Saturday, January 22, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Non traditional sports, November 3rd
Tired of the usual outdoors sports? Check out our list of non-traditional sports and activities to get the blood pumping.
________________________________________
1. Canyoneering
Wind, climb, rappel, and crawl through the contours and formations carved by flash floods and rivers racing through canyons. Canyoneering is the adventurous sport of traversing narrow canyons that have been sculpted by water. Canyons vary in their depth, width, and difficulty.
A wide range of canyoneering routes are found throughout the world from simple/non-technical walk in the park types hikes to extremely difficult routes requiring technical swimming, rappels, and ropework.
2. Fastpacking
Cut out weight, kick up the speed and travel far and fast into the wilderness. Fastpacking is ultralight backpacking combining trail running and hiking to propel hikers further and deeper into the wilderness. Fastpackers can travel upwards to 30 miles a day with their ultralight packs, simple shelters, and minimalist food supplies. Without such modern day distractions like deluxe multi-tools and a handheld GPS, fastpacking is a way to get more immersed in the terrain and the experience of moving through it..
3. Four Square
Grab some sidewalk chalk and a rubber playground ball and you are good to go. Four square has moved off the playground and into the driveways of hip twenty and thirty-somethings across the US and Canada. A court is drawn up with four squares of equal size and each square occupies a single player. The player in the top spot serves the ball into any other player’s square and play continues until someone misses the ball or messes up and that person is eliminated allowing everyone to move up a square and get closer to the highly coveted “King” spot.
4. Geocaching
Search high and low for hidden treasures in this huge global game of hide and seek. Geocachers use a GPS to find treasure stashes anywhere in the World. Geocaches are usually waterproof containers that contain a logbook and some trade items that a geocacher hid and then logged the GPS coordinates online for other geocachers to find.
Geocaches have varying difficult levels from simple drive-ups to more complex searches requiring long off-road drives, scaling mountain peaks, or underwater dives. Geocaches are even found in such far-flung destinations as Antarctica and north of the Arctic Circle.
5. Packrafting
Backcountry exploration is often limited by water crossings–creeks, rivers, wetlands, or lakes that because of temperature and other factors, are impassable with out some kind of boat.
Packrafts are lightweight, portable boats compact enough to be carried during treks through backcountry terrain. Along with collapsible paddles and safety equipment, packrafting gear weighs last than nine pounds and fits into your backpack right alongside other backcountry equipment.
6. Bike polo
Construct a homemade mallet with PVC pipe, a ski pole, and hockey tape and head out to your local parking garage for a game of urban bike polo. Played in parking garages, basketball courts, or any other urban concrete slab urbanites can find teams of bikers use mallets to strike a ball into a goal.
In contrast to the mellower version of bike polo played in the grass, urban bike polo often results in plenty of crashes and carnage. As far as rules go bike polo has more in common with hockey than the traditional horse-riding polo. The game begins with a ball placed in the middle of the court and each team waits behind their goal and then charges the ball when the game is called to a start. The game continues until a team reaches a preset number of goals or reached a time limit.
7. Parkour
Flip, jump, and vault your way over walls, fences, and other urban obstacles. Parkour is actually a philosophy of movement in addition to a sport – think urban gymnastics meets humanistic theory. The object of parkour is to get from one place to another in the most efficient way possible using only the body and other objects in the environment. Parkour is about overcoming mental barriers as well as physical barrier and parkour strongly discourages competition, reckless behavior, and risky stunts.
8. Longboarding
Carve down paved hills on a snowboard with wheels. Longboarding is just downhill skateboarding with a longer and wider board. There are no freestyle moves, aerials, or flip tricks in longboarding, it is all about cruising from one place to another with smooth fluid movements creating that feeling of snowboarding or surfing.
9. Extreme Croquet
Drive croquet balls through weeds, rivers, sand, and mud. Extreme croquet in contrast to the regular backyard variety is an anything-goes version of croquet where there are no boundaries to the playing area, a number of unique and interesting challenges, and ridiculous house rules or no rules at all.
10. Stand-up Paddling
Paddle through flat water and into waves while standing up on a super long surfboard. Stand-up paddle surfing is an old school Hawaiian sport originating in the 1940s when Waikiki beach boys would paddle out on their longboards to take pictures of the tourists on shore. Since then stand-up paddling has exploded in popularity because of its quick learning curve and simple nature – most people are up and paddling within 30 minutes of learning.
