Today we celebrate the "Safer Internet Day"! http://www.saferinternetday.org/web/guest/home Safer Internet Day (SID) was born as an initiative of the EU SafeBorders project in 2004 and is now celebrated in more than 100 countries across all continents. Each year SID chooses a topic concerning online issues, from cyberbullying to social networking, to reflect on online safety,  rights and responsibilities, to encourage users to 'connect with respect'.  In particular, for  2014 the topic is "Let's create a better internet together".I'm a blogger, I use my blog with my students at school, I encourege them to use it at home because they are "digital natives". Moreover the Internet can be a wonderful resource for kids. But the access on the Net can also pose hazards and adults have to protect kids from the potential dangers. One of the most dangerous problem concerning our "digita kids" is cyberbullying.Cyberbullying is the use of technology to harass, threaten, embarrass  another person. It can include:sending threatening or offensive text messagescreating or sharing embarrassing images or videosexcluding children from online activities or groupscreating hate sites or groups about a particular personstealing online identities to embarrass or trouble a childBut what are the main problems cyberbullying can cause in a teenager? Cyberbullying can provoke physical and emotional problems:depressionanxietysadness and lonelinesschanges in sleep and eating patternsloss of interest in school, hobbies, friendsself-harmWhat to doFirst of all parents, teachers and adults in general should:1. Step into kids cyberworld Adults have to get involved to keep their eyes open. It's important to be aware of what our kids see and hear on the Internet, who they meet, and what they share about themselves online.2. Set house or school rulesDecide how much time children can be online and which sites they may go to. For example, as a teacher, I usually use "webquests" if I want my students to do some research. With a webquest you decide in advance which sites your students can surf to find the required information.3. Teach kids to protect their privacy you should say your children/students:* never to give their name, phone number, e-mail address, password, postal address, school, or picture without permission* not to open e-mail from people they don't know* not to respond to hurtful or disturbing messages* not to get together with anyone they "meet" online. Kids should: 1. Tell  an adult they trust2. Walk away (ignoring bullies is the best way to take away their power)3. Resist the urge to respond 4. Save evidence of the bullying (it can help to prove the offence if needed)5. Report bullying to the service provider6. Block the bully (most devices have settings that allow to electronically block the bully  from sending notes)7. Be safe online (use password and  think twice before sharing personal information or photos/videos because, once posted, they are very difficult to delete).

"The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and the beauty in the world." F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great GatsbyTop ten New York travel attractions:New York skylineNow surf the following sites to learn something about the history of the cityHistory of New Yorkhttp://kids.nypl.org/websites-for-kids/new_york_city_historyNew York timeline history:http://iloveny.com/what-to-do/reasons-to-love-ny/timeline-new-york-history Some information about New Yorkhttp://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0108570.htmlTimes SquareBrooklyn Bridge And now watch the videos below A day out in New Yorkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHoquYB0TZoNY historyhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7lIdA8OUr8A melting pothttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIZdRvTwKbAYou read some information and watched some videos about New York. Can you answer these easy questions?Can you name some of the most famous NY attractions?Where can you find Central Park?Where is The Times Square located?What are the Broadway Shows?Who were the first inhabitants of NY?Which were the first names of the city?What is a "melting pot"?How many Italians are there in NY?  Let's sing "New York New York" with Frank Sinatra..."New York state of mind" with Billy Joel... "New York" with the U2...and "Sunday Morning New York Blue" with Rob Thomas!  YOUR TASK Which song did you like the most? Read carefully the  lyrics, what do you feel while listening these songs? Do  the songs have something in common? "One belongs to New York instantly, one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years".  Tom Wolfe

