Harry Potter is back ? Digital reading in the classroom

The Daily Prophet

J.K- Rowling

originally published on Pottermore

https://www.wizardingworld.com/

Ok ! It's Summer holiday for the most number of schools, I know ! Students are on holiday and teachers are finishing this school year and preparing the next school year.

For some days, in July and August, I will continue to share with educationalists resources, ideas or suggestions for the next school year.

Harry Potter saga

J.K. Rowling

credits: Bloomsbury

Today I will write about Harry Potter's new short story. Harry Porter saga has an important role in reading at school.

The seven-book Harry Potter saga which recounts the early life of a downtrodden boy who finds out he's a wizard, has sold more than 400 million.

via Google Images

Harry Potter is always important. Look what it happened when J.K. Rowling shared her latest Pottermore story exclusively on Pottermore last week. Potter fans were so excited that the site crashed for hours. 

Education:

The saga recreated youth literature. Students loved so much the novels in the 90's that teachers quickly understood that the best option was include Harry Potter books in school curriculum to motivate a new generation of young readers in Languages curriculum.

The last time I wrote about Harry Potter saga was in June 2011 Reading Harry Potter on web 2.0 and July 2011 Reading Harry Potter : what now? My usual readers remember it.

We all were convinced, after seven years that the story was finished. Suddenly, J.K. Rowling created Pottermore to keep the Pottermania alive. Time to time some news were published but nothing so important.

Fantastic Beasts and to find Them

J.K. Rowling

Hogwarts Library Books

Meanwhile Rowling announced she was writing the screenplays for a series of films based on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), her 2001 book set in the Harry Potter universe. 

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

J.K. Rowling

David Yates, 2016

https://www.imdb.com/

In March, we learned the series would be a trilogy - void of prequels or sequels - initially set in New York roughly seven decades before Harry Potter's saga starts.

Suddenly, last week, Rowling published a new short story with updates on the lives of the main characters of the past seven books on her fan site Pottermore.com. Harry Potter fans are so excited! What a pleasant surprise!

10 facts you should know before Brazil v Bulgaria 

#QuidditchWorldCup final

originally published on Pottermore

"Potter scribe J.K. Rowling made millions of wishes come true on Tuesday morning July 8 when she penned a new short Harry Potter tale and posted it on the Pottermore website. 

Pottermore notification

https://www.wizardingworld.com/

Written in the voice of the fictional Daily Prophet's gossip correspondent Rita Skeeter, this post centers around the reunion of Harry Potter and his friends at the Quidditch World Cup Finals. Yes, inspired on World Cup.

Inspired on World Cup, Skeeter, who is supposed to be reporting on the Quidditch finals, devotes her article to the arrival of Dumbledore's Army's original six members (along with countless other DA members) arriving at the tournament. Among them is a 34-year-old Harry Potter who has "a couple of threads of silver in the famous Auror's hair."

Harry Potter family

via YouTube

The 1,500-word tale is written in the style of a newspaper column. The article reports that Harry took his sons James and Albus to visit the world cup compound "where he introduced them to Bulgarian seeker Victor Krum" and their mother, Ginny who is reporting on the matches.

Quidditch is the fictional game played on broomsticks that features in Rowling's Harry Potter novels.

The Quidditch World Cup Final 

originally published on Pottermore

Dumbledore’s Army Reunites at Quidditch World Cup Final

By the Daily Prophet’s Gossip Correspondent, Rita Skeeter

"There are celebrities – and then there are celebrities. We’ve seen many a famous face from the wizarding world grace the stands here in the Patagonian Desert – Ministers and Presidents, Celestina Warbeck, controversial American wizarding band The Bent-Winged Snitches – all have caused flurries of excitement, with crowd members scrambling for autographs and even casting Bridging Charms to reach the VIP boxes over the heads of the crowd.

(...)

The Potter family and the rest of Dumbledore’s Army have been given accommodation in the VIP section of the campsite, which is protected by heavy charms and patrolled by Security Warlocks. Their presence has ensured large crowds along the cordoned area, all hoping for a glimpse of their heroes. At 3pm today they got their wish when, to the accompaniment of loud screams, Potter took his young sons James and Albus to visit the players’ compound, where he introduced them to Bulgarian Seeker Viktor Krum.

