Thursday 28 February 2013

Reading Week @ Pine Tree

This week at Pine Tree School is dedicated to reading, either it is in our mother tongue or in foreign languages. It is an incredible opportunity to get in touch with different authors, literature and creative approaches to the chosen topic - Sailing the Sea! One of the activities (you can check the whole programme in the previous link) students are enjoying most is poem-reading in the beginning of each language class - high time to train accent, pauses and attitude in front of the whole class. Here are two poems read by the 9th forms (Beyond the Sea) on Wednesday and by the 7th forms (The Little Island) on Tuesday... Why don't you exercise your reading skills, too?


image credits: Fossils Facts & Finds
       BEYOND THE SEA
Beyond the sea, beyond the sea,
My heart is gone, far, far from me;
And ever on its track will flee
My thoughts, my dreams, beyond the sea.

Beyond the sea, beyond the sea,
The swallow wanders fast and free:
Oh, happy bird! were I like thee,
I, too, would fly beyond the sea.

Beyond the sea, beyond the sea,
Are kindly hearts and social glee: 
But here for me they may not be;
My heart is gone beyond the sea.

                                                           Thomas Love Peacock (1785-1866)

THE LITTLE ISLAND 

image credits: Library Mom
The dark sky
hovered above
the island,
small and tiny.
Stars twinkled
and the moon smiled,
The water swayed
back and forth,
sending treasures
onto its shore,
shells, bottles, and little
things.
A wave crashed,
taking it all back.

Gretchen, 8th grade

Wednesday 27 February 2013

Thursday 21 February 2013

Global Citizenship in the Classroom



image credits: British Council
The education of learners to enable them to participate in a global context has brought new challenges for teachers who have to go beyond the traditional ‘tools of the trade’. This 54-page booklet comprises a collection of papers with contributions from leading researchers on global citizenship in language education.
The English language plays an important role in creating a global community and developing planetary citizenship. Consequently, the education of learners to enable them to participate in the global forum has brought new challenges for teachers who have to go beyond the traditional ‘tools of the trade’. There is a whole new world to be explored. In order to help teachers in this journey of exploration in 2005 the British Council organised a seminar entitled ‘Global citizenship and language learning: education in a multilingual world’, attended by teachers, lecturers, researchers and administrators from all continents, in both face-to-face and online modes of participation. It was the first event that provided ‘live’ coverage, enabling professionals to interact with the discussions via technology. For this reason it created a more global forum that brought together experiences and ideas from both the UK and the participants’ countries.


Wednesday 20 February 2013

Make your Facebook a safebook

Poster credits: FUZION MEDIA
Whether you are new to Facebook or a long time user, you must be diligent in protecting yourself, your family, and your friends.  Let's make your Facebook time a safe experience!

1. Do not place your personal information on your Facebook profile.  Items as residential address, phone number, date of birth will all become public information instantly.

2. Be careful when placing photographs on Facebook.  Please ensure that you have all your privacy settings set to maximum. 

3. Do not think that your Facebook page is private amongst only your friends and family.  

4. Do not accept all Friend Requests. 

5. Be sure to watch what you place on your Wall. 

6. Do not leave your computer on with your Facebook account open.  Be sure to sign out.

7. Spend time checking your spelling and grammar. You can mistakenly type a word that is offensive or leads to a direct contradiction in your intended message.

8. Be careful not to provide too much information. People do like details but only in an appropriate environment.


Tuesday 19 February 2013

Tips for building a community on Facebook



image credits: Business2Community


Here are some authentic and practical ideas that can assist you in using Facebook to engage your students.
Facebook is extremely popular and leads off the list of most used social networks. For teachers who are looking to add a social media aspect to their classroom or even a single lesson, Facebook is nowadays one of the top choices. Engaging your audience by offering them dynamic content can help you to create an engaged community both in and out of the classroom.

Be Short and Precise

When using social media, being precise brings success. Short messages tend to be more useful and will generate more response compared to the longer ones. This is because longer messages tend to lack focus and readers may not find them interesting. A concise message can grab your audience’s attention more easily.The quicker you are able to get your point across, the more likely it is that you will generate a useful reaction from your community.

Question, Question, Question

You can easily spark a discussion by asking your community about their opinions, experiences, and suggestions. You can ask about a particular assignment, suggestions for future work (ie, of the following three books, which would you like to work on next) if your curriculum allows that, or give some sort of incentive for interacting on your page.

Include Media

Whether a still image, video, or music, sharing multimedia content with your community via Facebook is a great way to encourage them to become more engaged. Whether you’re sharing a cool video news story about something cool happening in the math world or a popular foreign language song to your language students, showing your community that all the information they’re learning in school exists in the ‘real world’, too can be an interesting way to get them more interested.

Upload At Appropriate Times

Unless it is part of a class assignment, most teachers don’t want their students spending class time twiddling around on Facebook.  Scheduling or posting content during the ‘after school’ hours is a great way to ‘re-engage’ your community when they might not otherwise be.

