New Entries

To Those Who May Be Interested,

I haven't updated for over a year as I have been involved with other activities.  I do plan on getting back to it, so for those of you who have used my materials, any feedback is very welcome as I start a new round before terribly long.  There are some amazing TEDTalks that I am itching to turn into lessons.  Thanks and I hope what I've done so far has been a help.  Thank you!  Doug

Sir Ken Robinson: Bring on the learning revolution!

In this poignant, funny follow-up to his fabled 2006 talk, Sir Ken Robinson makes the case for a radical shift from standardized schools to personalized learning -- creating conditions where kids' natural talents can flourish.

For this 10 page esl lesson in a .pdf format, download directly from:
Sir Ken Robinson: Bring on the learning revolution!

Please feel free to comment with constructive suggestions for future lessons.

Naif Al-Mutawa: Superheroes inspired by Islam

In "THE 99," Naif Al-Mutawa's new generation of comic book heroes fight more than crime -- they smash stereotypes and battle extremism. Named after the 99 attributes of Allah, his characters reinforce positive messages of Islam and cross cultures to create a new moral framework for confronting evil, even teaming up with the Justice League of America.

For this 12 page esl lesson in a .pdf format, download directly from:
Naif Al-Mutawa: Superheroes inspired by Islam

Please feel free to comment with constructive suggestions for future lessons.

John Hardy - My Green School Dream

Join John Hardy on a tour of the Green School, his off-the-grid school in Bali that teaches kids how to build, garden, create (and get into college). The centerpiece of campus is the spiraling Heart of School, perhaps the world's largest freestanding bamboo building.

For this 6 page esl lesson in a .pdf format, download directly from:
John Hardy - My Green School Dream

Please feel free to comment with constructive suggestions for future lessons.

Michael Specter: The Danger of Science Denial

Vaccine-autism claims, "Frankenfood" bans, the herbal cure craze: All point to the public's growing fear (and, often, outright denial) of science and reason, says Michael Specter. He warns the trend spells disaster for human progress.

For this 10 page esl lesson in a .pdf format, download directly from:
Michael Specter: The Danger of Science Denial

Please feel free to comment with constructive suggestions for future lessons.

Dave Eggers - Once Upon a School

Accepting his 2008 TED Prize, author Dave Eggers asks the TED community to personally, creatively engage with local public schools. With spellbinding eagerness, he talks about how his 826 Valencia tutoring center inspired others around the world to open.

For this 13 page esl lesson in a .pdf format, download directly from:
Dave Eggers - Once Upon a School

Please feel free to comment with constructive suggestions for future lessons.

Sugata Mitra: The Child-Driven Education

Education scientist Sugata Mitra tackles one of the greatest problems of education -- the best teachers and schools don't exist where they're needed most. In a series of real-life experiments from New Delhi to South Africa to Italy, he gave kids self-supervised access to the web and saw results that could revolutionize how we think about teaching.

For this 8 page esl lesson in a .pdf format, download directly from:
Sugata Mitra: The Child-Driven Education

Please feel free to comment with constructive suggestions for future lessons.