DAVID ALMOND'S SKELLIG, READERS' GUIDE

1. Michael is very unhappy at the beginning of the novel. Discuss how Michael's life changes after he discovers Skellig and meets Mina. Think about ways that you deal with fear and loneliness. How can you help a friend who appears unhappy?

2. Almond never gives the reader a specific description of Skellig. Based on the glimpses of Skellig found throughout the novel, what is your impression of Skellig? How might Michael describe Skellig at the end of the novel?

3. Michael brushes his hands against Skellig's back and detects what appear to be wings. When he asks his mother about shoulder blades, she answers, "They say that shoulder blades are where your wings were when you were an angel . . . where your wings will grow again one day." What does this statement reveal about Skellig?

4. When Michael questions why Skellig eats living things and makes pellets like an owl, Mina answers, "We can't know. Sometimes we just have to accept that there are things we can't know." Why is this an important moment in the novel?

5. When Michael's soccer teammates discover his friendship with Mina, they begin teasing him. How does this affect Michael's relationship with them? Why do you think they make fun of Mina? How does she handle the teasing? How would you handle the situation if your classmates made fun of a special friend?

6. Discuss Michael's relationship with his mother and father. How does the baby's illness put a strain on these relationships? How is Michael's relationship with his parents different from Mina's relationship with her mother?

7. At the same time that his sister is undergoing heart surgery, Michael discovers that Skellig is gone. Mina calms Michael by quoting William Blake: "[Blake] said the soul was able to leap out of the body for a while and then leap back again. He said it could be caused by great fear or enormous pain. Sometimes it was because of too much joy. It was possible to be overwhelmed by the presence of so much beauty in the world." Why do you think Mina quoted this passage to Michael? How are fear and pain related? How are joy and beauty related? How does Skellig represent all these qualities?

8. What does the nurse mean when she describes Michael's baby sister as having a "heart of fire"? Why does Michael want to name the baby Persephone? Why is Joy an appropriate name for her? What other names might symbolize her journey and her place in the world?

9. Skellig returns for one last visit with Michael and Mina. What do you think is Skellig's purpose for entering Michael's life? How does he touch other lives? Do you think he'll ever return?

HISTORY OF THE INTERNET

Have you ever wondered how the Internet started to exist? Here you have some useful data:


[Source: OnlineMBA.com]

Watch this video:

 

Now answer these questions:


1. What language did you notice being used in the video associated with social networking?
2. What social networks was the video highlighting?
3. Do use of technology/being online/use of mobiles etc etc, affect language, what we say/how we act, and if so, how?

DOUBLE SENSE FOR ESL LEARNERS

One of the challenges of an esl learner is to understand double sense and puns, humour in general. Humour is a phenomenon which is influenced by culture. It can be difficult to determine what aspects define a certain sense of humour. A nation’s wit is linked to the historical development of the country. 

A student of English as a second language will probably find American humour easier than,  for example, British humour. While the former seems to be more "down-the-line", the last has to be read "between-lines" . There’s a received wisdom in the U.K. that Americans don’t get irony. This is of course not true. But what is true is that they don’t use it all the time. It shows up in the smarter comedies but Americans don’t use it as much socially as Brits.When Americans use irony they tend to state that they were “only kidding”. They feel the need to make a joke more obvious than Brits do, maybe this stems from a fear of offending people.

The following activity will show you the difference between American humour and British humour:

Watch the following video and try to get double sense words: 

Think in terms of register and the context of the conversation. What seems to be out-of-place? What context could this conversation be found in?

Now, have a look at this other sketch from the Simpsons:

Where are the funny things? Was it easier to understand?

CREATING ONLINE PRESENTATIONS

Since presentation tools such as Powerpoint (Microsoft) and Keynote (Apple) came along, the teaching-learning process has changed dramatically. These tools  have caused a big impact on the way we approach knowledge nowadays, something that is always in movement, is alive, changes, can be shared.
People learn more readily and retain more information when learning is reinforced by visualization. You can inform and entertain- docere and delectare- an audience at the same time by the proper integration of visual images into virtually any exchange of information. Meetings which might normally be considered dull can  grab the attention of the viewers this way.  
Everybody knows the advantages of presentations in class, above all, it is an eco-friendly way of  assessment and teachers do not have to carry huge piles of paper-projects home. They help structure lessons and avoid the use of the age-old chalkboard although it still can be an effective teaching tool with today's tech-savvy student...