 Carnival  occurs just before Lent and typically involves street  parades. People often dress up or masquerade during Carnival celebrations and parties.In this post I'm showing you three important Italian Carnivals. The Carnival of Venice (Veneto)was first recorded in the 13th century but Venice has only been "the city of Carnival" since the 18th century, when people from all over Europe came to its fantastic parties. Recently there has been a great revival of the Venetian carnival. In the city there are a lot of parties, dancing and costumes parades. The Carnival of Viareggio  (Tuscany)It was born in 1873 as a masquerade event for the rich bourgeois in their discontent at having to pay a too-high tax price. Through the course of time its principal characteristic has become its enormous, animated papier-mache floats. On these floats that parade along the coast of Viareggio, big caricatures of the political, cultural and showbiz names dominate. The Carnival  of Putignano (Apulia)is famous for the spectacular parade of papier-mache floats. It starts the day after Christmas and finishes the day before the ash Wednesday. The figure that represents the Carnival of Putignano is "Farinella". The name derives from Farinella, a chickpea and barley flour which is the ancient food of country workers.In July  there is a 'summer edition' of the Carnival. Have a look at the following information I've put on Thinglink about these three Italian cities. Moreover I've added on Thinglink some videos I've mixed up with Metta. Enjoy! View the presentation:https://www.thinglink.com/scene/488041961006039040 (once you open Thinglink, click on the links of the image)  And now, could you find some information about some other famous carnivals in the world? You could  make a presentation using some of the tools I showed you! Have fun!

Puglia (or Apulia) is the "heel" of Italy.Click on the following Thinglink image I've created to have some information:   https://www.thinglink.com/scene/481523444043743233I've also created a  presentation with Blendspace . You can find videos, pictures, recipes and information about Apulia:  https://www.blendspace.com/lessons/z47IiKrUtFiKkw/visit-puglia And now some information by my students about their town: In this blog we usually travel around the world and study different cultures, now we want to talk about ourselves! Our school is in Gioia del Colle, Puglia. It literally means "Joy of the Hill" and it is located on the Murge plateau at 360 metres above the sea level.There is a famous Castle, built in the 12th century, during the time of Norman Count Riccardo Siniscalco d'Altavilla. Destroyed by William the Wicked of Sicily, the castle was rebuilt in 1230 by Emperor Frederick II.Gioia del Colle is famous for its fantastic "mozzarella"!This is our school http://www.iclosapiosanfilipponeri.gov.it/At the following link you can have some information about some monuments of Gioia del Colle: http://www.infopointbari.com/index.php?pag=luoghi&tipo=Monumenti&citta_s=Gioia+del+Colle&action=Filtra&p=1Come and visit Puglia!!

 I love using videos in my classes and with the following tool I can even create my own interactive videos! With Educanon you can choose a video from the web (YouTube, Vimeo, or TeacherTube videos) and embed anything you like. You can  transform what is traditionally passive content into an active experience for students.http://www.educanon.com/You can: (1) Build. You can add questions, lesson information, paste a video or a url directly INTO any video.(2) Assign. You can create your class(es) and assign lessons.(3) Monitor. You can watch student progress in real-time, question-by-question.The following simple example I made for you is in preview mode (I didn't create my own class). In the actual student lesson, students cannot fast-forward or skip parts. Moreover, when they are asked to answer some questions, they can write in a blank space that you cannot see in the preview mode.Watch my example: An invitation to visit Britain:http://www.educanon.com/public/10011/23475I think Educanon it's perfect to create your own video lessons in flipped and blended learning environments.Try it!

March, 10th 2014 is the Commonwealth Day.What is the Commonwealth?Some information from the official site of the British Monarchy:http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchAndCommonwealth/TheCommonwealth/TheCommonwealth.aspxCommonwealth Day 2014. Events and celebrations:http://thecommonwealth.org/media/event/commonwealth-dayThe aim of the Commonwealth Day is to celebrate the unity, diversity and linkages of the modern Commonwealth and foster greater understanding of the Commonwealth’s achievements and role, particularly among young people.On that day, there is a celebration in Wenstminster Abbey, it is the biggest multi-faith celebration in the United Kingdom and  it features a mixture of testimonies, readings, hymns and musical performances. It is attended by HM Queen Elizabeth II, Head of the Commonwealth, politicians, High Commissioners, Commonwealth dignitaries and up to 200 other VIPs. It is also attended by over 1,000 schoolchildren. Celebrations at Wenstminster Abbey Commonwealth Theme for 2014: TeamCommonwealthTeam Commonwealth expresses a spirit of friendship and motivation towards the shared goals and values that exist between Commonwealth members. This enables them to work together to help one another create just and peaceful societies, achieve sustainable and inclusive social progress, advance democracy, and build economic resilience with prosperity in which all citizens can share.Now surf the following website, consult the timeline and write a brief summary about the Commonwealth history.http://thecommonwealth.org/our-history

