Alan November and the technological revolution

In the lecture held by Alan November, he talks about the new way of studying after the Internet got so dominant in our day to day life. In this entry, I will take up some of his key- arguments, and say a little about my own opinions in this matter.


Alan November starts his lecture about telling a story about a little town in England. The town’s main income is treading. The town got into a financial crisis, so they had to think in a new way to get enough money to survive. They found a solution quite remarkable for their time: they decided to expand their customers from a domestic clientele, to a network of customers around the world. He uses this little story to illustrate that in time when we are in need of change, we have to widen our gazes and think in a more global way to make the world develop. If you connect this back to the term of teaching, I think many of you would know that this lecture mainly is about the use of computers and the internet in teaching and studying.
Alan Novembers view on this, is that the Internet is a genius way to easily share information with others, around the world. He wants a globalized curriculum, and using the internet actively in the process of studying. This way, a student in Japan and Norway would have the same curriculum, and they can co- operate trough the internet. He is also very firm when he says that the teacher is not to be replaced by a computer! The teachers’ job is to be supportive and give advices to the students, as well as guiding them trough the curriculum and help them using the internet in an efficient way. The difference is that the students in a much bigger scale are to use the internet as a source of information and inspiration to deepen into special themes.

I defiantly agree with Alan November in this matter. I think the internet and technology is the future, and therefore it is very important to use it for what it’s worth, and grab the opportunity to use this amazing tool. At the same time, I am a bit skeptic to the concept of us using the computer at all times. Sometimes, I think it is far as good just to listen to a lecture given by the teacher, and take notes. I do also want the teacher to play a more active role in the process of choosing which assignments there are to be done etc. The internet can also be a huge distraction once in a while, with Facebook, games and blogs that screams for attention. Therefore I think a good solution would be to do a little of both. But absolutely, I want us to take this amazing opportunity to use the internet and modern technology to make our studying process more colorful and unique.


The first picture is of Alan November, and I found it at:

www.swprsc.fesdev.org/vnews/display.v/Upcoming%20Conferences (09.09.10)

The second picture is an edited verson of the picture i found at: www.perivalechristianbookshop.co.uk/news.aspx (30.08.10)

The Butterfly Circus

The screen version of the short story The Butterfly Circus is about a man called Will who is born without any limbs. He is presented in a sideshow at a carnival as an object for humiliation and laughter. People gather from far apart to examine this extraordinary creature. The carnival is presented at night, and everything is chaotic and blurry, and we get a feeling that this place is quite slovenly. The carnival manager introduces him this way: "I present to you a man, if you can call him that, that God himself has turned his back upon". Everybody whispers about him to each other. A little boy throws a tomato right at him, and he has no way of blocking it. He just has to let it hit him.
The manager of the Butterfly Circus turnes up at one of these shows. This man is someting different from the other spectators at the show. He is genuinely trying to understand him, and consider him as an equal to himself, not an object for amusement. After this incident, the Limbless Man decides to join the Butterfly Circus, to start a new life.

The new circus Will now comes to is a different kettle of fish, entirely. They base their show on the feeling of equality. The manager presents each number and the participating acrobat with respect and dignity. The music is filled with light tones and gives the whole setting a light and worriless atmosphere. The show is based on talents and the beauty of each of them, not the abnormality of the acrobats. The audience is to be astonished by the view, not laugh at their misery and distinction. The circus is providing each of its members with a new chance. The circus manager is telling Will that he's not helpless, and that he can achieve great things, if he allows himself to. This works as an eye-opener for Will, and it helps him take the step that changes everything. This feeling to be in control of his own body and limitations gives him great confidence, as well as happiness and joy. In addition to all these emotions, he has also found something that he can do in the show. His performance is consisting of being thrown into a pool of water from the astonishing height of 50 feet!

The driving power of this short story, and the thing that binds it all together, is the Caterpillar that the boy possesses throughout the story. At the time when Will falls into the water, the boy comments that his caterpillar is gone! His mother tells him that it is in the cocoon, transforming into something unrecognizable. Here, we can draw a parallel to the alteration of Will himself, who has gone from something miserable and ugly, into a state where he is finding his true potential, and then the transformation into someone that other people look up to.
In the end of the short story, the boy sets the butterfly free. Personally, I think this symbolizes the end of Will's suffers and the dawn of a new day as a better and more appreciated human being.

This is a very touching story, of an ugly caterpillar’s struggle to reach the light of accept and glory.



The first picture is the logo of the screen version of the short story. The picture is from the page: www.liveaction.org/blog/butterfly-circus
The second picture is of the actor Nick Vujicic, in the role as Will. The picture is taken from:
www.chriscade.com/2009/09/the-butterfly-circus-inspirational-video

The screen version of this Short Story is to be found at:
www.thedoorpost.com/hope/film/?film=4dd298f102c77b625cf37a9e7744ac68

Worldwide Studies

World Wide Studies is a blog I am going to use in my study of English in the second Year of High School. This subject is originally called “International English”, and when I was to decide a name for my blog, I wanted something that could be associated with the name of the class I am attending. The name “international English” is in my opinion related to something around the world. Therefore I felt that a name referring to something that the whole world is a part of, was crucial. Since I am in the process of studying, I feel that the name of the blog is referring to me as well as to the course of my class. The blog will, as mentioned earlier, focus on assignments given in class, and the content will exclusively be in English.

Who am I?

I am a 17 year old girl, attending Sandvika High School in Bærum, Norway. The school focuses a lot on the use of digital implement while studying, so therefore a big part of our day is spent in front of a computer. Even so, a teacher is present at every lecture. The school has organized the days in so called “Lecture- Days” which basically means that each day contains one subject. This forces both the teachers and the students to be creative in their working habits, and how they plan their day. Personally, I think this model is working extraordinary. It gives each subject a better chance to deepen, and finish at the given task in class.

I think that this year of English would be a lot of hard work. Last year, I felt that my vocabulary widened, and I hope this development continues. What could possibly be more important in any language than a rich vocabulary? I also hope that we are able to widen our gazes and learn more about English speaking countries outside the European and North-American continent. America and Britain are both very interesting, don’t get me wrong! I just want to learn about countries like India, Australia, and New Zealand, just to mention a few. A thing I also look forward to is to get some new impulses in literature, and to read books by authors outside the Anglo-American area. Another thing that I would love to do, is to use the blog frequently. To summarize it all up, I expect a year of learning the English language, as well as learning about foreign cultures.


The picture is from the web-page:
http://www.thecaptiveconsultant.worldpress.com/