For Science

So, the bottle rocket. (No, not that kind)

 

I made this with Brown class and they loved it. I drew a big taget on the board and they aimed for that with MUCH enthusiasm. This way, no 'rockets' were lost down the back of the lockers or outside the window.

 

It was a lot like the water gun fiasco which I, of course, failed to take pictures of before I had to cannibalize it for parts.  >:3

 

These things got some surprising height. I wonder how many of thing were fired into irretrievable positions...............................probably all in the end.



 

 

Practical Education

Part of the curriculum at Ivy Kids involves Science!

The kids love it and it is a lot of fun but there is a large level of dubious content which shall no doubt show up here soon enough.

I have two science classes at the moment so I get both Brown and U.C. Berkeley for sciency fun.

I receive a giant pack per school session. A big plastic bag of  'experiments' for the kids and a teacher bag with one so I can demonstrate the process(/cannibalise it for spare parts.)

With Berkely recently we did this:

I'll be honest, when it comes to creating a refreshing breeze, it's kind of useless. However, the kids loved it. The plier- things were quite hard to operate though. Slippy and stiff.

Naturally, some of the motors didn't work so we had to tear up some of the spares. No on off button but the connected/not connected settings..

Still, although I doubt they actuallylearned anything it had a certain *Eeeeeeee* appeal to the kids. (and the teachers who have one sitting on their desks.)

Mad Skills

 One of the most important parts of an activity is modeling.

What this essentially means is leading by example. You do a half-assed example of the task for the kids to reference and hopefully they won't copy it word for word identikit. (...........)

Pictorial reference is also invaluable when teaching new vocabulary. (Although sometimes the children already know the strangest words and gestures...)

I frequently do this through the use of my clearly awesome art skills which are only slightly demonstrated here. Sadly I did not take pictures of such materpieces as my marker illustration of a parka coat (for a lesson on clothes - hey it was in the book) or my fabulous depiction of a ninja in the bushes (for 'action words').

Well, some people learn through images so it's all enforcement (or theatrical rhyme) in the end anyway.

Convenient Video Explains it all.

Lota of videos -yay. No, I don't work there. But some of my OTO students go to school there and they have serious American accents.

But yeah, this is where I live. It's obviously not nearly as polished as the videos make it but y'know people actually live here. -_- That makes all the difference.

Whatever, have some Gangnam style. Most places he goes are very familiar.

So that's what that sound was...

Everywhere I go I hear an incessant sound from the dry grasses. I'd thought at first that it was the sound of construction, then I realised that it was more likely the insects.

However it is now perfectly clear to me that I must be hearing the sounds, not of the natural goings on around me but of insidious mechanics and electronics as detailed HERE.

Big Brother is watching you...and you, and you and you.

I've seen though 'pneumatic trash collection' machines but I've never used them. They seem mostly overflowing anyway. Anytime I've passed one they've been surrounded by bags of trash that wouldn't fit.

To throw out your rubbish here, the first thing you must realise is that your old plastic bags are verboten.  I had to buy specially approved plastic bags from the GS mart which, once full, gets left outside in a designated area along with your recycling. At least mine goes outside, the others have complained that their drop-off point is on the first floor of their building and the smell can really get appalling.

I've seen staff further sorting the recycling- brave men and women. At least the insects are minimal. *shrugs* I've yet to have anything worse than a fly buzz around my head when I drop a bag off. NO wasps -yay! A short jaunt away from the Japanese Hornet......*Aghast*


Songdo.

Above you can see pictures of the places whereI go to get sunburned because I am an idiot due to lack of sufficient foliage.  It's hard to reconcile Songdo with that article because I'm right on the ground. Mostly I see, 'that bbq joint', 'the subway stop' or 'grocery store - need milk'. I don't notice that stuff because the wobbly blocks in the pavement outside of the side entrance have trenches beneath them and if you step on them while it is raining you will get dunked into the little hidden pond.  (I ruined a pair of shoes that way.)


Well, I think there should be more shady walks like in UCD, then there'd be less of this.

I deserve that sunburn...

This morning I had the excitement of ironing. Woo ~ party in Songdo. =.=  It's so hot these days that I'm doing twice as much laundry. I knew I'd have to iron it eventually.
Still, at least I don't have wasps buzzing around me or bees trying to fly into my hair. Instead I have these guys perched on the ceiling.

Around lunchtime, I took the chance to go for a nice leisurely stroll without suncream which is why I'm writing this covered in aloe vera.

On the plus side Central Park is pretty and has boats.

TEATEATEATEATEATEATEATEATEATEATEATEA

So we went back to this place in Insa-dong.

What I did was, I walked straight in the door and went straight to the tea samples. I have neither shame nor regret.

As far as tea shops goes it's pretty high class joint. I didn't investigate the class or the tea room though. (Another day though...)

I shopped for tea and inspected some lovely sets that sent me into hysterics of laughter. My god, it's lovely but why would I buy that instead of eating?

A girl came to help me shop and it was a little embarrassing becaue she kept giving me samples of dried tea to smell and it and I haven't a clue. (If it'd been a cup of tea though...)

She tried to sell me wedding tea and I gave her the eyebrow. I explained that it as a gift and if I sent that to my mother she would get the wrong idea altogether. XD

Another shop we popped into (and where I WILL go back) threw samples at us the minute we came in the door. It was 'five fruit' tea and was a little sweet but delicious. I don't normally like drinks like that but it was extremely good and very soothing. It's probably good for colds and sore throats.

So I did buy myself tea and a lovely thermos to bring it to school with. C:

Huzzah let the the tea festivities begin!

A grand tradition among my people.  >:3