Read the short novel on Pottermore/ Wizarding Home

The fictional new story is set at the Quidditch World Cup, but more importantly, it hints at more Harry Potter stories (and scandals) to come.

https://www.wizardingworld.com/writing-by-jk-rowling/quidditch-world-cup-2014-daily-prophet-reports

Indeed ! More fresh news on Pottermore : Live match updates from Patagonia are on The Daily Prophet.

On Friday, July 11 the final of the 2014 Quidditch World Cup took place. 

Pottermore users had the opportunity to follow Ginny Potter and Rita Skeeter’s live updates from the Patagonian Desert, both here on the Insider and in the Daily Prophet offices on pottermore.com.

Quidditch World Cup

Brazil vs Bulgaria

https://www.wizardingworld.com/

"The stadium is full and the noise is deafening. We await the arrival of both team’s mascots, who will put on a pre-match show. The Bulgarians, of course, bring their celebrated dancing troupe of Veelas, which constitutes a major reason for the team’s popularity, at least with men. Brazil’s Curupiras have already caused a great deal of mischief so far this tournament but are similarly popular, mostly with children. Security wizards stand by all around the perimeter in case of trouble.

While we wait for the opening performance, let’s remind ourselves what these teams look like and compare some key statistics." (...)

Transcript of the Live Coverage from the Daily Prophet’s Quidditch,  Correspondent Ginny Potter and Gossip Correspondent Rita Skeeter. 

https://www.wizardingworld.com/

Education: Reading

Visiting pottermore.com we discover even more exciting pieces of exclusive writing from J.K. Rowling, We explore Harry Potter’s story online and begin a journey of our own – learning to brew the perfect potion, mastering the art of dueling and getting sorted into our Hogwarts house! 

Do you want better for the love of reading?


Digital reading:

Reading is one of most important skills that we have to teach and develop in School education, no matter the age of students or the level we teaching.

Students will return to school later this summer. They would like to discuss with you the new Harry Porter short novel with updates they read online on Pottermore.

Why not surprising them and have some reading activities on Quidditch World Cup ? Teachers will be glad to read the Quidditch World Cup in Languages lessons. And students will read online with a feeling of great pleasure. Just delighted.

Now you know why I am writing again about Harry Potter ! Aim ? Reading in school education ! No matter the resource - paper or digital reading - the approach - formal learning and informal learning - we will stimulate new readers, and captivate poor readers among our students.

They would to know Harry Potter about to turn 34, Hermione and Ron all together as good friends.

The Quidditch World Cup Final 

originally published on Pottermore

https://www.hp-lexicon.org/

In the 90's, Harry Potter was the first saga that contained a suitable number of pages and a good story to captivate young students really absorbed into a book.

Diversity in children and adolescents' books had long been a complex issue. Since there, despite good  efforts and some big strides forward in the years before, children's books remained disappointingly short of enough culturally diverse stories.

So this is about some very well-known books. It made a change to the sort of books educators normally read in the classroom.

Harry Potter books and now the Quidditch World Cup contain some gothic elements, such as an atmosphere of mystery and suspense, some inexplicable events, supernatural creatures and occurrences such as prophecies and visions. Teens love it! Three larger-than-life characters cannot have a place in a conventional realistic novel, but they have it.

And today, the touch screen generation continues to love Harry Potter novels no matter their age. Older and new generations are huge fans. 

And this refreshing new fictional novel with updates published on Pottermore will be the perfect digital reading for your students back to school next August/ September.

Schools have experienced a huge influx of digital learning tools in recent years.

Devices:

The students will be happy to practice digital reading in the classroom. They will be using their laptop, tablet, iPhone, or smartphone.

Languages curriculum: reading and writing

The students will study prose: literature ; journalism

• The narrative

• The chronicle

Pottermore account :

Students may need a free account to read the Daily Prophet articles. I'm sure that a great number already have it. 

If students are too young, sign in with a school account or teacher/class account.