Select one of the non-traditional sports above and look for information about it in order to describe it orally in class.
________________________________________
1. Canyoneering
Wind, climb, rappel, and crawl through the contours and formations carved by flash floods and rivers racing through canyons. Canyoneering is the adventurous sport of traversing narrow canyons that have been sculpted by water. Canyons vary in their depth, width, and difficulty.
A wide range of canyoneering routes are found throughout the world from simple/non-technical walk in the park types hikes to extremely difficult routes requiring technical swimming, rappels, and ropework.
2. Fastpacking
Cut out weight, kick up the speed and travel far and fast into the wilderness. Fastpacking is ultralight backpacking combining trail running and hiking to propel hikers further and deeper into the wilderness. Fastpackers can travel upwards to 30 miles a day with their ultralight packs, simple shelters, and minimalist food supplies. Without such modern day distractions like deluxe multi-tools and a handheld GPS, fastpacking is a way to get more immersed in the terrain and the experience of moving through it..
3. Four Square
Grab some sidewalk chalk and a rubber playground ball and you are good to go. Four square has moved off the playground and into the driveways of hip twenty and thirty-somethings across the US and Canada. A court is drawn up with four squares of equal size and each square occupies a single player. The player in the top spot serves the ball into any other player’s square and play continues until someone misses the ball or messes up and that person is eliminated allowing everyone to move up a square and get closer to the highly coveted “King” spot.
4. Geocaching
Search high and low for hidden treasures in this huge global game of hide and seek. Geocachers use a GPS to find treasure stashes anywhere in the World. Geocaches are usually waterproof containers that contain a logbook and some trade items that a geocacher hid and then logged the GPS coordinates online for other geocachers to find.
Geocaches have varying difficult levels from simple drive-ups to more complex searches requiring long off-road drives, scaling mountain peaks, or underwater dives. Geocaches are even found in such far-flung destinations as Antarctica and north of the Arctic Circle.
5. Packrafting
Backcountry exploration is often limited by water crossings–creeks, rivers, wetlands, or lakes that because of temperature and other factors, are impassable with out some kind of boat.
Packrafts are lightweight, portable boats compact enough to be carried during treks through backcountry terrain. Along with collapsible paddles and safety equipment, packrafting gear weighs last than nine pounds and fits into your backpack right alongside other backcountry equipment.
6. Bike polo
Construct a homemade mallet with PVC pipe, a ski pole, and hockey tape and head out to your local parking garage for a game of urban bike polo. Played in parking garages, basketball courts, or any other urban concrete slab urbanites can find teams of bikers use mallets to strike a ball into a goal.
In contrast to the mellower version of bike polo played in the grass, urban bike polo often results in plenty of crashes and carnage. As far as rules go bike polo has more in common with hockey than the traditional horse-riding polo. The game begins with a ball placed in the middle of the court and each team waits behind their goal and then charges the ball when the game is called to a start. The game continues until a team reaches a preset number of goals or reached a time limit.
7. Parkour
Flip, jump, and vault your way over walls, fences, and other urban obstacles. Parkour is actually a philosophy of movement in addition to a sport – think urban gymnastics meets humanistic theory. The object of parkour is to get from one place to another in the most efficient way possible using only the body and other objects in the environment. Parkour is about overcoming mental barriers as well as physical barrier and parkour strongly discourages competition, reckless behavior, and risky stunts.
8. Longboarding
Carve down paved hills on a snowboard with wheels. Longboarding is just downhill skateboarding with a longer and wider board. There are no freestyle moves, aerials, or flip tricks in longboarding, it is all about cruising from one place to another with smooth fluid movements creating that feeling of snowboarding or surfing.
9. Extreme Croquet
Drive croquet balls through weeds, rivers, sand, and mud. Extreme croquet in contrast to the regular backyard variety is an anything-goes version of croquet where there are no boundaries to the playing area, a number of unique and interesting challenges, and ridiculous house rules or no rules at all.
10. Stand-up Paddling
Paddle through flat water and into waves while standing up on a super long surfboard. Stand-up paddle surfing is an old school Hawaiian sport originating in the 1940s when Waikiki beach boys would paddle out on their longboards to take pictures of the tourists on shore. Since then stand-up paddling has exploded in popularity because of its quick learning curve and simple nature – most people are up and paddling within 30 minutes of learning.