By Haword Roze @ Edudemic (slightly abridged)

Monday 18 February 2013

Valentine's follow-up activity

What about exploring a fun infographic for Valentine’s Day from ESLlibrary.com. You can use it to explain a few “love idioms” to your students. Click here for a full-size PDF version of the graphic! Bear in mind that you can still visit our FB page (Saint Valentine's @ Pine Tree) if your aim is ELT/social networking in a realia context.
infographic credits: ESL library

Thursday 14 February 2013

Happy Valentine's Day!


Happy Valentine's Day, to all our Friends and Readers!
Don't forget to celebrate the day by visiting our Facebook page, and posting your message.
But most of all, and most importantly, have fun and enjoy this lovely season!
GR 330 editing powered by Photoscape

Wednesday 13 February 2013

Tuesday 12 February 2013

Brief History of Carnival


The word "Carnival" refers to the numerous festivities that occur in many Catholic cities every year prior to the Lenten season. These festivals often last several days or weeks and are widely popular celebrations of local history and culture. Residents and visitors prepare for Carnival festivities throughout the year. Revelers both young and old can enjoy numerous organized activities or party in the city streets with their families, friends, community members, and strangers.
Religious and Historical Significance of Carnival
Lent is the Catholic season that represents the forty days prior to Jesus' death on Good Friday and his resurrection on Easter Sunday. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which usually falls in February. On certain days of Lent, Catholics are supposed to abstain from eating meat as a physical and spiritual reminder of Jesus' sacrifices. The word "Carnival" likely originates from the Latin term "carne levare," or "to remove meat." On the day before Ash Wednesday (Mardi Gras or "Fat Tuesday,") many Catholics ate all of the meat and fat in their homes, and held large parties in the streets as one last celebration before the penitential Lenten season. It is a time when all social classes could disguise themselves, congregate, and forget their usual tribulations. Carnival originated in largely Catholic Southern Europe and spread to the Americas during the age of exploration and colonization.
Carnival Traditions, Similar and Distinctive
Carnival in Venice, Italy
Photo credits: flickr
All places that celebrate Carnival have generally the same activities, but each Carnival is infused with elements of local culture. During both and night, revelers in the streets listen to music and dance, eat, and drink. Many cities hold balls and masquerades. The main tradition of Carnival includes parades through the city streets. Many cities hold parades with floats, which are enormous, decorated vehicles that can carry dozens of riders, who often wear very elaborate, colorful costumes and masks. Parades usually have themes, which often parody current local political and social problems.

What follows are some of the world's most famous and popular Carnival celebrations.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
photo credits: myclipta
Rio de JaneiroBrazil is home to the world's most famous Carnival and what many people consider to be the world's biggest and best party. The basis of Rio's Carnival are the samba schools, which are social clubs named after the famous Brazilian samba dance. Samba schools are based in different neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro, and rivalry among them is fierce. Members work throughout the year to create the best themes, floats, costumes, and dance performances. Over the four day celebration, schools parade and compete against each other in the Sambadrome, a building that can hold 60,000 spectators. Millions of people also party throughout the city, even on Rio's famous beaches, Ipanema and Copacabana.
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana is home to Mardi Gras, the most popular Carnival in the United States. Dozens of social clubs, called "krewes," parade through the streets of New Orleans over a six week period. The people on the floats or on horseback throw small presents to the spectators, such as beads, plastic cups, and stuffed animals. Revelers party in the city's French Quarter. Mardi Gras still occurs annually, even after Hurricane Katrina impacted the city in 2005.
Trinidad and Tobago
The two small islands of Trinidad and Tobago are known for having the best Carnival in the Caribbean Sea. Trinidad's Carnival has been influenced by African cultures due to the slave trade hundreds of years ago. On the two days before Ash Wednesday, revelers dance in the streets to the sounds of calypso music and steelpan drums.
Venice, Italy
Since the 12th century, Venice's Carnival has been well known for intricately created masks and masquerade balls. Throughout history, Venice's Carnival was banned numerous times, but since 1979, the event has occurred annually. Many events occur in the city's famous canals.
Additional Carnivals in the US
Although New Orleans has the most visited Mardi Gras in the United States, some smaller celebrations include those in:
·       Mobile, Alabama
·       Biloxi, Mississippi
·       Pensacola, Florida
·       Galveston, Texas
·       Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Shreveport, Louisiana
Additional Carnivals in Latin America
Besides Rio de Janeiro and Trinidad, many more cities in largely Catholic Latin America celebrate Carnival. These include:
·       Salvador, Recife, and Olinda, Brazil
·       Oruro, Bolivia
·       Buenos Aires, Argentina
·       Mazatlan, Mexico
·       Some cities in Colombia, Uruguay, Panama, and the Dominican Republic
Additional Carnivals in Europe
Many more cities still celebrate Carnival on the continent where it originated. These include:
·       Torres Vedras, Portugal
·       Viareggio, Italy
·       Tenerife Island, part of Spain's Canary Islands
·       Cadiz, Spain
·       Binche, Belgium
·       Cologne, Germany
Carnival Entertainment and Imagination
The activities of the Carnival season, developed over centuries from religious and cultural rituals, have become enormously popular in several cities around the world. Large crowds congregate in the streets to enjoy the extravagant parades, rhythm of the music, and colorful costumes. It's an exciting, creative spectacle that no visitor will ever forget.

Carnival Resources

·       Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
·       Carnival in Rio

in About.com > Geography > Education (slightly adapted)