ZZZZZLEEPY?

Television and internet consumption have become necessary for human existence and have a powerful influence on the lives of people. How come? A myriad of people use pre-bedtime hours in front of a computer or TV screen on a daily basis. And so what? Well, these are the people who daily report not having slept enough that night. Then, their friends surely give them the same piece of advice daily, “just go and try to sleep a bit more tonight.” And that is precisely what they do. But still, it is not enough.

Using the computer or watching TV during long periods of time before going to bed has proved to have a negative effect on perceived sleep duration. That is, we feel as having slept much less than we really have. We might have our eyes closed but our body and mind are not at rest. Lead researcher Dr. Nakamori Suganuma, of Osaka University, Japan, carried out a research in which he explained, "while many people use electronic media, such as the internet, it should be noted that the longer media use before sleep can trigger self-perceived insufficient sleep”. His findings suggest television viewing and computer exposure at night is fooling our body clock and our sleep wake system is then completely disrupted. Then, we always feel exhausted, even after a ‘good-night sleep.’

The reality is that we do need to relax. Sometimes? Definitely, NOT SOMETIMES. I’d rather say ‘ALWAYS!’ We do need to sleep in order to learn, and we do need to learn something every day. We do need to sleep in order to remember whatever we learn. Neural networks, which help us remember, are only built at night while we sleep. Finally, we do need to sleep in order to make the right decisions. It is a fact that sleeping enhances the functioning of your brain and helps you in taking better decisions. Isn’t it interesting?

I take for granted that if you are visiting this blog and reading my contributions, you must be in front of you desktop computer, or your laptop computer, or your palmtop computer instead. It may be late at night or it may be not. In any case, maybe it’s time you should take the right decision. So, why not turning it off at this very moment? Just ‘read’ to me and do follow my advice: get away from ‘the boxes’ tonight!

Would you kill -and die- for a hamburger?

It seems that meat industry is booming these days and an increasing number of people are consuming vast quantities of animal slaughter products. But are we aware of the drawbacks that being a carnivorous might have? Maybe it is time we should start considering vegetarianism.

Take a look at the cruelty involved in intensive farming. Eating a tasty hamburger a day possibly means killing a hundred cows and having a delicious fried egg for breakfast probably implies thousands of battery hens. Yet, all these practices have not improved food quality, but made it worse. Take the examples of Cow Mad disease or Salmonella; they have spread from animals to humans, universally. So why taking part in all this?

Now consider the effects that an excess of meat can have on our health. Despite claims that some amounts of animal products are necessary for a “healthy lifestyle”, it is a fact that excessive consumption of meat is not beneficial at all. Too much meat means too much saturated fat, too many proteins, and too much sodium in our body, which might result in high blood pressure, diverse heart diseases, and, in the long run, death. Now, would you run the risk?

So are we human beings conscious of what being an animal product consumer means? I’m afraid we are not. The reality is that we sometimes tend to forget that our appetizing meaty meals directly contribute to indiscriminate slaughter of animals. And we all too often tend to ignore that our “healthy” rich-in-meat diet is not so “healthy” as we think. In fact, it can even kill us. Aren’t these more than enough reasons to turn to vegetarianism?

Annoying?

Just try gloogling “the annoying orange” and see what happens. A full list of plenty of sites appears on the screen informing, commenting, showing, criticizing or flattering these peculiarly silly 2-minute videos which are becoming famous worldwide and make anyone, no matter his age, stare at the screen kind of possessed by their images and laugh at the irritating dialogues between an orange sat on a kitchen counter and whatever vegetable, fruit or unlucky edible ‘who’ is around ‘him’. And believe me if you happen to see it, you will end up hating this particularly annoying talkative living orange which comes to be THE STAR and his very repetitive “Hey apple!” in a shrill high-pitched voice.

