World Poetry Day in school ! Resources

© Peter Reynolds drawing

https://www.peterhreynolds.com/

"In celebrating World Poetry Day, UNESCO wishes also to promote the values that poetry conveys, for poetry is a journey – not in a dream world, but often close to individual emotions, aspirations and hopes. Poetry gives form to the dreams of peoples and expresses their spirituality in the strongest terms-- it emboldens all of us also to change the world."

Irina Bokova, Former Director-General of UNESCO

Message for the World Poetry Day

Every year on 21 March, UNESCO celebrates the World Poetry Day. A decision to proclaim 21 March as "World Poetry Day" was adopted during the UNESCO’s 30th session held in Paris in 1999.

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'.

So, Poetry Day means to support poetry, return to the oral tradition of poetry recitals, promote teaching poetry, restore a dialogue between poetry and the other arts such as theatre, dance, music, painting and so on, support small publishers and create an attractive image of poetry in the media so that the art of poetry will no longer be considered an outdated form of art but one.

credits: The Stick Guy

https://markewbie.weebly.com/

Education:


World Poetry Day is an opportunity for children to be introduced to poetry in at school (all levels). It is a time when classrooms are busy with lessons related to poetry, in which students examine poets and learn about different types of poetry. 

Students love poetry! 

I would like to celebrate on this day the Portuguese poetry for chidren and youth. So I suggest two books from the Portuguese poet Manuel António Pina who died last October, 2012.

Manuel António Pina, awarded with the famous Prémio Camões 2011. He didn't wrote only for youth. Manuel A. Pina is one of most important Portuguese poets. His books are translated in Spanish, Danish and Bulgarian.

O Pássaro da Cabeça& mais versos para crianças

Children's poetry | Primary Education

Manuel A. Pina

illustrations: Ilda David

credits: Assírio & Alvim

Todas as Palavras/ Poetry

Youth poetry | Secondary Education

Manuel A. Pina

illustrations: Ilda David

credits: Assírio & Alvim

If you are a teacher who teaches Portuguese language and literature in Portugal or foreign countries, you may like to promote Manuel António Pina poetry in your lessons in "World Poetry Day 2013".

There are other poets present on this blog: Fernando Pessoa at Google doodle celebrates Fernando Pessoa or Jorge Luis Borges at Google doodle celebrates Jorge Luis Borges.

credits: unknown

Some Activities:

• Encourage your students to read and write their own poetry in the classroom. For some ideas, please read my post: It's About Twiter and Poetry (World Poetry Day 2011);

• Award your students for best and creative poems! Students love 'awards'!

• Invite to learn from the proverbs of your country, and discover the poetic teachings of others;

• Read up about riddles, limericks and sonnets with students to liven up your school libraries;

• Promote a contest of poetry between different classes at you school or other schools;

• Share some little Portuguese poems written by my students here or here (the blog is for my students in Portuguese Language curriculum): students read some traditional Portuguese riddles as inspiration for their creative written;

• Invite a young poet to talk about his poetry with your students at school;

• Go on the city, at book stores, metro stations, gardens, and inspire your students to read some poetry. Remember Let's Play Music! (World Music Day 2012);

• Promote some exhibitions and poetry events in your school to be held to showcase the work of various 'young poets' (school  students) on or around March 21 to coincide more or less with "World Poetry Day";

• Support Poetry by inviting your students and their parents buying books of young poets (sometimes, parents ask teachers for some advices about books for their children);

• Support poetry on school radio, in school journals and display videos about poets! Bright Star by Jane Campion is a lovely film about poetry and John Keats' poetry;

• Finally, if you have decided to introduce the Portuguese poet Manuel António Pina, you can display in the classroom as a motivation the video tribute to the poet (Portuguese language as mother tongue or foreign language).

Documentário Manuel António Pina from Terra Líquida Filmes on Vimeo.

All the activities must be adapted to the levels you are teaching : Primary education to Secondary and Vocational Education.

