Social media effect 'tiny' in teenagers, large study finds

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-48147378

The effects of social media use on teenage life satisfaction are limited and probably "tiny", a study of 12,000 UK adolescents suggests.

Family, friends and school life all had a greater impact on wellbeing, says the University of Oxford research team.

It claims its study is more in-depth and robust than previous ones.

And it urged companies to release data on how people use social media in order to understand more about the impact of technology on young people's lives.

What do you think though?

Mark

Spelling catastrophe!

This made me shudder when a former student sent me this! There are MANY errors in this pic!

Syndrome without a name: The boy who baffles doctors

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-48051026

This is an astonishing, and somewhat agonising news story, sure to pique your interest.

When five-year-old Charlie Parkes was in the womb, a scan revealed a problem with his brain. He spent his first two years of life in hospital having tests. His parents were desperate for answers - but they never came.

Let me know what you think.

Mark

Recap of reading analysis class

Hello all,

Another great example of group learning this afternoon I thought. In fact, that was the final teaching class that we will have for the Unit, but we are very much still 'live' as it were!

You now have helpnotes, example questions, transcripts and sample answers for two vocationally relevant practice texts.

Next week we will commence the first of the two reading assessments, so this will be assessment seven. Hard to believe, right?

Any questions prior to next week, please e mail me. Everybody should now have an e mail from me, sent after the class today.

We are nearly there, so keep the faith!

Most members of the class have now passed the Listening assessments, well done to you.

Cheers,

Mark

The ‘Magic Table’ Helping Dementia Patients

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0767vqk

This is well worth a look and is a short clip surrounding the subject of dementia.

The highlight of Kevin and Mabel’s weekly visit to a dementia club is to touch flowers, pop bubbles and catch fish. 

It’s made possible by a device called a ‘Tovertafel’. A film for People Fixing the World by Nick Holland.

What a wonderful concept and one which I am sure will appeal to you given your knowledge on this subject area.

Comments below as always are welcomed.

Mark

Reading homework for Thursday - 'I used to think social media was a force for good. Now the evidence says I was wrong'

Hi all,

Just a wee reminder that I would like you to read the formative Guardian article for this coming Thursday that I gave out last week.

I would like you to think about the main points of the article, how it is structured, language used and how effective / ineffective you think it is with the likely intended audience in mind.

I will be going over the helpnotes for the final reading assessment(s) and clarifying some frequently asked questions on the assessment, marking, timelines etc. on Thursday.

If you have any questions about the final assessment, have them ready, just in case I don't cover your query in the briefing session. There is no such thing as a bad question after all!

Many thanks and well done to everybody who has been successful already in the second Listening assessment. The standard of work has been impressive again and your powers of summarising, evaluation and everything in between is improving all the time. Skills vital for the next leg of your academic journey.

If you have any comments you would like to make on the article prior to this week's class, pop them into the comments section below for discussion.

See you Thursday.

Mark

Is a daily routine all it’s cracked up to be?

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/apr/19/daily-routine-cracked-productive-regimen

Well, I would say yes, it is!

But what kind of person are you? Have you changed 'routine' lately to accommodate assessments, work/study/life (im)balance?

Let me know what you think.

Mark