The first of these shorts was uploaded on October 9, 2009 and it was created by Dane Boedigheimer, most widely known as “Daneboe.” It is believed that when the first episode was uploaded, it became popular so rapidly that Daneboe started making more Annoying Orange episodes. So far, more than 200 million people have watched them on You Tube, including me.
In case you are wondering whether these shorts are profound, or consist of witty remarks, or use the language so cleverly and have such a thought-provoking effect that explains their popularity all around the globe, I must say NO. When I first saw one of them, believe me, I thought to myself “there must be something wrong with us.” The Annoying Orange episodes are exceedingly shallow and obnoxious.

So, definitely, there IS something wrong with us. Apparently, the popularity of these silly shorts is due their awfulness; that is precisely what seems to bring enjoyment to viewers. Sounds rather contradictory, doesn’t it? Some people would just argue these fruits are just great fun for them. I believe they are a source of worry instead. Adults amazed at adolescent-like jokes and young generations only discussing whether this or the other food character should have died or not. People wasting their time and emptying out their minds. No deep thought. No imagination. No critical thinking. So, this is the kind of things that are REALLY annoying: judging from this, we cannot we expect from this society nothing different from stupidity, inactivity, indifference and laziness. ONLY NOW is this an ANNOYING Orange I would say.

Breast-feeding

Did you know August was the breast-feeding month? I know you must be asking yourself “what on Earth is she talking about?” All around the world there are mothers who promote and support breast-feeding. This is, mothers feeding their baby with milk directly from their breasts rather than with artificial milk from a bottle. Because more and more women are now breastfeeding, more and more women are realizing how important this is for them and their new-born babies. However, breast milk is an advantage not only for the mother and child, but for all the society, as well. So, why on Earth breast-feeding?

Happier and healthier mummies. Yes! Breast-feeding makes mothers feel well less crazy, it helps them lose weight; it burns five thousand calories a day. What’s more...No periods! All women know what a relief that means. And it’s free. Mothers who breast-feed their babies have less risks of contracting breast cancer. Finally, It boosts mothers’ self-esteem. After all, what can be more self-rewarding than being able to feed their own babies themselves?

Happier and healthier babies. Children who are breast-fed from early stages in life grow stronger and healthier. Natural milk is beneficial for the brain development, it prevents obese babies, it reduces their chances of catching flu or being allergic or having cavities. It reduces the risks of childhood cancer. Also, breast-fed children reach a higher level of independence in their lives, and what is more important they become secure in that independence. Breast gives babies comfort but also security.

Happier and healthier society. Every time a mother chooses to breast-feed their babies themselves, they are choosing to have healthy children. These children do not suffer from many diseases and thus medicaments are needed occasionally only, which means costs are greatly lowered. And what does it mean? It means breast-feeding could save the countries millions of dollars in health care cost. Also, breast feeding is environmentally friendly. Cans and milk bottles are not used and there is no packing waste. Sounds great! Don’t you think we could all benefit from that?

My horizons. Your horizons.

Some people say that if you are not broadening your horizons, you are narrowing them. So if you're feeling stuck in life or find yourself being narrow-minded, it might be time you adopt a friendly attitude to life.

“The horizon leans forward,
Offering you space to place new steps of change.
Here, on the pulse of this fine day
You may have the courage
To look up and out upon me,
the Rock, the River, the Tree, your country.”

That was part of one of Maya Angelou’s poems, which she recited at President Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1993 and in which ‘that farthest place which you can see, where the sky seems to touch the land or sea’, is reaching us and offering us changes, improvements, opportunities, and possibilities in life.

And now I tell you... feel the sun and wind on your face and let nature show you its wonders. Explore nature, learn from nature, and let yourself have a grandstand view of life. Step outside, sit in your garden, walk in an open field, climb a mountain, or walk on the beach. Literally expand your visual horizon. Develop an enquiring mind but be always critical. Always analyze, evaluate, reflect, and reason.

