So this is the end. In January 2012 we published a fake farewell post (for which quite a few of our students at that time fell), but this time it's for real.
After 15 years (this blog was started on 6th January 2009), over 1300 posts and a lot of hard work, this is our last publication and this blog is being discontinued. We won't be closing it down and all posts will continue to be available, but we won't be adding any new contents.
Thanks a lot for your time and attention. We appreciate your consideration during all these years and we wish you all the very best.
Yours, ever
Your teachers.
No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.
International Men’s Day is recognised on the 19th November, it is marked in around 80 countries worldwide and provides an opportunity to consider some of the issues that may affect men in particular and the ways in which we can support their wellbeing. It also focuses on men’s health, improving gender relations, highlighting male role models, and promoting positive expressions of masculinity. It’s also an opportunity to recognize men who don’t fall into traditional manifestations of masculinity,
It’s generally accepted that men can find it more difficult than women to address issues relating to their physical or mental wellbeing and are less likely to seek help. For example, men are less likely to visit their GP or pharmacy than women (www.menshealthforum.org.uk) and research shows that only 50% of men feel comfortable discussing mental health issues (BITC, Mental Health at Work Report 2017).
The International Day of Mathematics (IDM), a project led by the International Mathematical Union, is a worldwide celebration. Each year on 14th March (14-3: Pi Day) all countries will be invited to participate through activities for both students and the general public in schools, museums, libraries and other spaces.
As the world faces the COVID-19 pandemic, mathematics provides its models and tools to help us understand, monitor, and control the spread of the virus. It is also used to create weather forecasts and prepare for natural disasters. It warns us of climate change and helps us to anticipate and mitigate its consequences.
Mathematics is central to the efficient organization of societies for the benefit of all citizens. It optimizes transportation and communication networks and enables smart planning and management of health, economic, and social systems. Science and mathematics have a crucial role in steering decisions to promote peace and social justice.
As a common language to the planet, mathematics is an essential part of humankind’s cultural heritage. It is present in arts, music, and games, for human enjoyment and well-being.
No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only..
February 18th, International Asperger's Day. Can you feel it (too)?
Asperger is a show that visualizes the emotions of people with Asperger, a condition of the Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Krister Palo is a 15-year-old student at the International School of the Hague who just happens to have Asperger's syndrome. In his talk, he shares misconceptions about people with Asperger's syndrome, and breaks down some of these popular stereotypes and assumptions.
No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.
Convocadas axudas para a realización de actividades de formación en linguas estranxeiras no ano 2023, destinadas ao alumnado dos centros docentes sostidos con fondos públicos
Orde do 18 de xaneiro de 2023 pola que se convocan axudas para a realización de actividades de formación en linguas estranxeiras no ano 2023, destinadas ao alumnado dos centros docentes sostidos con fondos públicos, escolarizado nos cursos 2021/22 e/ou 2022/23, en réxime de concorrencia competitiva (código de procedemento ED504B).
O prazo para a presentación de solicitudes será dun mes, contado a partir do día seguinte ao da publicación desta orde no Diario Oficial de Galicia.
A información sobre este programa, así como a aplicación "en liña" que se refire na convocatoria, atoparase na páxina web https://www.edu.xunta.gal/axudasle.
International Men’s Day is recognised on the 19th November, it is marked in around 80 countries worldwide and provides an opportunity to consider some of the issues that may affect men in particular and the ways in which we can support their wellbeing. It also focuses on men’s health, improving gender relations, highlighting male role models, and promoting positive expressions of masculinity. It’s also an opportunity to recognize men who don’t fall into traditional manifestations of masculinity,
It’s generally accepted that men can find it more difficult than women to address issues relating to their physical or mental wellbeing and are less likely to seek help. For example, men are less likely to visit their GP or pharmacy than women (www.menshealthforum.org.uk) and research shows that only 50% of men feel comfortable discussing mental health issues (BITC, Mental Health at Work Report 2017).
Men’s health is in crisis. Men are dying on average 5 years earlier than women, and for largely preventable reasons.
A growing number of men – around 10.8M globally – are facing life with a prostate cancer diagnosis. Globally, testicular cancer is the most common cancer among young men. And across the world, one man dies by suicide every minute of every day, with males accounting for 69% of all suicides.
Movember is uniquely placed to address this crisis on a global scale.
Movember is an annual event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of men's health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men's suicide.
It is a portmanteau of the Australian-English diminutive word for moustache, "mo", and "November". The Movember Foundation runs the Movember charity event, housed at Movember.com. The goal of Movember is to "change the face of men's health."
