So Much to Learn...So Little Time

links for 2009-05-28

• Mac mini A1283 Teardown
  We picked up the new Mac mini from our local Apple store and took it apart! Parts and free repair guides.
  (tags: macmini teardown)

links for 2009-05-27

• Free Teleprompter application
  Software teleprompter
  (tags: teleprompter software free download video tools)

links for 2009-05-24

• Common Core - Press Releases - New Liberal Arts Institue Established
  (tags: skills acfe academia learning)

links for 2009-05-23

• null
  My Review of SCIAF resource http://bit.ly/3XnC9G [from http://twitter.com/adamsutcliffe/statuses/1883951843]
  (tags: tweecious France England Scotland Englishlanguage Education Frenchlanguage Modernlanguage Secondaryschool)
• Code of Professionalism and Conduct
  RT @don_iain: @gtcs In line with COPAC, GTCS advises teachers to exercise caution when using social networking sites, http://bit.ly/copac [from http://twitter.com/adamsutcliffe/statuses/1882756430]
  (tags: tweecious Scotland Edinburgh ConductCodeofProfessionalism Continuingprofessionaldevelopment Education Freedomofinformationlegislation Kthrough12 Educators)
• null
  twittering teachers beware. http://bit.ly/tNwvX [from http://twitter.com/adamsutcliffe/statuses/1882741512]
  (tags: tweecious Twitter Facebook Digg StumbleUpon Socialnetworkservice ButeCouncil Socialnetwork web)
• Teachers banned from Twitter after 'principal constantly criticises students'
  @spanishsam I think maybe our colleague was a little too specific in what she said. http://bit.ly/oBK6C [from http://twitter.com/adamsutcliffe/statuses/1880242139]
  (tags: tweecious Digg YahooBuzz Yahoo Reddit StumbleUpon Twitter Google Mixx)
• null
  The Twitter Happiness score for adamsutcliffe is: 511. http://happytweets.com [from http://twitter.com/adamsutcliffe/statuses/1873372646]
  (tags: tweecious Twitter Google Applicationprogramminginterface OntheWeb OnlineCommunities SocialNetworking BizStone Websearchengine)

News from The DRC - by 2S

My S2 French class have been continuing with their study of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
This has been more an exercise in cultural awareness than in their language skills, but this falls within our remit under the new E's & O's in CfE...(too many acronyms).
As a homework piece I asked them to use Google News to search for an article about DRC which they found interesting. I asked them to print it off, and then to summarise it in their own words. In this way I could see both the original and their summary.
Unfortunately at this point I had rather a large conniption with the class as almost half hadn't been bothered to do their homework, so this lead to a lost lesson and I had to rearrange the groups from a previous activity.
Anyway I then set the groups the task of producing a Congo news show in a BBC World Service style. For which I played them an example off the BBC World Service website.

Dr. Congo News

DR Congo Today

DRC News

Dr Congo News

Today in Congo

Once they had scripted the show I sent each group off with a DoBe mp4 player to record it. (This was more difficult than I had anticipated...proof that not all teenagers are so-called Digital Natives).
Once they had all done that I set them a reflective task. I asked each group to come up with a list of the skills which they used in this whole task, starting from the research bit, and to think about how they use these skills in other classrooms and at home. The idea being to start them thinking about transferable skills.
I make no excuse for none of this being conducted in English. I wanted the kids to learn something about DRC in their own language and also to be able to put to use skills they use everyday without realising it, without having to worry about the language barrier.
The discussion at the end of today's lesson was great and could have gone on longer but I got the impression they were pleasantly surprised at how many different skills they had to use to carry out this task.
Once again "chapeau" to 2S.

If I'd have thought about it earlier I would have used bubbl.us to create the brainstorming we did on skills but didn't have time to get it set up before the lesson.

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links for 2009-05-19

• Under-fire Speaker addresses MPs
  Here's a man who has no idea about life outside the House of Commons. http://bit.ly/SMd4G . Speaker Martin [from http://twitter.com/adamsutcliffe/statuses/1836792114]
  (tags: tweecious EurovisionSongContest SpeakeroftheHouseofCommons BBC CSS HouseofCommonsoftheUnitedKingdom MichaelMartin CanadianHouseofCommons BBCWorldService)

links for 2009-05-18

• The Independent: free download album promotion
  cool free download courtesy of the Indy and Wychwood Fest, http://wychwoodfestival.com/independent/ [from http://twitter.com/adamsutcliffe/statuses/1824716104]
  (tags: tweecious Festival Musicfestival Music Wychwood ConcertsandEvents Arts WychwoodFestival ArtsandEntertainment)

links for 2009-05-16

• Nothing But Nets
  RT @mrpower: #fryretweet I had malaria but was able to get quick treatment, so this is a cause I support: http://nothingbutnets.net/ [from http://twitter.com/adamsutcliffe/statuses/1804124903]
  (tags: tweecious UnitedStates UnitedNations RickReilly TedTurner Africa UnitedMethodistChurch DavidsonCollege WorldMalariaDay)

links for 2009-05-14

• null
  RT @peterford: RT @theokk: Completely shortsighted Twitter!! this is not how you build communities http://is.gd/wPv #fixreplies #twitterfail [from http://twitter.com/adamsutcliffe/statuses/1782920893]
  (tags: tweecious Twitter Google Yahoo Netflix OAuth Shortmessageservice Mobilephone Softwaretesting)
• null
  RT Retweet this if you disagree with Twitter's decision to hide replies to ppl you don't follow #fixreplies #twitterfail http://bit.ly/Cnxbw [from http://twitter.com/adamsutcliffe/statuses/1782654781]
  (tags: tweecious Twitter Link OntheWeb OnlineCommunities SocialNetworking Termsofservice Feedback Nofollow)

links for 2009-05-12

• The full breakdown of expenses revelations
  RT @TheIndyNews: The full breakdown of expenses revelations http://tinyurl.com/qcoq44 The full grubby story of our mps. Disgraceful. [from http://twitter.com/adamsutcliffe/statuses/1761302295]
  (tags: tweecious DavidCameron Conservative MemberofParliament London DailyTelegraph Labour GeorgeOsborne OliverLetwin)
• null
  Link: Unruly pupils and rise in attacks drive Scottish teachers to despair - Times Online http://tumblr.com/x771r2v9a [from http://twitter.com/adamsutcliffe/statuses/1757137418]
  (tags: tweecious Tumblr RSS Twitter OntheWeb SyndicationandFeeds blogging Feedreader WWW)