Travel the world, get to know different people, learn their names, and become interested in their cultures: become tolerant. Be willing to accept their beliefs even though they are different form yours. Walk in another person's shoes and see the world through their eyes. Opening your heart will most definitely broaden your perspective on life. Rediscover gratitude, forgiveness, and generosity.

“Now, bring me that horizon.” Those were Johnny Deep’s words in one of those “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies in which the good guys must cross big expanses of ocean to fight with the bad guys and so find a safe haven for themselves. Then, our own eyes can be up and looking for new and newer possibilities in the distance while we call out, “Now, bring me that horizon!”

And it’s never late to broaden your outlook on life: As Mark Pattison, a 19th century British author and teacher once said, “…the horizon recedes as we advance, and is no nearer at sixty than it was at twenty.” You can always look ‘out there’ and find your individual horizon.

And if this soundS like daydreaming, you only need to think about all those people who have once succeed in broadening their horizons throughout history. These were once ordinary people as we are.

"Firmly United"

I was thinking of important events that unite the world. In the past, the only thing that came to my mind was the world cup. You know... “It’s the world cup!” But then you have stories like this, of tragedy and miracles, and you feel really touched to see that all human beings being so distant and close at the same time.

Some weeks ago 30 miners were rescued after having been trapped for 70 days three hundred metres underground. Every channel and TV programme around the world followed the extraordinary rescue, man by man. And when the last miner exited the depths of the mine, everyone was moved as every miner himself was. Since then, they have become a source of inspiration: they have proved the value of faith, the value of commitment, the value of teamwork.

And this has not been the only case when the entire world felt and showed compassion for others. Many other tragic events have helped develop gestures of goodwill throughout history: massive earthquakes that have struck entire cities, or floods that have left thousands of families homeless, heavy storms, tornadoes... and wars. Did you know that the “League of Nations” was created at the end of the First World War to ensure that war would never break again? Then, we can assure that human beings only react after extreme situations. Why never preventing them?


Before having 33 miners trapped underground, people did not care if they were working in bad conditions or even running the risk of getting trapped. There was no source of inspiration in their faith or their commitment or in their teamwork. And there was no world united, but for the World Cup.

Teens

Three weeks ago I finished my practice period with adolescents after one month and a half of hard work. Fortunately, I had an extraordinary group of 18 students aged between 14 and 16 who were eager to participate and enthusiastic about learning a new language. Some people say teenagers are hard to motivate and impossible to deal with. Let me tell you that is not my opinion.

Of course there must be some troublesome teens out there waiting the enemy to come in the battle field only to declare war: they are completely aware of the fact they have the tools to hurt anybody’s feelings deeply and threaten to boycott anybody’s lesson, no matter how carefully prepared it seems to be.

Most of teenagers go through periods of extreme discomfort, anger and rebellion, and that is by nature. So why not perceiving their behaviour as a sign of health and maturation? We all know that the transition from childhood to adulthood must be rocky, so helping our teen students in their process might mean dealing with a handful of unexpected ambivalent attitudes at times. Whether you like it or not.

However, working with these guys should not be ALWAYS a pain in the backside. Teaching teenagers with their fresh and unadulterated perspectives can be great fun and a self-rewarding experience as well. Adolescents have boundless creative energy, they are talented and they are passionate about the things they like. Maybe, we only need to bring their realities into THEIR classrooms, help them think critically and push ahead with this adventurous experience of “educating the beast”. And always give them the best you can, because teenagers are the most perceptive of all and they feel pleased and grateful for our efforts.

And continue learning from them. It’s a wonderful truth that of all relationships between teacher and student is truly symbiotic. On a daily basis, you learn as much from your students as you try to impart to them, and this is why, without a doubt, we continue to teach.

TECHNOLOGY- THE TIMELINE?

When we describe technological advancements we tend to refer to modern systems, methods, techniques and tools which permit scientific discoveries to take place. Then, we tend to believe that at the very core of these developments is the “discoverer”: manipulating, trying out, controlling, measuring, adapting, experimenting, combining all these systems, methods, techniques and tools to, out of the blue, come up with something “new.”