By encouraging men (whom the charity refers to as "Mo Bros") to get involved, Movember aims to increase early cancer detection, diagnosis and effective treatments, and ultimately reduce the number of preventable deaths. Besides annual check-ups, the Movember Foundation encourages men to be aware of family history of cancer and to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
Using the moustache as the driving symbol of the movement, Movember focuses on the three key areas of prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health & suicide prevention. Since inception, the Movember Foundation has raised $837 million and funded over 1,200 projects in more than 20 countries.
The long-reigning monarch, 96, died Thursday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, with her eldest child, Charles, now ascending the throne. In honor of the UK’s new royal ruler, the national anthem has been tweaked from “God Save the Queen” to “God Save the King.” The content of the song will remain the same, with the word “queen” simply being swapped out for “king,” and the she/her pronouns changed to he/him.
The national anthem was written in 1745 and was originally titled “God Save the King” in honor of then-ruler King George III. The song did not become the country’s anthem until the early 1800s. Since then, the anthem has switched back and forth between “God Save the King” and “God Save the Queen,” depending on the sex of the monarch.
On Thursday, many Britons took to Twitter to say it would be “weird” to hear the changed national anthem after 70 years of “God Save the Queen.”
“I suppose Britain’s national anthem switches back to God Save the King — that’s gonna be weird for a while,” one stated.
Meanwhile, another chimed in saying the country would subsequently alter in a myriad of other small ways, too.
“I cannot emphasize enough how much Britain will change in the coming year,” they wrote. “New monarch. New money. New national anthem. New stamps. It will change in a thousand seemingly minor, but major ways.”
The death of the queen came Thursday evening British time, just hours after Buckingham Palace said that her doctors had been “concerned for Her Majesty’s health.” Charles released a statement after the death was announced, mourning his late mother:
“The death of my beloved mother, Her Majesty, the queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family,” the 73-year-old said.
“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.”
Charles’ coronation is not expected to take place for months, as the country enters a prolonged period of mourning.
Star Wars Day is an informal commemorative day observed annually on May 4 to celebrate George Lucas' Star Wars media franchise. Observance of the day spread quickly through media and grassroots celebrations since the franchise began in 1977.
The date originated from the pun "May the Fourth be with you", a variant of the popular Star Wars catchphrase "May the Force be with you". Even though the holiday was not created or declared by Lucasfilm, many Star Wars fans across the world have chosen to celebrate the holiday. It has since been embraced by Lucasfilm and parent company Disney as an annual celebration of Star Wars.
No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.
The International Day of Mathematics (IDM), a project led by the International Mathematical Union, is a worldwide celebration. Each year on 14th March (14-3: Pi Day) all countries will be invited to participate through activities for both students and the general public in schools, museums, libraries and other spaces.
As the world faces the COVID-19 pandemic, mathematics provides its models and tools to help us understand, monitor, and control the spread of the virus. It is also used to create weather forecasts and prepare for natural disasters. It warns us of climate change and helps us to anticipate and mitigate its consequences.
Mathematics is central to the efficient organization of societies for the benefit of all citizens. It optimizes transportation and communication networks and enables smart planning and management of health, economic, and social systems. Science and mathematics have a crucial role in steering decisions to promote peace and social justice.
As a common language to the planet, mathematics is an essential part of humankind’s cultural heritage. It is present in arts, music, and games, for human enjoyment and well-being.
No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only..
February 18th, International Asperger's Day. Can you feel it (too)?
Asperger is a show that visualizes the emotions of people with Asperger, a condition of the Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Krister Palo is a 15-year-old student at the International School of the Hague who just happens to have Asperger's syndrome. In his talk, he shares misconceptions about people with Asperger's syndrome, and breaks down some of these popular stereotypes and assumptions.
No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.
“Discipline is not a one-time event,” explains Eliud Kipchoge. “Self discipline is like building your muscle. It’s like going to the gym. You cannot go to the gym today and build your muscle. You should get a program and go slowly by slowly—that’s the way to build your muscle. And that’s the way you can cultivate your self discipline.”
And the same applies to studying
In order for you to be successful you need to consider some facts. One is self-discipline. Self-discipline starts with you. It's not other person. It starts with you. Self-discipline means it's doing what's right rather than doing what you feel. When you've decided to do something, do it. No excuses. Then you are self-disciplined. Discipline is not a one-time event. You make discipline your life-style. Remember, only the disciplined ones are free in life. I'll repeat again: only the disciplined ones are free in life. If you are undisciplined, you are a slave to your moods. You are a slave to your passions.
Waterloo, by Swedish legendary pop band ABBA, is the song you will be dancing at the school carnival this year, to be held next Friday 25th February.
Meanwhile, watch this video, practise the steps, movements, sequences and patterns in this dance. If you learn the lyrics and sing along, you will enjoy it even more.
A question I frequently get is "how do I stay motivated? When it’s cold out or when it’s dark. Don’t I ever just want to stay inside and skip my run?"
And the answer is of course I do. I’m only human. And yet, I still find a way to get out there and go for a run.
