21st century education

Now we live in modern times and we belong to the digital era. New technologies are improving every day and this is because of the amount of sources that scientists have.
So this improvement has to be present in 21st century schools. Basicaly because it's necessary to show students how they can use technology for their daily routine. Everyone must know about how it works, but specificaly students may know this better because they are the future. Technology evolves faster and faster so new generations pupils should control it.
Education should be more focused on learning every subject by new technologies. This would let the students to learn a bit of everything using this great source of facilities and information.

Oral presentation video and self-evaluation

In this oral presentation I felt more comfortable than in the one we did in the first term. I suppose that the fact of knowing perfectly the topic helps you to feel more confident while you are exposing your oral presentation. Apart from the nerves we can see in this video, I think I was quite relaxed during the explanation of my research paper.

Film Review: Insidious: Chapter 3

Quinn Brenner, the protagonist of this film, lives with her father, Sean, and her younger brother, Alex. She misses her mother, Lillith, who died a year before.

Quin decided to visit Elise, a parapsychologist, to talk to her mother. However, the old woman advises Quinn not to make contact with her mother again, so she senses that the spirit that she has noticed was not Lillith. The girl saw a shadow waving at her and, after an audition for a prestigious drama school, she was mowed down by a car. The accident leaves Quinn very injured.

Once she was back home, the demonic figure wanted to haunt her, and every time was more and more malevolent. Sean asked Elise for help but she denied it because her previous visits to the "dark" spiritual world made her realise that it was very dangerous, so an evil spirit wanted to kill her. After Sean's visit, Carl, a fellow, convinced Elise to continue using her spiritual ability and helping the Brenner's.

Now Sean contracted a ghost hunter duo. But as Quinn's possession became worse -now she was possessed by the demon and is slowly dying- Sean realised that the duo hunters were FAKE. When Sean wanted to fire the duo, Elise arrived. The old woman decided to enter the spiritual world and told Specs and Tucker recording the activities and words she would drecribe. With the help of a spirit, who was a victim of the demon, Elise enters the Further. Elise, trying to defeat the demon, returns to the material world and realised that Quinn had to beat her faceless version by herself. At first, Quinn was at a disadvantage, but Elise read a letter that Lillith wrote. After that, Lillith's spirit appeared and helped Quinn to take control of her body and return to the real world. Finally, Elise decided to work with the ghost hunter duo.

The film ends when Elise arrives home and the demon suddenly appears beside her.

source 

News: How much caffeine is safe?

How much caffeine is safe? As experts say schoolchildren should be warned of the dangers, we reveal how much is in YOUR favourite drink...

This new article explains about that eight in 10 school children consume drinks with a high level of caffeine. In addition, it tells us that more than 11% of students have energy drinks, fizzy drinks or coffe every day. It also explains that, although caffeine is acceptable for adults, it is not safe for children. The article also mentions that children should be taught about the health dangers that stimulants like caffeine have.

In my opinion this article should be shown in every school, so teachers can control, at least during class hours, the dosis that schoolchildren take of stimulant drinks. It also can be shown to parents to warn of the dangers that some of the most common drinks that children takes are not safe at all.
This piece of news is interesting because it tells people that we should regulate the amount of timilant drinks that children have. Stimulants are also found in foods and drinks with strong colours -the colours are chemical and so they are harmful.
In cloncusion, this article is very good to make aware of the dangers of a high leve consumtion of stimulant drinks.

source

Vocabulary:
curb
roughly
mug
sharpen
jittery
scatty
enhance

My experiences of the Research Paper

There are some reasons to consider that doing a Research Paper is a positive experience for students.

First of all because I enjoyed doing the practical part in the lab, so I could do all the practices on my own. The main positive point was that I could cultivate bacteria and I could check by myself the effect of disinfectants on these bacterial cultures.

The second reason why I am satisfied with doing this project is because I learnt new things and I got a deeper knowledge on topics that I already knew.

And finally, another good aspect of performing this research paper is that I could enjoy the experience with my tutor because it is a personal way of learning.

In conclusion, I consider that the research paper is a positive aspect of Batxillerat due to the fact you have to organise all the information that you have gathered, and it leads you make a good structure of the body of the project. It is a different way of learning from Batxillerat. However, if you don’t work constantly, it is very tough!!

