Week 43

This week is a gradual winding down before the autumn break... We don't want to work too hard, otherwise the break will come as a shock and everyone will probably get sick.

Social media impact project

One member of our class has decided to take a look at the costs and benefits of being connected 24/7 to one another via smartphones and social media.

I'm posting some links here and will update it as we find new material...






Epipheo. (2013, May 6). What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKaWJ72x1rI

Laird, S. (2012, Sep 6). Are You Addicted to Your Smartphone? [Infographic]. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2012/09/05/addicted-smartphone/

MySecureCyberspace. (2012, June 12). Think Time: Teens and Social Networks [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TWHsiMYSxw

Pflugfelder, E. (2013 Sep 20). Does your Smartphone Make you Smarter? [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2mQOus0i7A

The Monthly Video. (2013, May 2). How the internet is rewiring our brains (p1). Nicholas Carr with Gideon Haigh [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dY6V9lcnzg

The Monthly Video. (2013, May 2). How the internet is rewiring our brains (p2). Nicholas Carr with Gideon Haigh [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-KTOLYkmzI

Turkle, S. (2012, February). Connected, but alone? [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/sherry_turkle_alone_together

Week 42

In the classroom, we're putting the finishing touches to our A-Z of Food and Nutrition.

We're also looking at the issue of Food waste (BBC 6 minute English).

Also, to encourage more talking about a wider range of subjects, we're going to try making a talking topic list in which everyone can suggest a topic and this is sent around the class. Students have to take whatever topic they get and talk about it for 1 minute. We'll write up our topics here: English talking topics

Also, if time allows, we might try out the Blip game...
This is where one person thinks of a verb and everyone else tries to guess what it is (using the word "blip" instead of the verb).

When do you blip?
Where do you blip?
Why do you blip?
How do you blip?
Can you blip someone?
Can you blip something?
Can you blip somewhere?
Do you often blip?
Did you blip yesterday?
Are you blipping now?
Are you going to blip this weekend?
Do you like blipping?
Do you blip with your hands?
If I saw you blipping, would you be embarrassed?

Our bloggers are starting work on more exciting topics - like Saturn, Khan Academy and Animals.

Watch this space!

Week 41

This week, some of us are continuing the food and nutrition theme, making up an alphabet of words related to the topic here:

Food and nutrition alphabet (Google Docs)

For inspiration, try these A-Zs:

http://daa.asn.au/for-the-public/smart-eating-for-you/nutrition-a-z/

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/nutrition-a-to-z/

 http://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-A-Z.aspx

Those in the group who are working on "health threats to Sweden" will get a bit of help and encouragement from me this week...

Patrick was saying he's interested in animal behaviour and biology - maybe more of the group would like to look at this topic. Here's an interesting video to get you started:

de Waal, F. (2011, November). Moral behaviour in animals [Video file]. Retrieved from: http://www.ted.com/talks/frans_de_waal_do_animals_have_morals

 

The transcript is here: Frans de Waal, Moral behavior in animals

Week 40

This week we're looking at the following TED talk:

As work gets more complex, 6 rules to simplify

Here are the rules:

1) Understand what your people do

2) Reinforce integrators

3) Increase total quantity of power

4) Extend the shadow of the future

5) Increase reciprocity

6) Reward those who cooperate

The thing is, how can you implement these things if you are a boss in a workplace?

Can we implement them in our school?

How can we share these ideas with our fellow students and teachers in Hagaberg?

We're also looking at food and diet with the help of the following:

BBC 6 minute English: Cutting down, eating up

BBC 6 minute English: UK's first healthy pizza

BBC 6 minute English: Dieting