"Poetry is one of the purest expressions of linguistic freedom. It is a component of the identity of peoples and it embodies the creative energy of culture, for it can be continuously renewed".

Irina Bokova, Former Director-General of UNESCO

G-Souto

21.03.2013

Copyright © 2013G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

World Poetry Day at school by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

February rundown of the most-read posts

Photo: Steven McCaig | Getty Images

https://www.theguardian.co.uk

"Once you believe something's real, you transfer everything that you feel onto it."

Robert Legato 

This rundown of the most-read posts of February is shorter because I have been very busy. Blogging is a pleasure not a work. So, first the work and then the pleasure.

So, I really thank my readers who continue to follow my posts and reading the last ones.

The readers, educators no doubt!, of my blog know that I love to share some pedagogical proposals as possible and activities to include into in their lessons.

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.

When I find some interesting ideas, I love to transform them in pedagogical resources considering how they add to my thinking and practice.

Paperman is the most read post of the last month. The innovative animated short Paperman (Disney) from first-time director John Kahrs is just stunning. 

Paperman 

|John Kahrs

https://www.disneyanimation.com/shorts/paperman/

https://www.disneyanimation.com/shorts/paperman/

My students love to have a different lesson on Valentine's Day, February 14th! So, I always prepare something new to my class on this day.

When I published it I wrote about Oscar nominees. Now, let's talk about Oscar winners! 

And Paperman is the winner of the 10 animated shorts being considered for an Oscar last February 24th at the Academy Awards. 

A little urban fairy tale. Charming! I love the touch of red in this otherwise gray world. Meg lipstick. Of course!

Paperman (short)

Disney

https://www.disneyanimation.com/shorts/paperman/

Is It Destiny? 

Paperman! is a captivating short animated film about destiny and the power of second chances. Do you believe in destiny? I do. Sometimes...

Education:

Passion is essential in school world. We must keep our students passionate in our lessons.

Everyday we must introduce something captivating in our lessons, even we are teaching important skills in serious curriculum. Passion is what will make our students enter in the classroom waiting for something special in the middle of a lesson everyday. 

They will really realize that teachers love what they do, that we think about them when we are preparing a lesson for the next day. 

Keep your students passionate in your lessons.

Activities:

Start the lesson asking them to use their smartphones and share Paperman's link. Each student will watch the entire six-and-a-half-minute video just for fun. 

Surprise is essential to keep students wired!

Keep an eye on their reactions, began a word wall. Word walls offer readily available support to readers and writers, and let you teach skills in a meaningful context. 

RoboPary 2013

https://www.roboparty.org/

Mais uma vez o mote está dado para atrair centenas de jovens das escolas portuguesas. 

A 7ª edição do RoboParty que vai decorrer de 14 a 16 Março 2013 já excedeu as expectiativas dos organizadores. Cem equipas inscritas e umas tantas em lista de espera, embora o prazo de inscrições já tenha encerrado.

Roboparty consiste num evento pedagógico que reúne equipas de 4 pessoas (três jovens e um adulto) durante 3 dias e duas noites. 

 

Ensina a construir robôs móveis autónomos, de uma forma simples, divertida e com acompanhamento por pessoas qualificadas.

RoboParty 2012

https://www.roboparty.org/

The RoboParty 2013 as RoboParty 2012 aims to immerse students from the 1st grade to college studies, as well among the general public in the exciting world of Science and Technology (Electronics, Robot Programming, and Mechanics).

Find out in 2 minutes what is RoboParty in this informative leaflet.

Education:

"Use the motivational effects of robotics to excite students about science and technology." 

Robotics has aroused great curiosity among young people. There are more groups and robotics clubs throughout Portugal concentrated in universities, secondary and vocational schools.

The result of events like this it is a fun, exciting and stimulating environment in which students discover the important connection between classroom lessons and real-world applications.

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

Another awesome interactive Google doodle that we can include into in our lessons! 

February 19th, Google interactive Doodle celebrated the 540th anniversary of Nicolaus Copernicus, mathematician and astronomer. Copernicus's work helped popularize the idea that Earth revolves around the Sun, instead of the other way round, as was commonly believed at the time.