Today I tried a very interesting tool. With Fakebook you can invent a profile of any historical or fictional character. Your result will be a Facebook-like page!You can add images, links, "friends", comments and "likes"! It's very interesting and students can have a lot of fun. They can create their own pages or comment yours.I think it could be very useful to study history or literature. I created the following brief example with my students. Some time ago we watched "The king's speech" about king George VI (http://thetravellingteachers.blogspot.it/2014/01/holocaust-memorial-day-january-27th.html), so the Fakebook page is about the period between king George V death and the outbreack of world war II.There are some quotes, original pictures and links to original videos, as well.Have fun!Fakebook: http://www.classtools.net/FB/1049-4XFSKp

This time I tried a fantastic tool to create animations.   GoAnimate is very fun! You can choose your characters, backgrounds, animations, music and voices! As regards the voices, you can record your own voice, upload a file or use the "text-to-speech" (you type in the words). Of course if you use the last option the result will sound more "robotic". http://goanimate.com/  In my example I could'nt use my microphone, so I typed in my dialogues.Anyway, the brief video I created gives the idea of the things you can do with this great tool! Click on the link below. Have fun!http://goanimate.com/videos/0rcV1JZ_xBL8?utm_source=linkshare&utm_medium=linkshare&utm_campaign=usercontent

The Kids Food Festival is a festival against childhood obesity. It takes place in New York. This year it took place on March 1st and 2nd in Bryant Park. http://kidsfoodfestival.com/about-us/our-mission This event focuses on educating families about making balanced food choices through fun and flavorful activities.The festivals goals: 1. Aid in the transformation to balanced eating habits through education and promotion of sensible food choices.2. Help reduce childhood obesity.3. Generate increased demand for wholesome and balanced options of food-related products through education, sampling, and exposure.4. Facilitate collaborations between families, communities, businesses, schools, and public and non-profit organizations.5. Support a charity that helps create a healthier food environment for kids. It's very important to have healthy habits!  American foodhttp://www.usconsulate.org.hk/pas/kids/food.htmFast food - Nutrional advicehttp://www.pamf.org/teen/health/nutrition/fastfood.html British food http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/food.htmlMediterranean diethttp://oldwayspt.org/programs/mediterranean-foods-alliance/what-mediterranean-diet The Mediterranean diet pyramidhttp://oldwayspt.org/resources/heritage-pyramids/mediterranean-pyramid/overviewNow it's quiz time! Is your fridge... healthy? http://www.healthyfridge.org/kids.htmlThis event helps in the fight against childhood obesity. Learn about the importance of achieving balance in food choices, through fun activities and sampling family-friendly foods. Get your forks ready for a weekend full of flavorful fun! Appetites of all ages will be satisfied! - See more at: http://kidsfoodfestival.com/#sthash.JqmlcGiG.dpuf

Using storyboards can help us to easily transmit any idea, even the most complex, to our students. Storyboards or comics could make it easier to explain events or processes and could help students remember details and put them on a timeline. I have to say that I really had fun! StoryboardThat is a really enjoyable tool to create your own comics!http://www.storyboardthat.com/ This is my short example: Click on the link below to enlarge the image: http://sbt.blob.core.windows.net/storyboards/robertamartino/school-rules.pngI've also tried Make Beliefs Comics.  http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/ Click on the following link to open my strip.http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/?comix_id=49325928C1233233Lastly I tried Zimmer Twins to create animated strips. It's fantastic!http://www.zimmertwins.com/splashHere you can see my example: http://www.zimmertwins.com/node/1447552I think it would be very useful to make our students create their own storyboards, too. For example, instead of writing only words they could insert drawings to create their reports or summaries.Moreover, by allowing students to use digital tools we can teach them  technological skills that will be very important for their future.

St. Patrick's Day is a religious holiday celebrated on March 17th.  On that day, that falls during Lent, people traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink and feast! The traditional St. Patrick meal consists of Irish bacon and cabbage. The shamrock is a symbol of St. Patrick Day and Ireland in general. It was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland because it symbolized the rebirth of spring.  When St. Patrick came to Ireland he used the Shamrock to symbolize the meaning of the church's teaching on the Trinity.   Can you find any other symbolsof St. Patrick Day? Use the following link:  http://blnds.co/1bD0G52 You can even take a quiz! Here you can have some information about St. Patrick history: http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day  Here you can find videos, typical Irish songs with lyrics, news about St Patrick's parades and Ireland in general:http://st-patricks-day.com/Watch the following video about 10 fantastic facts about St. Patrick Day! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijs-S4g4eCs#aid=P-l8Rgamh1AHow to celebrate St. Patrick's Day like an Irishman...

