On the Entrance Exam--"學測綁指考 學生的快樂天堂?"--from UDN

http://udn.com/news/story/7339/1066530-%E5%AD%B8%E6%B8%AC%E7%B6%81%E6%8C%87%E8%80%83-%E5%AD%B8%E7%94%9F%E7%9A%84%E5%BF%AB%E6%A8%82%E5%A4%A9%E5%A0%82%EF%BC%9F

學測綁指考 學生的快樂天堂?

2015-07-20 01:04:31      聯合報 張慶瑞／台大物理學系教授

My comments: The author was a junior high schoolmate of mine.

學測與指考雙軌招生的制度，至今已有約廿年時間。主張大幅提升學測招生的學者以「多元入學，快樂學習」為理想，並強調學測與指考分軌可避免「一試定終身」的壓力。這種思維過去是多數大學招生的主流，招生制度的訂定由各校自主決定，讓各校選擇所需人才，本是非常正確準則，但在適性揚才的模糊語意下，複雜入學制度成了常態。學測與指考的招生簡章的多元性，讓考生及家長看完後只能嘆息，所有設計似乎就是希望讓入學的不確定性增加，落點分析的市場也快速成長。多才藝與多語言的檢驗資料，也讓城鄉差距加大與教育的階級化逐漸出現。

My comments: As I said before, all depends on the purpose. Only when the purpose is clearly defined can the policy be proposed, drafted, finalized, and implemented.

However,...--"心境換了 幸福也來了"--from UDN

http://udn.com/news/story/7339/1064920-%E5%BF%83%E5%A2%83%E6%8F%9B%E4%BA%86-%E5%B9%B8%E7%A6%8F%E4%B9%9F%E4%BE%86%E4%BA%86

心境換了 幸福也來了

2015-07-19 01:40:0

前些時候，與朋友娟喝茶，她輕啜一口，無限滿足的說自己好幸福。我知道她身上的擔子滿重的；公公不良於行，婆婆漸失智，都需要人照料，請了外傭照顧，丈夫是家中獨子，得獨力負擔家計，因此孩子長大後，她也外出工作。「雖然壓力挺大的，但—是—老公很貼心，任何家事他都會幫忙。」她訴說丈夫的好，臉上滿是幸福。

TED Ed

http://ed.ted.com/lessons

A LINE message from Sarah (殷彩鳳老師), a good friend of mine:

"I think Annie could start watching ED TED and have a column about how to use it in high schools /June can join her for senior high too [USE Ed TED in high school English Class]"

"Creative Writing Now", Where You Can Get Story Ideas

To get story ideas for a test writing mission, I keyed in "story ideas" and discovered "Creative Writing Now." When you are out of story ideas, why not visit this site to get inspiration?

http://www.creative-writing-now.com/

For example, on the following page of this website, you get 44 short story ideas, some in the form of "three elements," which have to be combined with one of the story ideas on the same page, some giving prompts.

Junior High School Reunion

Time: 12pm, Thursday, July 16, 2015

Place: Cafe Kitchen

Today, I attended a junior high school reunion, which I organized. 23 came. We chatted from 12pm to almost 5pm. This group is like honey, sticking together. Since we had our first reunion on April 19 last year, there have been numerous gatherings. Can you believe it? There is another on July 24 and still another on July 31!

When Students Are Drawan to the Front Row--"同學，你為何不坐第一排？過半台灣學生進大學，遇上集論文點數的老師，注定翹課瞌睡浪費青春"--from Business Weekly

http://www.businessweekly.com.tw/KBlogArticle.aspx?ID=13014

同學，你為何不坐第一排？過半台灣學生進大學，遇上集論文點數的老師，注定翹課瞌睡浪費青春

撰文者蔡淇華             2015-07-15

每次學校老師開會，大家都擠在後面，留下空蕩蕩的前排，令人不覺莞爾，因為上課時，學生同樣喜歡離老師遠一點，沒人要坐第一排。但若偶爾坐坐第一排，你會發現一片嶄新的風景，甚至找到一個魔幻入口，抵達一個意想不到的人生。

My comments: When I was a college student, I loved to sit in the front row. This way, I felt I was closer to the knowledge center.