News: The twins with DIFFERENT fathers

The twins with DIFFERENT fathers: DNA test reveals 'extremely rare' case where both boys were born on the same day

This article explains that "a Vietnamese woman has given birth to twins with different fathers." The twins are the same sex and were born the same day. The piece of news also tells that this case occurred when their father had a DNA test because the children did not look alike him. This revealed the children had different fathers. This extrange case can occur if eggs are fertilized by sperm from two different men within a 7-day ovulation period. There is a miniscule chance that different sperm cells can fertilise two separate eggs -only another seven cases like that are registered in medical literature until now-.

It really shocked me because I've heard about the twins fertilization, that it could occur when two spermatozoon fertilize one egg, or when two spermatozoon fertilize two different eggs. But in this case explained by the news article, we can refer to that phenomena as an heteropaternal superfecundation, which means the fertilisation of multiple eggs, by more than one father, from separate acts of intercourse. As the article says, this is an "extremely rare" case because there are a few possibilities of fertilizing a woman by two different men in that short period of time.

source

Vocabuary:

underwent (undergo)

reported

ruled (rule)

What are the positive and negative effects of texting?

Texting, or text messaging, is the way of sending information from cellular and smart phone devices. Texting is a common way that people are using mobile technology. Messages can be sent as text, pictures, video, or audio. A text message can be sent to individual or multiple mobile phones and devices.
The main positive thing that the advance in technology has done is:
The ability of sending messages through a "small" device. We don't have to write a letter, or write an e-mail, or even call to someone anymore. Technology let us texting immediately to the person we want.
But there is a big problem that texting entails:
Now we get used to text everything, it doesn't matter either if it is important or not. We resolve our problems via texting. We have lost the habit of meeting with people when we need to solve any problem. Even we don't hang out as much as we used to, because we prefer to talk to our friends by Whatsapp.

Texting supposed the evolution of the letters and e-mails, they are now only one small thing. But as I said before, we've lost the closeness to our dearest friends or family because of its great traits. Everything related with the technology progress is very positive, so it means our civilization is improving. But I really think that every human bond is more important than any technological improvement.

Report on my high school

My high school is quite a good study centre because all the staff that works there (the board of directors, the teachers, the secretaries and the caretakers) will help you whenever you need.

Even though, there are some details that I would change or improve in my high school.

The first one, and I consider it the most important one, is to paint all the building with at least one colour. Now it is all grey because of the material from which the building is made. I have to say that it wouldn’t seem a prison if it weren’t for both colour and the fences that surround a part of the building.

And the second issue that I would change is part of the skills that students have to learn. Learning a little bit of every subject during ESO is a good thing for us to get a basic knowledge of everything. However, I feel it is appropriate that teachers prepare those pupils who want to go to Batxillerat in a specifically way during 4th of ESO, so the basic knowledge of the ESO years are not enough to truly face Batxillerat level.

With these few changes, pupils would be happier, a basic thing to make their academic progress better.

Finally, I want to add that, over all, I am very satisfied with these six years that I have studied there, because, as I said at the beginning, most of the people that work there are very kind and they will try to help you every time.

News: Has a mythological monster been found?

Has a mythological monster been found? 250 million year old reptile named after fierce lizard with a dog's head... and it can teach us about how crocodiles evolved

This piece of news tells us that researchers have found the fossil of a legendary reptile, named Teyujagua, that lived 250 million years ago in Brazil. The extrange fossil is helping scientists understand the origins of archosauriforms as well as the evolution of both modern day birds and crocodiles. It also says that its anatomy is in between primitive reptiles and archosauriforms, an important group of vertebrates that includes all the extinct dinosaurs and pterosaurs.
The article also explains that Teyujagua lived just after the 90% of living species on Earth had been wiped out, so "it had a combination of features never seen before, indicating the unique position of Teyujagua in the evolutionary tree of an important group of vertebrates.'

When we all believe that there are no more species to discover, researchers find a "new" fossil of a unique reptil called Teyujagua. It is a very interesting article because now scientists can determine better the origins and evolution of modern species like crocodiles and birds. It is amazing how can a fossil improve our knowledge and let researchers understand better the evolution of some species.

source

Vocabulary:
namesake
snout
ongoing
insight

About wars: are they really necessary?

Over the centuries, wars have been present in the different civilizations, whether for economic, political or cultural issues. For that reason, it is necessary to assess if they are really necessary or they can be avoided.

Wars, despite the fact that they would benefit the winner, usually have more negative effects than positive ones. Although it is considered that the war is a "fast-track" to solve a problem, it is not true that it is the most suitable. There are other methods that, although they could be longer, they can be equally or more effective, without hurting both parties.