People use them to share not only academic knowledge but also feelings, challenging ideas, catchy motos, favourite songs and lyrics, love declarations. They foster collaboration, team work, online education. Anybody can become an author and publish online. 

The most popular online presentation tools are:

• GoogleDocs  a collaborative online writing or word processing tool that offers a presentation maker similar to Powerpoint or Keynote. You can upload Powerpoints or Create your own original presentation online then publish them on the web, email them, embed them on your website, etc. Several people can edit at once, too. Google also has templates for documents, spreadsheets and presentations available for students and teachers. ZohoShow is similar and also free.
• SlideShare provides a way to share already created Powerpoint presentations online, tag them, email them, get comments on them, and get html code for embedding them to your own blog, wiki or website. You can add audio, notes, and even YouTube videos to your Powerpoint presentations in SlideShare. You can also find presentations others have created on the topic and communicate with those who have similar interests.
• VoiceThread "is an online media album that can hold essentially any type of media (images, documents and videos) and allows people to make comments in 5 different ways - using voice (with a microphone or telephone), text, audio file, or video (with a webcam) - and share them with anyone they wish. A VoiceThread allows group conversations to be collected and shared in one place, from anywhere in the world. Ed.VoiceThread.com is reserved for K-12 education only. There is a VoiceThread Ning where you can share ideas and examples with other educators who use VoiceThread. There is also a VoiceThread wiki and a VoiceThread directory. In the directory, educators can add their contact information, VoiceThread project description, project dates and grade level if they are looking for collaborators on projects. Be sure to see the library page and examples. More examples and ideas can be found inVoicethread Examples in Education. 
• Animoto  allows to upload photos, select music and Animoto renders a music video for you. A 30-second video is free; longer is $3. An all-access pass ($30) lets you create all the videos you want for a full year. Also, check out the Animoto Education program and features. 
• Glogster can create an interactive online poster with links, photos, text, stickers, sound, music, animation and more. See --and submit--other Glogster examples on the Presentation Tools--Ideas to Share page. Be sure to use the education version. If you have a Glogster account, you can embed your posters directly into a Wikispaces wiki page,without ever leaving Wikispaces, and without having to copy any code.
• Prezi this is one of my favourites. You can create maps of texts, images, videos, PDFs, drawings and, what's really new, present in a nonlinear way. Zooming presentation maker. Learn more about Prezi here.

The Key Steps for a Good Presentation:

1. KNOW YOUR SUBJECT MATTER

Research the subject. Read reports and look up information about the subject with the specific purpose of writing a presentation script. When examined in this light, new ideas and alternative ways of thinking often develop. You are in effect selling your ideas to the audience. 

2. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

A small amount of research into the makeup of your audience will reap large benefits on presentation day.You have to  tailor different presentations for a specific audience . You must have a couple of other versions (depending on whether they're for or against ). Don’t be very categoric.

Before you 're-purpose'  make the obvious adjustments and then carefully review your content.

3. KNOW YOURSELF (and your limits)

Knowing a few of your limit might avert disaster, or at least embarassment. Your 'limits' are just where you may or may not tread, depending on the makeup of your audience and your relationship with them.

4. DEVELOP A THEME

All presentations, regardless of their complexity, are designed with a single purpose. State that purpose to yourself at the beginning of the development process. Keep this purpose in mind always.

5. PREPARE YOUR SCRIPT

The script does not necessarily have to be a work of literary excellence. For some, simple notes on 3 x 5 file cards are sufficient.  The exact form of the script depends on the formality of the presentation, the make up of the audience and who will be presenting it. It should consist of the same four basic parts, an opening, body, summary and closing. 

• THE OPENING 

It sets the stage for what is to follow. The purpose of the presentation is stated. You should also present a VERY BRIEF summary or outline of the points to be covered. This helps keep your audience oriented properly within the framework of your script. 

• BODY 

The bulk of the subject matter is presented. The body of a presentation should be separated into smaller parts. Each part should make a single idea. These sub-sections should  also  have their own  opening, body and summary.  

• SUMMARY 

It must be very brief and simple. It reinforces the central theme and purpose of your presentation. Briefly emphasize the key points and main ideas of your script in this section. You should encourage questions from the audience if time or format permits, but be prepared to answer them

• CLOSING

In a well structured closing, points are summarized and any handout material is distributed. Handout material which emphasizes each key point or idea permits your audience to review the subject and assures that your words will remain fresh in their minds. Handout material should not be distributed before a presentation unless it is critical to the theme since it invariably leads to audience distraction.

