World Book & Copyright Day at school

Livraria Ler Devagar | Lisboa (Portugal)

http://www.lerdevagar.com/

23 April is a symbolic date for world literature for on this date in 1616, Cervantes, Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died. It is also the date of birth or death of other prominent authors such as Maurice Druon, Haldor K.Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and Manuel Mejía Vallejo.

UN

For this reason, UNESCO's General Conference (1995) chose this date to pay tribute to books, the authors who wrote them, and the copyright laws that protect them.

UNESCO is celebrating World Book and Copyright Day on 23 April for 17 years now. UNESCO Member States around the world celebrate the power of books to bring us together and transmit the culture of peoples and their dreams of a better future.

Birth of a Book from Glen Milner on Vimeo.

This day provides an opportunity to reflect together on ways to better disseminate the culture of the written word and to allow all individuals, men, women and children to access it, through literacy programmes and support for careers in publishing, book shops, libraries and schools. Books are our allies in spreading education, science, culture and information worldwide.

Dan Atkin Alarmy

www.theguardian.co.uk

This day also calls us to reflect on the changes in books over the long term and the intangible values that should guide us. 

http://images.bwbx.io/

Digital books offer new opportunities for access to knowledge, at reduced costs and over wide geographical areas. Traditional books are still powerful technology: failsafe, portable and standing the test of time. 

Image: UNESCO

http://wa2.www.unesco.org/

Education:

I write so many times on my blog about the importance of reading at school! If you are a regular reader, you know that!

The last time it was 2013 International Children's Books Day. But there is a special one (between others) The Love for Books.

As the idea for the celebration of "Book Day" is originated in Catalonia (Spain) where on 23 April, Saint George's Day, a rose is traditionally given as a gift for each book sold.

Activities:

• Make a similar activity at the school library. Give a little flower to every student who enter at the school library to get a book or e-book to read!

http://www.wired.com/

• Download Free UNESCO e-books published over 100 years ago on Kindle here;

• Ask students to share their passion for an author by offering his book to the school library or to a friend who can not buy a book;

• Take this opportunity to let your students discover something new from what they're used to read. Surprise them! ;

• Ask your students to leave a book on a park bench or a metro  or bus seat with a note saying “Happy Book and Copyright Day!”;

• Find out how to send students old books to schools and libraries in countries facing a post-disaster situation. They love this activity;

• Educate students on books pirating: respect for copyright encourages the dissemination of knowledge and rewards their creators and publishers;

• Educate them never throw away their books, getting them or the school involved in local community or online book swapping and donation campaigns and initiatives.

• Plan local reading events in schools and libraries and encourage famous guest read. Authors are welcome at school, always;

I do love to read! My students love to read! But, most of all, I really believe that reading at school is a value to students' life and studies.

http://www.goplaymagazine.com/

And finally, the city of Bangkok has been designated World Book Capital 2013 in recognition of its programme to promote reading among young people and underprivileged sections of the population.

The theme selected for the Bangkok World Book Capital City 2013 is "Bangkok, Read for Life".

"All forms of books make a valuable contribution to education and the dissemination of culture and information. The diversity of books and editorial content is a source of enrichment that we must support through appropriate public policies and protect from uniformity. "

Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director-General

G-Souto

23.04.2013
Copyright © 2013G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®


World Book & Copyright Day at school by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Let's talk about Earth Day 2013

http://www.earthday.org/

Big day approaches! April 22nd ! Earth Day 2013! After Earth Hour 2013, this is the most important day of the Planet!

And Earth Day is a special day for schools! All over the world, teachers and students work on fantastic projects to commit to actions that go beyond the planet. More than 100 million schoolchildren around the world will learn about the importance of clean air and water and about climate change;

Earth Day 2013 theme is "The Face of Climate Change" to highlight growing impact on individuals through interactive digital campaign.

“Many people think climate change is a remote problem, but the fact is that it’s already impacting real people, animals, and beloved places all over the world, and these Faces of Climate Change are multiplying every day,“ said Kathleen Rogers, president of Earth Day Network. “Fortunately, other Faces of Climate Change are also multiplying every day: those stepping up to do something about it. For Earth Day 2013, we’ll bring our generation’s biggest environmental challenge down to size – the size of an individual faced with the consequences.”

http://www.earthday.org/

Thousands of people but most of all schools around the globe are sharing their activities and stories - stories of the impact that climate change has had on their lives, and the extraordinary efforts that they are making to fight it. Each one represents a different Face of Climate Change.

Education:


After Earth Day 2011 and "A Story about the Forest" by the Canadian author Franke James, or Earth Day 2012 and Wall-E by Pixar, let's continue inspiring our students, this time for Earth Day 2013 by elevating the importance of environmental issues at school curricula. 

School time is a wonderful place to teach and share those values. 

"If you have any sense of wonder or faith in humanity, you would have to agree that Earth Day is an extraordinary event. It combines the functions of educator, movement builder and the largest public service project in the world. More than one billion people from almost every single country on earth will take an action in service to our planet."