But let me tell you that such ‘discovering’ is non-existent. Nothing in this material world could be developed without its previous counterpart: an idea. Some time before, some enquiring mind with plenty of innovative ideas for the time had already been paving the way for every technological advance.

Take the case of the telephone. Although its history goes back to the year 1665 when a man called Robert Hooke experimented sound transmission through a distended wire, and tin cans and paper cups became the most transcendent means of communication of the time, we only remember Alexander Graham Bell when talking about the history of the telephone. Then, nobody actually remembers the other guy when talking about the mobile phone.

Modern societies are used to rapid changes so they quickly forget what seemed to be a novelty yesterday. Then, newer trends replace anything in any field and we throw old goods, names, and ideas as well, away.

Technological advancements are much more than current inventions: they are the future, the present, and the past. They are the result of history, the result of necessities that have existed throughout different generations, and the result of people who once worked hard to satisfy that ‘particular need.’

DEEP INSIDE

I have always wondered how it is that dreams work. How it comes that every human mind has this extraordinary potential to make us almost experience this immensely exciting nonsensical nightly life which becomes so real at times and shows us the completely subjective and unique inner world of the subconscious.

However, when I watched this film called “Inception” last week, rather than paying attention to this entire dreaming idea, which is a kind of “protagonist” in the film, I asked to myself, “is there nothing private anymore?” It’s like if we could even imagine somebody going into our heads and entering our dreams, which literally happens in the film over and over again. So isn’t this movie showing us something else?

The fact is that this does not happen in dreams only but our subconscious is being permanently reached when are wide awake. I think there are no more aspects of our mind that remain private and individual anymore. But we are powerfully influenced by the media and the internet and EVERYTHING and EVERYONE “out there.”

We are educated with our families’ value, that’s for sure. But we cannot deny the influence that TV programmes and advertisements have in our minds, permanently sending messages addressed to our vulnerable subconscious. This way we are persuaded, or let me say rather manipulated, to feel, think and behave in one only particular “socially accepted” way. And we are convinced there is only one way to live this life: consumerism, superficiality, lack of values, shallowness.

Marketing messages seem sophisticated, inspiring, meaningful, and memorable. They show us a world of dreams, constantly suggesting what we “should” in order to be part of it. And our vulnerable subconscious gets that messages and obeys instantly. They are building up a robotic society, ready to respond, ready to obey, ready to consume, whether you like it or not. But does this sound like a dream? I believe this is a nightmare instead.

An Unlikely STAR

The moment she appeared as a contestant on reality TV programme Britain’s Got talent with her plain appearance, it wasn’t her who was ‘the ugly’ so much as people’s reactions to her. When she first appeared on Britain’s Got Talent she said her ambition was to become a professional singer; it was only raised eyebrows and stifled laughter what she got from the audience, then. The judges’ expression revealed mistrust, and even disdain, and the viewers were bitterly hostile to this rather chubby woman the moment she took the stage. Apparently, nobody was expecting her performance to turn her into an overnight global phenomenon.

Susan Boyle is a 47-year-old Scottish amateur singer who has recently come into international public attention. What was it that made her a public figure in the blink of an eye? I believe it was the contrast between the ‘ugly’ first impressions she gave and her lovely powerful voice. Then, cynicism turned into whooping and broad smiles. She finished to a standing ovation at her spine-tingling performance. Susan Boyle sang ‘I dreamed a dream’ from ‘Les Miserables’ in the first round of the third series of Britain’s Got Talent revealing her unexpected exceptional talent. And this was only the beginning.

In just a week her life had been turned upside down. By now, videos of Susan Boyle have been watched all around the world and she has proved more popular than any other character on You Tube. Her audition video has been viewed on the internet several hundred million times and she even has her own fans. Isn’t it amazing that just some months or so ago no one had heard of Susan Boyle? Well, now she has became one of the most talked-about people in the world. It is a dream come true.

