September in Review : Autumn time !

Study of a Figure Outdoors: Woman with a Parasol, facing left, 1886

Claude Monet/ Musée d'Orsay

https://en.wikipedia.org/

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, 

   Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun; 

Conspiring with him how to load and bless 

   With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run; 

To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees, 

   And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core; 

      To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells 

   With a sweet kernel; to set budding more, 

And still more, later flowers for the bees, 

Until they think warm days will never cease, 

      For summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells. (...)

John Keats, To Autumn

Yes! September is a lovely month! Autumn is here. I love Autumn. It’s so beautiful when the when leaves change colour and fall from the trees. 

As you know, I took a break first days in Autumn. Wonderful time!

Now the grapes in the vines are tasty, the apples are ready to do Apple pies, and the pumpkins are growing. 

The weather is now beautiful, after Leslie hurricane, last Saturday. Students already settled into the new school year. I hope that this first month of school is going well for you and your students.

As well, at the end of every month I put together a list of the most popular posts. You will find posts written in English, French and Portuguese. My usual readers know me.

And now, it's time to the review of the most popular posts of September.

Here are the most popular posts of the last month:

International Literacy Day : Literacy & Skills Development 

Culture, Science and Children's literature 

Irmãs Brontë 200 anos : visitas de estudo & recursos

Oh! La, La rentrée scolaire 2018-2019 . quelques lignes 

Let's talk about Arts : Oskar Schlemmer 

Autumn Break... en images 

Wherever you are, I hope you are happy teaching in your country.  Autumn is a calm season! 

Thanks all the educators from around the world who kindly continue to read my blog every day. 

The classroom must be an open window to the world. Students must feel free to talk and share ideas about all the subjects they care about, in and around every curriculum.

Have a nice time wherever you are! Here, Autumn is back after Leslie hurricane last Saturday.

G-Souto

15.10.2018

Copyright © 2018G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

September in review : Autumn time ! by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Schools : Intl Day for Disaster Reduction & Leslie Hurricane in Portugal

http://www.un.org/

Today, 13 October, we are celebrating the International Day for Disaster Reduction.

The International Day for Disaster Reduction was started in 1989, after a call by the United Nations General Assembly for a day to promote a global culture of risk-awareness and disaster reduction. 

Disasters induced by natural and technological hazards affect millions of people every year worldwide, but much of their impact can be reduced through pro-active measures and planning. 

The International Day for Disaster Reduction, held each year on 13 October,  celebrates how people and communities around the world are reducing their exposure to disasters and raising awareness about the importance of reining in the risks that they face.

Theme 2018: "Reducing Disaster Economic Losses."

credits: UNESCO

https://en.unesco.org/

The 2018 theme continues as part of the "Sendai Seven" campaign, centred on the seven targets of the Sendai Framework. This year focuses on Target C of the Sendai Framework, reducing disaster economic losses in relation to global GDP by 2030.

In 2017 alone, 9,000 lives were lost and 96 million people were affected by disasters due to floods, wildfires and earthquakes, causing €270 billion in combined losses - it was the second costliest year on record in terms of damages caused by natural hazards. 

http://www.design4disaster.org/

The 2018 International Day for Disaster Reduction focuses on diminishing the economic impact of disasters worldwide. The commemoration will provide an advocacy platform to highlight the economic consequences of failure to manage disaster risk, particularly for vulnerable groups in low and middle-income countries. 

Education:

We cannot afford to ignore the knowledge available to us; instead, we must expand on and integrate knowledge and expertise wherever they may be found.

With the climate change intensifying, schools must consider to include into school curriculum natural disasters and its consequences.

Today in Portugal Leslie Hurricane is coming, after by passing Madeira island. The storm passed to the north of Madeira, and now strikes Portugal as a likely post-tropical cyclone on this Saturday evening until Sunday morning.

In Portugal, Leslie Hurricane is the worst natural disaster we had until now. Dangerous, extremely severe wind gusts at landfall – even in excess of 200 km/h! This undoubtedly means devastating winds for parts of southern and north of Portugal with gusts of 150 Km/h and waves of 10 meters high.

credits: Antonio Cotrim/LUSA

https://observador.pt/

The schools are closed by the weekend, but next Monday, students will talk about Leslie Hurricane, the worst in the last 176 years.

It is impossible not to talk about such tragic events in school curriculum. Students will be frightened or curious next Monday.

I know, it's a delicate subject, students must not panic, but it's important to prepare children and young people to natural disasters that are happening more often and help them to be prepared to reduce the consequences and be resilient.

There are always shocking images on television, social media, videos and photos running on the internet and television. Some of them will take some shots or make little videos with their smartphones.

credits: NOOA

http://www.dnoticias.pt/

To us Portuguese people it's the first time we feel a hurricane. Until now, we watched these events as a distant problem. Not anymore. 

Climate change is everywhere. Students must be informed to prevent worst consequences during natural disasters. They will make questions. And teachers will be prepared to answer, and explain. Don't forget to have some good digital resources.

Teachers will discuss in the classroom what happened and how it happened in Portugal. But it happened in Indonesia, Florida, US, Philippines, and other around the world 

Students must have a conscious idea about natural disasters. Join the conversation with the hashtags #IDDR2018 #ResilienceForAll.

Leslie Hurricane in Madeira Island PT

https://madeiraislanddirect.com/blog/

Curricula: Geography; Sciences; Civics; History; Languages.

Target : all levels from kindergarten to high schools.

screenshot I-React/ app

Google Play

https://play.google.com/

Resources: Apps

I-React an app to help to be prepared and to have all the tools we need to fight against disasters. The app also includes a set of tips & quizzes on what to do before, during and after a weather-related emergency. All of this in your pocket!

I-REACT is an innovation project funded by the European Commission to aim to use social media, smartphones and wearables to improve natural disaster management.