Social networks:

The students can follow the last news and updates on:

• Instagram

• Facebook

• Twitter

The Quidditch World Cup Final

 originally published on Pottermore

https://www.hp-lexicon.org/

Some thoughts:

During 14 years, since the first Harry Potter book captured our imaginations - students imagination and mine - the classes have been involved in incredible projects and wonderful reading and creative writing activities.

There are merits of reading on a screen versus in print. Both are magnificent.

Of course comprehension may suffer when students read on the digital devices but teachers will be supportive preparing comprehension activities and will pay attention to be sure of the best digital reading.

Working with some students with learning disabilities, I have found that audio coupled with the text has been a vast improvement over just one or the other.

"We have to move into the 21st century, but we should do so with great care to build a 'bi-literate' brain that has the circuitry for 'deep reading' skills, and at the same time is adept with technology," 

Maryanne Wolf, director of the Center for Reading and Language Research at Tufts University in Medford, Mass

Digital technology has a pivotal place in how students study and socialize. Digital devices are a central part of school life now.

"Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light."


Harry Potter (quote)

G-Souto

14.07.2014

updated 06.06.2023

Copyright © 2014G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

Harry Potter is back ? Digital reading in the classroom by  GinaSouto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Science Education : Summer Supermoons 2014

Supermoon 

credits : NASA

http://www.televisioninternet.com/

"If you thought one supermoon was bright, how about three….? The full Moons of summer 2014—July 12th, August 10th, and Sept. 9th - will all be supermoons."

NASAScience

The moon will appear unusually large and bright this Saturday evening, in the first of three so-called ‘Supermoon’ events that will take place this summer.

The so-called "supermoon" occurs when the Moon reaches its closest point to Earth, known as a perigee full moon.

The summer of 2014 will be bathed in moonlight as three perigee "supermoons" occur in consecutive months: July, August, September. Oh, my ! So good for all of us ! And the students, of course.

The scientific term for the phenomenon is "perigee moon." Full Moons vary in size because of the oval shape of the Moon's orbit. The Moon follows an elliptical path around Earth with one side ("perigee") about 50,000 km closer than the other ("apogee").  Full Moons that occur on the perigee side of the Moon's orbit seem extra big and bright.

This coincidence happens three times in 2014.  On July 12th and Sept 9th the Moon becomes full on the same day as perigee.  On August 10th it becomes full during the same hour as perigee—arguably making it an extra-super Moon."

Stargazers will be able to catch the moon appearing to be strangely luminous at 11:25 (GMT) tonight, when it will be 222,611 miles away and in what is known as its perigee.

Tonight’s Supermoon full moon peak time is different than last year. LALATE has been covering the Supermoon since 2011. That year was the first time in which a “perigee full moon” occurrence got a new name as a “Supermoon”. The confusion stems from the name. We have always experienced on earth a “perigee full moon” roughly 13 months and 18 days. But only starting in 2011 did we start to give the evening a new name as a “Supermoon”. 

This year, because there are three Supermoons, NASA is reminding fans that we can now even use three different names:

• the Buck Moon Supermoon; 

• the Sturgeon Moon Supermoon; 

• the Corn Moon Supermoon.

For more information, visit NASA website here

Perigee diagram

credits: NASA

http://science.nasa.gov/

Full moons vary in size because of the oval shape of its orbit and its elliptical path around Earth.

When in perigee, the moon is around 50,000 km closer than when it is furthest away, or in apogee.

On 12 July and at 01:38 (GMT) on 9 September, it will become full on the same day it is in perigree, and appear in the sky as an enormous, glowing orb. 

Perigee diagram

credits: NASA

http://science.nasa.gov/

But true astronomical buffs are most excited by 10 August, when the moon will be 863 miles closer than on Saturday, and will become full on the same hour as perigree and will appear at its brightest in 2014.

Unlike solar eclipses and other celestial treats, supermoons occur every 13 months and 18 days, Geoff Chester of US Naval Observatory told NASA Science. However, these events are not always noticed, as they can be masked by clouds and poor weather.

In fact there are two further perigree moons on the astronomical calendar this year, but these are not visible from Earth.

Wat's up for August 2014

Credits : NASA

Go outside to see Venus and Jupiter at dawn, Saturn and Mars at dusk. No telescope required! Plus the annual Perseid meteor shower is in full swing now through the 17th. 