Select one of the non-traditional sports above and look for information about it in order to describe it orally in class.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Body Language
Youtube= Public Speaking: Giving a Great Speech: Public Speaking Tips: Body Language
http://www.youtube.com/v/wmjGz5PS6sl?fs=l&
1. What is the specch about?
2. What is the function of gestures when someone is performing a speech?
3. What are some mistakes people commonly do when performing a speech?
3. How can you improve your speaking skill?
4. Do you use gestures when yuo are performing a speech? Why?
5. Are gestures important to have a successful speech? Why?
6. Should teachers use gestures in English Class? Why?
7. What is the function of the body during a speech?
8. Select a hobby or occupation and plan a speech in order to perform it in class by including gestures. (10/20/2010).
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Teacher: My future profession
I am naturally curious. If I don’t know about something I quickly find a way to look it up. The main reason why I got Internet on my cell phone is so I can always have access to look up various topics I come across. I consider myself a life-long learner. I will never be an expert at anything because I am always learning something new. The idea of teaching, where I can have the opportunity to directly influence young lives, learn something new every day, be challenged and be creative with different lessons excites me. With my background in New Media and Journalism, I will be able to bring a unique perspective to lesson plans and will be able to use technology to enhance lessons that will intrigue the students.
I didn’t always want to be a teacher. I wasn’t like so many other future teachers who knew deep in their soul that teaching was their career at a young age. I didn’t really consider teaching until I was in graduate school studying New Media. I remember my freshman year in college when I was trying to figure out which career path to take, my mother suggested teaching. I remember saying I don’t want to teach someone’s bad kid. As I got older, the idea of teaching started to pop in my head regularly. I do enjoy being around children, I love the satisfaction of helping someone understand something and I like to encourage children to always strive to be better at something. The more and more I thought about it education is a field that I really want to be a part of. I’ve always enjoyed being in school and my favorite class was always English. I loved writing book reports, reading books and writing in my journal. I want to bring my love of reading and writing to the lives of teenagers to inspire them and teach them how to be productive citizens.
I know being a teacher is no walk in the park. I’ve observed classrooms of middle school students, talked to many teachers, read blogs and researched the field to know all the ups and downs of the profession. I know if you don’t have good classroom management your students will walk all over you. I know about the endless grading, the parents who think there child can do no wrong and the pointless meetings, but I am ready for the challenge and will not give up. A quote from Theodore Roosevelt is “The best prize life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” I know without a doubt being a teacher will be so much hard work, but it will be worth it. I won’t complain about issues going in the school, I will try my best to find solutions and then implement them. Students today need more guidance than ever, so I will try my best to get to know my students and structure my lessons so that it will interest them. I hope they will take something from me that will help them succeed in life.
I am naturally curious. If I don’t know about something I quickly find a way to look it up. The main reason why I got Internet on my cell phone is so I can always have access to look up various topics I come across. I consider myself a life-long learner. I will never be an expert at anything because I am always learning something new. The idea of teaching, where I can have the opportunity to directly influence young lives, learn something new every day, be challenged and be creative with different lessons excites me. With my background in New Media and Journalism, I will be able to bring a unique perspective to lesson plans and will be able to use technology to enhance lessons that will intrigue the students.
I didn’t always want to be a teacher. I wasn’t like so many other future teachers who knew deep in their soul that teaching was their career at a young age. I didn’t really consider teaching until I was in graduate school studying New Media. I remember my freshman year in college when I was trying to figure out which career path to take, my mother suggested teaching. I remember saying I don’t want to teach someone’s bad kid. As I got older, the idea of teaching started to pop in my head regularly. I do enjoy being around children, I love the satisfaction of helping someone understand something and I like to encourage children to always strive to be better at something. The more and more I thought about it education is a field that I really want to be a part of. I’ve always enjoyed being in school and my favorite class was always English. I loved writing book reports, reading books and writing in my journal. I want to bring my love of reading and writing to the lives of teenagers to inspire them and teach them how to be productive citizens.
