The term ‘whistleblower’ is used to describe a person who tries to raise the alarm about a problem and publicizes it inside and/or outside of his/her organization.

Origin: ‘Whistle blower’ was used literally well before it gained its current figurative meaning. Lots of people blew whistles; hunters, sailors, police officers and sports referees.

In the 19th century we had ‘whistle blowers’, in the 20th we had ‘whistle-blowers’ and now we have ‘whistleblowers’. This changing of an expression into a word, with the intervening hyphenated phase, is one of the most common ways we form new words.

Babylon Revisited

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s stories defined the 1920s ‘Jazz Age’ generation, with their glittering dreams and tarnished hopes. This book features three tales of a fragile recovery, a cut-glass bowl and a life lost. It portrays the idealism of youth and the ravages of success.

The stories within are:

Babylon Revisited
The Cut-Glass Bowl
The Lost Decade

14,9 GEL

[button color=”gray” size=”small” link=”http://englishbookgeorgia.com/catalogue/shop/modernclassics/babylon-revisited/” ]Buy Babylon Revisited[/button]

The Great Gatsby

Gatsby’s mansion on Long Island blazes with light, and the beautiful, the wealthy, and the famous drive out from New York to drink Gatsby’s champagne and to party all night long. But Jay Gatsby, the owner of all this wealth, wants only one thing – to find again the woman of his dreams, the woman he has held in his heart and his memory for five long years.

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece, is one of the great American novels of the twentieth century. It captures perfectly the Jazz Age of the 1920s, and goes deep into the hollow heart of the American Dream.

18,5 GEL

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The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Six Other Stories

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This week we celebrate authors of the past who had birthdays in the month of September. Check them out below.

Truman Capote

(September 30, 1924- August 25, 1984)

Capote wrote favorites such as:

Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Children on Their Birthdays

[button color=”blue” size=”small” link=”http://englishbookgeorgia.com/catalogue/shop/bestsellers/breakfast-at-tiffanys/” target=”blank” ]Buy the Book[/button]                          [button color=”blue” size=”small” link=”http://englishbookgeorgia.com/catalogue/shop/modernclassics/children-on-their-birthdays/” target=”blank” ]Buy the Book[/button]

Agatha Christie

(September 15, 1890- January 12, 1976)

Appointed the title of “Dame” by the Queen of England, she is also the best-selling author of all time with books like:

The Labours of Hercules and Poirot: The Perfect Murders: Omnibus

[button color=”blue” size=”small” link=”http://englishbookgeorgia.com/catalogue/shop/harpercollins/the-labours-of-hercules/” target=”blank” ]Buy the Book[/button]                          [button color=”blue” size=”small” link=”http://englishbookgeorgia.com/catalogue/shop/harpercollins/poirot-omnibus-the-perfect-murders/” target=”blank” ]Buy the Book[/button]

Roald Dahl

(September 13, 1916- November 23,1990)

Few children’s authors have been as influential and prolific as Roald Dahl. Some of his works include:

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as well as Matilda

[button color=”blue” size=”small” link=”http://englishbookgeorgia.com/catalogue/shop/christmasgifts/charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory/” target=”blank” ]Buy the Book[/button]                          [button color=”blue” size=”small” link=”http://englishbookgeorgia.com/catalogue/shop/christmasgifts/matilda/” target=”blank” ]Buy the Book[/button]

F. Scott Fitzgerald

(September 24, 1896- December 21, 1940)

Fitzgerald captured the Jazz Age in many novels such as:

The Great Gatsby, Babylon Revisited and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Six Other Stories

[button color=”blue” size=”small” link=”http://englishbookgeorgia.com/catalogue/shop/christmasgifts/the-great-gatsby-2/” target=”blank” ]Buy the Book[/button]                          [button color=”blue” size=”small” link=”http://englishbookgeorgia.com/catalogue/shop/modernclassics/babylon-revisited/” target=”blank” ]Buy the Book[/button]                          [button color=”blue” size=”small” link=”http://englishbookgeorgia.com/catalogue/shop/bestsellers/the-curious-case-of-benjamin-button-and-six-other-stories/” target=”blank” ]Buy the Book[/button]

Ken Kesey

(September 17, 1935- November 10, 2001)

Kesey gained fame for his novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

[button color=”blue” size=”small” link=”http://englishbookgeorgia.com/catalogue/shop/modernclassics/one-flew-over-the-cuckoos-nest/” target=”blank” ]Buy the Book[/button]

H.G. Wells

(September 21, 1866- August 13, 1946)

Regarded as “the father of science fiction”, Wells wrote many novels, including:

The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds

[button color=”blue” size=”small” link=”http://englishbookgeorgia.com/catalogue/shop/englishlibrary/the-time-machine/” target=”blank” ]Buy the Book[/button]                          [button color=”blue” size=”small” link=”http://englishbookgeorgia.com/catalogue/shop/englishlibrary/the-war-of-the-worlds/” target=”blank” ]Buy the Book[/button]

Asking questions are important tools in our lives. It helps us learn, adapt and explore. Questions are the most valuable aspects of our lives in a world that’s ever-changing. But many of us don’t seem to utilize or value asking questions as much as we should. We live in a world where the answers are the greatest reward but the question-the key to getting us to the answer-is almost intolerable.