The shower peaks the night of August 12-13, but the bright moon that night will likely interfere with viewing some of the fainter meteors. The Perseid shower occurs each year when Earth travels through a trail of dusty particles left behind by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle.

NASA

Education :

Three Supermoon in a Row ! Wow !

The last time a supermoon made headlines was in June last year, when it appeared to be 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter. You can read my post Super moon in Science education

Schools are closed in the most part of the world. It's summer break for students and teachers.

However, teachers are in touch with students via Facebook or Twitter school email accounts, or even on blogs or educational websites (school or individual).

So they can invite th students to join some skywatchers at national observatories of Astronomy, or go out with family observing the supermoon of tonight and the next one on August 10th.

Ask students to make some shots or videos with their smartphones, tablets or

iphones to explore in Sciences curriculum after Summer holiday.

And of course, compare the supermoon on September, 9th 2014.

After the three supermoons 2014, teachers and students will exchange their experience and debate the interesting Science case.

In practice, it's not always easy to tell the difference between a supermoon and an ordinary full Moon. A 30% difference in brightness can easily be masked by clouds and haze.  Also, there are no rulers floating in the sky to measure lunar diameters. Hanging high overhead with no reference points to provide a sense of scale, one full Moon looks about the same size as any other.

 “The ‘Moon Illusion’  is probably what will make people remember this coming set of Full Moons, more than the actual view of the Moon itself,” 

"There's a part of me that wishes that this 'super-Moon' moniker would just dry up and blow away, like the 'Blood-Moon' that accompanied the most recent lunar eclipse, because it tends to promulgate a lot of mis-information," (...) "However, if it gets people out and looking at the night sky and maybe hooks them into astronomy, then it's a good thing."

Geoff Chester of the US Naval Observatory

Hope you will enjoy to be a skywatcher tonight, July 12th, August 12th and September 9th admiring the beauty of this awesome scientific event.

http://yoganonymous.com/

Spiritual side:

Oh ! By the way, are you ready to attract your heartfelt longings by doing a moon ritual focused on manifestation? 

The dark side of the moon, with its mysterious unseen forces, offers a nurturing environment where our intentions can establish roots before their miraculous manifestations begin to sprout and reach out to the stars.

For those who are lucky, stay 'Up all Night' to watch the Supermoon ! And for spiritual people, prepare yourself a sacred space where your will perform the ceremony when the new moon arrives. 

Namaste !

G-Souto

12.07.2014

Copyright © 2014G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

Science Education: Summer Supermoons 2014 by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

References : 

NASAScience | ScienceNews

* Note: Update on August 2, 2014 (NASA new videol)

Educational Apps : Math4you

Math4you , aplicação gratuita

https://lh6.ggpht.com/

Math4you é a a nova aplicação didáctica de jogos matemáticos, totalmente gratuita, proposta pela empresa portuguesa Science4you que trabalha em parceria com a Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa.

screenshot Math4you

https://play.google.com/store/apps/

Nivel ensino : Educação Primária

Especialmente focada para os alunos do ensino primário, a aplicação (app) Math4you conta com quatro jogos matemáticos diferentes, que permitem conhecer os números, fazer contas de somar e subtrair de uma forma fácil e divertida. 

Os jogos disponíveis na aplicação incluem três níveis de dificuldade e quatro opções de reposta, o que permite aos mais novos várias horas de aprendizagem e diversão. 

screenshot Math4you

https://lh4.ggpht.com/

A aplicação Math4you conta com 4 Jogos:

• Encontra o número!: Jogo de matemática que diverte e desperta a curiosidade dos mais novos. Os alunos têm de descobrir o número "escondido", que se torna visível ao deslocarem o dedo pelo ecrã.

screenshot Math4you

https://lh4.ggpht.com/

• Conta os animais!: Jogo educativo que permite aos alunos reconhecer imagens de vários animais selvagens e domésticos. No final, devem contar e indicar quantos animais aparecem.

• Soma e Subtrai!: De forma alegre, este jogo ensina e/ou reforça as capacidades matemáticas de soma e subtracção.