I know being a teacher is no walk in the park. I’ve observed classrooms of middle school students, talked to many teachers, read blogs and researched the field to know all the ups and downs of the profession. I know if you don’t have good classroom management your students will walk all over you. I know about the endless grading, the parents who think there child can do no wrong and the pointless meetings, but I am ready for the challenge and will not give up. A quote from Theodore Roosevelt is “The best prize life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” I know without a doubt being a teacher will be so much hard work, but it will be worth it. I won’t complain about issues going in the school, I will try my best to find solutions and then implement them. Students today need more guidance than ever, so I will try my best to get to know my students and structure my lessons so that it will interest them. I hope they will take something from me that will help them succeed in life.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Oral report, september 25
Education in the Costa Rican Constitution
The literacy rate in Costa Rica is 96% (CIA World Fact Book, February 2007), one of the highest in Latin America, and elementary as well as high schools are found throughout the country in virtually every community. That literacy rate is based on "The percentage of people aged 15+ who can, with understanding, both read and write a short, simple statement related to their everyday life (UN Common Database (UNESCO))."
According to art. 78 of the Constitution:
"Preschool education and general basic education are compulsory but not enforced. Though the system is said to be free, many cannot afford the required uniforms and rural schools have no books for students. The length of time daily spent in school is 3.5 hours since the school class schedule is divided into two sessions in order to accommodate the students. Those levels and the diversified education level are, in the public system, free and supported by the Nation. Public expenditure in State education, including higher education, shall not be less than six percent (6%) per annum of the gross domestic product, pursuant to law, notwithstanding the provisions of Articles 84 and 85 of this Constitution. The State shall facilitate the pursuit of higher studies by persons who lack monetary resources. The Ministry of Public Education, through the organization established by law, shall be in charge of awarding scholarships and assistance."
The literacy rate in Costa Rica is 96% (CIA World Fact Book, February 2007), one of the highest in Latin America, and elementary as well as high schools are found throughout the country in virtually every community. That literacy rate is based on "The percentage of people aged 15+ who can, with understanding, both read and write a short, simple statement related to their everyday life (UN Common Database (UNESCO))."
According to art. 78 of the Constitution:
"Preschool education and general basic education are compulsory but not enforced. Though the system is said to be free, many cannot afford the required uniforms and rural schools have no books for students. The length of time daily spent in school is 3.5 hours since the school class schedule is divided into two sessions in order to accommodate the students. Those levels and the diversified education level are, in the public system, free and supported by the Nation. Public expenditure in State education, including higher education, shall not be less than six percent (6%) per annum of the gross domestic product, pursuant to law, notwithstanding the provisions of Articles 84 and 85 of this Constitution. The State shall facilitate the pursuit of higher studies by persons who lack monetary resources. The Ministry of Public Education, through the organization established by law, shall be in charge of awarding scholarships and assistance."
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Stories I remember
The memories from our childhood still exist, or in another expression, we still carry a bit of the child inside us.
Jumping was my dream when I was a child. I wanted to fly by making the highest jump and watch my house and the road from the sky and to see the entire city where I was born.
It never happened!
During my childhood I never had the chance to fly on an airplane.
Now I can see my city and even all Iraq from the tiny window of the airplane, but everything looks different.
When I was a child, I used to jump with my friends for joy and happiness. I dreamt to see my place from a great height for no particular reason.
Nowadays, al of us are flying in a big competition and we have forgotten the beauty of the games we had in childhood.
Jamal Penjweny (1981) lives and works in Iraq.
· Where did you use to live/ study?
· What did you use to do at the weekend?
· Who used to be your best friend?
· What sport did you use to play?
· What singer did you use to like?
· What used to be your favorite food?
· And your appearance, did you use to look different?
Jumping was my dream when I was a child. I wanted to fly by making the highest jump and watch my house and the road from the sky and to see the entire city where I was born.
It never happened!
During my childhood I never had the chance to fly on an airplane.
Now I can see my city and even all Iraq from the tiny window of the airplane, but everything looks different.
When I was a child, I used to jump with my friends for joy and happiness. I dreamt to see my place from a great height for no particular reason.
Nowadays, al of us are flying in a big competition and we have forgotten the beauty of the games we had in childhood.
Jamal Penjweny (1981) lives and works in Iraq.
· Where did you use to live/ study?
· What did you use to do at the weekend?
· Who used to be your best friend?
· What sport did you use to play?
· What singer did you use to like?
· What used to be your favorite food?
· And your appearance, did you use to look different?
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