Teacher quality is the most important within-school factor affecting student performance,  teachers play a key role in creating quality education systems and good learners. So it's very important to be constantly up-to-date. Read the following articles from Edutopia:"Why Is Teacher Development Important?: Because Students Deserve the Best"http://www.edutopia.org/teacher-development-introduction"Teacher Development Research Review: Keys to Educator Success"http://www.edutopia.org/teacher-development-research-keys-successI had a wonderful experience last July in Cambridge. I took a course at Bell Teacher Campus about new technologies in the classroom. This blog was born from that experience! And now I want to share some of those moments with you... Watch my video  clicking on the link below (it's only 6 minutes long)! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lehN4fg8bds&feature=youtu.be"Erasmus plus" opportunities for European teachers:http://www.welcomeurope.com/european-funds/erasmus-813+713.html  http://www.erasmuspluscourses.com/?gclid=CNinopzAjb0CFSQXwwod6iUAug

All the world's a stage,And all the men and women merely players;They have their exits and their entrances,And one man in his time plays many parts,His acts being seven ages.William Shakespeare, As You Like It Act 2, scene 7, 139-143  As an English teacher, I have to say that theatre activities really capture the attention of the students. Students can listen to English mother-tongue actors speaking in a quasi-real language situation. Every year at my school our students have the chance to attend theatre performances played by native English speakers. After the show, the actors organize a workshop with some games and give the students the opportunity to interact with them.These shows are very important because they allow interaction in the target language, the assimilation of a whole range of pronunciation in a contextualized and interactive way and the contextualized acquisition of new vocabulary and structure.And, most of all, the students have a lot of fun! Watch our VIDEO!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWzhI7Dra30&feature=youtu.beA BIG... TO ALL THE ACTORS AND ALL OUR STUDENTS!

The International Day of Happiness was established by the United Nations General Assembly on 28 June 2012. It is celebrated throughout the world on 20th March. The General Assembly,[…] Conscious that the pursuit of happiness is a fundamental human goal,[…] Recognizing also the need for a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes sustainable development, poverty eradication, happiness and the well-being of all peoples, Decides to proclaim 20 March the International Day of Happiness, Invites all Member States, organizations of the United Nations system and other international and regional organizations, as well as civil society, including non-governmental organizations and individuals, to observe the International Day of Happiness in an appropriate manner, including through education and public awareness-raising activities[…] To learn more click on the following links: http://www.un.org/en/events/happinessday/ http://www.dayofhappiness.net/#context  And now sing along with Pharrel Williams ... because we're happy! What about you?What makes you happy?How do you usually feel?Why do you feel so?Where do you usually feel happier?When do you feel happier?Who makes you feel happy?You can write a report, take or choose a picture that symbolizes happiness for you, write a poem or draw a picture.

Let's go shopping! Shopping in LondonLondon is a shopping town! You can find chic boutiques, department stores, traditional old men’s shops, or market stalls. The following links allow you to go shopping around the city... Let's have a walk. http://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/activities/shoppingAt the above link you can find different shopping areas and you can choose your favourite shop, from luxury shops to vintage shops, departement stores or street markets. You can even choose your shops by categories.http://www.streetsensation.co.uk/Here you can visit London shops street-by-street!London shopping areas  ... and now a tour inside Harrods!Shopping in New York Here  you can find the top 25 NY shopping destinations.http://nymag.com/visitorsguide/shopping/destinations.htmAnd now let's go to the main artery of New York City's shopping scene... the Fifth Avenue!http://www.nycgo.com/slideshows/fifth-avenue-shopping  Top five stores in New York City Shopping in BariOk, now let's go to Italy. But I'm not talking about a big city like Rome or Milan. I'm going to Bari. Bari, the second largest city of Southern Italy, is capital of the Apulia (or Puglia) region and it's where I live. To learn more about Puglia go to the following link of my blog.http://thetravellingteachers.blogspot.it/search/label/PugliaShopping in Apulia:http://www.lifeinitaly.com/shopping/puglia Shopping in Bari:http://shopeuropeshop.com/where-to-shop-in-bari-italy/Bari's most elegant shops:http://www.vogue.it/en/trends/shop-in-the-shops/2011/10/shopping-in-bari  Bari's most famous shopping street, Via SparanoDo you like going shopping? Did you ever go to one of these cities?What about shopping in your town? 

