Education : Best of 2020 : Semester #2

 

Stay at home

free icons

via Flaticon

Looking back 2020 I've come up with a roundup of what's been the best posts of my blog The Digital Teacher G-Souto, semester #2. 

I'm respecting lockdown since December. Yes, like the most European countries and other countries around the world. Not easy to survive without seeing family and friends. And no culture at all. 

credits: Matthew Horwood/ Getty

via Guardian Education

Teachers continue in the frontlines of enabling the sudden shift to remote learning. Within a matter of months, educators have had to quickly adapt their engaging, aligned, in-person lessons into online learning for their students, during 2020 and now they continue in 2021.

"I believe all children should be able to attend school full-time, if at all possible, for many different reasons, such as social development, a safe place to be when parents are out working, and a range of cultural and sporting activities that would be difficult to do at home, as well as the importance of learning with skilled, trained teachers and other students."

Tony Bates

It's my conviction too. Children and teen are happier at school, learn better, develop social skills. They need to be among their school mates, learn in-person lessons, having their teachers near. I was hoping this time could be back soon. But it's not possible in the most world countries, Europe, North America, South America. Schools are closed. We don't know much about Asian schools.

via YS News

Interacting with teachers and classmates mostly through websites and online programs, distance learning provides an alternative to in-person classes. But that alternative will now remain the norm for students.

Parents said the ongoing school shutdown has been a challenge for family, but they’re making it work.

Below you’ll find the top posts of second semester 2020 containing different themes: education & IT, Covid-19 global education campaign, languages, art, science, music, resilient youth, environment & natural disasters, literature, children's books.

The selection is based on page views but also based on pedagogical relevance of the most-read posts.

I kept the order of the most viewed, and eliminated the posts that seemed less relevant. The main reason? Sometimes some posts acquire too much visibility, not for their value but for the keywords that the search engines "like" indexing.

My usual readers know I'm writing in English, French, and Portuguese.

Étudier à la maison

crédits: Agnès B

https://www.facebook.com/pg/agnesdruesneillustratrice/

Je suis ravie de partager avec vous le Top des billets les plus lus sur mon blog The Digital Teacher G-Souto, 2e semestre 2020. Vous continuez à me suivre quotidiennement. Je me rends compte que souvent des étudiants me visitent.

Je vous en remercie, chers enseignants, chers lecteurs, de votre intérêt et m’efforce d’être toujours au plus proche d'événements concernant des idées pédagogiques afin de vous présenter des ressources et outils pédagogiques, au numérique ou pas. 

Pas si souvent comme les années d'avant. Le confinement, les école à moitié fermées, nous laissent un peu sans la volonté nécessaire d'avancer

Les technologies ont donné à cette année de Covid-19 les outils nécessaires pour l'enseignement à distance. Mais dans quelques pays, les écoles ont été réouvertes. Comme chez nous jusq'au 20 janvier. Écoles fermées, les vacances Carnaval/ Pâques ont été avancées. Et l'enseignement à distance revient le 8 février prochain.

crédits: Cedric Bufkens/ SIPA

via Nouvel Obs éducation

En France, seuls 12 % des étudiants peuvent suivre leurs cours en présentiel. En Europe et un peu partout l'enseignement à distance.

Des grandes thématiques: éducation & IT, Covid-19, campagne globale éducation, langues, science, musique, jeunesse resilience, littérature, environnement, littérature jeunesse.

Des ressources pédagogiques en ligne, et des adaptations personnelles de façon à permettre à tous les élèves la réussite dans leur parcours scolaire. 

Mes lecteurs savent bien que j'écris en Anglais, Français et Portugais.

Here are the most popular posts 2e semester 2020:

Le Top des billets semestre 2, 2020:

Education : Global Campaign #SaveOurFuture in the Age of COVID-19

Science : Rosalind Franklin Centenary : Image Competition & Essay Competition

European Day of Languages : Celebrate at school or at home ! Resources & activities

Science & Education : The Great Conjunction Jupiter/Saturn

Schools : Literature : Joan Aiken, the writer of supernatural thrillers and charmingly quirky children’s novels.

World Teachers' Day : "Teachers : Leading in crisis, reimagining the future" : Resources & events

Apps in Education : Google Lens : the app to help students with math & science homework : Let's see !

Schools : Weather vs. Climate : What's the difference ? A new classroom resource by ESA

1st International Day of Epidemic Preparedness

Schools : Women in science : Nettie Stevens broke gender barriers ?

