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Apple books ebooks ed tech Facebook future Games and gaming internet iPads Mental health pedagogy popular culture robots and drones sociology

ICT news and other trends

Why technologists are limiting their families’ screen time

Michelle Simmons, physicist and 2018 Australian of the Year, does not allow her teenage children to use smartphones or social media. She sees benefits in doing something else with a spare half hour, rather than using a smartphone. In December 2018, the ACCC completed an investigation into Google and Facebook, warning of the danger of ‘filter bubbles’ in public discourse. A final report is due this year. In the UK, a parliamentary committee recommended regulation of big tech companies and making them legally liable for content shared on their websites. Sean Parker, Facebook’s first president, says the company is exploiting vulnerabilities in human minds and children’s brains.

https://www.smh.com.au/technology/why-technologists-are-limiting-their-families-screen-time-20190226-p510bh.html

https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/competition-watchdog-suggests-new-ombudsman-to-handle-google-and-facebook-20181210-p50l80.html

 

Teens ‘not damaged by screen time’

An Oxford University study found there is little evidence of a link between the amount of time teenagers spend on devices and their general wellbeing. Data was used from 17,000 adolescents in the UK, US and Ireland via self-reporting and time-diary techniques.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-47825826

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0956797619830329

 

Fortnite: Is Prince Harry right to want game banned?

Prince Harry believes the game is ‘created to addict’. He added that social media was “more addictive than alcohol and drugs”. China’s tech giant Tencent has tightened checks on the age of people playing online games – checking identities and ages against a police database. Children under 12 are only able to play for an hour a day. Older children can play for up to two hours, but not during a night-time curfew.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-47813894

 

‘Major distraction’: school dumps iPads, returns to paper textbooks

Reddam House primary and lower secondary classes have used e-textbooks on iPads for 5 years, but students have consistently said that they preferred pages to screens. Teachers found that the iPads distracted students and now the school is reverting to print textbooks. Students in Year 11 and 12 always had print textbooks.

https://www.smh.com.au/education/major-distraction-school-dumps-ipads-returns-to-paper-textbooks-20190329-p5191r.html

 

Trends shaping education – Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills OECD

1.Higher expectations of education: Within the next 10 years, the majority of the world’s population will be middle class, with high expectations (China and India will make up 90% of the entrants to the middle class). 2. Digitalisation: A dilemma for education is that the kinds of things that are easy to teach and test have also become easy to digitise, automate and outsource. Students will need skills to navigate the uncertainty of the gig economy. ‘Education has won the race with technology throughout history, but there is no guarantee it will do so in the future. The future is about pairing the artificial intelligence of computers with the cognitive, social, and emotional skills and values of human beings. It will be our imagination, our awareness and our sense of responsibility that will enable us to harness digitalisation to shape the world for the better.’ (Schleicher). 3. The need for continuous learning: Students will need to think for themselves, work with empathy and also collaborate. They will need to understand other cultures and how others think. They must learn to sort fact from fiction. Longer working lives bring changing skill demands. ‘For those with the right knowledge and skills, digitalisation and globalisation have been liberating and exciting; but for those who are insufficiently prepared, they can mean vulnerable and insecure work, and a life without prospects.’ (Schleicher)

https://www.teachermagazine.com.au/columnists/andreas-schleicher/trends-shaping-education?utm_source=CM&utm_medium=bulletin&utm_content=March5

 

A whole school approach to inquiry learning

Mother Teresa Primary in Westmead NSW use an inquiry-based approach in all areas of teaching and learning. Students work through 3 phases of learning: the Explore Phase, the Investigate Phase and the Building Phase, where students test, play and create possibilities. ‘Inquiry learning allows students to develop their skills in communication, collaboration, creativity, reflection and critical thinking.’ (AP Katherine Stennett). Staff also use the approach in their learning. The learning program itself is not written in advance, it is co-written with students as they journey through the learning. The inquiry-based approach allows teachers to understand exactly where their students are at in their learning.

https://www.teachermagazine.com.au/articles/a-whole-school-approach-to-inquiry-learning

 

Drones now delivering in Canberra

Google’s drone company Wing is launching this week in Canberra, with drones delivering coffee, bread, ice cream, pharmacy items and other things. This is a world-first permanent operation after trials across Canberra. There has been some concern about drone noise and a quieter model has been unveiled. Drone deliveries could inject up to $40 million into the ACT economy.

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6011496/drone-delivery-service-gets-the-green-light/

 

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ed tech future human rights internet popular culture sociology websites

30 years of the World Wide Web

The web….where would we be without it?

The World Wide Web is 30 years old (12 March) and Tim Berners-Lee wants to help us fix it

In his open letter of 12 March 2019, he describes 3 sources of dysfunction affecting the web:

  1. ‘Deliberate, malicious intent, such as state-sponsored hacking and attacks, criminal behaviour, and online harassment.
  2. System design that creates perverse incentives where user value is sacrificed, such as ad-based revenue models that commercially reward clickbait and the viral spread of misinformation.
  3. Unintended negative consequences of benevolent design, such as the outraged and polarised tone and quality of online discourse.’

Berners-Lee believes laws and codes can be developed to minimize malicious intent and systems can be redesigned to change incentives. Existing flawed systems can also be changed.