Nicolas Copernicus

Credits: Wellcome Library, London 

https://wellcomecollection.org/ 

Education:

It is not the first time that I include Doodles of the day in school curricula. It's a wonderful motivation and it can surprise your students. 

Well, there are a lot of funny and engaging activities about Sciences and Humanities that we can create and share with our students, on informal learning or hybrid learning (online learning) and face-to-face teaching with BYOD (bring your own device). 

International Mother Language Day

https://www.un.org/

"In this age of new technologies, books remain precious instruments, easy to handle, sturdy and practical for sharing knowledge, mutual understanding and opening the world to all. Books are the pillars of knowledge societies and essential for promoting freedom of expression and education for all."

Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director General 

This year, the theme of the International Mother Language Day was and still is :

 "Books for Mother tongue education”.

IMLD 2013 aims to remind key stakeholders in Education that in order to support Mother language education, it is essential to support the production of books in local languages.

Mother language education in its broader sense refers to the use of mother tongues in the home environment and in schools.

©Google / ©UNESCO
Interactive Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger

"To preserve a language, people should nourish that language, use it and produce materials in that language in both soft and hard copies. 

Technology can’t be blamed because it’s a tool and that’s how people use it. Once we start using the language then it gets passed on to the next generation. 

So, I share with you something special: In Portugal, there is a national dialect -Mirandês - spoken by 15 000 people in a small area, in the northeastern of Portugal, along the frontier with Spain, covering the municipality of Miranda do Douro and a part of the municipality of Vimioso.  

L Princepico (mother language)

Antoine de St-Exupéry

http://www.leyaonline.com/

Le Petit Prince has an edition in Mirandês since April 2011. Its aim is to disseminate the Mirandese language lack written form. 

Mirandese language:

The Mirandese language is been used for years as a language passed on to the next generations by speakers only. Since 1986–87 it has been taught to students between the ages of 10 and 11, and so is recovering.

Believe me! You will have a motivated class that will learn literature or science. To us, "the attitude" of changing methods, and the creative mind to facilitate different learning activities at our young students!

Schools are very important environments of teaching and learning. They have an important role aiming to renew and reinvigorate global knowledge as they have the mission to educate children and adolescents as future citizens.

These resources are educational challenges to promote some good values in the new generations that will be vigilant and helping to find path towards precious solutions to society and planet. Humanities and Sciences are the basic curricula.

I really hope that you will enjoy every pedagogical proposal written in February and you will discover some new pedagogical ideas to include into your lessons.

I thank you very much to all the colleagues from around the world that kindly read my blog but are shy (?) to become followers.

Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.

Michael Jordan

G-Souto

04.03.2013

Copyright © 2013G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

February rundown of the most-read posts by by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

IMLD 2013 : books matter !

International Mother Language Day

http://www.un.org//

"In this age of new technologies, books remain precious instruments, easy to handle, sturdy and practical for sharing knowledge, mutual understanding and opening the world to all. Books are the pillars of knowledge societies and essential for promoting freedom of expression and education for all."

Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director General 

International Mother Language Day has been celebrated every year on February 21 since 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingual education, to highlight greater awareness of the importance of mother tongue education. 

"Linguistic and cultural diversity represent universal values that strengthen the unity and cohesion of societies. That is why UNESCO’s Director-General, in launching IMLD 2013, reinforces the importance of this core message and specifically highlight this year’s theme of access to books and digital media in local languages." 

International Mother Language Day

https://www.facebook.com/unesco/

This year, the theme of the International Mother Language Day is "Books for Mother tongue education”.

IMLD 2013 aims to remind key stakeholders in Education that in order to support mother tongue education, it is essential to support the production of books in local languages.

Mother tongue education in its broader sense refers to the use of mother tongues in the home environment and in schools.

Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage. All moves to promote the dissemination of mother tongues will serve not only to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue.

UNESCO

https://www.facebook.com/unesco/

Today, a great number of languages lack a written form, yet progress has been made in developing orthography. 