This year, for the World Water Day in Tokyo, the UN will recognize the water-energy nexus, particularly highlighting the needs of the world’s population who are without access to clean drinking water, proper sanitation, and adequate food and energy services.Link on the following link to learn more:http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterdayOn the occasion of the World Water Day, I want to share with you a short video I made with my students a few years ago. We made it for a Comenius project and it is about the symbolism of water.Watch the VIDEO"In an age when man has forgotten his origins and is blind even to his most essential needs for survival, water along with other resources has become the victim of his indifference" Rachel Carson

In this blog I have several times had occasion to say that I like using movies in my classes. Last week we saw Avatar. My students really loved it. I chose this film because it allows to discuss and study in deep many themes, as the respect for nature and for others.Watch the trailerAvatar is a 2009 American science-fiction action movie written and directed by James Cameron. We are in the 22nd century and humans are mining a precious mineral on a habitable moon, Pandora. The expansion of the mining colony threatens the existence of the local tribe of Na'vi. "Avatars" are genetically engineered Na'vi bodies with the minds of remotely located humans, and are used to interact with the natives of Pandora.There are many themes in this film that we could think over. Nature   The world on Pandora demonstrates the healing power of Mother Nature. One of the more amazing themes in Avatar is the "neural connection fibers" of each living creature on the planet. Animals, humanoids, trees and flowers have these neural connection fibers, allowing all living creatures to "plug in" to each other's neural networks. Once connected, they can feel each other's emotions and thoughts. Also in our real world plants talk to each other through their roots and other sensory systems. The way the Na'vi live in harmony with the rest of the universe is one of the most beautiful elements of the film. We should remember the universal oneness that is at the core of our spiritual essence. As we should remember to honor the sacredness of our land. The Na'vi honour their Hometree (where they live) and their Tree of Souls (where they worship).  How interconnected do you feel toward other people, living creatures, planet and universe?How do you honor your own space?   ColonialismWestern nations use their military force to invade lesser developed countries, terrorize their people and plunder their lands for natural resources. It happens every day, for example much of what takes place in Avatar could be compared with the struggle between petroleum companies and the indigenous populations of the Amazon rainforest. Do you think it's right to colinize a country?   Now try the following amazing official Avatar's site. You will find any kind of information about the film, images and videos: http://www.avatarmovie.com/index.htmlThe link below is really incredible! Click on Pandorapedia and learn everything about Pandora's fauna and flora and the Na'vi's life. You can even learn the Na'vi language!http://www.pandorapedia.com/YOUR TASKSurf on the Pandorapedia (link above). You are a Na'vi and live on Pandora. Describe your typical day, tell what you eat, what you do, where you go, etc.  Eywa ngahu! (Goodbye in Na'vi language)

 Today we have to celebrate our planet. It's the Earth Hour. Visit the following site to learn more.http://www.earthhour.org/This year Spiderman is the Earth Hour superhero ambassador!On this occasion I'm sharing with you a video I prepared  with some of my students. We imagined that someone from the space wrote a message to help us...We were inspired by: http://www.ourfutureplanet.org/andhttp://www.avatarmovie.com/index.html 

April, 1st is known as the April Fools' Day. On this day people play practical jokes and hoaxes on each other called April fools. What is the origin of this celebration? One theory dates it back to 1582, the year France adopted the Gregorian Calendar, which changed the observance of New Year's Day from the end of March to the first of January.  But some people, out of ignorance, continued to celebrate the New Year on April 1st and were made the butt of jokes  because of their foolishness.  To learn more about April Fools' Day surf the website below and answer the questions: http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/magazine-articles/april-fools-dayOn this day jokes can range from simple tricks played on friends, family or colleagues to elaborate media hoaxes.One of the greatest media hoaxes of all time was perpetrated on April 1st, 1957 by the BBC, which told the people that Switzerland was experiencing a bumper spaghetti harvest thanks to favorable weather conditions. They showed happy peasants plucking strands of pasta from trees, it was so convincing that many viewers called the network to ask how they could grow their own! Watch the video (as an Italian, I got a lot of laughs!) What about you?  Do you like playing practical jokes to your friends? Tell us...

