Social media like blogs, twitter etc. New developments in IT have been a godsend especially for children with learning and emotional needs. Literacy for the 21 st Century requires us to teach a lot more than traditional reading and writing:. However, we must continue to ensure that students do not disappear into the virtual world completely.
She makes a similar point in this BBC article: "Could it be,and thus is just a suggestion which I think we should look into, could it be if a small child is sitting in front of a screen pressing buttons and getting reactions more quickly for many hours, they get used to it and their brains get used to rapid responses?
If children do not have stories read to them and have little practice of concentrating for long periods this could effect how they handle the sedate pace of school life, said Baroness Greenfield. Adults often fall into two camps; those who hate and ignore technology, and those who overindulge in it, often wasting unnecessary hours on the web or on mobiles.
So finally as per Oscar Wilde, everything in moderation, and occasionally moderation itself. Labels: balance , brains , technology , think. Monday, 3 September He is spending his last hours before execution tidying up his memoirs.
The sense of foreboding in the opening pages is only matched by Alec's lack of interest in life. The war and the destruction it wreaks have broken him; he cares not that he will soon face the bullets of a firing squad. The two develop an unlikely friendship, when they bond as young men through their love of horses. Behind the facade of upper class gentility we realise that daily life, especially for Alec, is cold and rigid.
We also perceive the sense of growing panic simmering underneath the surface for the Anglo Irish community, as the growing realisation dawns that soon they will relinquish their position of power to the unstoppable nationalist fervour that is gripping Ireland.
Alec and Jerry meet up again in the front line and renew their friendship, even though Alec, as an officer, is not supposed to fraternise with the ranks beneath him. The novel exposes us to the sheer horror and unrelenting barbarism of life in the trenches.
Glendinning cruelly orders Alec to command the execution. Alec decides not to put his friend through the ordeal, and kills him himself to spare him from execution.
He in turn is then sentenced to death. The novel is bleak in many ways and relentless in its description of the depravity humans can reach, especially in wartime. But it is an excellent characterisation of the trials faced by a generation unluckier than ours, and its description of how a lifelong friendship can transcend all obstacles is heartwarming.
Labels: angloirish , babylon , future , trenches. Sunday, 2 September Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby I have always felt it's a book best read in autumn, as the shimmering promise of summer fades away into the depths of another winter. And indeed, that is what The Great Gatsby is Our current Sixth years have had the pleasure of studying the novel, beginning last year in Fifth Year.
And indeed, students weren't long in recognising the relevance of the novel to modern Ireland, and the travails we face in the post Celtic Tiger era.
Gatsby, on the surface a confident self made man of money, is revealed to have reinvented himself, perhaps often through somewhat nefarious means. At the end of the novel, he is exposed as a lonely hollow man, bereft of any real connections with anyone, the trappings of wealth mere baubles. It is not so hard to draw parallels with some of the stories of conspicuous consumption raked from the ashes of our late lamented Celtic Tiger here in this country.
It is timely to discuss this wonderful novel on a weekend when a glamorous slice of Americana arrives in Dublin as the city plays host to a college football game involving "Fighting Irish" Notre Dame and Navy.
The book is a wonderful evocation of the concept of the "American Dream", the idea that everyone can reach his or her potential if they really want to. It was this very dream that attracted the forefathers of many "Fighting Irish" fans to American shores, to escape the deprivations of Europe.
But the novel is unsparing in its critique of the flip side of this dream.. Gatsby eventually dies alone, brutally. Only his father and narrator Nick Carraway bother to attend the funeral of a once venerated socialite. Students and teachers alike have admired his works. Strictly Ballroom, the Australian rite of passage movie centred around the ruthlessness of competitive ballroom dancing is often a component of Leaving Certificate film studies.
Junior Cert students enjoy Luhrman's modern adaption of Romeo and Juliet, with Montagues and Capulets swapping machine guns for daggers. Those of us of a certain vintage may remember Robert Redford as the eponymous Gatsby in the earlier film version.
Leonardo DiCaprio does the honours in this year's offering. Saturday, 1 September Why was six afraid of seven? Because seven eight nine Are you afraid of numbers How many of us adults would be put on the spot if we were asked the apr rate on our credit card, the interest rate on our mortgage or bank loans, or even the change from the supermarket checkout?
Our previous post discussed recent findings in relation to our national standings in literacy and numeracy. So concerned were the government that they launched the national strategy for literacy and numeracy. Numbers are all around us. They pervade our daily existence. But it is probably true to say that many of us use numbers without really understanding their intrinsic meaning.
Do we really understand the "oneness" of one? Do we actually get minus numbers- apart from when they form part of a bank or credit statement and are written in red? As part of the national strategy there is a drive to increase awareness of numeracy not just in the maths class but across all school subjects and indeed across all areas in life.
The internet is invaluable in raising awareness of number and numeracy. It also allows us to impart knowledge with a huge element of fun and enjoyment.
Check out these great websites below with the younger members of your family. Then when you're finished work out how good you yourself are with numbers. Hopefully you'll be pleasantly surprised! Labels: literacy , numbers , numeracy. Well, the fact that you're reading this suggests you probably do. However, how many of us read as much as we should?
