Can you teach people to have empathy?

A topic I have been curious about.

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-33287727

Can you teach people to have empathy? 

29 June 2015

Empathy is a quality that is integral to most people's lives - and yet the modern world makes it easy to lose sight of the feelings of others. But almost everyone can learn to develop this crucial personality trait, says Roman Krznaric.

Open Harper Lee's classic novel To Kill A Mockingbird and one line will jump out at you: "You never really understand another person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it."

Admirable No Impact Man

Looking for ideas for test writing, I came across an article on a past test held at NHSH. Curious about the protagonist, I surfed the Internet and found this website. What Beavan and his family are doing is incredible!

http://colinbeavan.com/

On Our Way Back to Taipei

We are on our way back to our hime.

Trip to Hsi-tou with Mom

Today my hus and I took my mom and sister to Hsi-tou for a two-day trip. I hadn't expected my mom would immediately agree to come with us. Usually, she would say she would rather stay home because it would be inconvenient for her to travel around. So the moment she said yes, I was more than happy!

And here we are at Hsi-tou, one of my favorite places in Taiwan. My mom talked and laughed a lot during the trip. Her happy smile is one of the most beautiful things in the world!

 

A Break

After reading Kay Koplovitz's "Get in touch with nature" in the TIME article "10 Business Leaders on Creating a Productive Lifestyle," I decided to take a walk first thing this morning. A nature lover, how I wish to stay in the mountains or by the sea for some time!

"10 Business Leaders on Creating a Productive Lifestyle"--from TIME

http://time.com/3930622/tips-create-productive-lifestyle/

10 Business Leaders on Creating a Productive Lifestyle

Michael Simmons / Entrepreneur

June 23, 2015     

Set one priority for the day

Productivity tips come in all shapes and sizes.

Just look at Warren Buffett, a man considered one of the best investors in the history of human civilization. But what might be more impressive than his track record is his schedule. It is the exact opposite of what you’d expect out of the CEO of a $350 billion company. It has been reported that he generally reads for 80 percent of his day and spends the rest having one-on-one conversations with long-time friends who happen to be CEOs of the companies that Berkshire owns, according to the book The Outsiders. This has been his schedule for decades.

Remedial Teaching--"補救教學／提升教師編制 別學半套"--from UDN

http://udn.com/news/story/7339/1009726-補救教學／提升教師編制-別學半套

補救教學／提升教師編制 別學半套

2015-06-23 02:22:54      聯合報 成靜傑／國中導師（台南市）

拜讀廿二日「分科能力分班才能真補救」一文，實心有戚戚焉！何以教育部在「補救教學」措施上花了大錢，卻得不到好的效果呢？這又是一個「學半套」所致「橘逾淮為枳」的政策案例。

偏鄉教育／分科能力分班 才能真「補救」

http://udn.com/news/story/7339/1007626-%E5%81%8F%E9%84%89%E6%95%99%E8%82%B2%EF%BC%8F%E5%88%86%E7%A7%91%E8%83%BD%E5%8A%9B%E5%88%86%E7%8F%AD-%E6%89%8D%E8%83%BD%E7%9C%9F%E3%80%8C%E8%A3%9C%E6%95%91%E3%80%8D

偏鄉教育／分科能力分班 才能真「補救」

2015-06-22 01:51:10      聯合報 呂健吉／華梵大學哲學系主任、宜蘭縣前教育處長（宜縣礁溪）

聯合報對偏鄉教育和補救教學提出願景工程，教育部長也回應提出將提高偏鄉教師員額做為補救教學之用。

The Problems of Education--"教育的問題 是人的問題"--from UDN

http://udn.com/news/story/7339/1006134-%E6%95%99%E8%82%B2%E7%9A%84%E5%95%8F%E9%A1%8C-%E6%98%AF%E4%BA%BA%E7%9A%84%E5%95%8F%E9%A1%8C

教育的問題 是人的問題

2015-06-21 02:57:19      聯合報 李枝桃／國中校長

佐藤學、合作學習、翻轉教學…，在教育現場，每隔一段時間，便會出現一個有關教學法，只要有成功案例，社會便競相追逐，一窩蜂跟進，甚至主管機關也如火如荼辦理研習，儼然該方法是救世主，或是強心針。

My comments: There is no "the only way"! All roads lead to Rome. Take English learning for example. What makes a good learner? I believe it is the motivation, sufficient exposure, and practice that count. Any approach that takes care of these three helps. Teachers can use different methods in different classes or even in the same class for some change.