6. SELECT THE PROPER VISUAL AIDS. Depending on no. of attendants, duration and  content of presentation.

7. PREPARE A STORY BOARD (storyboard template)

A story board does not have to be complicated or time consuming to prepare. Its main purpose is to give a general view of the presentation and communicate the important items.  When your story board reaches final form it becomes the finished draft for your presentation. This is one of the most important parts of your presentation.The final story board should consist of a sketch of each individual image, in sufficient detail to convey its approximate finished appearance.

8. PRESENTATION DAY

On the day of the presentation, arrive and set up early. Make sure that your online presentation is ok  and extra copies of the handout material close at hand. 

You have your visuals, you are well rehearsed, the room is set up and the participants are all prepared. Speak clearly and with authority. A little humor if tastefully added can help break the tension of the moment. There should be no surprises. Make certain that the audience questions have been addressed, and of course, thank everyone for their attention. 

CONFERENCIA DE ISABEL PÉREZ TORRES

¡No puedes faltar a esta cita!

http://www.isabelperez.com

TÍTULO: Uso de TIC y bilingüismo

FECHA: 11 de Enero de 2012

Hora: 17:00

LUGAR: I.E.S. Ángel Corella 

(Colmenar Viejo)

contacto:

 ies.angelcorella.colmenarviejo@educa.madrid.org

Isabel Pérez Torres nos ofrecerá en esta ocasión la posibilidad de participar en primera persona de la conferencia siendo parte importante de esta mediante la experimentación, el intercambio de ideas y el debate.

La conferencia girará en torno a la integración de contenidos y una lengua extranjera (AICLE, AICOLE) y a su vez cómo el ordenador u otros recursos audiovisuales pueden contribuir a  implementar  este proceso(ELAO).

Profesores de lenguas extranjeras, TICs y cualquier profesor que de alguna manera esté interesado en el bilingüismo dentro y fuera de la Comunidad de Madrid no deberían perdérsela.¡Te esperamos!

TWINSPACE, a teaching treasure

The Twinspace is a multilingual tool designed specifically for eTwinning projects. Through a variety of tools, how you decide to use your Twinspace is completely up to you! You can use it as a base for all communication and project activities, a showcase of project outcomes or simply a location to store all documentation.

The TwinSpace is the work area for your project; it is an instrument that really encourages and facilitates collaboration, communication, sharing and interaction amongst pupils. It also places the pupils at the centre of the collaboration activity.  

You might like to think of it as your private club. You, your partners and your pupils will be the main users of the TwinSpace but, you can still invite other people so that they may have access to this work area, such as other teachers from countries not participating in eTwinning, experts from museums or from professional or cultural organizations, etc. It simply depends on the aim and focus of your project. 

You might also like to invite parents, or your school leader to come and have a look or decide to make the Homepage and Activities section of your TwinSpace public so that the wider school community can benefit from your experience, as well as you having a great way to proudly show what your pupils have achieved thanks to your help.

The Pupils Corner is where pupils can interact with each other and exchange material not necessarily connected with their school project.  Clicking on the Chat allows you to have a conversation with all the members of the same TwinSpace. In order to „chat‟, members must click on Chat and be in the chatroom at the same time. The TwinSpace allows a high level of interaction both for the teachers, who can meet in private in the Staffroom.

Teachers can collaborate as well on a different level in the Staffroom. They can have exchanges relating to the planning of their project, they can reflect together on different pedagogical approaches, they can evaluate the development of the project, they can exchange interesting articles or other type of information... and why not, they too can socialise with their colleagues having the kind of conversation you might have sitting at a table over a cup of coffee.

If the TwinSpace has been used as a work area in your normal classroom activities, this will constitute good evidence of having satisfied this criteria. 


My students and I are participating in a Twinspace with schools in Norway and Turkey. If you want to have a look, click on the link:

TWINSPACE: Enhancing the well-being and health of young people living in Europe.

2011 European Day of Languages, 26th September

Last year I proposed a treasure hunt on the European Day of Languages; give it a try if you haven't. This year we, teachers of a foreign language,  are still commited to the difficult task of motivating you to keep on learning. To conmemorate this day I think it would be a good idea to reflect on your own progress and the best way to do so is to open yourself to the world. I have found a wonderful website  where you can find some help. 

Lingu@net World Wide is a multilingual, online resource centre for foreign language learning. At the Meeting Point you can practise by chatting, finding  e-pals, taking part in online discussions, commenting on others' blogs or even creating your own.

Lingu@net World Wide