
happy. I wish I could study with other kids.

II. From Tommy to Professor Duneier: “Margie and I hate learning at home
without other students. We don’t understand why your students would
choose to take online courses. Wouldn’t they have more fun and Friends in a
school? Also, wouldn’t they learn more?”

Most of my students are people over their 20’s. They usually haven’t time
enough to study because of their work or extracurricular classes or even
because they don’t live near the university or the country. So, taking whis kind
of courses helps them to complete their studies and finish them or to learn
something new (other country students case). At the end they’re not alone. I
mean, they socialize with others via internet by comments and post on the
chatroom.