Nice Seeing You Again, My Dear 314!

Time: 6pm, Saturday, June 20, 2015

Place: The chips in Neihu.

Learning English Through Games--"「課本收起來！」國姓生玩遊戲學英語"--from UDN

http://udn.com/news/story/6901/1000412-「課本收起來！」國姓生玩遊戲學英語

「課本收起來！」國姓生玩遊戲學英語

2015-06-18 11:27:41      聯合報 記者陳妍霖／國姓報導

玩遊戲學英語！南投縣國姓國中英文教師李沛鴻教學走美式風格，將英文融入生活，自創玩躲避球學英語，還能邊吃烤雞邊學英語，讓學生不怕說英語，敢和外國人輕鬆對話。

My comments: Sometimes I used a soft ball or a stuffed toy in class. Whoever had the ball in hand got the  right to answer a question.

Happy Gathering with Annie

A good friend is one who you feel excited to meet up with, one who you love to listen to and talk to. Annie is such a good friend of mine.



 

English Plays--「我們超愛演」虎高用戲劇學英語 英檢成績耀眼

http://udn.com/news/story/6901/956563-「我們超愛演」虎高用戲劇學英語-英檢成績耀眼

「我們超愛演」虎高用戲劇學英語 英檢成績耀眼

2015-06-10 09:26:50      聯合報 記者蔡維斌／虎尾報導

台上演員藉排戲練習口說 台下觀眾用鑑賞提升聽力

虎尾高中積極推動活化外語教學，首度和虎尾鎮「吳爾夫國際文教機構」合作成立「雅思」（IELTS）英語檢定班集訓，一口氣14人拿下5.5以上級數，其中更有9人拿下6.5以上級數，相當等於英國牛津、劍橋碩士班及美國哈佛的入學等級，成績相當耀眼。

Teaching the Four Language Skills Separately--"外師：聽說讀寫應分開教，讓學生英語更強"--from UDN

http://udn.com/news/story/6901/956564

外師：聽說讀寫應分開教，讓學生英語更強

2015-06-10 09:31:47 聯合報 記者蔡維斌／虎尾報導

虎高學生集體通過雅思外語檢定，不僅肯定庄腳囝仔英文不再弱勢，也看出目前延聘外籍師與整體外語教育的缺失仍有待改善，英語老師吳爾夫說，包括聽、說、讀、寫應分開授教，資源計畫性整合，才能讓雲林孩子的外語能更強。

My comments: When I taught the advanced English class in 2003, my main focus was on speaking and reading. According to my experience, those who are eager to speak English have more passion about learning the language.

StoryPlace

StoryPlace is an online children's digital library. It was recommended by Hello E.T. (issue 17, May 2003), which I came across this morning while unpacking a box of  books. The website offered two versions of the digital books, one in English, and the other in Spanish. Each version is divided into four parts: Pre-school Library, Elementary Library, Book Hive, and About and Comments. Worth your visit and exploration.

http://www.storyplace.org/

 

"The 24 Best Parts About Being A Teacher"--from BuzzFeed

The following webpage is recommended by I Simply Love to Share, an FB group set up by Sarah Yin (殷彩鳳老師). Click the link to enjoy lovely photos for each point.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mrloganrhoades/the-24-best-parts-about-being-a-teacher#.une5gk2Nm

The 24 Best Parts About Being A Teacher

“Children are all so unique, and being able to watch them grow and progress every day is the best feeling in the world.”

posted on  Mar. 5, 2015, at 10:53 p.m.

Logan Rhoadess

We asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us the best part about being a teacher. Here are some of our favorite results:

1. That “oooooh” look on a student’s face when they finally get a concept.

My comments: Totally agreed! I remember vividly how Ming-kun (李明錕), the student whose wedding I attended last Saturday, looked when saying "Excellent" after I answered him a grammar question. 