Today we are talking about Bari but, first of all, we would like you to know something more about our city. Click on the links below and you will get some information.http://www.italyworldclub.com/puglia/bari/bari.htmhttp://www.italyheaven.co.uk/puglia/bari.htmlYou can also watch the "We are happy" video from Bari to see how nice people from this town are!Our reportLast weekend we went to Bari (we live in Gioia del Colle, a little town near Bari). Bari is the capital city of our region, Puglia, and it is a big town by the Adriatic sea.It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining and it was warm. So we decided to go for a walk on the promenade. Bari has got a very long seafront! We walked for hours and we even saw boats and fishermen coming back to the port after their fishing trip.Then, we decided to go to the "Old Town". It is the older part of the city and it is very close to the promenade. There are a lot of picturesque alleys and you can eat the "popizze" and "sgagliozze", a sort of fried polenta cooked by the women of the old town.In this period the "Bifest", a festival of the cinema, is held in Bari. So there are a lot of events in all the theatres and cinemas of the town. http://www.bifest.it/en/There are also many famous actors around the streets!Unfortunately we didn't meet any actor....but on the other hand we saw a famous teacher on the red carpet!!!Mrs Martino Some pictures we tookIf you need some more information about Puglia you can read a post of our teacher:http://thetravellingteachers.blogspot.it/2014/02/travelling-into-italian-culture-puglia.htmlHave fun and visit Puglia!!Francesca P. and Valeria S.I.C. Losapio - S.F. Neri, Gioia del Colle