Working in a system that only wants the answer and not the query is difficult especially when our culture might see questions as weakness. So teachers, you must strive to create a productive environment towards queries. Here are some suggestions from teachers, schools and organizations that work and promote a question based environment.

[tabs type=”vertical”][tabs_head][tab_title]Make It Safe[/tab_title][tab_title]Make It “Cool”[/tab_title][tab_title]Make It Fun[/tab_title][tab_title]Make It Rewarding[/tab_title][tab_title]Make It Stick[/tab_title][/tabs_head][tab]Asking a question can be a scary step into the void. It’s also an admission to the world (and more terrifyingly, to classmates) that one doesn’t know the answer. So teachers must somehow “flip the script” by creating an environment where questioning becomes a strength; where it is welcomed and desired. The Right Question Institute, a nonprofit group that teaches inquiry skills in low-income schools, encourages teachers to run group exercises dedicated entirely to formulating questions (no answers allowed!) — with clear rules and guidelines to ensure that students’ questions aren’t judged or edited, and that all questions are written down and respected. There are many variations on this type of exercise. The second-grade teacher Julie Grimm uses a “10 by 10” exercise, in which kids are encouraged to come up with 10 great questions about a topic during a 10-minute span. But the bottom line is, designate some kind of safe haven in the classroom where all students can freely exercise the “questioning muscle.”[/tab][tab]This is a tough one. Among many kids, it’s cool to already know — or to not care. But what if we could help students understand that the people who ask questions happen to be some of the coolest people on the planet? As I discovered in the research for my book on inquiry, questioners thought of many of those whiz-bang gadgets we now love. They’re the ones breaking new ground in music, movies, the arts. They’re the explorers, the mavericks, the rebels, making the world a more interesting place — and having a heck of a time themselves. How cool is that? [/tab][tab]Part of the appeal of “questions-only” exercises is that there’s an element of play involved, as in: Can you turn that answer/statement into a question? Can you open your closed questions, and close your open ones? There are countless ways to inject a “game” element into questioning, but here’s an example borrowed from the business world: Some companies use a practice called “the 5 whys,” which involves formulating a series of “why” questions to try to get to the root of a problem. Kids were practically born asking “why” questions, so why not allow them to use that innate talent within a structured challenge? Or, show them how to use the “Why/What if/How” sequence of questioning as a fun way to tackle just about any problem. Whatever the approach, let kids tap into their imaginations and innate question-asking skills in ways that make inquiry an engaging part of a larger challenge.[/tab][tab]Obviously, we must praise and celebrate the questions that are asked — and not only the on-target, penetrating ones, but also the more expansive, sometimes-offbeat ones (I found that seemingly “crazy questions” sometimes result in the biggest breakthroughs). Help create a path for students to get from a question to a meaningful result. A great question can be the basis of an ongoing project, a report, an original creation of some kind. The point is to show that if one is willing to spend time on a question — to not just Google it but grapple with it, share it with others, and build on it — that question can ultimately lead to something rewarding and worthwhile.[/tab][tab]If the long-term goal is to create lifelong questioners, then the challenge is to make questioning a habit — a part of the way one thinks. RQI’s Dan Rothstein says it’s important to include a metacognitive stage in question-training exercises wherein kids can reflect on how they’ve used questioning and articulate what they’ve learned about it, so they can “pave a new neural pathway” for lifelong inquiry. As for the behavioral habits associated with good questioning, here are a few: Questioners train themselves to observe everyday surroundings with “vuja de” eyes that see the familiar in fresh ways; they’re always on the lookout for assumptions (including their own) that should be questioned; and they’re willing to ask questions that might be considered “naïve” by others.[/tab][/tabs]

[button color=”blue” size=”small” link=”http://www.edutopia.org/blog/help-students-become-better-questioners-warren-berger” target=”blank” ]Source[/button]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNeeXPddBmA

The School of YouTube will see many of your favorite YouTube stars learn or teach something new. From figure-skating to salsa dancing, baking a cake to landing a plane, you’ll be able to watch a whole range of weird and wonderful lessons during the week of September 8 to 12.

We all know that YouTube is already like a huge virtual school–a place where people come to learn, to teach, to hang out and make friends–so it makes perfect sense to celebrate this for one week. And the best thing about this school is that you’ll be able to make a real difference to young people who desperately need your help.