Grading Students' Assignments?--王正方／不改作業，師之惰？

http://udn.com/news/story/7340/990682

王正方／不改作業，師之惰？

2015-06-13 01:53:10      聯合報 王正方（電影導演）

朋友的孩子上了一所新公立高中，新校園寬敞漂亮，師資陣容堅強，有雙語教學，課外活動豐富多彩。聽來挺不錯的。

這孩子來問我數學，多是代數題目。記得我上高一時都在啃三角，熟記三角公式，演算大量證明題，老師特別嚴格，折騰到翻天覆地。那是幾十年前的事了，台灣歷經長期教育改革，高中課程大有變更。學習順序的先後無妨，數學還是數學。仔細看了看當今的數學教材，三角的份量很少。

A Day for Students

(Dao-ching, his girl friend Tsuey-ching, and me, photo from Dao-ching)

Today from afternoon to late evening, I spent time with my former students. First, in the afternoon is Dao-ching's college graduation. Then in the evening is Ming-kun's wedding banquet. After getting home, I called Ken back and helped him out of his dilemma.







 





(Ming-kun's high school teachers and classmate)

 

A Lesson

A few minutes ago in the living room, I bumped into a flying cockroach, one of the most daunting creatures to me. Then I went to get a swatter. Strangely, holding the swatter, I felt more confident to face the roach.

Travel English--from learnenglishfeelgood.com

Two friends are leaving for the States tomorrow. After buying them an English phrase book, it occurred to me that they could find a bunch of websites offering English they need during their trip. Here's one I've just found.

http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/travelenglish/

TRAVEL ENGLISH

Congratulations on Your Graduation!

Last week, Dao-ching (林道慶) called and proposed a meet-up of him, Yi-hung (高逸竑), and me this week before his graduation ceremony. I didn't know why he'd like one before the graduation ceremony, which falls on this Saturday, June 13, until this afternoon halfway through our chat when he asked if he and Yi-hung could put on their gown and cap and have pictures taken with me. I was touched! In fact, I was already moved weeks ago when invited by Dao-ching to attend his graduation ceremony.

On 2015 CA English Test--「老師想哭，再努力也沒用」李家同批會考基本題太少 不知民間疾苦--from UDN

http://udn.com/news/story/6914/951701-%E3%80%8C%E8%80%81%E5%B8%AB%E6%83%B3%E5%93%AD%EF%BC%8C%E5%86%8D%E5%8A%AA%E5%8A%9B%E4%B9%9F%E6%B2%92%E7%94%A8%E3%80%8D%E6%9D%8E%E5%AE%B6%E5%90%8C%E6%89%B9%E6%9C%83%E8%80%83%E5%9F%BA%E6%9C%AC%E9%A1%8C%E5%A4%AA%E5%B0%91-%E4%B8%8D%E7%9F%A5%E6%B0%91%E9%96%93%E7%96%BE%E8%8B%A6

「老師想哭，再努力也沒用」李家同批會考基本題太少 不知民間疾苦

2015-06-08 08:13:23      聯合報 記者陳智華／台北報導

國中會考成績日前公布，今年有1/3的學生英文和數學只拿C(待加強)。清華大學榮譽講座教授李家同昨指出，最大的問題是會考題目比基測要難，幾乎沒有基本題，打擊學生和老師的信心，忍不住批評「出題的人不知民間疾苦。」

My comments: Whether there should be basic items on a test depends on the purpose of the test.

Annie's Summaries of TED Talks

My dear friend Annie watches/listens to a TED talk every day, takes notes, and writes a summary. As a person who loves to share, Annie posts her summary on her FB page daily and publishes 20 at a time at her roodo blog. A practice of perseverance! Bravo!

