segunda-feira, 25 de julho de 2011

Living and Learning - in San Diego!

I've heard a lot about San Diego, but I really didn't have an idea of how big this city is! Amazing! It's a very beautiful place. Ok, I'm here during the summer time, what brings an extra charming to the city, but it is really a very nice place to be (and to visit).

The Old Town is a very curious place...you do feel like you were in the Old Western! The candy shop is so delicious and you can have a candle made in your hand shape! Cool!
There are so many different and great places to see that I think it wouldn`t be fair just to mention them. I think I must write specific posts of each place, just to try to express how happy and blessed I was for being in this places! Sea Port Village has a wonderful bookshop and great restaurants! The Zoo is so beautiful! And the Sea World makes you feel like animals and humans were born just to be friends and take care of each other! And I couldn`t forget the Point Loma LightHouse, a very inspiring spot...but its inspirations and reflections are stories for another post!

quinta-feira, 21 de julho de 2011

Books and Friends!

Good books and good friends are a real treasure! They can have the amazing ability of giving you a feeling of belong to something good, giving you a feeling that you aren't and will never be alone, no matter what! Blessed are those who can have both...good friends and good books! That's also one of the reasons why I enjoy traveling...you can find good books and make new (and good) friends. Thanks God, that's what is happening here, in the sunny city of San Diego! And what about you, how have you kept your friends and your books?

sexta-feira, 1 de julho de 2011

Children and Technology

First of all, I do want to make it clear...I love technology! I try to keep myself up-to-dated with all the new gadgets and all the technology which is available. I have my tablet and and enjoy doing lots of tasks on it! Being connected was never more the same! But in educational area I think we should discuss about it. Using technology in the school is wonderful, practical, but the point is not if we should use it or not, the point is HOW to use it in a useful and meaningful way! I watched this video and I liked it.



But some points need to be be considered. A 21st century learner has many needs and having some time not-connected is one of them as well. And when they say 76% of their teachers have never used wikis, blog and etc, the question is: why not? And the answer can be many different ones. Some, maybe, simply don't want to use it; others, maybe, don't have the opportunity or the right equipament and others can even get all the necessary hardware, but they need the adequated training to use it properly.
They asked - What kind of education would you want me to have? - We (teachers) want you to have a kind of education that can bring you the balance to have a very healthy, productive and happy life... We want to engage you, but we also must be engaged, on the other hand, it won't work. In fact, everybody must be engaged in the educational process: students, teachers, parents, government! That's the only way to be successful as a nation.