"Men are from Venus, Women are from Mars"

“Men are from Venus, women are from Mars.” That is the title of a book written by John Gray which basically offers various suggestions aiming at improving men-women relationships in couples. However, I have recently realized how hard it becomes to try to understand people from another gender, let alone improve any relationship with them. Last month I watched this video which made me laugh a lot but at the same time reflect on the differences in personalities, attitudes, and behaviours of men and women, which have proven troublesome in any relationship, and which are an intrinsic part of them all. But, if it’s of any consolation to you, and me as well, let me share with you what I’ve learned in this video: we are different in nature, and nothing can change that.

One of the ideas that the mentioned video introduces in order to explain these natural differences between the two sexes is the one I am trying to express in my comic strip, and which Pilar Sordo, the psychologist in the video, called “magical thinking.” This is a thought structure, mainly developed in women’s minds, which lead people, more precisely women, to continuously compare the objective reality with their mental reality, the subjective images they create of people and things. Let me give you an example. We women are permanently expecting our boyfriends to be romantic with us and send us flowers daily. And it makes us so mad to realize that that will never ever happen, IN REALITY. What actually is making us so angry is in fact this so-called magical thinking, or magical thought, which is making us permanently compare the real man, our boyfriends, with this image we have in our minds of ‘the perfect man’. Of course we know who will lose the battle. And there it comes, the moment when we become intolerant, reproachful, and extremely unhappy as well.

It sounds complex. It must be complex. But learning to cope with the unlimited number of differences with the other gender is essential in order to improve all relationships. We can't deny we sometimes feel like crazy when not being able to control certain of our own emotions and reactions. And it frustrates us not being able to understand some of their behaviours. It is not a matter of just blindly and passively accepting each other, but of becoming more open-minded, learning about the other, understanding why it is that they, and we, behave in the way we do. And in the end, understanding and acceptance might lead us to complete happiness. How do you see it?

"Impossible is NOTHING"

I have come across this striking video which illustrates how technology can bring people together. I was astonished at the sight of 185 people from different parts of the world and IN different parts of the world virtually meeting with a common purpose in mind: making music. Sounds impossible, doesn’t it? Reflecting that the unthinkable is becoming “the thinkable” with technology at hand, I was wondering how we can help these new technological trends take on the stage in the teaching scenario. We must admit that making efficient use of technological devices allow us to turn our traditional classrooms into innovative and engaging learning scenes. So I have asked to myself how we could apply the idea behind this virtual meeting of singers into the field of language learning.

Fortunatlely, I came up with an idea. Why not having a colleague abroad to hold some kind of experimental virtual meeting between your and her students? It could be highly valuable experience for you and for students themselves. Definitely, a teacher you know beforehand or any other English teacher you get to know on the net who expresses interest and shows commitment is essential before setting up any project. A teacher who has a group of students with the same level and similar needs as yours is crucial, as well. So arranging a date to have your students meet their counterpart is what comes next, after both groups have worked with similar semantic areas or topics for discussions so that students don’t feel at a loss in any conversation they get into. This can be THE opportunity students from different countries and IN different countries can have to use English in real life, in front of a real audience, and with a common purpose in mind: breaking down language barriers.

An advantage that virtual interaction among language learners might have is that we can turn the indivualized and lonely activity of computer working into an active exchange of information which gets closer to real interactions, thus giving our learners the possibility to develop not only English knowledge, but also social skills, and communicative strategies, as well.

We all know that technology has its drawbacks and we are sometimes reluctant to it, but we DO need to get used to it. So why not learning to cope with the advent of the virtual age and trying to maximize the application of technology in education? I believe we are sometimes too comfortable as we are, and that is the main reason we don’t try what’s new. But is this actually comfort or mere laziness? Being updated teachers and seeking to meet our student’s current needs should be a must in our professions. Devotion, commitment, enthusiasm, innovation, risk-taking. That’s what I believe it’s all about.

