Emerging Technology Has Positive Impact in Classroom

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SUMMARY:

Stacey Roshan is a mathematics teacher of a private school that made an experiment through technology to see how the results of her students increased. Roshan could see during three years how her students were confused and stagnant.

Most of them wanted to work just problems in class, for this reason Stacey changed her lessons plans: by using Camtasia Studio, she uploaded her video lectures so they could listen to them in their house (as homework) and once in class, only work in problems. In this way, students were more motivated and had and active participation in class. Stacey Roshan experienced how her students marks increased rapidly by this method. Lots of teachers start to use technology in their class and all of them saw the positive benefits of it.

Tracy, director of an Academy who implant technology in his center, said that having a flexible budget helps to innovate in education. He is sure that: If it's successful, it's designed to be replicable in the public schools." Regarding to public schools, new initiatives have been promoted, for example, the use of Ipads in class.

VOCABULARY:

Replicable: aplicable

Lectures: conferències

Stagnant: estancat

PERSONAL OPINION:

Being in 21st century, we might change some things in education that for us are normal and traditional. We have to adapt our lives with technological advances and take profit from it, in all the fields. Stacey Roshan is a PROOF that a good use of technology can help students in their marks, and use the time in the best way. She is still doing her job, but in other way, a way that really works and motivates students.

In my case, we use technology in class (as in English, Psychology or History) but I really believe that we could improve it and expand it to all the subjects. Although it seems to be difficult, I don’t think that we will carry on with our traditional method much longer. I hope in a future we can enjoy technology as a normal fact in education and admire how can helps us.

Can mobile apps help to improve our health?

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SUMMARY:

Mobile applications will help us to improve our health. In fact, some experiments created by experts work currently. Professionals from Belfast and the EU, all of them are participants of the World Health Organization Network, are sure that technology is the key to face and tackling diseases such as Alzheimer's. In 2015, a convention for Alzheimer's revealed an app that simulates persons to establish life goals as exercise or nutrition to manage stress and brain stimulation (those two aspects are reasons of the beginning of the memory disease).

Moreover, it exists another app, Experior, that helps doctors in training to polish and hone their readings X-Rays. Experior was created by Tom Lynch, head of Nuclear Medicine, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. Since 2014, they are starting to think about using the same technology as the Experior one to apply it in other medical fields, like gynaecology or obstetrics. The main countries which are working on this, are Northern Ireland, Finland, Wales and UK, among others as EU and US.

VOCABULARY:

Hone: perfeccionar, pulir

Unveiled: van revelar

Tackling: fer front

PERSONAL OPINION:

Technology is always a discussion topic that presents us if it is beneficial to our lives to be involved in it. We often relate technological advances to social networks and the vice that they cause. But, have we thought about the benefits that technology can provide us in fields like health?

We've seen practical cases as bionic arms and legs, deaf people who finally could hear through a device, blind persons who thanks of special glasses can see. So, don't you think that it would be incredible to prevent diseases like Alzheimer with an app?

From my point of view, experts are the engine of our era and those discovers are really surprising. In a future, if all this experiments develope and turn popular, we will thank all the experts that made possible the prevention of having a grandfather with Alzheimer, or being an Alzheimer victim, you never know.

CAN TECHNOLOGY MAKE A BETTER WORLD?

Are humans controlling technology or is technology controlling us? Where is the limit? There is no clear answer.

On the one hand the incorrect use of technology can drive us to bullying situations, in the case of kids psychological bullying is increasing; moreover ir changes relationships in general, talk face to face is more difficult nowadays. Also we can find false information on Internet. Technology took to a high level of consumerism, we buy more than what we need as a consequence of it, the production has increased in the last century and that fact caused dramatic pollution.  

On the other hand, it presents a lot of advantages; for example, it provides bionic body parts for those who need it. Plus, it expands your opportunity to achieve your objectives. Everybody can discover you. Also it’s easier for enterprises to be disclosed because of publicity. Definitely technology makes our lives more comfortable.