• Jogo dos Pares!: Com este jogo os alunos têm de descobrir o par de cada imagem. Um jogo de associação de imagens para que os mais novos disfrutem de diversão e entretenimento enquanto aprendem.

screenshot Math4you

https://lh4.ggpht.com/

• Objectivos pedagógicos:

Todos os jogos desta app educativa para crianças foram especialmente concebidos com o apoio de pais e professores para estimular e potenciar diversas capacidades cognitivas:

• Raciocínio lógico e matemático;

• Habilidade manual;

• Concentração e memória.

Disponível: iTunes ; Google Play ; Windows phone .

Aplicação,app : Gratuita

Línguas : Português : Inglês

Math4you is a new educational app of mathematical ames. This didactic math app developed by parents and education experts.

• Aims: 

While playing, kids/pupils are able to learn and have fun with MATH4YOU educational games app, at the same time as they play with numbers, do addition and subtraction calculations! 

All games of this educational and mathematical app, were especially designed to estimulate the development and reinforcement of kids’ multiple cognitive capabilities:

Logical reasoning and mathematical;
Manual skills ;
Concentration and memory.





screenshot Math4you
http://a5.mzstatic.com/

There are 4 Mathematical Games :

1st Game : Find your number !

It's a mathematical game that sharpens your kids' curiosity. In thiseducational game.


Children/pupils are challenged to find the “hidden” number, which makes itself visible by slidding their finger through the screen.

2nd Gme : Count the animals !

An educational math game where kids/pupils are able to recognize different domestic and wild animals' images

At the end, they have to count them and select how many animals appear in the image. It’s easy as 1,2,3!

screenshot Math4you

http://a4.mzstatic.com/

3th Game : Add and Subract 

In a happy and cheerful way, this educational math game helps to teach, or even reinforce the children's mathematic abilities to add and subtract numbers! With this educactional math game, adding and subracting will mean hours of fun!

4th Game : Matching Pairs 

Challenge your kids/pupils with this didatic game to discover the matching pair of each image. It’s an images association math game for children, designed to provide entertainment and fun! 

Math4you, free app

Windowsphone

Level : Primary School education

Where : iTunes ; Google Play ; Windows phone .

Devices: iPad ; iPhone ; Android ; Windows phone.

Languages : Portuguese ; English

App : Free 

No need to write about the importance of games and educational apps in School education. Games and apps are strong and captivating resources to include in your lessons. You will be happy with the students results.

G-Souto

07.07.2014

Copyright © 2014G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

Note:  The educational digital resources and tools published on this blog are my own choices. I don't do advertising.

Educational Apps : Math4you by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

June rundown of the most read posts

Google doodle France vs Germany

www.google.fr

Hello again.  World Cup 2014 goes on today. And Google has released a new doodle. Germany vs France doodle animated Friday for the much anticipated match this afternoon.

You remember that writing World Cup in School : Resources & ideas. Of course you do ! It's the most-read post of June.

Well, Friday's Germany vs France doodle depicts two beach houses with their owners - one wearing a French béret and the other a hard hat. They both are paintig their houses respectively in the colours of the French and German national flags. At this point, the two call out to their dogs who come running with green and canary yellow footballs. The two go into their houses, and thereafter an antenna receivers prop up from the roof, indicating the duo are watching the match. The two houses form the two 'O's' while the remaining four letters are written alongside in the sky. That's cool ! 

The blue sky reminds us Summer time. I hope that now that school year is over for the most part of you, you're doing some fun things.

I am looking forward to enjoy some summer activities too. Going to the beach, riding my bike, good reading, interesting concerts with family and friends.

Here are the most popular posts of the last month:

World Cup in School : Resources & Ideas

D-Day 70 in School : Resources

Exploring Animated Movies in Education

World Environment Day 2014 : Schools

Education : On parle films d'animation en français ? 

Concours d'essais étudiants européens : Guerre 14-18 

Hope you could catch some interesting ideas to your own lessons. My usual readers know I write in English, French, and Portuguese. On June I wrote in English and French.

Wherever you are this weekend, I hope that you are enjoying your summer holidays !

"Learning is experience. Everything else is just information."

Albert Einstein

G-Souto

04.07.2014

Copyright © 2014G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

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