The stars of the School of YouTube will be asking for donations to help some of the millions of people around the world who don’t have the opportunity to go to school or get an education. These kids may be struggling to survive on city streets, in slums or in refugee camps. Or they may be in a situation like 10-year-old Daniel from Ghana, who has very little time to get an education because he has to work long shifts in a dangerous gold mine so that his family can afford to eat.

Getting an education is by far the most powerful route out of poverty for these children and that’s where the School of YouTube comes in.

Money raised from donations will go to the U.K. charity Comic Relief, to help give kids an education across some of the world’s poorest countries. And even just £10 or $17 can pay for a Zambian orphan to go to school for two months where they also get a healthy meal–often the only one they’ll eat all day.

So hands up, who’s ready for a lesson at the School of YouTube? If you laugh a little or learn a little, please give a little.

The first day of school will be here before you know it. Most teachers face the big day with enthusiasm, but they dread the inevitable challenge: what to do on the first day of school.

Every teacher’s approach is different. Whatever your goal, here are a few things to try to get the school year off to a great start!

Goal: Getting to Know Your Students

How well will your incoming students know you? How well do you know them? How well do they know each other? How well do they know the school? These are important questions to consider as you start planning the first day.

If you’re teaching kindergarteners (or high school freshmen, who often seem like kindergarteners), you may need to spend the first day – or the first several days –getting everyone comfortable. There are tons of icebreakers out there, but here are a few different techniques to try:

[tabs type=”vertical”][tabs_head][tab_title]Plan a Scavenger Hunt[/tab_title][tab_title]Assess Learning Styles[/tab_title][tab_title]Do a Self-Portrait[/tab_title][tab_title]Create a Time Capsule[/tab_title][tab_title]Get Them Guessing[/tab_title][tab_title]Start with a Challenge[/tab_title][tab_title]Begin with a Book[/tab_title][/tabs_head][tab]This could involve students searching the classroom to find things like the pencil sharpener or the hall pass, or it could ask them to discover which of their classmates took a long trip over the summer or who has a younger brother.[/tab][tab]For older students, the first day of school can be a great chance to find out more about how they learn.
There are many different learning style inventories available online. Find out the many different ways your students are smart by having them complete a multiple intelligences assessment. Have students share these results.
It can encourage students who have typically struggled if they know you are aware of the things they are good at, and it provides an opportunity to address some of those “I’m dumb/she’s dumb” issues that inevitably crop up in a classroom.[/tab][tab]Whether it’s done with words or pictures, collage or drawn by hand, having students describe themselves can be fun, informative, and occasionally surprising. Of course, the self-portrait will be most effective if you do one of yourself, too.[/tab][tab]Have students create a sample of their current work — for example, have students take a pre-test, write a paragraph or even video tape them reading aloud or speaking in a foreign language. Bring the examples out in June and let students recognize how much they’ve grown. [/tab][tab]Prediction activities can be a great way to activate students’ prior knowledge on a topic and get them excited about what lies ahead in the course.
Guessing Game 1:
Give them a series of true and false statements about the content of the course and have them guess the right answers.
Guessing Game 2:
Or do a demonstration experiment and have students guess about the results. If you teach English, try this trick: get a movie of the first novel students will read and show one brief, suspenseful or exciting scene. Make sure to stop the film so that students are “left hanging” and tell them they’ll have to read the book to find out what happens. You may get kids begging to start the book![/tab][tab]This is especially effective for older students or for classes in which you want to set a specific tone. Since most teachers spend the first day of school distributing syllabi and lecturing about class rules, you will really get the students’ attention if you make them work the first day and get around to that “business” stuff on the second or third day of class. Give students an assignment that will really challenge them. One drama teacher actually starts her beginning drama class by making students do an audition where they read a speech aloud in front of the class. It’s not graded, but it gives her valuable information about the students and it helps them get past their initial “I can’t act” attitude. If you teach an AP class, why not start the first day by giving the students part of a practice AP exam? The students will see them soon enough – just jump right in![/tab][tab]This approach is especially effective for non-language arts teachers. Find a book that puts a different spin on your subject and share it (or part of it) on the first day. Ways to Use Books to Introduce Subjects Outside Language Arts – Maybe a children’s book on animals is a fun way to begin studying biology. – A coffee table photo book might provide striking images for students to think about as they begin studying history. – For older history students, consider taking an excerpt from a book like Guns, Germs, and Steel; Founding Brothers; or Citizen Soldiers. These books describe history in a different way and may grab the attention of students inclined to “tune out” their textbook. Whatever method you choose, the first day of school offers a great opportunity to learn about your students and set the tone for a terrific school year![/tab][/tabs]

[button color=”blue” size=”small” link=”http://www.teachhub.com/first-day-school-activities-students-love” target=”blank” ]Source[/button]