Local and international linguists, educationalists, teachers work together with for example Indigenous peoples in Latin America, or tribes in Asia to develop orthography. 

The use of computers to produce books and the relatively low cost of digital printing are promising ways to produce cheaper written materials to enable wider access

Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage. So, I think it always important to spread this message.

"If we look at the statical curve measuring amounst of diverse languages on one side and the number of internet users on the other, in see that in Europe for example we have low diversity but a hifg number of Internet users."

Daniel Prado, Unión Latina

©Google / ©UNESCO
Interactive Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger

http://wa1.www.unesco.org/

Linguistic diversity is our common heritage. It is fragile heritage. Nearly half of the more than 6,000 languages spoken in the world could die out by the end of the century. 

UNESCO’s Interactive Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger is the performance chart for this struggle. Language loss impoverishes humanity. It is a retreat in the defence of everyone’s rights to be heard, to learn and to communicate. Genuine dialogue implies respect for languages. 

Fernando Pessoa

credits: Julio Pomar

Education:

"Sê plural como o universo"

Fernando Pessoa, Portuguese writer (1988-1935)

"To preserve a language, people should nourish that language, use it and produce materials in that language in both soft and hard copies. 

Technology can’t be blamed because it’s a tool and that’s how people use it. Once we start using the language then it gets passed on to the next generation. 

It’s the generational usage and technology that can enhance and support this transition.”

Abdul Hakeem, Education Advisor and Coordinator

of the Asia Pacific Programme of Education for All at UNESCO Bangkok

So, I share with you something special: In Portugal, there is a national dialect - Mirandês - spoken by 15 000 people in a small area of my country, in the northeastern of Portugal, along the frontier with Spain, covering the municipality of Miranda do Douro and a part of the municipality of Vimioso.  

In the 19th century, the Portuguese ethnographer, José Leite de Vasconcelos described this national dialect as "the language of the farms, of work, home, and love between the Mirandese". 

Since 1986–87 it has been taught to students between the ages of 10 and 11, and so is recovering.

L Princepico, Mirandese national dialect
http://www.leyaonline.com/

Le Petit Prince has an edition in the national dialect Mirandês since April 2011. Its aim is to disseminate the Mirandese language lack written form. 

The Mirandese language is been used for years as a language passed on to the next generations by speakers only.

Do you want to read an excerpt of  L Princepico in Mirandês (Mirandese language?

·XVIII·

L princepico atrabessou l dezerto i só ancuntrou ua flor cun trés folhicas, ua florica ruinica...

- Dius mos dé nuonos dies, dixo l princepico.

"Buones dies mos dé Dius, dixo la flor.

- Adonde stan ls homes?" preguntou l princepico mi educado.

La flor biu, un die, ua recla de giente a passar:

- Ls homes? Hai-los, parece-me, seis ou siete. Abistei-los hai uns anhos, mas nun se sabe adonde stán. L aire lhieba-los dun lhado para outro. Nun ténen raízes i isso trai-le muitos porblemas.

- Adius, dixo l princepico.

- Adius, dixo la flor.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, L Princepico, Mirandese version

Some thoughts:

Language acquisition and mother tongue literacy should ideally be supported by written resources such as - but not limited to - books, primers and textbooks, to support oral activities. 

Written materials in mother tongues reinforce learners’ literacy acquisition and build strong foundations for learning.

"Multilingualism is a source of strength and opportunity for humanity. It embodies our cultural diversity and encourages the exchange of views, the renewal of ideas and the broadening of our capacity to imagine."  

Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director General 

G-Souto

21.02.2013

Copyright © 2013G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

IMLD 2013 : Books matter ! by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

References for teachers:

International Mother Language Day | UNESCO

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-and-celebrations/celebrations/international-days/international-mother-language-day/

International Mother Language Day |UN

http://www.un.org//en/events/motherlanguageday/

The Day of all languages: 21 February

http://www.unescobkk.org/news/article/the-day-for-all-languages-21-february/