On Education Reform--"誰能馴教改怪獸 誰就贏2016"--from UDN

http://udn.com/news/story/7339/1054028-%E8%AA%B0%E8%83%BD%E9%A6%B4%E6%95%99%E6%94%B9%E6%80%AA%E7%8D%B8-%E8%AA%B0%E5%B0%B1%E8%B4%8F2016

誰能馴教改怪獸 誰就贏2016

2015-07-14 01:28:10      聯合報 王伯元／創投業（台北市）

二○一六大選已開跑，政治經濟議題又成辯論主軸。然而，比起統獨、兩岸、主權等「大」問題，參選人應更關注內政，特別是教育議題。過去台灣得利於教育普及，培育很多優秀人才，造就亞洲四小龍龍首的經濟奇蹟；然而經過二十多年的教育改革，我們的人才優勢卻逐漸衰退。

Get Out and Walk--"洪蘭／運動助學習 快走最有效"--from UDN

http://udn.com/news/story/7340/1052016-洪蘭／運動助學習-快走最有效

洪蘭／運動助學習 快走最有效

2015-07-13 01:28:33      聯合報 洪蘭

暑假到了，很多家長又為安排孩子暑期活動而煩惱。我有個朋友，全家因暑假怎麼過意見不合在冷戰：爸爸要兒子去夏令營鍛鍊身體；媽媽要兒子去學外語：「鼎泰豐的外場人員多會一種語言，多加四千元！」兒子只想留在家中打電玩，哪裡都不想去。

其實運動和學習不是二選一，它們是相輔相成的。實驗發現，當神經元需要同步活化來做一件事時，大腦會分泌神經生長因子（Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor，BDNF）來幫助神經元的連接並使其固化（consolidate），下次再要時，活化會快。其實這就是學習，神經學上對學習的定義就是神經迴路的改變與強化。

Words from Bill Gates' Mother, Mary Maxwell Gates--"王文華／比爾蓋茲媽媽給台大學生的話"--from UDN

http://udn.com/news/story/7340/1048898

王文華／比爾蓋茲媽媽給台大學生的話

2015-07-11 01:54:31      聯合報 王文華（作家、「夢想學校」創辦人）

台大學生登山募款事件發生時，我想起比爾蓋茲的媽媽。

比爾蓋茲的媽媽叫瑪麗蓋茲，當過老師、待過銀行，後來在聯合勸募服務。

一九九四年，她六十四歲時，不幸得了癌症。那年比爾蓋茲卅九歲，準備結婚。

婚禮前幾天媽媽幫新人辦趴。那時她的身體已經很虛弱，但仍打起精神，念了一封勉勵新人的信。那封信的最後一句話是：「上天給你們最多，對你們的期待也最多。」

My comments: "From those to whom much is given, much is expected."

http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eimh45ehjl/bill-gates-from-those-to-whom-much-is-given-much-is-expected/

Yin-chen and Ching-jay's Wedding Banquet

This evening, I attended the wedding banquet of Yin-chen, a former student who graduated from NHSH in 2006, and Ching-jay. Several months ago, Yin-chen invited me to her wedding banquet via FB, and two months ago, she visited and gave me her wedding cake in person.

Yin-chen also invited six 313 classmates. It seemed we had a very small class reunion.

Taking a Trip to Europe with Diego via Photos

Today, Diego, a former student who graduated from NHSH in 2006, visited me and shared with me his trip around Europe via photos. He went to German this past February as an exchange student and within this half years he went throught 14 countries during the breaks, including Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, England, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Czech, Vetican, and Luxembourg.