Free Hugs

I watched this video yesterday evening and it seemed damned silly at first. However, it kept me thinking: hardly ever are we conscious of the importance of hugging in our daily lives. We go in for a hug when we are sad or when the other is sad, when we win a match or when we lose it, after fighting with a friend or after making one. We hug to communicate, to share, to trust, to give support, to receive support, to greet, or just to make your presence felt. We hug as a sign of deep happiness or deep sadness, or empathy, or pity at times, or anxiety, or love. We hug constantly our friends, our relatives, our pet, even our stuff. We hug people we know but we sometimes hug strangers, as well. We need hugging. We love hugging. And we must have an inner "hugger" somewhere inside. Hugs just make us feel good, and better, and more comfortable, and alive. So “what’s in a hug?”

Hugs have always been a demonstration of affection and emotional warmth. It has been proved that we give hugs because we NEED them: we need hugging to feel human contact and to express feelings to others, namely we hug to share what’s going on in their inner selves. It is true tough, that we are living in a world where time is not enough for anything: not for singing, not for laughing, not for enjoying, not for hugging. But we always find the way to express our intense emotions one way or another.

And this issue of hugs leads us to turn our attention to the matter of affection itself, in whatever way we express it. We sometimes take affections for granted. But have we ever considered what these feelings of liking and love imply? I am considering it right now. Being affective towards other people generates a pleasant atmosphere of trust, closeness and comfort, in whatever context we can imagine. Picture the face of our students when we receive them grinning from ear to ear and greeting them with open arms.

That is the key of helping others feel comfortable, willing to be there, no matter where that “there” might be, anxious to share, participate, learn, and be affectionate themselves, as well: feeling affection, displaying affection, holding others in great affection. And there is nothing more deeply satisfying than receiving affection in return.

Humans and machines- who is in control?

Do you happen to be a do-it-yourself enthusiast? Probably not any more. Home-made cakes, coffee, face to face conversations, friendly letters in black and white, I’m afraid, are a thing of the past. Over the last few decades varied technological gadgets have been gaining extreme importance in our daily routines, becoming essential in every aspect of our lives. As a result of this, we have become highly dependent on these all-powerful devices, leaving aside traditional ways to carry out our everyday tasks. But are we aware of the risks we might be running?

Take a look around you. Cell phones, coffee machines, computers, electric ovens, automatic dishwashers, digital cameras, and so forth. Face it, every day of your life is now merely a means of clicking a button of this machine first, and of that other machine later. And they will do everything for you. Modern society is becoming highly robotized due to the current technological boom, and the increasing consumerism. One more machine on the market, one more machine we NEED to have. This is a fact. These technological items play an essential role in our lives and have already become a vital necessity in every activity that we, or actually they, carry out.

But what are the dangers of such a close dependence on all these machines? It has been claimed that men of modernity are gradually becoming “useless.” Today’s generation lack the ability to carry out simple tasks just because there are machines that can do everything for them instead. and they make use of them, of course. Then, these guys do not have the opportunity to develop, and practice, and improve any of their potential skills, but that of programming robotic machines. As they don’t need to do things by themselves, they are losing the interest to learn to do things by themselves as well. In a few words, we people are becoming empty heads. And we are paving the way for machines to take our lives over, at the same time.

So humans or machines? Who is in control after all? I’m afraid we have turned too dependant on machines. It’s true, they are practical, save money, save time, in fact they make our lives so extremely simple, what else can we ask for? However, we must acknowledge that if we continue to include them in every aspect of our daily lives, maybe one day, sooner or later, machines will end up being in complete control of our lives. Or aren't they already?

A blessing for us, or a curse for them?

You know? I’ve been thinking that having a pet is becoming increasingly common these days. I have one myself. They are nice creatures, mostly friendly, and it seems that they have the amazing capacity to bring forth happiness and satisfaction to almost everyone’s lives. But have you ever thought about the risk they run if falling into the wrong hands?