So how do I do it? The answer is that, long ago, I realized that motivation is unnecessary. Motivation is fickle. Motivation is fleeting. What you really want is momentum. That feeling you have when you’ve got a run streak going and you don’t want to break that streak. That’s momentum. It’s the inertia of you, set in motion. And a body in motion wants to stay in motion.
So get out there. Run. And keep showing up. The run might be terrible, but that’s the thing about running. Even a terrible run is worth something. Because even a terrible run keeps your momentum going. If you’re going to wait for a day when you’re feeling motivated, the only thing you’ll ever accomplish is waiting. So run when it’s dark. Run when it’s cold. Go. No more excuses. No more waiting.
And next time, when you don’t feel motivated to run. You can tell yourself. I don’t need motivation. I’ve been here before. The dark isn’t so dark. The cold isn’t so cold. I have built a habit. This is who I am. This is what I do. I have momentum.
... AND EXACTLY THE SAME APPLIES TO STUDYING!
No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.
This year, the second in a row, the Times Travel desk faced the challenge of creating one of their signature pieces of journalism, the annual “52 Places” list, in a world turned upside down.
In the past, the list has often focused on things like a newly hot restaurant scene, an exciting new museum or the opening of a fabulous beachfront resort. This list, instead, highlights places where change is actually happening — where endangered wild lands are being preserved, threatened species are being protected, historical wrongs are being acknowledged, fragile communities are being bolstered — and where travellers can be part of the change.
And among those 52 special spots, we can proudly boast our beautiful Cíes Islands.
On this lush arquipelago, keeping overtourism at bay is part of the charm
(Text by AnneLise Sorensen; photograph by Emilio Parra Doiztua)
Even before the pandemic, the Islas Cíes off Spain’s Galician coast had long limited the number of daily visitors — 1,800, in high season — to protect its environment and guard against overtourism.
This verdant archipelago, part of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park, is a vision of protected biodiversity: flourishing nature preserves, teeming marine life and robust colonies of seabirds. The strict conservation efforts include restrictions against cars, hotels and noise, and ensure that only in designated areas can visitors explore long, curving beaches, snorkel through clear waters and hike trails that wind toward picturesque lighthouses.
The delight continues at night: Ink-black starry skies have earned a Starlight designation for limited light pollution. Island ferries depart from Galicia’s Rías Baixas region, with highlights that include misty albariño vineyards, Pontevedra’s old town, and Vigo and its Calle de las Ostras, where you can slurp up fresh oysters at outdoor wooden tables.
No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.
Our brain can potentially memorize 2.5 petabytes of information, which is roughly the equivalent of 3 million hours of YouTube videos. In order to use some of that staggering capacity a little more effectively when you study, here are some tips that are based on widely-accepted research by neuroscientists and learning experts.
Scene 1 Our brain can potentially memorize 2.5 petabytes of information, which is roughly the equivalent of 3 million hours of YouTube videos. In order to use some of that staggering capacity a little more effectively when you learn, here are some tips that are based on widely-accepted research by neuroscientists and learning experts.
If you don't start the day making your bed, you've just started the day with an excuse. You'll then justify reasons to avoid anything after that.
If you can't do the little things right, you will never do the big things right.
Every morning in basic SEAL training, my instructors, who at the time were all Vietnam veterans, would show up in my barracks room and the first thing they would inspect was your bed. If you did it right, the corners would be square, the covers pulled tight, the pillow centered just under the headboard and the extra blanket folded neatly at the foot of the rack.
It was a simple task — mundane at best. But every morning we were required to make our bed to perfection. It seemed a little ridiculous at the time, particularly in light of the fact that were aspiring to be real warriors, tough battle-hardened SEALs, but the wisdom of this simple act has been proven to me many times over.
If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter.If you can't do the little things right, you will never do the big things right.
And, if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made — that you made — and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.
If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.
Richard Feynman was a physicist who received a Nobel prize for his work in quantum electrodynamics. He was notorious for asking others to explain concepts in simple language to test their understanding.
Here his unique technique to learn new materials:
Step 1. Choose a topic you want to understand and start studying it. Once you know what it is about, take a piece of paper and write the topic at the top of the page.
Step 2. Pretend you’re teaching the idea to someone else. Write out an explanation on paper while you describe them out loud. Like this, you get an idea of what you understand and where you still have gaps. Whenever you get stuck, go back and study. Repeat that process until you can explain it.
Step 3. Finally, do it again, but now simplify your language or use an analogy to make the point. If your explanation ends up wordy and confusing, that’s an indication that you do not understand the idea well enough. If that happens, go back until you have mastered it.
It is the process of thinking about an idea while teaching it that makes the method so effective. Once you can explain an idea with simple language and create graphic analogies, you have deeply understood it and will remember it for a long time.
No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.