His letter: https://webfoundation.org/2019/03/web-birthday-30/

https://www.newstatesman.com/science-tech/internet/2019/03/tim-berners-lee-wants-help-us-fix-internet-even-possible

 

A new Contract for the Web

Half the world is now online and the Web Foundation is working with governments, companies and citizens to build a new Contract for the Web, with clear norms, laws and standards. Results will be made available later in 2019. Berners-Lee: ‘Most important of all, citizens must hold companies and governments accountable for the commitments they make, and demand that both respect the web as a global community with citizens at its heart.’ He also stresses that the half of the world who are not online must not be left behind and that everyone should contribute to ‘a web that drives equality, opportunity and creativity.’ The Contract for the Web will not be a list of quick fixes, but a ‘journey from digital adolescence to a more mature, responsible and inclusive future.’

https://webfoundation.org/2019/03/web-birthday-30/

 

#ForTheWeb

The independent World Wide Web Foundation was set up by Tim Berners-Lee and exists to advance his vision of a web for everyone. ‘The free and open web faces real challenges. More than half the world’s population still can’t get online. For the other half, the web’s benefits come with too many risks: to our privacy, our democracy, our rights.’

https://webfoundation.org/

 

The Case for the Web Report

Examines what the web has allowed humanity to accomplish, examines current trends that threaten its future and outlines actions to ensure the web remains free and open for everyone. ‘Over half the world’s population is still offline, and the growth of people coming online is slowing dramatically. The distributed power of the web has shifted to lay in the hands of just a few, online abuse is on the rise, and the content we see is increasingly susceptible to manipulation. Over 1.2 billion internet users live in countries where net neutrality is not protected, and more than 1.5 billion people live in countries with no comprehensive law on personal data protection, leaving them particularly vulnerable to increasingly common incidents involving breaches of personal data.’

https://webfoundation.org/research/the-case-for-the-web/

 

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books films Google internet literature popular culture sociology TV

Good films and books

The 10th Annual Goodreads Choice Awards

The only major book awards decided by readers – 5 million votes in 21 categories. Best fiction: Still me – Jojo Moyes; Best mystery and thriller: The outsider – Stephen King; Best science fiction: Vengeful  – V.E. Schwab; Best fantasy: Circe – Madeline Miller; Best historical fiction: The great alone – Kristin Hannah…

https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-books-2018

 

Author interviews on ABC One plus one

Always an interesting program. Tune in after xmas for a week of author interviews from throughout 2018 with Jane Hutcheon……or check the archive. Includes Morris Gleitzman, Clementine Ford, Marcus Zusak, Liane Moriarty, Jeff Kinney, Michael Robotham, Tim Winton

https://www.abc.net.au/news/programs/one-plus-one/

https://www.abc.net.au/news/programs/one-plus-one/archive/

 

The dry – Jane Harper

Winner of the 2017 ABIA Book of the Year; 2017 Indie Awards Book of the Year; 2017 Gold Dagger for Crime Novel of the Year and many more. Federal Agent Falk returns to his old hometown to uncover the truth about the death of his childhood friend and face the demons of his past. I have just started reading this and I’m hooked!

‘Something mythic and valiant … a quintessential Australian story beautifully told’ (SMH)

http://janeharper.com.au/Books/The-Dry

 

Film version The dry

Eric Bana will star as Aaron Falk in the film version, to be directed by Robert Connolly. Filming begins February.

https://www.eonline.com/au/news/991937/eric-bana-to-star-in-movie-adaptation-of-aussie-bestseller-the-dry

Harpers other books: Force of nature (2017) – Agent Falk returns to investigate a missing bushwalker at a corporate retreat.

The lost man (2018) – What really happened to the third brother in the isolation of the outback?

The Lost Man is Jane Harper’s third consecutive marvel…and her most marvellous yet…. What an extraordinary novel: part family drama, part indelible ode to the Outback – a thriller as forceful and atmospheric as a brewing storm. Harper works miracles. We’re lucky to witness them.’ (A.J. Finn)

 

La belle sauvage (The book of dust part 1) – Philip Pullman

I have just finished this prequel to the Northern Lights series and loved it! Pullman’s concept of human souls manifested as animal daemons is unique and special. I want one! There will now be 2 series made, with HBO now co-producing with the BBC series; series 1 will air in 2019.  Stars Dafne Keen as Lyra, James McAvoy as Lord Asriel and Lin-Manuel Miranda as Lee Scoresby; directed by Tom Hooper. Northern Lights won the Carnegie Medal and  later named as the finest Carnegie winner of them all. It’s an awesome series that deals with many philosophical issues. Can’t wait for The testaments, the sequel to the novel The handmaid’s tale by Margaret Atwood – due Sept 2019 (series 3 of the excellent TV series due 2019).

https://www.cnet.com/news/his-dark-materials-fantasy-tv-series-release-date-cast-plot-bbc-hbo/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-6168651/His-Dark-Materials-TV-series-LOOK.html

https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/28/18116012/handmaids-tale-sequel-margaret-atwood-the-testaments

 

Mortal engines film

In a dystopian future, remnants of humanity form mobile predator cities, where larger cities hunt and absorb smaller settlements. Based on the popular book series by Phillip Reeve, the film has received mixed reviews, but the author states: ‘Christian Rivers has done a fantastic job – a huge, visually awesome action movie with perfect pace and a genuine emotional core…There are many changes to the characters, world, and story, but it’s still fundamentally the same thing.’

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1571234/

https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/box-office/lotr-directors-new-film-an-epic-flop/news-story/fd223c75c58072effe5c836dafcfb9f9

 

Mary Queen of Scots and The favourite

Stars Margot Robbie as Elizabeth I and Saoirse Ronan as Mary; directed by Josie Rourke. Explores the battle for power between the 2 women.

‘A darkly compelling, if factually questionable, retelling’ (The Guardian). The film The favourite, starring Emma Stone and Olivia Colman, also looks excellent – an historical comedy-drama about 2 cousins jockeying to be the court favourites of Queen Anne in the early 1700s.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/nov/16/mary-queen-of-scots-review-saoirse-ronan-josie-rourke

https://www.indiewire.com/2018/11/mary-queen-of-scots-review-saoirse-ronan-margot-robbie-1202021017/

https://www.wmagazine.com/story/the-favourite-movie-emma-stone-yorgos-lanthimos

 

Top Google searches 2018

Australian and global. Most searched person: Barnaby Joyce; What is?…bitcoin; How to…opt out of My Health Record…..

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-14/google-top-searches-for-2018/10616794

https://www.smh.com.au/technology/the-year-in-google-what-aussies-searched-for-in-2018-20181214-p50m82.html

Categories
books censorship ed tech future Games and gaming Google human rights internet literature Mental health mobile phones popular culture Science resources sociology websites

Social credit in China, ICT and book news

Social credit in China

You may have seen the intriguing Foreign Correspondent program on ABC 18 Sept. China is undertaking the most ambitious social engineering program the world has ever seen. Their ‘social credit’ system is designed to engineer better individual behaviour. By 2020 China’s 1.4 billion citizens will get a personal digital scorecard, with good behaviour rewarded and bad behaviour punished. Some say it is the world’s first digital dictatorship.

Excellent article with video. Looks at a young woman with a good social credit score and a journalist who lost his social credit and had his access to various services disabled: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-18/china-social-credit-a-model-citizen-in-a-digital-dictatorship/10200278

Foreign Correspondent ABC 18 Sept: https://iview.abc.net.au/show/foreign-correspondent

Black Mirror in China?: https://www.newstatesman.com/world/asia/2018/04/no-china-isn-t-black-mirror-social-credit-scores-are-more-complex-and-sinister

 

Women in physics

The new HSC physics syllabus for NSW will contain no mention of the contributions of female physicists to the field. The syllabus has 25 scientists mentioned 56 times and focuses completely on male physicists and their work. It is also believed that the gender gap in the science workforce will persist for generations, particularly in surgery, computer science, physics and maths. The gender gap was measured using data on 36 million authors of 10 million articles in 6000 scientific journals published since 2003. Globally in science and medicine, women make up 40% of the workforce, but some fields will take many years before the gender gap disappears.

https://theconversation.com/year-11-and-12-students-in-nsw-will-no-longer-learn-about-womens-contributions-to-physics-102988

https://theconversation.com/new-study-says-the-gender-gap-in-science-could-take-generations-to-fix-95150

 

URLs – is it time for something new?

Internet pioneer Tim Berners-Lee regrets developing the double slash after ‘http’. A growing group now think the URL is increasingly complicated and too easily compromised. Google said they are rethinking URLs as they are hard to read and hard to know if they can be trusted. Even the ‘https with a padlock symbol’ doesn’t mean much as both good and bad sites can be encrypted.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2018-09-16/google-time-to-reinvent-the-url-web-browser/10238296

 

Phenomenal success of Fortnite

Launched in Sept 2017, the online video game Fortnite now has over 125 million players and has made $1.6 billion for Epic Games. It has also been linked to 200 divorces. Fortnite’s success is due to 3 principles: accessibility (it’s free with in-app purchases, on all platforms and simple to play); sociality (players can express themselves and play with others) and spectacle (failure is fun and a spectator sport). Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins, a gamer on YouTube and Twitch, has made up to $500 000 a month streaming Fortnite sessions from his bedroom.

https://theconversation.com/stay-alive-and-if-something-moves-shoot-it-one-year-of-phenomenal-success-for-fortnite-103528

Could playing Fortnite lead to ‘gaming disorder’ (video game addiction)? The World Health Organisation says yes, others disagree.

https://theconversation.com/could-playing-fortnite-lead-to-video-game-addiction-the-world-health-organisation-says-yes-but-others-disagree-98458

 

3 things we can learn from people who don’t use smartphones or social media

They spent more face-to-face time with others – connecting, talking, touching and supporting. They know that switching off is not missing out – it is exhausting to sustain numerous online connections, endless exchanges of trivial information and keep up with the overwhelming flow of information and tasks. They enjoyed new-found vitality because they connected with the world around them, helping them to reset and relax. They also had more free time.

https://theconversation.com/three-things-we-can-all-learn-from-people-who-dont-use-smartphones-or-social-media-103468

 

Man Booker Prize Shortlist 2018

Winner announced 16 Oct 2018. Includes previous winners.

https://www.bookdepository.com/Man-Booker-Prize?utm_source=NL-Body&utm_medium=email-Newsletter&utm_term=button&utm_content=MANBOOKER&utm_campaign=20180920_MANBOOKER_SHORTLIST

 

Man Booker Prize – best of the rest

The bestselling shortlisted titles that didn’t win from 50 years of the Booker Prize. Includes The handmaid’s tale; A fine balance; Cloud atlas; The secret river; Atonement; Empire of the sun; Dirt music; Notes on a scandal….

https://www.bookdepository.com/dealsAndOffers/promo/id/1876

Categories
films music popular culture sociology

Good films out now or coming up

Ladies in Black

The movie has received great reviews. Based on the book by Madeleine St John. Directed by Bruce Beresford. Stars Julia Ormond, Angourie Rice, Shane Jacobson. A young school-leaver joins the sales staff of a fashionable store in the late 1950s and is befriended by the people there, changing her life forever. A musical version with songs by Tim Finn toured in 2017 and was excellent! Out now.

https://www.filmink.com.au/reviews/ladies-in-black/

 

First man

Directed by Damien Chazelle. Stars Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy. Biographical drama about Neil Armstrong and the years leading up to the Apollo 11 mission. Opens 11 Oct 2018.

http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20180829-film-review-five-stars-for-first-man?ocid=global_culture_rss

 

The house with a clock in its walls

Based on the book by John Bellairs. Directed by Eli Roth. Stars Cate Blanchett and Jack Black. A young orphan aids his magical uncle in locating a clock with the power to bring about the end of the world. Out now.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/house-a-clock-walls-review-1143515

 

Storm Boy

Aww Mr Percival again…such a great story. In this retelling, Storm Boy has grown up to be a retired businessman who begins to see images from his past and tells his granddaughter about his life. Directed by Shawn Seet (Peter Allen; The code). Stars Geoffrey Rush, Jai Courtney, Trevor Jamieson, Finn Little and Mr Percival. Gulpilil has a cameo as Fingerbone Bill’s father. A video game is also being made. Opens Jan 2019.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-15/storm-boy-remake-trailer-and-poster-released/10123090

 

Mortal engines

Based on the novel by Philip Reeve. Directed by Christian Rivers. Stars Hugo Weaving and Hera Hilmar. Screenplay by Peter Jackson and wife Fran Walsh. Many years after the Sixty Minute War, cities survive on desolate Earth by moving around on giant wheels, attacking and devouring smaller towns to replenish their resources. Opens Dec 2018.

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/mortal-engines-trailer-release-date-uk-peter-jackson-christian-rivers-a8384641.html

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1571234/

 

Boy erased

Based on the memoir by Garrard Conley. Directed by Joel Edgerton. Stars Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe. The 19 year old gay son of a Baptist pastor is given an ultimatum by his parents: attend a conversion therapy program or be shunned by his family, friends and faith. Opens 8 Nov 2018.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/boy-erased-review-1139231

 

Fantastic beasts: the crimes of Grindelwald

Sequel to Fantastic beasts and where to find them. Directed by David Yates. Screenplay by J.K.Rowling. Stars Eddie Redmayne and Katherine Waterston. Newt Scamander and Dumbledore (Jude Law) attempt to take down the dark wizard Grindelwald, while facing new threats in a more divided wizarding world. Opens 15 Nov 2018.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4123430/

 

Mary Queen of Scots

Directed by Josie Rourke. Great cast- stars Saoirse Ronan as Mary, Margot Robbie as her distant cousin Queen Elizabeth I, Guy Pearce and David Tennant. Mary Stuart attempts to overthrow Elizabeth I, Queen of England, only to find herself condemned to years of imprisonment before facing execution. Opens 17 Jan 2019.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-44951930

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2328900/

 

Toy story 4

Directed by Josh Cooley. Voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts. Woody and Buzz set out on a journey to find Woody’s love interest, Bo Peep, who was given away prior to the events of the third film. Opens 20 June 2019.

http://screencrush.com/toy-story-4-delays-annie-potts/

 

And movie musicals are coming back!…..

 

Mary Poppins Returns

The trailer looks amazing! Directed by Rob Marshall. Set in 1935, Emily Blunt plays Mary, who returns to help the grown-up family after a tragedy. Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) has written some of the new songs and plays Jack, a street lamplighter. Also features Julie Walters, Colin Firth, Dick Van Dyke and Meryl Streep, who plays Mary’s eccentric cousin. Opens 1 Jan 2019.

https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2018/09/the-new-trailer-for-mary-poppins-returns-reveals-a-supercalifragilisticexpialidocious-emily-blunt/

 

Bohemian rhapsody

Previews look excellent. Biopic of the rise to fame of rock band Queen and lead singer Freddie Mercury. Directed by Bryan Singer and Dexter Fletcher. Stars Rami Malek as Freddie. Rami will do an amazing job. Opens 1 Nov 2018.

https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-features/bohemian-rhapsody-queen-biopic-696188/

 

A star is born

Remake directed by Bradley Cooper. Cooper plays a country music star and Lady Gaga is a struggling singer. Cooper and Gaga wrote songs together and performed them live. Gaga looks excellent in the previews. Opens 18 Oct 2018.

http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20180902-film-review-a-star-is-born

 

Cats

Directed by Tom Hooper (Les mis, The king’s speech). Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, James Corden and Taylor Swift will journey up to the Heaviside Layer….what a cast! Andrew Lloyd Webber is also writing some new songs and music for the film. Due out Dec 2019.

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/cats-movie-cast-taylor-swift-james-corden-jennifer-hudson-ian-mckellen-tom-hooper-a8458631.html

 

Aladdin

Live-action remake, with additional songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La la land and The greatest showman). Directed by Guy Ritchie. Stars Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott and Will Smith as the Genie. Due May 2019.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/aladdin-everything-know-disneys-live-action-remake-1125148

 

The lion king

Live-action remake with a new Elton John song for Beyonce and a reworked score by Hans Zimmer. Directed by Jon Favreau. Stars the voices of Donald Glover, Beyonce, James Earl Jones. Due July 2019.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lion-king-everything-know-2019-disney-remake-1123979

 

Wicked

Directed by Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot). The story of Glinda and Elphaba has yet to begin filming and may come out in 2020.

http://www.darkhorizons.com/wicked-film-will-eventually-happen/

 

West side story

Remake directed by Steven Spielberg. Casting has just begun. Due 2020.

https://screenrant.com/steven-spielberg-west-side-story-filming-start-date/

 

And in 2019 there will also be a Judy Garland biopic (Judy) with Renee Zellweger and Rocketman, the Elton John biopic.

 

Lots of great viewing!

Categories
ed tech films Games and gaming geography and global resources internet media popular culture Science resources sociology websites

Webby Awards 2018 and AFTRS free media resources

Interesting to see what’s acclaimed on the web…..

 

The Webby Awards

Winners were announced recently for the’ Oscars of the internet’. Lots of categories, including People’s Voice in each section – Web; Online Film & Video; Advertsing; Mobile sites & apps; Social; Podcasts; Games. Winners include:

 

Happiness (4 min. animated film – loved it!) https://vimeo.com/244405542

Dianna Cowern: physics girl (entertaining YouTube channel – physics, astronomy, science) https://www.youtube.com/physicsgirl

Time is the cosmic rhythm http://cosmic-watch.com/how-it-works/

Atlas obscura (travel site) https://www.atlasobscura.com/destinations

Exoplanet exploration: planets beyond our solar system https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/

Solar system exploration https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/

Global climate change: vital signs of the planet (nominee) https://climate.nasa.gov/

TED-ED: build a lesson around  any TED Talk or YouTube video https://ed.ted.com/

Speak a language in 10 minutes a day (nominee) https://www.busuu.com/

Storybots (songs, stories, educational for 4 to 8 yr olds) https://www.storybots.com/

Seeing theory: a visual introduction to probability and statistics http://students.brown.edu/seeing-theory/

National Geographic: pristine seas https://www.nationalgeographic.org/projects/pristine-seas

National Geographic Kids https://www.natgeokids.com/

Welcome to Hogwarts https://my.pottermore.com/hogwarts

Winners and nominees: https://www.webbyawards.com/winners/2018/

 

Special Achievement: Steven Soderbergh – Film & Video Person of the Year

Most online films are available via streaming, but Soderbergh has redefined the boundaries of digital storytelling with his app Mosaic, where people choose how to interact with and follow the gripping murder mystery about a children’s book author, on their phones. Viewers can view the plot via different perspectives and access extra details such as background documents, emails and police reports.  Mosaic was also released as 6 episode TV series. Soderbergh has 2 more interactive storytelling projects underway. His recent film Unsane was shot entirely on an iPhone.

Is Mosaic the future of entertainment?: https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2018/01/19/review-steven-soderbergh-mosaic-hbo-app-sharon-stone/1041754001/

https://www.webbyawards.com/winners/2018/special-achievement/webby-film-video-person-of-the-year/steven-soderbergh/

 

Free resources from AFTRS (Australian Film Television and Radio School)

Free media arts resources are now available for primary and secondary teachers and students. It is predicted that video content will account for 80% of global internet traffic by next year, so screen literacy, creativity and storytelling capabilities will be highly valued in many fields. Resources include lesson plans, worksheets, video content, filmmaking, documentary, podcasting, stop motion and screenwriting.

https://medialab.aftrs.edu.au/

 

Categories
Facebook pedagogy popular culture sociology

ICT and education news

Facebook

We know we are the product and we can stop using it if we really want to. Would we be willing to pay for added privacy options? Zuckerberg believes that regulation of Facebook is ‘inevitable’. In the meantime, why not try confusing Facebook by making posts with random words added and also liking weird things eg. We loved our holiday at Merimbula slipper spaceship oxygen teeth. Did Zuckerberg apologise enough? Some say his apology was just like saying “Sh*t happens”….and his own data was in fact shared in the current controversy.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2018-04-12/facebook-mark-zuckerberg-congress-regulation-inevitable/9636536

https://bit.ly/2IMf5jo

It’s 2021 and Facebook is banned: here’s how you’ll survive:  http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-07/how-to-survive-in-the-post-facebook-world/9626762

 

Do later school start times improve learning?

17 studies in the US and other countries examined academic outcomes, amount and quality of sleep, mental health indicators, attendance and student alertness and found starting the school day later could benefit students both academically and psychosocially. Most of the studies found that delaying a school’s start time resulted in students getting more sleep. One study found ‘significant positive associations between later start times and student maths scores and reading scores’. At Alice Miller School in Macedon, Victoria, school begins at 10am and ends at 4.30pm. Most students and staff like the late start.

https://www.teachermagazine.com.au/articles/do-later-school-start-times-improve-learning?utm_source=CM&utm_medium=bulletin&utm_content=April10

 

Teacher quality the priority for parents

The Global Parents’ Survey 2018 asked nearly 30 000 parents in 29 countries for their views. Parents in Australia say teacher quality is the most important factor when choosing a school for their child, and if their school had extra cash the majority would choose to spend it on more teachers or better pay for existing teachers, followed by more support staff. These factors were also important to Australian parents:  location or distance from home; a happy environment for children at the school; school ethos; academic record/exam results of the school and the quality of facilities. Australian parents were optimistic about the future – 68% said schooling is preparing them well for 2030 and beyond.

https://www.teachermagazine.com.au/articles/teacher-quality-the-priority-for-parents

 

Finnish educator Pasi Sahlberg in Australia

The acclaimed Finnish educator and reformer is now Professor of Education Policy at UNSW Gonski Institute for Education. Sahlberg helped implement elements of the Finnish education system, which has fewer teaching hours, no standardised tests and an emphasis on outdoor play. Formal schooling begins at age 7 and is grounded on equity, with no ability streaming, and all schools are publicly funded. Children with special needs are identified as soon as they start school and far more Finnish children receive special support than in Australia or any other country. Teachers are better prepared to deal with socially mixed classrooms and schools create learning environments and curriculum. Sahlberg hopes to investigate how to enhance equity in education in rural and remote Australia, as he believes Australia has a good education system, but lacks equity.

Interview: https://view.joomag.com/education-review-issue-2-march-2018/0853889001521066927?short

 

9 lessons from brain science

Melina Uncapher is head of the Institute for Applied Neuroscience at UCSF. There are 3 stages of learning – encoding, storage and retrieval. These 9 lessons are based on brain science research – and they are mostly things we already knew by instinct and experience:

  1. Paying undivided attention helps encode new learning into a stronger memory, making information meaningful and relevant.
  2. Making learning socially or self-relevant helps boost the signal and encodes a stronger memory.
  3. Learning at the edge of mastery provides challenge and boosts encoding.
  4. Sleep helps storage- it solidifies and consolidates memory.
  5. Blue light from our screens interferes with sleep. Avoid reading on a screen before bed.
  6. Aerobic exercise can make the brain more plastic and ready to learn.
  7. Stress and adversity can hinder the expression of executive function.
  8. Practice brings knowledge out of long-term memory, and reshapes and restores it.
  9. Activities that build agency (factors under learner control) boosts attention.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomvanderark/2018/04/06/nine-lessons-from-brain-science-from-dr-melina-uncapher/#146b4cb91c66

 

Categories
films literature popular culture TV

Female-focused Shakespeare series for ABC

Margot Robbie to produce female-focused Shakespeare series for ABC

Robbie’s production company has partnered with the ABC and others to create a 10 episode series that will tackle the works of Shakespeare from a female perspective. The themes of various Shakespearean works will be used to create episodes set in current times or the future, updated to comment upon our society. The project will share diverse points of view, from writers representing different cultures and areas within Australia. The goal is for the production and creative teams to also be predominantly female. Filming begins late 2018.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/mar/23/margot-robbie-to-bring-female-focused-shakespeare-to-abc

https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/margot-robbie-throws-star-power-behind-new-australian-tv-series-20180323-p4z5z1.html

 

Rethinking Shakespeare’s women

‘Find a Shakespearean woman who is clever, strong and powerful and inevitably she will end up mad, silenced or dead. Even when she is shown to have integrity, more often than not she is killed off by the final act. ’ (Kean). The new ABC series will be a challenge, considering the characters and what happens to them in the plays. Some say Shakespeare wrote no soliloquies of note for women and that he relied on 7 stock female characters – from bawdy women to  witty unmarriageable women to tragic faithful lovers.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/27/margot-robbie-shakespeare-women-characters-tv-series

 

Shakespeare and gender: the ‘woman’s part’

Although boys played female roles in early performances of Shakespeare, women have been performing female roles in Shakespearean plays since 1660, when Anne Marshall played Desdemona from Othello. Other female performers were also on stage during Shakespearean times.

https://www.bl.uk/shakespeare/articles/shakespeare-and-gender-the-womans-part

 

Shakespeare’s evolving attitudes towards women

Shakespeare’s views of women changed over time – he didn’t understand them at the beginning of his career.

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-32379759

 

Good resources for studying Shakespeare

Includes No fear Shakespeare; Shakespeare’s summaries; Shakespeare: the app; Lectures on Shakespeare; The playwright game; Interactive folios.

https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/best-13-informative-resources-studying-shakespeare/

 

Categories
books films Indigenous resources popular culture

Good books and shortlists

Some good new books out now:

Growing up Aboriginal in Australia

Compiled by Anita Heiss; to be released 16 April. The book includes diverse childhood stories of family, country and belonging.All of the contributors speak from the heart – sometimes calling for empathy, oftentimes challenging stereotypes, always demanding respect.’ Contributors include Adam Goodes, Miranda Tapsell, Deborah Cheetham…..For Years 9 to 12; teaching notes available.

https://www.blackincbooks.com.au/books/growing-aboriginal-australia

 

The shepherd’s hut

New novel by Tim Winton and it sounds amazing. A youth struggles with his life after a violent incident, fleeing his hometown to find the only person who understands him. But what he finds out challenges everything….. ‘Jaxie Clackton is destined to become one of the greatest characters in Australian literature’ (Geraldine Brooks).

https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-shepherds-hut-9780143786115

Review: ‘Austere, beautiful & compelling…an unblinking vision of hope’

https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/the-shepherds-hut-review-tim-wintons-austere-beautiful-and-compelling-novel-20180228-h0wsl1.html

 

Ninja kid: from nerd to ninja

New book series from Anh Do. Nelson lives in a junkyard and finds out on his 10th birthday he has ninja powers. Now he must protect his town and beyond. Ages 6+.

https://www.readings.com.au/review/ninja-kid-from-nerd-to-ninja-by-anh-do-and-jeremy-ley

 

WeirDo TV series

Anh Do’s popular books are becoming an animated TV series.

https://tvtonight.com.au/2017/12/anh-do-developing-kids-tv-project.html

 

Read like a girl: books to celebrate women and girls

Includes:

Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls 2 features 100 new bedtime stories about famous women from around the world, from Nefertiti to Beyonce, transforming each biography into an inspiring story. The women were chosen by global readers and the book also features 100 stunning portraits created by 70 leading female artists. For Ages 5+

Shout out to the girls: a celebration of awesome Australian women

Turia Pitt, Julia Gillard, biologists, rally car drivers, women in all fields…..

https://www.angusrobertson.com.au/read-like-a-girl?utm_campaign=2018-03-08+International+Women’s+Day&utm_medium=email&utm_source=ARB+Master+Subscription

 

Stella Prize Shortlist 2018

Celebrating Australian women’s writing since 2013. Includes:

Terra nullius by indigenous author Claire G. Coleman. ‘In the near future Australia is about to experience colonisation once more. What have we learned from our past?’

http://thestellaprize.com.au/

 

Indie Book Awards

Shortlist with winners 26 March. Includes: Force of nature by Jane Harper; Working class man by Jimmy Barnes; Wimmera by Mark Brandi; Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend; Pig the star by Aaron Blabey.

 

2018 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs)

Longlist with winners 3 May. Includes Unmasked by Turia Pitt;  Saga land by Richard Fidler; The book of dust by Philip Pullman; I’m Australian too by Mem Fox.

http://abiawards.com.au/general/2018-abia-longlist/

 

Books on Screen 2018

Film and TV – A wrinkle in time; Ready player one; The cuckoo’s calling (Robert Galbraith aka JK Rowling); Little women; Throne of glass. Long list of books on screen.

https://www.bookdepository.com/books-and-movies

 

The Book Oscars

A bit of fun from Book Depository….Who will win for best female character in a book? Best male? Best author? Best debut novel? Best book adapted into a movie? Special effects?

https://www.bookdepository.com/book-oscars?utm_source=NL-Body&utm_medium=email-Newsletter&utm_term=button&utm_content=OSCARS&utm_campaign=20180308_OSCARS

 

Australia’s Top 20

Book Depository’s top 20 books sold in Australia.

https://www.bookdepository.com/autop20?utm_source=NL-Body&utm_medium=email-Newsletter&utm_term=button&utm_content=TOP20AU&utm_campaign=20180312_TOP20AU

Categories
films popular culture science fiction TV

Good films and TV

Lots of movie awards around recently with the Academy Awards on Monday 5 March. Some good films, not all suitable for school of course! http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-24/2018-oscar-nominee-list/9355532

 

The shape of water (MA15+) has had great reviews. Directed by Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s labyrinth) and nominated Best Director. This fantasy film, a ‘fairy tale for grown-ups’, tells the story of the love between a woman who cannot speak and a creature imprisoned in a water tank at a government laboratory.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/review/stratton-reviews-del-toros-the-shape-of-water-spielbergs-the-post/news-story/ebf9965b4d27721421aa84fe1b183c70

 

Three billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri (MA15+) is very powerful with strong themes and great performances, especially by Frances McDormand (nominated Best Actress). A lot of swearing though.

 

I, Tonya is an innovative and intriguing film and Margot Robbie is fabulous in it (nominated Best Actress). Allison Janney, playing her mother, is superb and will most likely win Best Supporting Actress. MA15+ with lots of swearing so not really suitable for schools.

 

Lady bird, directed by Greta Gerwig (nominated Best Director), stars Saoirse Ronin (nominated Best Actress), depicts the turbulent bond between a mother and her teenage daughter. Rated M so should be ok for senior high school.

 

Get out (MA15+) was certainly entertaining and original with an excellent twist, but may be considered too violent for school.

 

Dunkirk was an excellent war film and kids love Coco the animated Pixar film, where a young boy is accidentally transported to the land of the dead and his musical ancestor helps him return home. Ferdinand (based on the book) is also nominated – a gentle bull refuses to participate in bullfighting but is forced back into the arena.

http://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-43133872

 

2018 films based on Young Adult books

http://www.betterreading.com.au/book_list/ya-film-adaptations/

An interesting list. Includes:

 

Ready player one

Based on the sci fi novel by Ernest Cline. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Stars Ben Mendelsohn and Simon Pegg. In a dystopian future, a young man and his friends must solve a series of deadly puzzles to beat an evil corporation that wants to take control of the popular virtual world known as Oasis. Opens March.

https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Ready-Player-One-Movie-What-We-Know-So-Far-120497.html

 

Every Day

Based on the groundbreaking book by David Levithan. Stars Angourie Rice. A shy teenage girl falls in love with a mysterious spirit who wakes each morning in a different body, living a different life each day. Fifteen actors, male, female and transgender, portray the spirit. Opens April.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/david-levithan-every-day_us_5a84bf94e4b0774f31d1cef8

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt7026672/

 

Love, Simon

Based on the novel Simon vs the homo sapiens agenda by Becky Albertalli. Stars Nick Robinson and Josh Duhamel. A not-so-openly gay teenager tries to balance friends, family, an anonymous email penpal and a blackmailer who threatens to out him to the entire school. Opens March.

http://www.indiewire.com/2017/11/love-simon-trailer-nick-robinson-gay-hollywood-coming-of-age-film-1201901845/

The bright future of queer literature is the young adult novel: https://www.gq.com/story/the-bright-future-of-queer-literature-is-the-young-adult-novel

 

Mortal engines

Based on the fantasy book by Philip Reeves; screenplay by Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh. Stars Robert Sheehan and Hugo Weaving. In a post-apocalyptic steampunk world , entire cities have been mounted on wheels and motorised, preying on each other for resources. Opens Dec.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/mortal-engines-trailer-peter-jackson-fantasy-movie-christian-rivers-a8116921.html

http://www.philip-reeve.com/mortal-engines/

 

The darkest minds

Based on the series by Alexandra Bracken. In a dystopian future, children who survive a deadly disease develop strange abilities and are locked away in camps. Opens August.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Darkest_Minds_(film)

 

Queen of shadows

TV series based on the best-selling Throne of glass books by Sarah J. Maas. A female teenage assassin journeys through a corrupted kingdom with a tyrannical ruler. To be released early 2019.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Throne_of_Glass

http://sarahjmaas.com/throneofglass/

 

Chaos walking

Based on the first book in the series by Patrick Ness. Stars Daisy Ridley and Tom Holland. Set in a dystopian world where all living creatures can hear each other’s thoughts, in a stream of images and sounds known as Noise. To be released early 2019.

http://www.denofgeek.com/us/movies/chaos-walking/260303/chaos-walking-first-look-at-tom-holland-and-daisy-ridley

 

Good shows on TV in 2018

Free-to-air, Foxtel and streaming. The handmaid’s tale season 2 (SBS April); Genius (Antonio Banderas as Pablo Picasso; Nat. Geographic); Hard sun (end-of-the-world, Ch.7); Runaways (based on the graphic novels; Fox); Troy: fall of a city (Netflix).

Australian productions: Picnic at Hanging Rock (Showcase in May); Interview with Andrew Denton (series; Ch.7); Olivia Newton-John: hopelessly devoted to you (Stars Delta Goodrem; Ch.7); Mystery Road (based on the film; ABC); Jimmy Barnes: working class boy (doco; Ch.7).

https://thewest.com.au/entertainment/tv/what-to-watch-in-2018-ng-b88731469z

 

New TV series sci fi & fantasy

 

Altered carbon

Based on the novel by Richard Morgan. Future humans do not die – their consciousness is transferred to a new synthetic body. Now on Netflix.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altered_Carbon_(TV_series)

 

The first

Stars Sean Penn. A team of astronauts colonises Mars.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/sean-penn-star-hulus-beau-willimon-space-drama-1041275

 

Philip K. Dick’s electric dreams

10 stories based on the works of Philip K. Dick. On Stan now.

http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/tv-shows/philip-k-dicks-electric-dreams-is-mindbendingly-good/news-story/799b0a9167b3c42b33b6ccd419220fc0

https://www.stan.com.au/watch/electric-dreams

 

The umbrella academy

Based on the graphic novel by Gerard Way. Stars Ellen Page as the only member of a dysfunctional family who doesn’t have some kind of supernatural ability. Netflix 2018.

https://www.altpress.com/news/entry/gerard_way_netflix_umbrella_academy_day_one_first_look

 

Maniac

Stars Emma Stone and Jonah Hill. Two patients at a psychiatric hospital escape into a fantasy world. Netflix 2018.

https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/913328/maniac-netflix-release-date-new-series-emma-stone-jonah-hill-trailer-cast-plot

 

More sci fi and fantasy TV: http://www.syfy.com/syfywire/18-new-tv-shows-we-cant-wait-to-watch-in-2018-superman-space-and-sandals