One more thing! This year Universities Participate in Climate Changes Efforts. 

Campuses around the world have been stepping up to participate in The Face of Climate Change. 

Earth Day Network is receiving some great student #faceofclimate photos from places as far-flung as Taiwan, Iran, Costa Rica, and the USA. 

The Face of Climate Change Photo Mosaic is a fantastic wall with  people sharing their stories on the impact of climate change.

Check out these awesome photos, and send yours! Earth Day Network wants at least 200 campuses represented on The Face of Climate Change wall by Earth Day.

Let's continue inspiring our students, this time for Earth Day 2013 by elevating the importance of environmental issues around the world. 

School time is a wonderful place to teach and learn about and green values.

Well, this year I have a real story: The Team Aurora! A group of four young people was going to the North Pole to declare it protected on behalf of all life on Earth. 

They began their journey on April 5. Backed by millions they will plant a flag for the future on the seabed and call for a sanctuary in the uninhabited area around the pole. 

Team Aurora

http://www.greenpeace.org/

And they did it! On April 14 Ezra (USA, Renny (Seychelles), Josefina (Sweden) and Kiera-Dawn (Tso’Tine-Gwich’in youth from Denendeh in the Northwest Territories, Canada) have planted a flag. 

The flag is attached to a glass and titanium time capsule containing the names of 2.7 million people who joined the campaign to Save the Arcti. 

The four young ambassadors went to the Pole to say "this special area of the Arctic belongs to no person and no nation, that it is the common heritage of everyone on Earth."

Yes! It is indeed! The Arctic is a common heritage pf everyone on Earth.

http://www.greenpeace.org/

Before lowering the pod, the four ambassadors held a ceremony at the top of the world, offering their wishes for the future, their dreams for a different tomorrow.

• Share and discuss those dreams (image above) with your students;

• Ask them for their dreams about the planet Earth;

• Writing: news, storytelling, reports, poems, slogans;

• Green tweets at school's account: #EarthDay #FaceOfClimate

Ideas or some Activities for students? 

Ecological Footprint Quiz

http://www.earthday.org/footprint-calculator

Become a Climate Report

http://www.earthday.org/takeaction/index.html

North Pole Expedition (interactive)

http://www.intothearctic.gp/#/map

Green Blog ( my students)

http://aprendizagensnanet.blogspot.pt/#!/2012/04/telhados-verdes-dia-da-terra-2012.html

You may read (French language) my pedagogical experience in 2008 with students published on a French academic website for teachers :

Journée de la Terre

http://www.edufle.net/+Journee-de-la-Terre+.html

"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children."

Native American Proverb

G-Souto

19.04.2013

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

Let's talk about Earth Day 2013 by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

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Young Innovators Competition 2013

Young Innovators Competition 2013 looking forward to Your Ideas

The third edition of ITU annual Young Innovators’ Competition have been lauched.

It offers talented social technopreneurs the opportunity to present their ideas to industry leaders at ITU Telecom World 2013 in Bangkok November 19-22, as well as to win funding, mentorship and ongoing support.

http://world2013.itu.int/

ITU Young Innovators Competion wants innovative solutions which can really make an impact on the world and improve people’s lives by using connected technologies (ICTs) to address one of Six Grand Challenges:

• Improve employment opportunities for young people and migrant workers
   
• Reduce food and water wastage at individual and retail level
   
• Facilitate access to public services for the elderly
   
• Improve natural disaster prediction and response
   
• Improve road safety for both drivers and pedestrians
   
• Protect sensitive personal data and inspire the creation of local digital content.

Open to young people aged between 18-26 worldwide with an inspirational ICT-based solution to developmental challenges. 

Ten winning finalists will be selected:

• to attend ITU Telecom World 2013 in Bangkok, taking part in workshops, pitching sessions, mentoring and networking;

• plus receiving seed funding of up to USD 10,000 per project.

Deadline for applications: June 30th, 2013 at 24:00 GMT+2

The Young Innovators Competition could be an important opportunity to you! If you are a young woman don't miss it! 

This year the European Commission, the European Parliament and the ITU are joining forces to ensure the maximum visibility for advancing the cause of getting more women into technology!

It's your time!

G-Souto

17.04.2013
Copyright © 2013G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

Young Innovators Competition 2013 by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

March rundown of the most-read posts

http://files.myopera.com/

"And spring comes green again to trees and grasses
Where petals have been shed like tears
And lonely birds have sung their grief."

Tu Fu, A Spring view (extract)

Springtime! Well, a little chilly, but is Springtime! This rundown of the most-read posts of March is shorter because I have been out to Brussels on work. 

And March was Easter time too. So students and teachers were out from school.

On my blog I share some free pedagogical proposals and ideas for activities to include into school curriculum.

When I find something new and interesting,I love to transform these resources in pedagogical tools considering how they add to my thinking and practice.