The strategy sets targets for improving literacy and numeracy standards to be achieved by the year When a student encounters a new module in a subject, they need to understand the new language that the new material involves. Similarly, each subject has its own language "register" or key words which are most important to know. This is why when you visit our school you will see the most used key words or phrases displayed in different subject classrooms. For example, in English, how many of us really completely understand the difference between terms like "Discuss", "Compare", "Contrast" or "Outline"?
If you would like to find out the reading age of the books you or your children are reading, be it for school or pleasure, you can apply a simple little formula called the "Smog Test". It is becoming increasingly harder for us all just to relax, sit down and read for pleasure in an uninterrupted fashion.
Labels: LearningSupport , read , words. Friday, 31 August Hard to believe!! Hard to believe it, but we're already a week back in school. Slowly but surely the summer gives way as an autumnal nip arrives in the air. It's always great to see how well First Years are welcomed into school. We can all remember our first day at secondary even some of us teachers! Click here for Gallagher's current articles, and read more about the theory behind the scheme in his excellent book Readicide: how schools are killing reading and what you can do about it.
Pupils have to mark up the articles with annotations before class discussion. We need a carbon tax now The time for handwringing is definitively over ' by Tim Harford, Financial Times, October 29th [environment, climate change]. September ' Leaks just exposed how toxic Facebook and Instagram are to teen girls and, well, everyone' by Siva Vaidhyanathan, The Guardian , September 18th [social media].
September ' Narcissists: there's more than one type ' by Nikhila Mahadevan, The Conversation , August 5th [psychology]. May ' We must stop Covid shutting girls out of school forever ' by Malala Yousafzai, Financial Times , April 29th [pandemic, education] May ' Sang culture: how a reluctant Russian singer became the hero of young pessimists across China ' by Xiaoning Lu, The Conversation , April 30th [culture, internet, China]. November ' Remembrance Day is an exercise in collective amnesia ' by Samuel Earle, The Guardian , November 8th [history, politics, remembrance].
October ' Is Donald Trump a bully or bold protector? That depends on whom you ask ' by Arlie Hochschild, The Guardian , October 10th [politics, bullying].
October ' To combat conspiracy theories teach critical thinking — and community ' by Thomas Roulet, The Conversation , October 2nd [conspiracy, social media, education]. September ' What can we learn about people from their social media? September ' Oxford scientists: these are the final steps we're taking to get our coronavirus vaccine approved ' by Rebecca Ashfield and Pedro Folegatti, The Conversation , September 8th [science, vaccines] February ' Are First-Borns Really Natural Leaders?
January 'What moral authority does the US have to kill Suleimani? October ' A psychotherapist explains why some adults are reacting badly to young climate strikers ' by Caroline Hickman, The Conversation, October 11th [climate change, teenagers]. September ' Curiosity: we're studying the brain to help you harness it ' by by Ashvanti Valji and Matthias Gruber, The Conversation, September 13th [neuroscience, learning].
September ' A California high school found students' cellphones too distracting, so they're locking the devices up ' by Safia Samee Ali, NBC News, August 21st [education, learning, teenagers, technology]. January ' Aviation is the red meat in the greenhouse gas sandwich ' by John Gibbons, the Irish Times , January 29th [environment, aviation].
November " Window for saving Earth from ecological annihilation closing " by John Gibbons, the Irish Times , October 16th [ecology, environment]. October ' Is Serena Williams right?
A linguist on the extra challenges women face in moments of anger ' by Kieran File, The Conversation , September 11th [women, gender, sport]. September ' Why you should read this article slowly ' by Joe Moran, The Guardian , September 14th [reading, internet]. September ' The ideal school would put children's development before league tables ' by Sue Roffey, The Conversation , September 17th May ' Neuroscience is unlocking mysteries of the teenage brain ' by Lucy Foulkes, The Conversation, April 23rd [adolescence, neuroscience].
February " The death of reading is threatening the soul " by Philip Yancey, Washington Post , July 21st [reading, books, internet]. January ' Why more men are wearing makeup than ever before ' by Glen Jankowski, The Conversation , January 15th [make-up, masculinity]. Follow this 3 step programme and you will be well on your way to a mind-blowingly brilliant Paper One:. Step 1: Get the Pocket App for your computer, laptop, tablet, smartphone or digital sunglasses you don't have a pair?
It's a very simple but fantastically useful app that saves any great article, video or webpage that you stumble across but don't have time to read right that second to your device. It displays your selected content in an easy to read manner and when you sit down with a nice cup of tea after dinner you can kick back and read a fascinating article the 50 coolest book covers ever , a profile of Aurora shooter James Holmes or watch a video about a father who made a home-made roller-coaster.
Yes the internet is truly a wonderland. Step 2: Set up a Twitter account if you haven't gotten one already and subscribe to newspapers, magazines and websites that feature this sort of journalism or track down websites and bookmark them or subscribe to RSS feeds where possible.
Some examples:. Great excuse for 'borrowing' parent figure's iPads Wired. Step 4: For the really hungry writers out there - why not have a go at writing in this style yourself?
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