To sum up, bearing in mind that technology can be negative in some aspects, the vast majority are positive. So yes, a good use of technology can make a better world.

Auschwitz survivor is world's oldest man - Guinness World Records

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SUMMARY:

Yisrael Kristal, borned in Poland in 1903, is 112 years old. His life is full of historical facts: he lived two world wars and the Holocaust. He was a student of a religious school when the first world war began and had to be separated from his parents. Then he moved to Lodz, to work in a confectionary business. His family and him were sent to Lodz concentration camp. His two kids died in the moment of the ghetto liquidation, and once moved to Auschwitz, his wife was murdered and he survived working as a slave.

In 1945, he was found anorexic. In 1950, with his second wife and his son, he returned to work in the confectionary business. As his daughter explains, Kristal continued with his beliefs and he shows an incredible optimism.

Having lived a life full of injustices and misfortune, the survivor Yisrael Kristal do not know the reason of his long life. The previous oldest man died in January, and the oldest woman alive is believed to be an american woman, Susannah Mushatt Jones (115 years old).

VOCABULARY:

Lodz: Is the third largest city in Poland.

Ghetto: Put in or restrict to an isolated or segregated area or group.

PERSONAL OPINION:

“I see humans but not humanity”. This is the sentence that comes to my head every time I remember historical facts like the Holocaust, the Palestinian and Israeli conflict, or the nowadays Syrian conflict.

No one can know better the nazi extermination, that murdered almost 7 million jews, as Kristal. It is unbelievable that there are people who think that the Holocaust is the product of myths and fables (yes, it is an ideology currently active).

When we are in history class and we talk about wars we just think that we are going to memorize what happened in the past and write it in the examn. But then when you see news like this, you realize that it is not too distant to our present. The case of Yisrael is really admirable and surprising, who would have said that the oldest man in 2016 would be a survivour of the Holocaust?

Description: THE TOWER BRIDGE

Tower Bridge is a bridge in London, England, over the River Thames. At the second half of the 19th century, the commercial development of the East End of London led to the need to build a new step under the London Bridge. Jones's design was a bascule bridge of about 244 m in length with two towers, each of 65 meters high. The central light of 61 meters between the towers is divided into two sheets, which can be lifted up to a 86º angle (almost vertical) to allow river traffic.

The construction of the bridge began in 1886. There were spent eight years with five major construction and almost 500 workers. When Jones died in 1887, his chief engineer, Sir John Wolfe-Barry, continued the project. Wolfe-Barry replaced the original design of Jones medieval style  with Victorian ornamentation. The towers and sidewalks contain an exhibition of the history of the bridge, including the original steam engines that had moved the bridge. The bridge is on the Tower Subway, the first line of tube (underground railway) in the world (1870).

The second day, after going to Shakespeare Globe Theatre, we went to Tower Bridge freely. I was with Nadia and Mireia, and we made like thousands of photos in the bridge. My first impression was that it was bigger than what I thought (this happened to me with the Big Ben too). The Tower Bridge is gorgeous, it left me speechless.  

REFUGEES CRISIS

Hundred of thousands syrians go through the ocean to REACH peace: Europe. Sometimes fifty or sixty persons arrive in small boats, and always some of them die in the way. Men, women, girls, boys, babies, old people, pregnants, SICK. All of them want just to live a life worthily, because in their country there is a war, and their houses are under the rubble.

I will not talk about the whys and the reasons of the war or who is implicated. This your say I want to focus it in the arrival of refugees in Europe. When all started last summer, borders were opened and every refugee that arrived felt like he was in paradise. People start volunteering, giving them food, clothes, and shelters. But they were millions and millions and they reached the pont of collapse. Now that this is turning into a problem, all what we see in televison is people burning those shelters, hate to them and the closure of the borders. The intention was good, but now we need a solution.

