Hello, this is a bit of a novelty, the newsletter going out on a Friday morning just as advertised, maybe I shouldn’t speak too soon.
It has been a recovery week, I’m providing plenty of last minute feedback for students, asking them to add or adapt as needed. We’re getting there, marks need to be in by Tuesday, I’m hoping stragglers will catch up over the weekend…
It’s nice to have a little bit of light coming in as I write this morning, it has been a cold and rainy few days so we love to see the sun again. It’s soothing to write with sunshine coming into the room.
I usually sit down twice, the first time to start work and then the second time after I’ve just got up to find my glasses. I’ve been wearing them for about two years now, but in the past year I’ve found that I can’t read much without them and rather than squint and try somehow to get through, the discomfort really is too much to bare. I’ve discovered also that the best way to clean glasses is to add a dab of washing up liquid to the lens, give them a rub with your fingers and rinse them under a warm tap, then avoid using the kitchen cloth to dry them, instead take them back to your desk and use the cloth that’s in the glasses case.
Let’s go.
Stephan
Teaching & Learning
I thoroughly enjoyed an evening playing games conceived and created in french for one of my colleague’s courses. He’s great at giving opportunities for students to show what they can do. I played a couple of games and lurked for others, there were a couple of escape room set ups too and a couple created in collaboration with another french class.
In fact, the games I enjoyed were ones where the rules were quite loose, facilitating creative play, using word association, story construction, as an opportunity to employ french words and phrases. The more open they were, the more successful, although I know that true gamers don’t mind a complicated set of rules if it then leads to a more complex and richer game experience. It’s true from my experiences at The Playful Learning Conference that I love games, I just don’t usually enjoy playing them, or maybe just certain ones. I don’t know, I quite enjoy being a spectator.
Anyway, I don’t wish to put a dampener on what was a brilliant evening, I’m just in awe of what the students created, the time and energy and so much learning on display, what an amazing course and looking forward to more. That’s the second week in a row where I’ve seen student outcomes as games, it really is great to see these methods used in assessment.
Life Lessons
I have a t-shirt that reads “Support your local library”, and I finally took the hint myself and popped by after months of neglecting the place. My youngest wanted to find a quiet space to complete his homework, so we spent a couple of hours their last night, he studiously working away while I perused the shelves, moving between comfy seats and sofas reading cover blurb and excerpts here and there. This is the pile I ended up with.
I’m excited to say that I have tickets to see Colson Whitehead, talk here in Mt. Lebanon next April. I have read The Underground Railroad, which was frighteningly brilliant, and I’m already enjoying The Nickel Boys, (affliliate link) which reads so well, he really is a dynamic writer, these are ripping books. He’s actually going to be here talking about his latest book Harlem Shuffle, so that will probably be the next one on the list.
I never know whether to feel sorry for Tracy Flick or not, probably not…and that’s the point. Election is one of my favorite movies, impeccable performances from Matthew Broderick and the brilliant Reece Witherspoon. I couldn’t resist reading the follow up “Tracy Flick can’t win” by Tom Perrotta (affiliate link), before the movie comes out next year. Go on, treat yourself, it’s worth a re-watch.
I also borrowed a few other titles, a printmaking volume, a little book about making films on your phone (I’m always interested if there’s something new), and I renewed The Storytelling Animal (affiliate link) because I’ve almost finished it, I’ve just been distracted by other reading in the meantime.
oh, just because you see affiliate link next to those books is because I would rather send you to the BookShop than some of the other big places, and it connects to local book stores, so you’re buying from them, it feels a bit more ethical and friendly. I don’t make any money from people buying using the links, but I feel obliged to tell you that I might make 0.002 cents if you did get a copy through my link.
Lost and Found
A total nightmare, YouTube has removed the google cardboard icon from the latest version of the iOS app, it looks like you can only see the split screen view on android. (in fact I can’t even find an announcement to link to). We have a couple of boxes of google cardboard headsets that we give out to people at workshops or when they come and visit our room. Students make 360˚ videos, and now it seems the only way to access them will be using an Android device or expensive headset like the Quest or Vive. It is really disappointing and I’ve posted and emailed Google to ask for some clemency here, especially given the huge number of people in education who use Google Cardboard. I’ll keep you posted.
I knew that it was a matter of time, I’m only slightly envious that someone got there first, still it is a great article and I think really positive example of integrating technologies so that you can better understand them. Here’s Creating Language Resources using Chat GPT via FLTmag. I’m definitely exploring ways that teachers can use chat GPT and what the opportunities for Ai collaboration might look like.
If you’re looking for a list of Ai then futurepedia is helpful.
I also used another search engine which links research papers, called ConnectedPapers, it helps visualize prominence through citation, so you can see how ideas propagate, incredibly useful for a lit review.
On one of the projects my students used two different colored lights to create a shader in Blender, I thought that was a neat idea. Blender is incredibly accessible and free to use, if you are interested in creating 3D objects and moving them around, then this is pretty much what my students seem to be using all the time.
Thank you
I think all the family are super tired, the holiday break is just around the corner and can’t come soon enough. It is tough getting started in the morning and both boys have that sort of aimlessness (zombie-ing out on screens) that comes with sheer exhaustion.
I just don’t think that kids get enough time off school in the states, again with this weird work ethic which isn’t very healthy. If you’re only thinking in crude economic terms, then we know that happy people make productive people, tired people less so, and those that become resentful even less so.
I know that I’m very lucky, I don’t even count myself into this equation in any way. In my case, I just have to learn to say no a bit more and be realistic about what I can achieve, and probably plan a bit more thoroughly.
But my kids are working hard and they are very tired and they just need a break, tell me how much essential learning is going to take place next week? I agree, give them some time off.
The house is filling with hygge, decorations are up and I’m watering the Christmas tree almost daily just so that it lasts the festive season, and we’re starting to get card from friends and family from all over now. The first few years we came we did those family cards with a photo, but after experiencing someone’s kitchen wall, with about a million grins and oversize sweaters we decided not to bother. I will print some New Year cards, which seems slightly interesting to do, probably a lino print like last time.
I can’t wait to get reading, enjoying these books. We have a few films on a list to watch too, including a few on Kanopy which is free from work and added some great movies including Jim Jarmusch’s Dead Man and Wong Kar-Wai’s In the Mood for Love, and along with Cleo From 5 to 7 by Agnes Varda, these are my recommendations for you.
I’m not sure I’ll have the energy for a post next week, so consider this a break for a couple of weeks, I’ll see you after. Have a wonderful time with family and friends, don’t sweat the small stuff and avoid being in the kitchen when it’s tense, just be on hand to help when needed, unless of course it’s you doing the cooking, in which case, you rule!
Oh, and Allez les Bleus!