Enjoy your Easter season!

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"Semana da Leitura" 2012

March 12 to March 16 was the Reading Week at Escola Básica e Secundária de Pinheiro! This year, under the motto "Cooperation and Solidarity", students prepared their favourite texts, songs and drama moments and presented them to the whole school community, in Portuguese, in English or in French.

To all the students who made it happen so well, my deepest thank you! I'm really proud of YOUR work!!!

Mad, Mad World

This theme is by far one of my favourites! Originally by Tears For Fears in 1982, it got many versions. This one is Adam Lambert's, the runner up of the 2009 edition of American Idol. Huge version, amazing voice... Hope you enjoy it, too!

"All around me are familiar faces

worn out places, worn out faces

Bright and early for the daily races

Going nowhere, going nowhere

Their tears are filling up their glasses

No expression, no expression

Hide my head I wanna drown my sorrow

No tomorrow, no tomorrow

And I find it kind of funny

I find it kind of sad

The dreams in which I'm dying 

Are the best I've ever had

I find it hard to tell you

I find it hard to take

When people run in circles

It's a very very, mad world, mad world (...)"

World Met Day - March 23

Each year, on March 23, the World Meteorological Organization, its 189 members and the worldwide meteorological community celebrate World Meteorological Day around a chosen theme. This day commemorates the entry into force, in 1950, of the WMO Convention creating the organization. Subsequently, in 1951, WMO was designated a specialized agency of the United Nations System.

This year, the theme is “Powering our future with weather, climate and water”. Click here to read the complete brochure.
As far as I am concerned, I'm still waiting for some rain to come... ;-)

Source: WMO

iPhoneography

When you think you have seen it all... ;-) I am already using "iPhoneography" for a while, but I didn't know the concept... So, here we go!

"iPhoneography is a powerful new artform for digital storytelling and creative expression. Learn how to use it to engage students, build community, and enhance teaching." There are several sites and blogs dedicated to it, the following is just an example: iPhoneography.com.

The use of multimedia tools reinforces students' skills, that is pretty consensual! If we can explore audio and visual channels, it would be a waste to be limited to just one of them.

Besides, most of our students are digital natives, which means they master some key skills to surf the Web and the Internet and to run some software. So, why not taking an advantage out of that?

However, if you're an educator be ready to face some problems, because students know it all about social networks, for example, but most of them ignore other tools - to enhance photo and video, to create and post on a wiki, etc.

This is how iPhones, and other smartphones too, of course, can play an important role!!! We can take high-quality photos or record videos anywhere, anytime and then use one among millions of apps to improve our work... It can work as a warm-up in class or as the class itself! And then you can challenge your students to do exactly the same and present it to their pairs!

World Poetry Day - March 21

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World Poetry Day was declared by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organisation) in 1999 and is celebrated today. The aim is to promote the reading, writing and teaching of poetry. According to UNESCO: "World Poetry Day is an invitation to reflect on the power of language and the full development of each person’s creative abilities."
If you are a teacher and want to encourage your students to read or write a poem, check The Guardian Teacher Network's suggestions and resources, follow this link:
The Guardian Teacher Network

Suggestions to celebrate St. Patrick's!

If you want to tell everybody about this Irish ancient celebration, you can work out a couple of shamrock badges, mini-bags or bookmarks:

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You can also write a limerick (a funny poem with five lines, which usually makes no sense). A limerick starts with, “There once was a …” or “There was a …”. The first two lines and the last one usually have 8 or 9 syllables. The fourth and fifth lines have 5 or 6. Here is an example:

There once was a teacher who was bad.

She made all her students very sad.

She was always mean.

She always wore green.

And she even gave tests to her dad.

You can also listen to some traditional Irish sounds:

If you are a food lover, don't forget that your meal won't be complete without corned beef and cabbage. The most important is that you build a meal with a "green" theme: spinach, asparagus, any leafy greens, potatoes or rice with parsley, and a minty green dessert:

To finish your day in style, don't forget the pleasure of a unique Irish Coffee...

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... and of course, your Saint Patrick's wishes:

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π Day 2012

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Pi, Greek letter (π), is the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi Day
is celebrated by math enthusiasts around the world on March 14th.

With the use of computers, Pi has been calculated to over 1 trillion digits past the decimal. Pi is an irrational and transcendental number meaning it will continue infinitely without repeating. The symbol for pi was first used in 1706 by William Jones, but was popular after it was adopted by the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler in 1737.
There are many ways of celebrating Pi Day. Some of them include eating pie and discussing the relevance of π.

And it's just a coincidence, but it is also Albert Einstein's birthday... So, one more reason to celebrate!
Source: http://www.piday.org/

Happy International Women's Day 2012

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