Another aspect to consider is the support and hoste that Europe provides them and the abandonment of arab countries. The Arab and Muslim (and moreover rich) countries turned their back to their neighbours. 

The question is, what is more important: to make up the problem of the refugees or stop the Syria war? All we know is that syrians will still try to enter to Europe and the shelling will carry on.

The amazing love story of the 77-year-old husband pleading with strangers on the street for a kidney to save his sick wife

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SUMMARY:

Larry Swilling is a South Carolinian man who is married with Jimmie Sue, a woman who was born with only one kidney. They have been married 57, and now that she needs another one to survive, her husband looks for an organ on his own. While the couple waits for a donor (that could TAKE three years minimum), Larry asks strangers in the street if they would donate a kidney for his wife. Swilling wears a signboard where it can be read “Need Kidney 4 wife”.

Swilling has not found someone compatible with Jimmie (also he is not a match), even they recieved hundreds of callings of volunteers to be tested. The Swillings are happy because maybe the volunteers will donate their kidney to another patients, who are needed like Sue. As Jimmie Sue said: “If I get a kidney, fine. If I don't, I hope omeone else does”.

VOCABULARY:

Kidney: ronyó

Match: a person or thing able to contend with another as an equal in quality or strength

PERSONAL OPINION:

“In health and disease” is what we say when we marry someone, but we'll really act properly under these circumstances? What will you do for your better half? Larry and Jimmie are the kind of relationship that any one would like to live. They are made to love and take care of each other. All what Larry does for Jimmie is a prove of his love. It is crazy to think the idea of going down to the street with a signboard looking for somebody compatible with the love of your life.

It is also a good gesture from the volunteers the fact that if they can't help Jimmie, they may be compatible with OTHER persons in need and they will save their life. Larry will continue looking for an organ for the love of his life, meanwhile, he is indirectly helping another people. Love can do incredible things, and Larry gives us a life lesson.

Starved to death and left to MUMMIFY in the world's worst zoo: Once proud animals including lions and crocodiles are now no more than horrifying 'statues' after carers had to stop feeding them

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SUMMARY:

Mohammed Awaida inaugurated his zoo South Forest Park in 9 years ago in Khan Younis, a city of Gaza, Palestine. He spent millions of dollars into bring animals from around the world, by through a tunel, as he explains in the video. A year later, in 2008, when Palestinian and Isreali conflict reactivated, the rockets attacks made staff unable to take care of them, so most of them died because of neglect or starvation. In addition of the almost 2000 Palestinians killed, 80 animals have died in another Palesinian zoo, the Al-Bisan zoo.

Furthermore, there is no animal rights movement in the region and the zoo don't have supervision. Khan Younis zoo started to emblaming those animals who died and return them to their enclosures. Awaida said that after the Gaza war, he began to mummify his dead lions, monkeys, tigers, etc., by learning online how to do it. Whatsover, the dead animals outnumber the living ones.

Amir Khalil, the director of Four Paws, said that Khan Younis zoo “It's a prison”. His charity provided care to 40 animals of the zoo, with the help of volunteers.

VOCABULARY:

Neglect: descuidar, desatendre

Enclosures: recintes

Outnumber: supera en nombres

PERSONAL OPINION:

Honestly, if I have to write a personal opinion about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, I will never end. I'll just tell that a “war” between and expert army and civilian, it can't be named war. It'ss outrageous, but let's focus on this new.

Personally, I believe that the idea of mummifying tha dead animals, even if it is shocking to see the images, is the only way to see the lives lost because of the conflict. Once the rockets kill Palestinians, and then they are buried, they fall into oblivion. But in this way, we realize the reality.

Only showing what happens, we are aware of the damage caused. It doesn't matter if is a human or an animal, it is a life, and nothing justifies the killing of an innocent.

GET READY FOR LONDON

1. Locate our hostel  "Safestay Holland Park" in google.

Check out the facilities and regulations of the hotel. What you can do and what you mustn't do.