 Today the Holy Week begins.Let's compare different cultures: some Easter religious traditions in the UK and Italy.  Holy Week is the week leading up to Easter and is the most solemn week of the Christian year. During this week Christians remember the last week of Jesus' life. Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday.Palm Sunday Palm Sunday commemorates Christ's triumphant arrival in Jerusalem to the cheers of the crowd. In many churches, during Palm Sunday services, large palm branches are carried in processions. Palm Sunday in ItalyOn Sunday morning, the priest followed by all the people waving palms, goes in procession from the church' yard to the church and there he blesses the little branches that everyone brings at home after the Mass. In the South of Italy the palms are mostly made using branches of olives. People prepare branches of different sizes and decorated them with flowers, ribbons or holy pictures.  Palm Sunday in the UKMany churches provide people with small crosses made from palm leaves at Palm Sunday services.  The priests bless these palms and people preserve them to make the Ash Wednesday ashes for the next year. Churches may also have a procession during which people sing songs and wave their palm leaves. Some churches give people pax cakes at the end of the Mass. Maundy ThursdayMaundy Thursday is the Thursday before Easter. It is the day of the Last Supper, when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and established the ceremony known as the Eucharist. The night of Maundy Thursday is the night on which Jesus was betrayed by Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane. The word maundy comes from the command (mandate) given by Jesus during the Last Supper:  love one another.Maundy Thursday in ItalyIn Italy this day is known as Holy Thursday. On this day each Italian church prepare a "sepolcro", a sepulchre. The term sepolcro is a sort of altar or chapel of repose. It is a solemn exposition of floral compositions consisting of  wheat and seasonal flowers or plants and it is the symbol of Jesus’ transition from death to rebirth. Churches hold these sepulchcres until the afternoon of Good Friday, when the flowers and wheat will be distributed to the observants during sacramental communion.Maundy Thursday in the UK In Britain, the sovereign takes part in the Ceremony of the Royal Maundy. This ceremony, held at a great cathedral, involves the distribution of Maundy money to deserving senior citizens (one man and one woman for each year of the sovereign's age), usually chosen for having done service to their community. They receive ceremonial red and white purses which contain coins made especially for the occasion. The white purse contains one coin for each year of the monarch's reign. The red purse contains money in place of other gifts that used to be given to the poor.Good FridayGood Friday is the Friday before Easter. It commemorates the Passion of Jesus and his death by crucifixion. It is a day of mourning in church, in fact during Good Friday services Christians meditate on Jesus' suffering and death on the cross. In some countries, there are special Good Friday processions, or re-enactments of the Crucifixion.Good Friday in ItalyOn Holy Friday solemn religious processions with statues are held in many towns. Many churches have special statues of the Virgin, of Jesus and all the protagonist of Christ's passion. The statues parade through the city and are then displayed in the main square or in a church. Parade participants are dressed in traditional ancient costumes. While Easter mass is be held in every church, the biggest and most popular mass is held by the Pope at Saint Peter's Basilica. On Holy Friday, the Pope celebrates the Via Crucis or Stations of the Cross in Rome near the Colosseum. He carries a huge cross with burning torches and at the end of the celebration he gives the world a blessing.Good Friday in the UKMany Catholics do not eat meat on Good Friday. Many people eat hot cross buns on this day. These are made of leavened dough, sugar, currants and spices. The top of the bun is marked with a cross and filled with flour and water paste or rice paper. Holy SaturdayThe Easter Eve service on the night of Holy Saturday is the first Easter service. It's the day when Jesus lay in his tomb. During this service Christians wait hopefully that Jesus will return at midnight. Holy Saturday in Italy In Italy on this day there are masses and some religious processions.Holy Saturday in the UKThe Easter, or Paschal, candle is lit during this service. The mass traditionally begins outside the church, where the minister and some worshippers gather around a fire and light the candle. After being lit outside, the candle is carried into the church, where the worshippers are waiting in darkness, which symbolises the darkness of Christ's tomb.Easter SundayEaster Sunday in ItalyOn this day at Vatican City there is the famous Easter Sunday Mass. Easter is the end of the Lent season, so food plays a big part in the Easter Sunday celebrations! Traditional Easter foods include lamb or goat, artichokes, and special Easter breads. Colomba (it means "dove" because it is dove-shaped) is a typical sweet. Chocolate eggs are also popular, especially among children and they usually come with a surprise inside.The Monday following Easter, la Pasquetta, is also a holiday in Italy. On Easter Monday, people usually go away from the towns and cities and go to the countryside or to the sea to have a picnic. Easter Monday is a time to gather with friends and have fun.Easter Sunday in the UKPriests usually emphasize the dawn of a new life during the Easter Mass.Easter eggs are very popular in the UK, too.  Children decorate eggs with paint, crayon, water colors, stickers and other material and they are often put in Easter baskets. In the United Kingdom, Easter eggs are often large hollow chocolate eggs filled with bonbons or other candy. Many children believe that the Easter bunny comes to their house or garden to hide eggs, so they search for these eggs on Easter morning.In the UK there are many Easter egg hunts. These can be competitions to see who can collect the most eggs, or somewhere in Britain people roll hard boiled down slopes. In other places, there is a game in which people roll hard boiled eggs against other peoples' eggs.We've seen some Italian and British Easter traditions.Are there many differences  between these two countries?Which tradition do you like most? Why?How do you usually celebrate Easter?For more information:Easter in Italy http://goitaly.about.com/od/festivalsandevents/a/easter.htmhttp://www.delallo.com/articles/easter-pasqua-lunchhttp://www.lifeinitaly.com/potpourri/Easter.aspEaster in the UKhttp://www.learnenglish.de/culture/easter.htmlhttp://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/easter.htmlhttp://www.learnenglish.de/culture/easter.html

April, 22 is Earth Day! This day is dedicated to the protection of the environment. Every year more than a billion people in many countries of the world take action to save their planet. During Earth Day celebrations people are informed of ways they can help protect their environment and their natural resources.  Surf the Earth Day websitehttp://www.earthday.org/greencities/earth-day-2014/and watch their videoOn the occasion of the Earth Day I have created an interactive infographic using Piktochart (http://piktochart.com/).It's a work I prepared with my students. We imagined to receive a message from the space ... Someone from a distant planet in the universe wants to warn us...Click on the link below to view the infographic (there is also a video and a presentation):https://magic.piktochart.com/output/1600474-a-message-from-planet-x"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children."Native American proverb