The following are only a few among the many.

http://reader.roodo.com/anniechan/archives/37771563.html  (1-20)

http://reader.roodo.com/anniechan/archives/37798840.html (21-40)

http://reader.roodo.com/anniechan/archives/38748196.html (321-340)

http://reader.roodo.com/anniechan/archives/42343767.html (441-460)

http://reader.roodo.com/anniechan/archives/44105699.html (461-480)

"Mind Mapping vs. Tired Templates"--from TESOL blog

I used mapping when doing the warm-up in class, with the topic of a lesson in the center of the map and around it related ideas which students brainstormed. However, I never applied mapping to planning a lesson.

http://blog.tesol.org/mind-mapping-vs-tired-templates/

Mind Mapping vs. Tired Templates

Posted on 1 June 2015 by Kristen Lindahl

I’ve been busily evaluating lesson plans turned in by my preservice TESOL teachers, and as always, I’m reflecting my own lessons, all with the goal of improving the quality of their coursework: How can I improve my delivery? Format? Modeling? Assignments? One mismatch I’ve found through my reflections is that, although I stress the notion that language teaching is a cycle of instruction, practice, and assessment, rather than a rigid trajectory with a starting point and end point, many lesson plan templates pose a linear format: first do this, then do this, then do that . . . and you’re done!

Ming-kun, Congratulations!

This evening I got a call from Ming-kun (李明錕), a former student who graduated from NHSH in 2001. He invited me to his wedding next Saturday, June 13. In fact, his mom gave me an invitation call weeks ago and I've got the invitation card. However, Ming-kun still made it formal.

"Teaching Short Stories"--from TESOL blog

http://blog.tesol.org/teaching-short-stories/

Teaching Short Stories

Posted on 3 June 2015 by Alexandra Lowe

At the recent TESOL International convention in Toronto, I was privileged to attend an outstanding workshop entitled “10 Tips for Teaching Short Stories” by Sybil Marcus, an inspiring teacher from the University of California, Berkeley. Presenting excerpts from two short stories, she showed us how she uses stories to teach critical thinking skills, style, grammar, and vocabulary, and to lay the groundwork for classroom debates and writing assignments. Sybil’s approach to teaching ESL skills through short stories sounded so compelling to me that I dashed back to my own classroom as soon as the conference was over to try it out.

My comments: Yes, many skills can be taught based on a story.

2015 CA_English

With the permission from Kang Hsuan Educational Publishing Group, I'd like to share this year's English test on CA. The listening section contains the script.

A4_104年國中教育會考解題＿英語科聽力

104P_Listening_mp3

A4_104年國中教育會考解題＿英語科閱讀

To Graduates--"周行一／給畢業生"--from UDN

http://udn.com/news/story/7340/942356-%E5%91%A8%E8%A1%8C%E4%B8%80%EF%BC%8F%E7%B5%A6%E7%95%A2%E6%A5%AD%E7%94%9F

周行一／給畢業生

2015-06-03 01:49:51      聯合報 周行一（國立政治大學校長）

政大最近慶祝了八十八周年校慶，一位校友返校參與活動時告訴我，在校園走動真好，到處都是青春活潑、氣質出眾、談吐溫文有禮的學生；我告訴他，做老師真好，最近進入畢業季，每年迎接活力無窮，對大學充滿願景的新同學，也歡送一起度過四年的畢業生，他們在學校的歡樂與辛苦將轉換成社會的新柴火，照亮別人的同時也照亮自己，老師們何其有幸，能在他們最重要的人生階段中，陪伴他們成為國家的優秀人才。

My comments: True! While doing the cleaning weeks ago, I found many cards from former students. Reading the words made me feel how lucky I was to be a teacher, who could make contributions to someone's life.

My Son's Mother-in-Law and Me

(Photo taken by Annie)

Friends at My Son's Wedding

Besides the wedding ceremony and the banquet, a merry moment was when meeting my teacher and friends before the wedding. Their sweet calling of my last name when they spotted me melted my heart. Till now, I have still felt touched.

 



My honor to have my high school teacher at the wedding.

My Son's Wedding

I'd attended many weddings, including my friends', my students', my friends' children's. etc., and the day before yesterday I went to my son's wedding. We'd been preparing (f0r) the wedding for more than two months. We reserved the hotel on August 1 last year, and started to clean up and partially renovate our apartment in March. Since our son and daughter-in-law were in the States until May 16, we had to deal with quite a few wedding preparations for them, such as sending the wedding invitations, contacting the videographer, etc. "Things will be all right." Definitely, and on May 30 came the wedding.