-Here is our hotel Sfestay Holland Park! newly renovated! There's a lounge room opened 24h, free wifi, a private big and precious garden, a computer room, etc. There are many things we can not do like smoke or drink alcohol drinkings, make noise after 23:00h.

In google maps:

It is near The British museum, the London eye, the Madame Tussauds and The Big Ben. If you want to go to Picadilly Circus, a big square of London in foot is around 1 hour and 4 minutes.

2. Look for 3 must-see landmarks in London you definitely would like to visit.

The Big Ben: How to go there: I'll walk to the High Street Kensington Station during 13 minutes and then I'll take the tube to the Westminister Station (this will be like 12 minutes). Later, in 2 minutes walking I'll arrive to the Big Ben. The Big Ben, officially named Elizabeth Tower, was completely built in 1858 by the architect Augustus Pugin. Big Ben is the nickname of the Great Bell of the clock, located in the Palace of Westminister.

The Piccadilly Circus: How to go there: Bus 94 from the Holland park (Stop HL) to the Piccadilly circus (Stop HL) in 28 minutes. Piccadilly Circus is a famous place and street intersection located in the West End of London, in the district of City of Westminster. Was built 1819 to connect Regent Street with the shop street.

The London Eye:I'll walk to the High Street Kensington Station during 13 minutes and then I'll take the tube to the Westminister Station (this will be like 12 minutes). Later, in 8 minutes walking I'll arrive to the Big Ben. The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames in London. Is the Europe's tallest wheel. You can observe the whole city in a booth. I'm not coming back without going there!

3. The musical. Browse the theatre plays available in London at the time of our visit. Choose two shows you would like to see, state why and their cheapest ticket prices on Saturday night.

Billy Elliot: Session at 7:30 pm at the Victoria Palace Theatre £51.00. After seeing the movie (more than three times...) it would be nice to watch the musical.

The Lion King: The cheapest ticket is £90.00. It's such a pitty for the cost but it would have been really extraordinary to see it! It doesn't matter hwo old are you, The Lion King is a classic that no one can say no to it!

Sit exams early to fit in with Ramadan: Pupils taking GCSEs and A-levels face timetable shake-up to accommodate fasting Muslims

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SUMMARY:

Thousands of students from England, specially in London, will do the key exams to enter to the university earlier than other years. Some exams will start before Ramadan, while others will be in the morning, not in the afternoon. The muslim holy month means that believers avoid food and drinks during hours, eating before daylight and after dusk.

This change means that all the students will have less days to revise, but this has been done to avoid muslims students present themselves in exams with low energy and have a disadvantage over their mates.

Bearing in mind that muslims in England represent almost the 5%, and they are minority, the timetable change recieved so many negative reviews. The secretary of the Muslim Council of Britan said that the decision “is fair and just, but this is no a privilefe and it is within the JCQ policy”. JCQ and Muslim groups met to discuss the calendar of the exams according to Ramadan.

There were also teachers who talked about going into exams without eating and drinking could affect their results. Mary Bousted, secretary of ATL, said that “as educators we want all children to be able to achieve their best in exams that are so crucial to their future”.

VOCABULARY:

JCQ: Joint Council for Qualifications is a council acting as a single voice for the six largest qualification providers in the UK.

Dusk: nightfall, vespre

PERSONAL OPINION:

From my point of view, this change timetable is extraordinary. That an european country changes the dates of examinations just because Ramadan will affect the capacity of relatively small amount of muslim students is something that I never would have thought.

This fact shows the attention that they pay in their students, no matter their religious. I agree with the fact of all the students going into their exams in the same conditions, it is logical. It has really surprised me, because as a muslim, I see myself preparing my PAU exams sleeping all day and studying all night. In my case, it affects me almost one week, (Ramadan starts 6th June and Selectivitat the 14th).

When I read this new, I thought if it could be possible in Spain. But after thinking about it, I realized that I can't compare and advanced country like England with the currently Spain. How will Spain change something related with religions if it can't even make up the needs of an important part of the country as Catalonia?

GENDER VIOLENCE AND EQUALITY

57 women were killed by their partners in 2015. Gender violence is still being one of the cause of women's death. What are we doing wrong to still have to bury persons just for the reason of being woman? Does equility really exists in our society?

First of all, I have to say that if a man salary is currently higher than the woman one, it will be difficult to avoid something like death. In 21st century, we still have inequality in some aspects: why in man's toilets there is not a platform for diapering babies? Why there aren't car parkings where there are a draw of a father with a baby carriage? Our mentality has not change yet, even if we say that we are progressing. We still associate engineerings with man and nurses with woman. Just changing these aspects that seem not significant, we'll probably advance and treat woman right, and with right I mean normal.

The second point to consider is what we can do to avoid tragedies of this kind. From my point of view, I think we may educate the importance of equility since the future men and women are children. Just in this way, they will treat each other normally and they will feel themselves what they are: humans, no one more or less than anyone. Although this seems to be perfect to work, it is important too how the parents of this kids act in their houses: this can be an influence, sometimes good and, unfortunetly, another times bad.

NIP TUCK DIALOGUE

Scenario: two best friends in a restaurant waiting for the food

Characters: two best friends

Sarah: Have you seen my legs…?

Lauren: Mmm, what’s wrong?

Sarah: They are so big and fat, and… have you seen my lips?

Lauren: I’ve never noticed them.

Sarah: Look at them! I’m going to the surgeon this Saturday. I’ll pump my lips like Angelina Jolie. And as for my legs, the best option is to do a lipo.

Lauren: What?? You’re kidding me? Are you serious? You don’t need to look like somebody else…

Sarah: Yes, but…

Lauren: Shut the f*** up! Your lips are yours. You are who you are. If there’s a reason why people love is because of your personality, not because of the size of your lips.

Sarah: But, what about my elephant legs? Shall I do the lipo?

Lauren: If you really feel bad with yourself we can go to the gym together.

Sarah: It takes a long time to get the perfect legs. And…

Lauren: Don’t be silly, it’s healthier doing sport than a surgery intervention.

Sarah: Yeah, maybe you are right…

Lauren: I’m always right, aren’t I?

Sarah: Don’t be snooty. Don’t worry, I’ll think about it…

MIREIA PÉREZ AND CHAKIRA FARISS

Self-Avaluation: Oral Presentation

After presenting my research project in English class I can finally say it: I HAVE DONE IT. Is so satisfying to know that after months preparing it, now I only have to wait for my mark. There is something that I would tell to every 1st batxillerat student: do it in summer!!!!! It was so stressing, but worth it.

Bearing in mind that our oral presentations had to take just 5 or 10 minutes, mine was a bit long in this. About the speaking, I need to speak louder and slowly, but about the pronuntiation I think I did it right. My eye contact and gestures were correct. Presenting something that only you know better than anyone else makes you feel confident, and this was what happened to me, zero nerves. My average rating that my classmates gave me is around the 9/9'5. So I'm happy for it! Most of them have enjoyed it and this satisfies me too.

I can not upload the video of my oral presentation, but here is the link of my Research Paper Prezi!

RESEARCH PAPER ABSTRACT

Key words: Montessori Method, child, pedagogy, education

Are we satisfied with our current educational system? Let’s take a look to another way of education, a philosophy of life: the Montessori method. This research paper has different objectives: look into what is the Montessori method (who had created it, what are the mains principles), observe WHAT is a class in a Montessori school, interview professionals of the topic, do 3 activities based in the method with a 2-year-old kid and recreate what is called “prepared environment” at home. Among other things, in my practical part I teached how to count to ten in spanish and english and the colours in english to a 2-year-old child through the Montessori method and the special material. The vast majority of the aims have been achieved.