World Youth Skills Day : Skills for a Resilient Youth : resources

The Blue Moon Is Full on Halloween ? Wow ! It's magic !

Éducation & Arts : Nuit des Musées Chez Nous ! Plein de belles choses sur les réseaux sociaux !

 Women in science & Youth Skills Day ! Yes ! Day of Friendship !

Science : The Perseids meteor shower : Look up to the stars !

Schools : Intl Day for Disaster Reduction : Resources : game & app

Schools : Let's celebrate John Lennon ! Resources

La BD : Quino, le créateur de Mafalda : ressources & activités

Home for Christmas : A bit different. But love will be there ! Kids need the magic !

Intl Day of Persons with Disabilities

International Day of the Girl Child : My Voice, Our Equal Future !

Summer holidays, a week-end !

Happy and Healthy Year 2021 ! Hope, solidarity, serenity !

International Day of Friendship : Sharing the human spirit through friendship !

My special choice of the #2nd semester 2020? Education : Global Campaign #SaveOurFuture in the Age of COVID-19.

Why? Most governments around the world have temporarily closed educational institutions in an attempt to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

These nationwide closures are impacting hundreds of millions of students. Several other countries have implemented localized closures impacting millions of additional learners.

Of course Covid-19 marked 2020 all over the world. And continues in 2021. The UN Secretary-General said:

"All of us face a common threat – the coronavirus – COVID 19.

Today’s declaration of a pandemic is a call to action – for everyone, everywhere.

It’s also a call for responsibility and solidarity – as nations united and as people united.

As we fight the virus, we cannot let fear go viral.

Together, we can still change the course of this pandemic – but that means addressing inaction."

António Guterres, Secretary-General UN message

Unfortunately, the world united could not change the course of the terrible pandemic. The fight is unequal. And the number of victims is horrendus.

There's hope. A vaccine was developed and people have been vaccinated on most countries. Let's learn about vaccine progress from the OHS.

Please pay attention. Follow the OHS advices.

Hoping to have inspire you in your lessons all over the year.

May 2021 be a year of hope for all of us, now the vaccines arrived. Be brave, teachers and students. And don't forget to keep social distance, and use your masks.

Teachers who teach with passion in such difficult moments. Guiding our students the best you can to help them to be to the future should be a mission from the heart! Students feel disoriented, some are mental health troubles due the pandemic time. 

G-Souto

30.01.2021

Copyright © 2021G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

Education : Best of 2020 : Semester #2 by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Schools : Samuel Johnson, the pioneer lexicographer : Dictionary & apps

Samuel Johnson

credits: De Agostini Editorial

https://www.mirror.co.uk/tech/

Samuel Johnson, born on 18th September 1709 in Litchfield, Staffordshire. Often referred to as Dr. Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer.

His early years were difficult - his parents were beset by financial problems - but from the books in his father's shop he found comfort and instruction, preparing him for his role as the century's greatest man of letters.

The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography describes Johnson as "arguably the most distinguished man of letters in English history.

• Google Doodle:

Google Doodle Samuel Johnson's 308th birthday

https://www.google.com/doodles/

"If you wanted to know what the word 'lexicographer' means today, you might Google it. If you fancy a throwback however, you might grab a dictionary." 

Today’s Doodle celebrates the 308th birthday of British lexicographer Samuel Johnson. 

Lexicographer? A person who compiles dictionaries. An author or editor of a dictionary. You Google it? Exactly.

"in many ways Johnson's original book was a precursor to the search engine Google". No doubt. Our students think so.

So Google pays homage to this pioneer lexicographer who dedicated years to his craft.

• 1st Dictionary of English Lesson:

Dictionary of the English Language 

Vol. 1, 1755

https://en.wikipedia.org/

Samuel Johnson published "Johnson’s: A Dictionary of the English Language" in 1755 after 9 years of work. 

Johnson, born in 1709, spent nine years working on A Dictionary of the English Language, which was published in 1755. It remained the definitive English dictionary until the Oxford English Dictionary was completed in 1928.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary

1911, 1st edition

https://www.cloustonandhall.com.au/

It was described as "one of the greatest single achievements of scholarship", and had a far-reaching effect on modern English. It was colossal at nearly 18 inches tall! Johnson’s was the premier English dictionary until the publication of the Oxford English Dictionary 150 years later.

The dictionary was published on 15 April 1755. It was not the first such dictionary, but was certainly the most important at that time. 

Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language

A 19th-century edition of Dr Johnson's dictionary.

 credits photo: Flickr Creative Commons

Johnson, who grew up in Staffordshire, did not create the first English dictionary, but those that preceded his were poor comparisons, often stiff and dry. 

It was hardly comprehensive: the first edition contained just 42,773 entries, compared to more than 250,000 words in the English language.

In Johnson's lifetime five further editions were published, and a sixth came out when he died on December 13, 1784.

Plays of William Shakespeare (1773 expanded edition)

notes by Samuel Johnson

https://en.wikipedia.org/

Johnson was also a poet, essayist, critic, biographer and editor. He was a poet and spent years creating a collection of the works of Shakespeare.

Johnson’s dictionary was more than just a word list: his work provided a vast understanding of 18th century's language and culture. His lasting contributions guaranteed him a place in literary history.

Dr. Johnson reading ´The Vicar of Wakefield'

by Oliver Goldsmith

attributed to Edward Mathew

His efforts eventually earned him the Master of Arts degree from Oxford that he had pursued for many years, and the title page of the first edition acknowledged that fact (Lane 128-129).

• Some biographical notes:

Samuel Johnson 
by Evert A. Duycknick
via Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/

"Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance."

Samuel Johnson

Samuel Johnson (18 September 1709 O.S. 7 September – 13 December 1784), often referred to as Dr. Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. 

A literary party hosted by the painter Joshua Reynolds in 1781 and featuring many members of the Club.

From a painting by James William Edmund Doyle/ Getty Images 

Credit.

He is described by the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography as "arguably the most distinguished man of letters in English history". 

Poverty and illness followed Johnson for much of his life. He contracted scrofula (also known as the King’s Evil) as a baby, which resulted in poor hearing and eyesight and left him noticeably scarred. 

Johnson attended the local grammar school in Litchfield and went on to Pembroke College, Oxford. However, he was to leave after just 13 months as his parents could no longer afford the fees. In 1735, he married a widow, Elizabeth Porter, and set up a school at Edal; it failed within months.

The Life of Samuel Johnson 

James Boswell, 1791, 1st edition

https://www.tavbooks.com/

He is the subject of the most famous biography in English literature, namely The Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell.

He died on December 13, 1784, in his house in London, and he id buried in Westminster Abbey.

Cartoon: Dictionary

Education:

In our days if students want to know what the word 'lexicographer' means today, they Google it, right ?

But before the answer to any question was at their fingertips on the internet, they may have reached for a dictionary.

So today Google is the dictionary of our students. They don't appreciate to use the dictionary. But dictionaries are imperative resources to read and write, to learn and understand the English language, English literature, history, law,  science and many other subjects.

• Apps:

screenshot OED 2017 app
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/

The dictionary encourages knowledge, curiosity and vocabulary skills. And students have apps to access it on their mobile devices. The dictionary is in their pocket. No hard work to do.

screenshot OED 2017 app
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/

And for verbs? Yes, verbs! Students have some difficulties to learn the verbs. Why not an app to help them in the classroom? 

Regarded as one of the flagship products in Oxford University Press catalog of dictionaries, the app features advanced search and learning tools designed by a vastly experienced developer.

screenshot Collins English Dictionary & Verbs

https://itunes.apple.com/US/

This app is tailored to professionals, students, and academics, as well as anyone who needs a comprehensive and authoritative dictionary of current English at work or at home. 

Dictionary skills worksheets

Activities:

Teachers can place holder sheets practices to be used by younger students according to their learning level. Apps will perfectly suits their needs in the classroom. And some no internet connection required.

The focus on bringing the dictionary to life giving the students a sense of the context in which they read, talk, pronounce and write. They must improve those skills from a earlier age. 

Dr. Johnson's House

https://www.facebook.com/drjohnsonshouse/

Other resources:

If you teach in London you can visit the Dr. Johnson's House with your students. 

Dr Johnson's House with a 'Dictionary corner' runs a lively education programme that includes a range of free or low cost workshops for schools. 

If you wish to book a visit or have a query about Dr. Johnson's House education programme, contact the Curator on Education: Primary; Secondary; A-Level English; Adult Education & University.

Social media:

Follow Dr Johnson's House on Facebook and Twitter to know the events every day.

"Characters should never be given by an historian, unless he knew the people whom he describes, or copies from those who knew them."

Samuel Johnson

G-Souto

18.09.2017

Copyright © 2017G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

Schools : Samuel Johnson, the pioneer lexicographer : Dictionary & apps by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.