The classroom must be an open space. Students must feel free to talk and learn about all the subjects they care about, or are curious, in and around every curriculum.

So, I really thank my usual readers - teachers no doubt! - who continue to follow my posts and reading the last ones. 

Here the five most-read posts of March:

World Poetry Day at school is the most read post of the last month. 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.

© Peter Reynolds drawing

http://2.bp.blogspot.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, Director-General of UNESCO

Message for the World Poetry Day

This year is meant 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.

Children's poetry | Primary Education

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/

I would like to celebrate on this day the Portuguese poetry for children and youth. So I suggest two books from the Portuguese poet Manuel António Pina, the Portuguese poet 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 writers. His books are translated in Spanish, Danish and Bulgarian.

Google doodle | Douglas Noel Adams

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

Science-fiction Literature and Google doodle. Google celebrated Douglas Noel Adams and his famous science-fiction series "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" with an amazing doodle. 

Douglas Noel Adams (11 March 1952 - 11 May 2001) was an English writer, humorist and dramatist. 

Education:

Love Google doodles! They could be introduced in any curriculum as I already wrote. And I write a lot of Google doodles. It combines creativity, digital culture and motivation to fantastic school lessons. You must think about it.

Here, a good motivation to one or two lessons about Science-Fiction in Literature. 

The day that Adams died (May 11, 2001) Oxford University professor and author Richard Dawkins wrote:

"Science has lost a friend, literature has lost a luminary, the mountain gorilla and the black rhino have lost a gallant defender (he once climbed Kilimanjaro in a rhino suit to raise money to fight the cretinous trade in rhino horn), Apple Computer has lost its most eloquent apologist."

http://www.ibby.org/

April 2 is always a very special day! International Children's Book Day! It is a wonderful day for teachers who love to read in the classroom and for students who love to share new books/e-books! 

I love books,  I love children books, I love reading, I love reading in my lessons.

The United States was the sponsor country 2013! The theme was "Bookjoy around the World", Ashley Bryan was the poster designer, Pat Mora  wrote the message that can be read here.

Oh! But April 2, 2013 haa another awesome event! Google celebrated the 366th brithday of Maria Sibylla Merian with a beautiful Doodle featuring various forms of small wildlife – butterflies, caterpillars, a lizard, and more.

Google doodle Maria Sibylla Merian's 366th Birthday

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

German-born Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717) was one of the greatest naturalist and scientific illustrator.

Education:

You know me!  I am a huge fan of reading at school. And I don't miss a good resource to introduce in every day lesson!

Today, we are very lucky! We have two fantastic activities to share with our students! 

We could enriched International Children's Book introducing Maria Sibylla Merian as a different kind of reading.... and discovering.

Earth Hour

http://earthhour.org/

Saturday 23 March was Earth Hour 2013! At 8:30 PM (local time), lights switched off around the globe for Earth Hour and people have committed to actions that gone beyond the hour.

http://www.earthhour.org/

In 2011 more than 5,200 cities and towns in 135 countries worldwide switched off their lights for Earth Hour 2011! 

In 2012, more than 7,000 cities and towns in 152 countries worldwide switched off their lights for Earth Hour, but Earh Hour 2013 was the largest climate campaign ever!

Education:

Students like to commit on environmental causes. A lot! They dare and they do! I wrote about Earth Hour 2011 and Talking about Earth Hour with students.

My ex-students prepared a post on their blog Hora do Planeta 2013. They are amazing! They continue their blog even they left school. They are now preparing to college. But they are enthousiastic environmentalists  and they committed to continue their green blog.

I am sure that you prepared your lessons carefully and your students were well motivated to dare to save the Planet, March 23 8:30-9:00PM (local time).

“International Year of Water Cooperation”

UN

World Water Day & Education & Education was observed on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

http://www.unwater.org/

Education:

As you see, educators must be prepared for all kinds of events to share and teach. March is an inspirational month! Perhaps it is about Spring?

We had World Poetry Day, Arbor Day and Forest International Day! Wow so much to talk about and inspire our students! 

The success of the "International Year of Water Cooperation" and the World Water Day depends on the involvement of everyone! We start this involvement at school, don't you agree? It is at school that future citizens of the world start.

We could start with this infographic where students could vizualize the importance of Freshwater. And we continue to different activities.

As regular readers know, I have been out in Brussels to participate at the European Forum Learning Futures and Innovaton. I had to prepare my presentation the last two weeks before. And I came home on 20 March.

So, it was a bit difficult to me to write three posts in three days in a row but... not impossible.

Regular readers know that blogging is a free contribution to inspire new teachers, when I have the time between work and scientific writing.

I really hope that you will enjoy every pedagogical proposal published in March and you will discover some new pedagogical ideas to introduce in 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.

“When one is building a ship, one does not begin with gathering timber and cutting planks, but rather by arousing in people the yearning for the great wide sea.”

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

G-Souto

09.04.2013

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

March rundown of the most-read posts by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.