We cannot deny that these living things can make our lives surprisingly better and extremely exciting. The responsibility of looking after them fascinates children, their company is extremely pleasant to old people, and pets can even help us make friends –we can always bump into a new acquaintance while walking our dogs in the park! So, suddenly, we all feel the irresistible urge to get one of these.

However, don’t we sometimes keep pets at the expense of their happiness and their well-being? Take the example of those people who buy pets just to impress their friends. Do you really think they love them? I am afraid the answer is “no!” A 75% of them end up getting tired of them, neglecting them, and getting rid of them. And what about people who get those hard-to-care exotic animals but keep them in unsuitable conditions. Do you really think they can live for long?

Many people consider pets a blessing, they are our loyal friends and our best company; but are we all ready to have one? I would say not all of us. So the next time we step into a pet shop, with a little puppet or a baby alligator in mind, we should make sure first we can provide them with everything they need: a suitable place to live in, adequate food, day-to-day care, and, above all, LOVE. Or else, we may end up being a curse for them.

Keep It Fit

Few of us are aware of the multiple functions our brain can have and to what extent it is essential in our everyday lives: it plays a fundamental role in our most complex daily tasks but we also permanently use our brain in every basic day-to-day repetitive task. However, how often do we dare to consider what the optimal conditions for proper working of our brains are? Maybe, it’s high time we did, so here are some tips.

Rule number 1: do some exercise. It has been scientifically proved that exercise boosts brain power. Physical activity increases blood circulation and the oxygen and glucose that reach your brain helping you “think better.” So move, do some sport, run, walk, dance, wriggle, scrunch, stretch. And if you think you’re going to get smarter sitting in front of your computer or watching television, think again.

Rule number 2: do one thing at a time. It has been found out that our brain is incapable of multitasking when it comes to paying attention. While we can handle some simple activities simultaneously, when it comes to higher-level tasks, we can’t just do them. So why not finishing your English homework first and THEN turning on the TV? Why not driving home safely first and THEN gabbing on the cell-phone? Just face it: we are limited capacity processors.

Rule number 3: sleep like a log. It has been claimed that a good night’s sleep enhances memory and learning. It’s remarkable that when we are sleeping the brain is not resting at all but brain connections are taking place, which is essential for the brain to be active. Several studies have shown that a daily eight-hour sleep is necessary to enhance brain excellence performance. So remember, whenever you can, catch up on your sleep!

Hardly ever do we stop and think how lucky we are to have this extraordinary organ in our bodies always being of service to us. Hardly ever do we give it enough physical exercise, or respect its limited capacity for attention, or provide it with a complete night sleep. And yet, there it is: still working, letting us think, feel and do. But it’s high time we did something about this “hardly ever,” don’t you think? So, what are YOU going to do, from now onwards, to keep your brain fit?

ICT- Do we always keep the right side of the law?

Internet has always been of great help for students at school when it comes to searching for information; however, we cannot deny this current “cut and paste culture” has become part of every student’s life and is having a detrimental impact on their education. I was reading an article on plagiarism at schools in “The Guardian” newspaper and I asked to myself, "why is it that this has become common practice in every classroom?" So I decided to explore a bit more on the issue.

On the one hand, it might be possible that students lack citation resources management and so they resort to plagiarism. Most learners are not given appropriate instruction on the mechanics of appropriate citation and I firmly believe schools are largely responsible for this. Why not devoting some time to the teaching of citation and referencing techniques regularly at school? And why not testing our students on this? Besides, I think schools hardly ever pay attention to teaching good netiquette. However, if we are to educate this new “net-generation”, this should be a must for every institution, don't you think?

But this doesn’t seem to be the only reason behind this students’ new trends: many times we are forcing the students to “cut and paste” by placing too much emphasis on their marks. By rewarding students only for the results they get in their final written production instead of prizing them for their improvements during the process of writing, most students get obsessed with getting high marks no matter how they do so. So “the end justifies the means.” And there it is: already prepared material on whatever topic it can be imagined, in whatever format it might be required and written by leading experienced specialists on the field, ready to compensate students' lack of preparation, improve their work, and give them hopes for good grades.