However, only in extreme cases, war can be "accepted" as the only way to defend themselves. Moreover, these exceptions should only be against the person responsible and the effects should not harm innocent citizens.

So, as I previously mentioned, wars should be avoidable, except in those cases where it is really the most effective tool to combat the problem.

The loss of biodiversity

One of the serious environmental problems we face today is the loss of biodiversity, which includes the set of living beings that inhabit an ecosystem. Unfortunately, the loss of biodiversity generates an irreversible process that means the extinction of species.

Nowadays, the main causes of species extinction are pollution and their habitat destruction. Another significant cause is the introduction of invasive species that displace the local ones. And a third reason, is the hunting and exploitation, whether for business interests or for leisure. An example of this is the ivory of the elephant’s tusks, which is very valuable. Mainly, the loss of biodiversity entails an imbalance of the natural ecosystem and also has an effect on the economy associated with these species.

To conclude, I can say that the loss of biodiversity is an alarming issue that is mostly caused by humans and affects the ecosystem in which we live. We should put an end to that situation by creating natural reserves or zoos.

News: Is technology causing us to 'evolve' into a new SPECIES?

Is technology causing us to 'evolve' into a new SPECIES? Expert believes super humans called Homo optimus will talk to machines and be 'digitally immortal' by 2050

This article talks about the prediction that Dr Ian Pearson made. The futurologist said that humans  will be able to combine himself with computers and evolve to Homo optimus species by 2050. This would be possible thanks to technology progress. The news also explains that the new species, a mix of human and computer, will have superior senses, memory and also intelligence.
"We will be able to connect directly with technology through 'electronic skin' or tiny implants between our skin cells."-said Dr Pearson.
To sum up, Dr Pearson believe that humans will be technologically better (he claims transhumanism) and that we could also have talking pets (like 'real-life Furbies').

In my opinion, this article is so much optimistic. It's hard to belive tech can evolve that much in a short period of time. But if it could be possible, I won't support it. Basicaly because I think human is the only SPECIES that can lead world. If we mix with computers, we will lose our empathy, so we will be cold androids. So I don't belive this prediction is possible (at least in the next century), but if it could hapen, I will not agree with that.

VOCABULARY
merge
breakthrogh
split into

Technology for a better world?

Mankind, as a part of its historical definition, involves complexity. This fact is reflected in the level of progress we've reached now. The situation we have, can look difficult from a certain point of view, because our progress and our creations eclipse our effectivity as human beings. The big issue that must be discussed is: Are we on the right way of progress? Does it improve mankind? Do we really have right to progress the way we are doing it?

Unfortunately, lots of people depend on technology for keeping their jobs, and this is only possible if they haven't lost it yet against the powerful technology, which makes us see how small and unuseful we are. Another remarkable issue would be the dependance that we have generated around the automation, which does not allow us to alue our own capabilities.

However, seen from another point of view, we realise that not everything are disadvantadges. In fact, it has helped to unify the worls in a ridiculously small screen, and what is more satisfying than being able to exist everywhere being at home?

Besides, it has simplified a lot our most disgusting fears, like for example some tasks on the deep seas, even in the space, that most men aren't prepared to do. The most important thing would be that has enabled us to go further in our scientific limits and has made the old manual and slow mathematical system go fast and effective. We could say that it constitutes the basements of our current world.

As a conclusion we would say that it has become necessary although it wasn't originally. It is now what food was in the prehistoric era. A method for surviving. It's true that it has helped, but what sode pf the balance is it pushing? Progress against destruction. Is it a new way of seeing the world or a same old song with different lyrics? Maybe the 21st century is not the moment to answer these questions, and we just probably won't regret unless we step too far. I remember reading a book back in 2010 that finished with the sentence "Mature, and read again". Two months ago I read it and I felt as if the first time I didn't understand anything. Maybe this is what happens, we don't understand. How to get the right answers, if you aren't shure of the right questions?

source

London trip

Finally the date is near! We are going to London, a large city with lots of activities to offer. To get ready for this trip, we may know basic things about the city to assure that we don't lose the opportunity to visit all the touristic attractions.

We will be staying at the Safestay Holland Park, a beautiful hostel in Holland Park.

We have to get sure that we perfectly know the location of the hostel, so we can start visiting London without any problem.

First of all, we may know the main underground stations. That will let us move quickly trough the city. Looking up the map, we see that every station has something beautiful to visit. For example, if we want to visit Picadilly Circus, we have to leave the underground at High Street Kensington. But, as I have said before, it seems that in every station there is something interesting to see.

I want to visit every important place: Big Ben, London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, Picadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, Harrods, Camden Town, and a lot more.

But I can't really stand of visiting The Natural History Museum, which has everything related with nature that you can imagine, The British Museum, that exhibits the works of man from prehistoric to modern times, from all around the world. It includes the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures and the mummies in the Ancient Egypt collection. And finally, I want to visit the Madame Tussauds, where I can come face-to-face with some of the world's most famous faces.

So there are lots of places to visit in a four-day trip, which means that it would be very difficult to do everything I'm interested in.

Let's hope I can visit as much as possible!! Can't wait TO BE in London!!

London Podcast

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: The New Musical

Honestly, one of the best things I have seen in London was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory musical. I have to say that at first I hesitated about if the musical would be good enough in relation with its price (quite cheap). Teachers told us that it doesn't matter the musical we see. Every musical really worth it. And they were right.

I realised that the musical would be amazing when I first listened to the main character, the little boy, singing. Since then, I could not stop enjoying the fabulous show. I was astonished about the incredible work that all the staff involved in that musical had done. I never expected to see a show like that, and if I went back to London I would go to the theatre again.

It surprised me because I have seen the movie and I expected something similar. But it wasn't. The main plot obviously was the same, but the way in which the performance evolved was tremendously different. And that's why I appreciate a lot the show, because they managed to find another way of explaining the same story.

And a second thing that amazed me was all the scenery this company had. They take care of every detail, so they let the viewer get involved into the plot. Every effect was perfectly arranged and synchronized.

In other words, the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory show really worth it. However, the most important thing that I have learnt is that the price of that kind of performances doesn't matter. It is not a fact that can't determine its rate.

source 

   Voice Recorder >>

Nip-Tuck dialogue

Sarah and Claire are talking about their own relationships in a bar.

Sarah: Hey Claire, how do you do?

Claire: Oh I’m a bit worried… My boyfriend is a bit weird with me. You know he likes to “hug” me, but he doesn’t do it anymore.

Sarah: Don’t worry. He may be tired from work when arrives home, isn’t he?

Claire: Yeah, it’s possible… Or perhaps he doesn’t like me anymore. I’m sure he doesn’t love me like he used to. I think the problem is my tiny breast. Tomorrow I have an appointment with the doctor to talk about a breast surgery.

Sarah: Don’t be so silly, girl! You don’t need any plastic surgery intervention. You are amazing just the way you are.

Claire: You don’t really think that, do you? I’m not happy with my body. But look at you… You have a perfect body, nice breast, nice butt….

Sarah: Are you kidding me? Listen to me: if I were your boyfriend I would hug you every time and I would tell you how beautiful you are.

Claire: Sometimes I forget the reason why you are my best friend, but now I realise how lucky I am. I’ll cancel the appointment, but the doctor offered me 25% discount.

Sarah: Claire, you don’t need any operation. In fact, I think surgeons want to get profit of people without self-steam and only want to take your money. 

Now, you have to talk to your boyfriend and explain him how do you feel.

Claire: Yes, I will talk to him right now. I’m leaving. See you Sarah! And thanks a lot!!

Both friends left the bar and went home.

Research Paper Abstract

Keywords: disinfectant, microorganisms, bacteria, effectiveness

We are exposed to microorganisms. They surround us, although we can't see them. Knowing about the microscopical life is very important to be conscient about how microorganisms, mostly bacteria, can act in humans.

Microorganisms have many efects in people depending on the type they are. Most of them are harmless to humans but, in this project, we focused on the ones that can be harmful to us.

I have studied the history of disinfection and antisepsis to learn how they both have evolved.
Observing and checking, by lab practicals, which is the most effective disinfectant are the basic goals that I outlined at the beginning of that project. To achieve that goals, I elaborated a paper divided into two parts: the theoretical part and the practical part. With the first one, I could learn the history of both disinfection and microorganisms. With the second one, I could observe and experiment by myself the effect of several disinfectants. Thanks to this two parts, I draw the project's conclusions, which are:
• Checking the effect that several disinfectants have on bacteria cultures from different places (such as the hands or surfaces like the ground).
• Determine the most effective disinfectant (this one has not been achieved).
• Checking, with a survey, that the consulted people have antiseptics at home. People rely on both Alcohol and Betadine.
• Although we’ve managed to obtain the necessary information to achieve the objectives, I was a bit disappointed because I couldn’t determine the best disinfectant...