How to become more creative using new technologyIMAGESIn EFL classes it is always useful associating words, ideas and concepts with images.Through their visual memory students can better understand and remember information. Thanks to images you can explain complex information in a simple way. Images help learners manage their ideas and make connections between pieces of information. Moreover, images enhance students' creativity as well as their language skills.In some previous posts I have already talked about the importance of images in EFL classes and I have tried some digital tools that can be very useful to create graphics or mindmaps.Now I'd like to take stock of the situation and suggest again some interesting tools.I tried some free tools and I prepared some short and simple examples. This way it's possible to see directly the final result and it's easier for you to see what is possible to do with each tool.GRAPHICS,  INFOGRAPHICS AND POSTERSare visual representations of  concepts, thoughts and ideas. They help students better remember information, improve their reading comprehension, enhance their learning skills and critical thinking.The following tools allow to cretae interactive infographics.1)Piktochart My example:https://magic.piktochart.com/output/1198513-journey-of-love2) Thinglink My example:https://www.thinglink.com/scene/484085101685112833MINDMAPPINGhelps students focusing their attention, enables teachers to organize ideas and concepts, allows to present information in visually attracting and comprehensive way, promotes inquiry and problem solving, enhance learners' note taking. Moreover its organizational structure help students understand effectively. Also the following tools allow to make your maps interactive! 1) Popplet My example: http://popplet.com/app/#/15593582) Spiderscribe My example: http://www.spiderscribe.net/app/?ac420a5aeab2f33f7cb411eeebec59383) Text2mindmap My example:https://www.text2mindmap.com/k7XZDE?controller=frontpage&method=index&map=k7XZDE4) Mindomo My example:http://www.mindomo.com/mindmap/0c71d1cf14034f07aaff536e11b2d5abCOMICSComics can really motivate students. With the links below you can create your own comics!1) Storyboardthat My example:http://sbt.blob.core.windows.net/storyboards/robertamartino/school-rules.png2) Make Beliefs ComicsMy example:http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/?comix_id=49325928C1233233VIDEOSAudiovisual material can be very helpful for both teaching and learning. Also videos, as images, can effectively communicate complex information to the learners. You can use videos with your students in three fases (pre-viewing, viewing and post-viewing) or you can also create your own videos with your students. It can be a really rewarding experience and can enhance students' creativity.The following tool allows you to choose a video from the web (or use your own) and embed anything you like in it (questions, lesson information, links to websites). Educanon My example:http://www.educanon.com/public/10011/23475CARTOONSYou can make your own animated cartoon with:Goanimate My example:http://goanimate.com/videos/0rcV1JZ_xBL8?utm_source=linkshare&utm_medium=linkshare&utm_campaign=usercontentPRESENTATIONSPresentations can make the students better understand a topic through its essential points. Besides using PowerPoint, you can create more fun and engaging presentations.1) Powtoon My example:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMOHzvLk3rY&rel=02) Haiku Dech My example:http://www.haikudeck.com/p/PJjQjXTrL1/haiku-deck#I hope I have been of any help. Enjoy being creative!P.S.: This post has been shortlisted for the British Council Teaching English blog award! Thank you!

UNESCO's General Conference in 1995 decided to pay a world-wide tribute to books and authors on April, 23rd to encourage everyone, and in particular young people, to discover the pleasure of reading.Learn more at:http://www.un.org/en/events/bookday/Reading is important for many reasons:It is a great form of entertainmentIt exercises your brainIt improves concentrationIt improves your vocabularyIt improves your writing skillsIt develops your imagination and creativityIt develops empathyIt tells you many things about the world you live inIt helps you better understand other culturesBy reading you can be a better student and, most of all, a better person."There are many little ways to enlarge your world.  Love of books is the best of all." Jacqueline KennedyBook People Unite is an American movement that recognizes the incredible effect books can have on a child's immagination and tries to get books in the hands of kids who need them most.http://www.bookpeopleunite.org/Some famous American artists created a song to encourage people to join the cause.Watch the following videos from Book People Unite. In the second video you can read the song's lyrics.The songs says:"One book can inspire a child. One book can be the fundamental thing that helps to change a life. Let's plant seeds of inspiration to motivate some magic."Do you agree?Explain the meaning of the song.Why is reading important for you?Do you like reading?How do you feel when you read a book?What's your favourite book?"So please, oh PLEASE, we beg, we pray Go throw your TV set away And in its place you can install A lovely bookshelf on the wall." Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory