sparkles #21
DESCRIPTION
The birthday issue :-)TRANSCRIPT
Inside this issue:
Poets from the
Lake District
2
Oscars 4
Critical Thinking
Skills
5
Millennium
Teachers
7
County
Competition
8
Inside Story 6
Did you know? - DR. SEUSS
Theodor Seuss Geisel (March 2, 1904 – September 24, 1991) was an American writer and cartoonist.
He was most widely known for his children's books, which he wrote and illustrated under the
pseudonym Dr. Seuss. His 46 published children's books are characterized by imaginative characters,
rhyme, and frequent use of anapestic meter. The most-celebrated ones include the bestselling Green
Eggs and Ham, The Cat in the Hat, The Lorax, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, The 500 Hats of Bar-
tholomew Cubbins, Fox in Socks, The King's Stilts, Hop on Pop, Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose, Horton
Hatches the Egg, Horton Hears a Who!, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. His works have spawned
numerous adaptations and he won the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1985 and again in 1961. His
birthday, March 2, has been adopted as the annual date for National Read Across America Day, an
initiative on reading created by the National Education Association. ▪ I.P.
Once upon a time in MARCH
March 1, 1974 - Seven former high-ranking officials of the Nixon White House were indicted for conspiring to obstruct
the investigation into the Watergate break-in.
March 5, 1770 - The Boston Massacre occurred as a group of rowdy Americans harassed British soldiers who then
opened fire, killing five and injuring six.
March 5, 1946 - The "Iron Curtain" speech was delivered by Winston Churchill at Westminster College in Fulton,
Missouri. Churchill used the term to describe the boundary in Europe between free countries of the West and nations of
Eastern Europe under Soviet Russia's control.
March 10, 1862 - The first issue of U.S. government paper money occurred as $5, $10 and $20 bills began circulation.
March 10, 2013 - The first issue of Sparkles© magazine was published online.
March 12, 1938 - Nazis invaded Austria, then absorbed the country into Hitler's Reich.
March 12, 1994 - The Church of England ordained 32 women as its first female priests. In protest, 700 male clergy
members and thousands of church members left the church and joined the Roman Catholic Church which does not allow
women priests.
March 15, 44 B.C. - Julius Caesar was assassinated in the Senate chamber in Rome by Brutus and fellow conspirators.
After first trying to defend himself against the murderous onslaught, Caesar saw Brutus with a knife and asked "Et tu,
Brute?" (You too, Brutus?) Caesar then gave up the struggle and was stabbed to death.
Issue 21/15 March 2015 Monthly newsletter for and by English learners and teachers Editors:
Maja Ivanović, prof. Komercijalna i trgovačka škola Bjelovar
Irena Pavlović, prof. mentor Srednja škola Čazma
email: [email protected]
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sparkles.newsletter
And that is all true. But there isn't
much we can do about it. We
can choose to be negative and
pessimistic, but the situation won't
change - just because we are
bitter, angry or even depressed,
the world is not going to turn
itself upside down. What is more
likely is that our students will
become the same, reflecting our
disappointment and showing the
same level of 'enthusiasm'.
However, what we can do is
change our perception of how
things are. It simply isn't true
there is nothing good in our
everyday work - if nothing else,
there are many amazing young
people with a strong desire to
learn. And because of them we
have to enter the classroom with
a smile, ready to do our best,
give them all they need and
motivate them to make a step
further.
Just like we have made. Instead
of whining, we've put our heads
together, we've created
something and hopefully given
a good example. Thanks to all
those wonderful people who
have helped to make the spark
even bigger. Let's keep up the
good work. All of us. ▪ I.P.
Two. We are turning two.
And it feels like it's been only a
few months since the two of us
were sitting on a bus, discussing
what it means to be a teacher in
the 21st century classroom and
teach teenagers nowadays. We
have recognized the need for
quick access to information, for a
variety of topics which should be
3in1: interesting, useful and fun,
and for fresh ideas to spice up
our everyday life in and out of
the classroom. But most of all, we
have shown it is possible to be
constructive in today's world.
Most people see only the
negative side of everything and
never do anything but complain.
The laws that we need to obey
are faulty, the programmes we
are supposed to follow are
outdated, there is not enough ICT
equipment in our classrooms, we
are overworked and underpaid.
And so on and so forth.
CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE:
Romana Gašpar, prof. mentor
School of Economics and Tourism Daruvar
POETS FROM THE LAKE DISTRICT
Page 2
~ THIS MONTH’S BUZZ ~
The Lake District, also known as
The Lakes or Lakeland, is a
mountainous region in North West
England. It is a haven wherein you
can experience nature at its very
best. Historically split between
Cumberland, Westmorland and
Lancashire, the Lake District is now
entirely in Cumbria. The land which
comprises this district is nested at
the middle of breath-taking terrains,
crystal clear glaciers and serene
bodies of water. It is a popular
holiday destination, famous not only
for its lakes, forests and mountains
(or fells) but also for its literary
associations.
So, do you like what you see on
these pictures? Fancy this amazing
landscape? Feel like taking a walk
and draw some inspiration from the
lakes, woods and picturesque
villages? Well, you are not the only
one. With a template as
beautiful as this, it is no wonder that
the district has been home to some
of the most famous poets in English
literature. The spectacular landscape
has been a huge influence on the
Romantic poets of the late 18th and
19th century, known today as the
Lake District Poets.
The first poet who decided to come
to this beautiful part of England is
also the Lake District’s best known
son, William Wordsworth. Apart
from his sister, Dorothy,
Wordsworth took with him his
greatest friend, Samuel Coleridge,
who already had a considerable
reputation as a poet, having
produced some of his best-known
works.
Together with Robert Southey and
Thomas de Quincey and, later on,
John Ruskin and Alfred Tennyson,
they sought creative inspiration
among the dramatic peaks,
meandering tarns and misty fells and
left a significant trail not only in
English literature, but also on the
entire history of poetry. ▪ I.P.
Page 3
~ THIS MONTH’S BUZZ ~
Wordsworth was born in Cumbria, in 1770. His parents died
at an early age, leaving him and his four siblings orphans. The
course of his early life brought about his interest and
sympathy for the life, troubles and speech of the “common
man” which proved to be of the utmost importance to his
entire work.
Wordsworth’s earliest poetry was published in 1793 in the
collections An Evening Walk and Descriptive Sketches. Beside
his family life, equally important in his poetic life was his
friendship with Coleridge. It was with him that Wordsworth
published the famous Lyrical Ballads in 1798. While the poems
themselves are some of the most influential in Western
literature, it is the preface to the second edition that remains
one of the most important testaments to a poet’s views on
both his craft and his place in the world.
Wordsworth’s most famous work, The Prelude (1850), is
considered by many to be the crowning achievement of
English romanticism. The poem, revised numerous times,
chronicles the spiritual life of the poet and marks the birth of
a new genre of poetry.
Wordsworth spent his final years settled at Rydal Mount in
England, travelling and continuing his outdoor excursions.
Devastated by the death of his daughter, he seemingly lost
his will to compose poems and died in 1850, leaving his wife
to publish The Prelude three months later.
The leader of the British Romantic movement was born in
1772, in Devonshire. The youngest of fourteen children,
Coleridge was a student at his father’s school and an avid
reader. His father had always wanted his son to be a
clergyman but his views began to change over the course of
his early years when, together with Robert Southey, he
constructed a vision of pantisocracy and planned emigrating
to the New World and set up a commune there. However,
the project was abandoned and Coleridge began his career
as a writer.
In 1795 Coleridge befriended Wordsworth, who greatly
influenced his verse. While his early work had been
celebratory and conventional, he began writing in a more
natural style. The following year, he published his first
volume of poetry, Poems on Various Subjects. He lived near
Wordsworth in Somersetshire and they collaborated on a
joint volume of poetry - the collection that is considered the
first great work of the Romantic school of poetry and
contains Coleridge’s famous poem, The Rime of the Ancient
Mariner.
Over the next two decades Coleridge lectured on literature
and philosophy, wrote about religious and political theory,
and lived on Malta in an effort to overcome his poor health
and his opium addiction, off of financial donations and grants.
He published poetry and prose, notably Sibylline Leaves, Aids
to Reflection, and Church and State and died in London in 1834.
WILLIAM WORDSWORTH SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE
Page 4
~ STUDENTS’ CORNER ~
CHECK IT OUT! - OSCARS 2015
The Oscars, which used to be known as The Academy Awards until 2013, is an annual American awards ceremony honouring cinematic
achievements in the film industry. The various category winners are awarded a copy of a statuette, officially the Academy Award of Merit,
better known by its nickname Oscar. The awards, first presented in 1929, are overseen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences. Although there are some twenty-five categories all together, some are considered more important that the others. Here are the
ones usually highlighted, together with the 2015 winners. ▪ I.P.
Best Picture, Best Directing &
Best Original Screenplay
Birdman
(or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Best Actor
Eddie Redmayne
The Theory of Everything
as Stephen Hawking
Best Actress
Julianne Moore
Still Alice
Best Supporting Actor
J. K. Simmons
Whiplash
as Terence Fletcher
Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette
Boyhood
as Olivia Evans
Best Adapted Screenplay
The Imitation Game
Graham Moore from Alan Turing:
The Enigma by Andrew Hodges
Best Original Song
"Glory" from Selma
Music and Lyrics by
John Legend and Common
A TRIP TO SARDINIA After having finished the first project year successfully, with mobilities to France and Spain, and hosting our
partners in Daruvar and showing them the beauties of the Plitvice lakes, the second project year started with
a trip to Arzachena, Sardinia, Italy. Students Davor Brkić, Matija Ivan Volšanski and Hrvoje Heron were
privileged to enjoy the beauties of Sardinia and Venice. Davor and Matija had a task of presenting the
traditional cuisine of our region and Croatia, rural houses and farms, while Hrvoje had to bake Peasant’s pie,
prepared according to the traditional recipe of this area. Dinka Ivanović, headteacher, Miroslava Bukač Nađ,
culinary teacher and Romana Gašpar, the project coordinator, also participated in this mobility.
Beside doing the tasks and discussing the tasks for the next mobility in Romania, the hosts justified the name of
the project My Heritage, Your Holiday by taking us to see the beautiful National park Arcipelago di La
Maddalena, natural stone formation Capo d'Orso and Nuraghe La Prisciona, ancient ruins from
Nuragic civilization. The Croatian team also got a chance to see Venice.
Being hosted by Italian families was the highlight for the students as not only did they get to know how they
live but they needed to use foreign languages to communicate and they could all hang around together.
Matija Ivan Volšanski said about his trip to Sardinia: “I had never flown by plane before and the flight from
Venice to Olbia, together with all the things I saw and experienced, was an out-of-this-world experience for
me. Sardinia was like a movie scene…sunshine, beaches, palm trees….The Italians are warm and friendly, their
food is excellent…. The hardest thing was having to say goodbye to my new friends.“ ▪ R.G.
Page 6
~ TEACHERS’ CORNER ~
"Habits of Mind are dispositions that are skillfully and
mindfully employed by characteristically intelligent,
successful people when they are confronted with problems,
the solutions to which are not immediately
apparent. When we draw upon these mental resources,
the results are more powerful, of higher quality, and of
greater significance than if we fail to employ those habits."
Thus, they are useful and even necessary for both, teachers
and students. Take a couple of minutes and explore them...
http://www.teachthought.com/learning/what-are-the-habits-
of-mind/
Have you tried…. creating a class blog or Wiki???
Encourage your students to respond to in-class lessons or
current events and topics, and devise a system for posting
thoughts, news or impressions of them to a class blog or
Wiki. They will love improving their creative writing skills
and seeing their work appear online, and parents will love
being able to feel more connected to the classroom. As the
school year progresses, it's often great fun to watch a class'
page fill up with posts and discussions, and see students,
parents, and educators engage in more frequent and
ongoing dialogue.
Page 7
1. Select the right platform to communicate. √
2. Send large files. √
3. Take a screenshot on PC, Mac, and mobile devices. √
4. Appreciate memes. √
5. Explain how and why to use technology to those who don’t use it. √
6. Use digital media in light of privacy, copyright, and other legal issues. √
7. Communicate clearly. √
8. Search for, install, organize, use, and delete apps. √
9. How to create, open, use, and share a variety of file types. √
10. Help students share files. √
11. Subscribe to and manage YouTube channels, podcasts, learnist and
pinterest boards, and other dynamic sources of digital media. √
12. Create and maintain digital portfolios. √
13. Blog. √
14. Share learning data with students. √
15. Research effectively. √
16. Manage your own social media and internet use. √
17. Plan around a lack of technology elegantly. √
18. Personalize learning. √
19. Troubleshoot stuff that breaks. √
20. Skim and process large quantities of information. √
21. Use the cloud to your advantage. √
22. Model digital citizenship. √
23. Casually name-drop reddit. √
24. Support students in finding their own voice. √
25. Use formal or informal learning management systems. √
26. Leverage the relationship between physical and digital media. √
27. Highlight the limits of technology. √
28. Visualize learning data for students. √
29. Record, process, mash, publish, and distribute digital media. √
30. Connect with other educators both in person and online. √
~ TEACHERS’ CORNER ~
The 20th issue of Sparkles© listed the twenty-five signs you’re
teaching in 2015, showed the components of the 21st century
classroom, compared the 20th and 21st century view of education and suggested a few ways of morphing into a new millennium
teacher. Now, we give you a list of things every modern teacher
needs to know. Make sure you tick off all the items on it.
~ MISCELLANEOUS ~ English language competition - county level
On February 26, the county level of the English language competition for second and fourth-grade students was held in High school Čazma.
The atmoshpere was great, the students did really well, and the mentors were extremely proud. Here are the results. Congratulations,
everyone!