Friends

It's been a long time since we five last got together. That was why we stayed in the restaurant for almost hours. Friends expands my horizons. Different experiences, varied perspectives, and diverse opinions.

It Is Not That Hot!

This afternoon when I was working in my study, analyzing the English listening test on the 2015 CA and later writing items for a mock, I didn't have the air conditioner or even the fan on. Though sweat kept flooding down my face, I didn't find it unbearable at all. Focusing on what I was doing, I didn't pay much attention to the heat. In fact, my mind was peaceful.

"Five Myths About Learning English"--破除五個台灣人英文學習的錯誤觀念

An article from VoiceTube:

http://tw.blog.voicetube.com/2015/03/26/%E3%80%90%E5%BF%85%E5%AD%B8%E3%80%91%E7%A0%B4%E9%99%A4%E4%BA%94%E5%80%8B%E5%8F%B0%E7%81%A3%E4%BA%BA%E8%8B%B1%E6%96%87%E5%AD%B8%E7%BF%92%E7%9A%84%E9%8C%AF%E8%AA%A4%E8%A7%80%E5%BF%B5

破除五個台灣人英文學習的錯誤觀念

20150326

錯誤一：用字不精確、不道地

錯誤二：別人怎麼問，你開頭就怎麼答

錯誤三：學英文可以短期速成

"Cheerleading world mourns 'founder' Lawrence Herkimer"--from BBC

Everything has a founder. However, I've never wondered how cheerleading started until I came across this news story.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-33393756

Cheerleading world mourns 'founder' Lawrence Herkimer

4 July 2015

Tributes have been paid to the founder of modern cheerleading who has died at the age of 89.

Lawrence Herkimer, known as "Herkie", built a successful business by setting up cheerleading camps and developing equipment - including the pom-pom.

How He Learned 20 Languages on His Own--"我是怎麼自學20種語言的？"

An article shared by Annie (詹麗馨老師).

http://www.cw.com.tw/article/article.action?id=5068851&utm_source=dailybrief&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=dailybeirf#

我是怎麼自學20種語言的？

作者：Timothy Doner／熊玠非編譯  2015-07-01                                        Web Only

紐約青少年杜納(Timothy Doner)，靠著聽唱片和線上線下聊天和字典，自學20種語言，被稱為最年輕的人肉翻譯機。媒體的閃光燈模糊了焦點，學習外語不是為了耍酷，而是讓不同文化的人交流，跨過文化的界限，找到不同文化中共同的特性和好的特質。

在過去的幾年裡，我一直被媒體譽為『世界上最年輕的人肉版世界語言翻譯機』，一個聽起來像一種罕見疾病的名詞。其實它是用來描述一種，可以講非常多種外國語言的人。除此之外，這種人對語言的熱情，足以讓他的獨處時間都被文法書占滿。

Solo's Music

This morning I got an FB private message from Solo, a student I taught 14 years ago who is studying film scoring in the States. He sent me a link to an FB page to share with me his new scoring for a TV series Sunset.

https://www.facebook.com/solo.wang/posts/10207250644128992?__mref=message_bubble

For his talent to be "heard," I posted the link in messages to several LINE groups and friends.

Storybird--an English Learning Website

A reading/writing website recommended by I Simply Love to Share, an FB group started by Sarah Yin (殷彩鳳老師), a teacher friend who, though not teaching in a formal school, have inexhaustible passion for and a great commitment to teaching English.

https://storybird.com/

At this site, one can not only read a variety of stories but also create their own stories.

 

"Everything I Own"--a Song

This is a good song to teach the idea of expressing love before it's too late and not taking things for granted, and grammatically, the relative clause. How I love this stanza:

Is there someone you know, /You're loving them so, /But taking them all for granted? /You may lose them one day. /Someone takes them away,/And they don't hear the words you long to say.

Test Writing

This evening I was writing a practice test for a publishing company. The test contains eight sections. Given five sample tests, including one from my friend Annie, I had to figure out myself what is tested in each part.