So are we really preparing our students to make appropriate use of electronic sources of information? I believe it is our responsibility as teachers to help our students critically evaluate the information they find on the net and be aware of the importance of the use of different sources of information to back up their opinions, but also to teach them that words, images and ideas on the web are all someone’s intellectual property, and not theirs. Learners need to learn to always acknowledge their sources and form their own original piece of work. Or they will be running the risk of being accused of plagiarism.

Why Let Our Students Blog?

This is my first time posting on "Learning ICT" (information and communication technology) and I was wondering about what to share with you related to the topic. So I found this video on "blogging to learn," and I thought it would be a good idea to start thinking of ICT applied to our future, if not current, teaching careers and digital world.
I found it both inspiring and concise, and even though ideas are not fully developed, I believe images can tell more than words in this video.
Definitely, I'll need to get acquainted not only with blogs, but also with all these technological devices oround us! I'm almost sure they can work efficiently and be a great source of motivation for learners. What else can we ask for but motivated and eager to learn students?
So, If you have the time to do so, turn the volume up and have a look at it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whm3pxqkvB8&feature=related
Hope you find it inspiring, too!

Teaching ONLY English?

Today I went to Normal I school, to the same classroom I've been going to for the last month, since I started my teaching practices there. When the bell rang, the kids entered their classroom, sat at their seats and stared at me waiting for instructions, as they usually do. Great group, by the way! After that, I gave my lesson and fortunately, everything went as planned. However, one student in particular caught my attention: he couldn't copy words from the blackboard correctly, he couldn't recognize any of the linguistic items they'd been working with for a month, and he couldn't understand any of the things I was saying in English. It was like Chinese for him. So I talked to his teacher and I learnt this kid is "particularly slow", and I hadn't realized that before. This kept me thinking. What can we do to help this kind of children learn?

There are quick brilliant learners in every classroom, but schools are full of those really "slow" and "not precisely bright" students, too. Let me tell you I really believe THESE are the ones in greater need of help. So what are we doing to help these little "creatures" learn? It might be possible that particularly weak students do not feel confident enough to participate in their English lessons, having fewer opportunities to use the language and to correct their mistakes, and having fewer opportinities to feel proud of their achievements in communicating their ideas in a foreign language. It seems they generally feel they are not capable of carrying out any task, and therefore, they don't do it. But we don't realize this can be working this way. So we just prefer reaching the conclusion that they are not good for English at all and that there is not room for improvement. And that's all.

But is their facility for the language or their level of English the heart of the problem? I firmly believe they are not. Maybe we should start thinking about how to work on their self-confidence first, rather than on their language, help them develop their self-esteem, make them feel secure enough to take risks, and make mistakes, and learn from them, give these students responsibilities in every lesson, make them feel important and useful in class. And stop pointing out their error all the time. Can they really improve if they are just penalized for every mistake they make? Probably they will just end up shutting their mouths and being afraid of opening them again.

Sometimes, I believe, our lesson plans are great, our lesson, perfectly organized and loaded with entertaining and meaningful activities which, we are almost convinced, will inevitably lead to acquisition. But we need to remember, from time to time, that acquisition is not the same in every individual. Different children, different levels of English, different capacities, different abilities, different interests and different needs coexist in our classrooms. Even our best lessons might not be enough for our so-called slow students.

So, I wonder whether teaching English aims only at having proficient English speakers by the end of the year. I believe there should be many other aims in teaching. What about first encouraging them to be proud of their achievements? What about first helping our learners feel they are capable of learning? Maybe, only then, if everything goes right, might these so-called "slow" students be able to try learning English. Or not. But at least they'll know you've made an effort to help them be better learners FOR LIFE.

Learning ICT