Role models

Today some people might find it difficult to think of any role models (no wonder...) so here's a list that might come in handy. :)

Image provided by university-bound.com

Love to all,
Dora

All that glitters...

...is not gold. And some people learn it the hard way. As I've witnessed some seriously scary Internet-naivety today, I've decided to share some wisdom. Look at this video and keep in mind the fact that these kids' beliefs are shared by adults as well.



The wisdom I've decided to share was bestowed upon me during the Learning Technologies course provided by the British Council. It's one of those courses that actually teach unbelievably valuable things, help you meet very interesting people and really open doors. Now that I've pitched for them enough, here's a part of a presentation I did about Internet safety. It's not only for teachers, but all Internet surfers can learn from it.



And if you've ever wondered where the expression from the title comes from, here's a very interesting quote to close the post:

All that glisters is not gold;
Often have you heard that told:
Many a man his life hath sold
But my outside to behold:
Gilded tombs do worms enfold.
Had you been as wise as bold,
Young in limbs, in judgement old
Your answer had not been inscroll'd
Fare you well, your suit is cold.
(The Merchant of Venice, Act 2, Scene 7)

Be young in your limbs and in judgement old.

Love to all,

Dora

Mute

It's November and the time of colds and flu has begun a long time ago. With it, many of us have lost our voice - and it is one of the most important teaching tools (unless you're a proponent of the Silent Way ;)).
So here I'm re-posting a slightly revised Blogathon post on voice care. I know it'll come in useful.

Here are some tips in voice care a doctor and a speech therapist from my county gave us teachers in a lecture (combined with some useful links I’ve found):



DO:

• Rest your voice ( if you’ve been using it for 4 hours, you need to rest it for one hour)
• Drink water or juice in regular intervals during the day
• Learn how to do breathing exercises
• Stretch your neck and shoulders
• Warm your voice up before work - here are some Wise Warm-Ups you could use.
• Sleep 
• Get your student’s attention with a gesture like raising your hands or by using spatial anchors. 
• See your GP if you inexplicably lose your voice.
• Read some general info on voice care here. 
• Read some basics on how voice is produced.
• Here are Top Tips for Voice Care.

DON’T

• Yell, whisper or imitate other peoples’ voices or sounds - or get training on how to do it safely.
• Clear your throat by coughing.
• Ingest anything too hot. 
• Sing with a hoarse voice.
• Eat 2-3 hours before sleeping: it causes acid reflux which can damage the vocal chords.
• Try to outvoice a crowd.
• Forget to sleep.

Do you maybe have any student activities to help teachers be quiet in case of sudden in-class loss of voice? Having a student assistant can be a lifesaver.


Hope I’ve helped.

Love to all,

Dora


*UPDATE*

Go easy on dairy products.

The Dark Side of the Web and Life as a teenager

A couple of days ago I've heard a story of a girl who was so bright and talented it got on some of her classmates' nerves so much, she had to be moved to another class because they couldn't stop hitting and insulting her. When she finally entered a high school famous for being open only to super bright kids she found friends. I thought - I'm so glad I'm a twentysomething, I don't ever want to be a teenager again. 

You know how some teachers say that what's keeping them young is hanging out with young people everyday? Well, welcome to the dark side of being kept young. According to the linked infographic in the US 75% of bullying cases go unreported, 77% of kids face bullying of some sort and a child is being bullied every 7 minutes. In the UK 85% of kids have witnessed bullying of some sort. 

On the world scale 200 million young people 

are bullied every year. 

That means every year a population of Croatia,
4 290 612 people*
individually go through either 
hitting,
threatening,
taunting,
malicious teasing,
name-calling,
receiving unsolicited sexual remarks,
being maliciously gossiped about, 
having their belongings destroyed, 
OR
being excluded or rejected by their community
46.61 times. 
That's once every 7.83 days.

Here's a great post by Ana Cristina Pratas on how to keep "being kept young" an asset. If you're a teacher or a parent, you'll have to deal with it sooner or later.  

And remember: Read blogs. Read lots of them, because there's an ocean of knowledge out there that might take you to places you've never even dreamed of.

All my love,

Do

*According to the the Census of Population, Households and Dwellings of 2011 first results by settlements by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, as retrieved on 3 November 2012.