Updated 12 October 2018. Watch the video and details here.

Some thoughts:

Education for Disaster Reduction (DRR) takes into account the relationships between society, environment, economy, and culture and their impacts. 

It also promotes critical thinking and problem-solving as well as social and emotional life skills that are essential to the empowerment of groups threatened or affected by disasters.

As educators, we need to give children and young adults the skills to keep themselves safe. Knowing how to sniff out trouble, knowing how to avoid it or minimize, and knowing how to handle it when it comes knocking are key essential life skills.

G-Souto

13.10.2018

Copyright © 2018G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com® 

Schools : Intl Day for Disaster Reduction : Leslie Hurricane in Portugal by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License

Schools : World & EU Day Against Death Penalty : resources

World Day Against Death Penalty

https://deathpenalty.org/

On 10 October 2018, the 16th World Day Against the Death Penalty aims at  raising awareness on the inhumane living conditions of people sentenced to death.

UN

Every 10 October since 2003 the United Nations celebrates the World Day Against Death Penalty. The aim is to strengthen the international dimension of the fight against the death penalty. 

Its ultimate objective is to obtain the universal abolition of the death penalty. To achieve its goal, the World Coalition advocates for a definitive end to death sentences and executions in those countries where the death penalty is in force. In some countries, it is seeking to obtain a reduction in the use of capital punishment as a first step towards abolition.

Theme 2018:

"Overcoming the isolation of the people sentenced to death and their relatives."

One of the observations made by the World Coalition while doing the preliminary work for this year’s World Day, is the isolation in which the people sentenced to death might live.

European Day Against Death Penalty

https://www.coe.int/

The 47-nation Council of Europe and the 28-member European Union have published a joint statement to mark the European and World Day against the Death Penalty on 10 October.

The statement underlines the two organisations’ firm opposition to capital punishment in any circumstances.

It also calls on countries still using the death penalty to commute any existing sentences and to introduce a moratorium on capital punishment as a first step towards abolition.

Europe against the Death Penalty from Council of Europe on Vimeo.

Through the European Convention on Human Rights, the Council of Europe has created a death penalty-free zone covering 47 countries and over 820 million people.

No executions have taken place in any Council of Europe member state for over 20 years.

Dignity For All

http://www.worldcoalition.org/

Education:

Of course, schools, teachers and students will take part at the World Day Against Penalty talking, discussing and participate in different activities into school curriculum.

Citizenship curriculum is about Human Rights and their values. But Human Rights and values are a cross-curricular theme. So every teacher can include it into the curriculum they are teaching, no matter the grade.

To know more about the death penalty...

... all over the world: read the facts & figures

... and living conditions on death row: read the leaflet, the detailed factsheet

Students:

Things students can do to help to end the death penalty

1.  Write to a prisoner on death row.

2.  Send support messages to their relatives.

3.  Organize a visit to prison following the World Coalition's guidelines.

4. Organize a school debate and a movie screening death penalty, or with families of people sentenced to death, exoneres, lawyers and experts. See mobilisation kit for useful tips!

5. Organize an art exhibition (of art work made by the people sentenced to death, of photographs of death row, of drawings or posters) or go to a theatre performance (movie or drama)

6.  Join the events prepared for the abolition of the death penalty worldwide.

7. Follow the social media campaign on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter: #nodeathpenalty

Schools:

Mobilize the media to raise awareness on the issue of the death penalty.

Participate in “Cities Against the Death Penalty/Cities for Life” on 30 November 2018.

This year, for the world day Cities for Life on 30 November, more than 1.850 cities around the world will light up to say "No To The Death Penalty". Has the impossible become possible?

Cities For Life
http://www.worldcoalition.org/cities

About 80 cities participated in the first edition in 2002. More than 2,000 cities were listed to participate in 2015 in more than 90 countries on the five continents, including in countries that retain the death penalty.

The aim is to made use of symbolic monuments and squares to hold educational and artistic events aimed at raising public awareness. All cities taking part in the initiative make their major monuments available as “living logos”, which “speak” with the help of special illuminations, thus becoming symbols of a commitment to hold a dialogue with the population aimed at achieving a world without the death penalty.

~

Students against death penalty

https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/death-penalty/

Resources:

True Crime 

Andrew Klavan, 1995

https://www.amazon.com/

Livres

True Crime, Andrew Klavan, 1995

Le Dernier Jour d'un Condammé
Victor Hugo, 1826
Lire en ligne sur Gallica BnF
https://gallica.bnf.fr/essentiels/hugo/dernier-jour-condamne

Death Man Walking

Tim Robbins, 1995

https://www.imdb.com/title/

Films:

Dead Man Walking/ Tim Robbins,1995 (up-16 year-old)

Based a true story: A nun, while comforting a convicted killer on death row, empathizes with both the killer and his victim's families.

The Life of David Gale/ Alan Parker, 2003 (up-14 years-old)

A man against capital punishment is accused of murdering a fellow activist and is sent to death row.

True Crime/ Clint Eastwood, 1999 (up-14-year-old)

Can an over-the-hill journalist uncover the evidence that can prove a death row inmate's innocence just hours before his execution? Based on the novel True Crime by Andrew Klavan, 1995

Links:

European Day Against Death Penalty
https://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/10-october-against-death-penalty

Amnesty International/ Death Penalty
https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/death-penalty/

5 Myths About the Death Penalty
https://deathpenalty.org/facts/5-myths-death-penalty/

Cities Against Death Penalty/ Leaflet Cities Against Death Penalty
http://www.worldcoalition.org/cities

"It is not 'progressive' to try to resolve problems by eliminating a human life."

Pope Francis 

G-Souto

10.10.2018


Schools : World & European Day Against Death Penalty : resources by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.