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ESL forum >
Concerning worksheets > dusty wss ..
dusty wss ..
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julianbr
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dusty wss ..
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how can I draw attention to my worksheets? I don �t want to publicise here as I don �t think it would be correct to do so .. but, on the other hand, I want to be sure that they are seen by ppl who might benefit from them - they dont ever seem to appear in the recent contributions list and searches dont really help either ... one of the wss is the lyrics to a really pretty song that was sung by Eva Cassidy and that I know students really like listening to in class .. but it �s laying dorment getting dusty .. I don �t think anyone has even seen it ..
how can I ensure the people I made it for get to see it .. ??
all help gratefully received .. thanks ..
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28 Oct 2009
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Lana.
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Dear Julian,
here is a community that is a) international and b) mostly occupied with teaching primary and secondary school students.
I �ve taken a look at your worksheets, there is a Horror Show (what if I don �t have it here? And how am I supposed to find it? on DVD?), a song lyrics (have to buy Eva Cassidy CD then) and a static verb worsheet. I �m afraid none of it suits me, but I �m sure and hopeful that someone else will benefit from them, it �s just in my personal opinion worksheets that can generally suit many teachers are the ones generating most downloads. (Psst: don �t tell anyone that I told you, but putting lovely colourful pictures help... Shhh!...)
If for example you check my worksheets (NOT ADVERTISING), you will see that the ones that have fewest downloads are black and white, and the ones that have the most downloads are either colourful or include grammar which we all without exception use in class. (For instance, I have a couple of grreat worksheets that I totally admire, but they have 3 downloads each, which means they don´t suit majority).
Good luck! Keep up the good work!
Alternatively: ask around what people are looking for, youy might have just that, but you never thought anyone would want.  |
28 Oct 2009
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julianbr
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thanks Lana .. you helped me a lot .. I never thought about ppl who couldn �t use youtube for some reason or that don �t consider stative verbs as core grammar items .. I also teach seconday school students btw .. but I am limited to the amount of colour photocopying I can do .. isn �t this a problem for other people .. ??
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28 Oct 2009
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elderberrywine
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I don �t think you can draw attention to your worksheets other than through quality.
Hundreds of people browse through new daily contribution every day or use the ESL printables search engine.
Your chances of being noticed or going unnoticed are like anybody else �s.
What might enhance them , like Lana said, is ample use of colour of images. Personally, I am put off by these features, but the majority here goes for them!
Tastes vary, and a lot here is about taste.
Another way of enhancing worksheets is choosing a really meaningful title and description and giving in several key words for the search function.
I have a worksheet on rhetorical figures and stylistic devices I spent AGES on and that I consider very valuable - well, no one here seems to be interested.
We all know the feeling of our best treasures being overlooked by everybody - and have to get over it.
(Unless, of course, we need the points badly. Then the advice is, like Lana said: common subject, lots of colour and effect.)
good luck
Dorothea
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28 Oct 2009
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Samantha.esl
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Hi Julian,
You have already received wonderful advice from Lana and Dorothea.
I would like to tell you that when I first started I had worksheets with 3 downloads only. And so I asked myslef the same question and I realized that I had to make something colourful, something that includes cliparts and grammar. So then, I started recycling all my stuff, of course I don �t print them as I upload them here because it �s too expensive. I don �t either download uneditable colourful worksheets with blurry images. Because, after I got some points I could download those worksheets only to find my students saying: �What is this? � the picture can �t be understood!.. � etc--
So my advice is, make your worksheet a little colourful, find some cliparts to go with them and add some grammar exercises, even though you might not actually print it like that to take to class.. That way it will call people �s attention. The most downloaded worksheets are either colourful or include grammar. Some very short sotries with a huge picture and some comprehension questions are also successful.
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28 Oct 2009
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moravc
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I would also suggest you upload wss with multiple tasks + more pages + BW version
- if lyrics gap fill included, then write the link to youtube + few more exercises to go with - scrambled key words, follow up questions - discussion, related grammar points... etc
Choose a good name + number of pages + BW, write good description + choose good KEY WORDS !!!
the first day downloads are important, if the ws doesn �t get enough points the first day, it is usually "forgotten", because if you search one topic, the worksheets with the most points go first...
So I suggest you to delete unsuccessful worksheets, update them, write more exercises to go with + upload them again... USE smaller fonts - write as many exercises as you can on one sheet (paper-friendly)
First pages colourful, followed by BW printer friendly version + KEY
Remember - many teachers DISPLAY the colourful versions - use OHP + print the BW version for students...
and choose a catchy name - something like
Verbs that hate "-ing" - 3 pages + BW + key
PS: The worksheet must look like hard work... If it looks valuable, it is downloaded... The more you share the more you get... Nobody downloads a worksheet written in 3 minutes, everybody downloads a worksheet which would take him a long time to prepare...
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28 Oct 2009
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JudyHalevi
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I download and print colorful worksheets, because I have found that students enjoy colors and pictures. Much better than school work books. If I download plain worksheets, I usually work on them for about an half and hour to make them colorful.
Colors sure make the grade with me.
 from Israel
Judy |
28 Oct 2009
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anitarobi
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Depending on how inspired I am and what I found useful in my classes, I combine - some of my wss are in colour and some are b&w. Mostly, the number of downloads depends on their quality and what the people need, but what is really important is also your description of your wss (if they �re detailed, clear and the key words carefully chosen, they get downloaded). Sometimes, and I actually started doing this for my own benefit - to get some order in my own wss and remember what I used them for or how)- I find this most useful - I make a colourful cover for my wss, then short ideas for the lesson plan connected to the ws, and then the ws itself (which is either slightly coloured or b&w), sometimes even a word game to follow. These have been most useful to me, that �s why Sylvie says what YOU like and find useful. These have also been downloaded most. But I guess it �s all about doing what you need for your lessons and describing it well, perhaps putting a simple pic or just a colourful title to it. I �ve downloaded some great wss here which were badly described, but I had the time to check their preview and found them useful. When time is short, I simply search for what I need using key words. |
28 Oct 2009
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eng789
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I �ve wanted to approach this topic for a while but have avoided it.
There is no reason to cramp 2 full pages into one. Nobody wants to work on a page with size 9 font when the other side of the page is empty.
I used to download some of these types of pages but I have more or less stopped because it takes hours to clean them up ( take out all the unnecessary /decorative clipart) and resize the sections. I prefer a nice clean, easy to read b&w ws to all the coloured ones becaues I work in a school where color printing is impossible because of the large number of pupils.
I also think that we might consider trying to "save some trees" by maybe cutting back a bit and doing wss that are 2 on a page. Sometime "less is more".
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28 Oct 2009
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anitarobi
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Agreed, eng789- the best wss for me are the ones that give you ideas on what to do with kids - some of the best wss here have been those that actually gave me ideas for word games and active teaching projects! I stretch things to help me see them better, which doesn �t mean I rpint them all out or photocopy. Thanks for reminding us all of this issue. |
28 Oct 2009
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