5. After you have posted, try reading back to see what others have said, then respond to someone else by posting another comment. Use the “Reply” button or the @ symbol to address that student directly.
Elmo and Abby Cadabby came to the New York Times studio recently to talk about the alphabet song. It’s a tune that, in its 50 years on the air, “Sesame Street” has covered a lot — with Muppets and celebrities, in dance numbers and ear-wormy songs, like Usher’s “ABCs of Moving You,” which has nearly 115 million YouTube views.
Music has been a part of the “Sesame Street” DNA since the show was developed in the late ’60s, and its legacy with artists is remarkable: It counts Stevie Wonder, Katy Perry, Nina Simone and Romeo Santos among its alums, and continues inspiring audiences and musicians, of many ages, today.
As curriculum-driven programming, the show also has a mission, to teach children and get them ready for school. Singing the traditional alphabet song wasn’t enough. To really promote reading readiness, said Rosemarie Truglio, vice president of education and curriculum at Sesame Workshop, kids need to focus on individual letters: “So that’s why we created the ‘letter of the day.’”
Now “Sesame Street” has a library’s worth of pop song parodies about the alphabet, with A and C songs (as in “C is for Cookie”) among the most popular. And they’ve done dozens of original versions of the whole ABCs too. But just how do you reinvent a tune that’s as elemental as language? And how do you do it, over and over again, for a half-century?
• Read our list of practical teaching ideas, along with responses from students and teachers, for how you can use these documentaries in the classroom.
• Want to make sure you never miss a film? Add Film Club to your Google calendarto receive weekly reminders and see our full publishing schedule for the 2019-20 school year.
This graph originally appeared elsewhere on NYTimes.com. Dallas Animal Services operates a city shelter and has an “open admissions” policy, which means the agency is required to take in any animal, regardless of its health or behavior. Animals that are “adopted” are adopted directly from the shelter. “Transferred to rescue” means the animal has been transferred to an independent rescue agency.
By Friday morning, October 24, we will provide the “Reveal” — the graph’s free online link, additional background and questions, shout outs highlighting student comments and headlines, and Stat Nuggets.
After looking closely at the graph above (or at this full-size image), think about these three questions:
What do you notice? If you make a claim, tell us what you noticed that supports your claim.
What do you wonder? What are you curious about that comes from what you notice in the graph?
The questions are intended to build on one another, so try to answer them in order. Start with “I notice,” then “I wonder,” and end with a catchy headline.
For comparison purposes. here are graphs representing shelter outcomes for 21 other cities.
2. Next, join the conversation by clicking on the comment button and posting in the box that opens on the right. (Students 13 and older are invited to comment online. Teachers of younger students are welcome to post what their students’ comments.)
3. After you have posted, read what others have said, then respond to someone else by posting a comment. Use the “Reply” button or the @ symbol to address that student directly.
On Wednesday, Oct. 23, our collaborator, the American Statistical Association, will facilitate this discussion from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern time to help students’ understanding go deeper. You might use their responses as models for your own.
4. By Friday morning, we will reveal more information about the graph at the bottom of this post. Students, we encourage you to post an additional comment after reading the reveal. How does the original article and the moderators’ comments help you see the graph differently? Try to incorporate the statistical terms defined in the Stat Nuggets in your response.
In early to work a daytime dress rehearsal last month, Tshombe Selby walked briskly down a backstage hallway to the staff cafeteria for a quick bite. A North Carolina native, the 34-year-old has been an usher for five years, and on this day he had already turned on the charm. He navigated nimbly past other distinct tribes of opera staff — stagehands in their rugged work clothes, chorus members in period costume, square-jawed security guards — with smiles for all.
When he speaks, he tilts his head back and looks down regally, his huge frame stuffed snugly into his tuxedo. Though his voice is mellifluous and his movements gentle, it’s no surprise he has worked as a bouncer. “My aunt has a saying,” he said with a grin. “Don’t let the smooth taste fool you.”
TikTok is an app that many teenagers are already likely familiar with — adults, less so. In this feature, five critics of The New York Times with different specialties and varying familiarity with the app go down the TikTok rabbit hole and share what they found.
This lesson uses critical media literacy as a framework for examining TikTok. Students consider who created the app, how it gets their attention and how a user’s point of view influences his or her interpretation of it.
Warm Up
Do you use TikTok? What are your favorite videos? Do you ever post your own? What do you love — or hate — about the app?
Take a few minutes to scroll through the videos in the featured article and think critically about what you see. (Note: You can click on the users’ screen names to view the videos with sound.)
Then, discuss the following questions:
What do you think the purpose of TikTok is? To inform, persuade, entertain or a combination of the three? How do you know?
What techniques does the app use to engage users?
Who do you think the target audience is? Why do you think this?
What do you think about TikTok? Why?
Questions for Writing and Discussion
Read the article, then answer the following questions. (Note to teachers: If you’re doing this in a classroom context, you might jigsaw this article, assigning individuals or small groups to read each of the five essays and answer the corresponding questions.)
1. Where did TikTok come from? Why do the writers describe it as a “cultural force”?
2. James Poniewozik, a TV critic, sees TikTok as a form of entertainment. How does he feel when he’s on the app and why?
3. Amanda Hess, a critic-at-large who writes about internet culture for The Times, compares TikTok to other social networks, like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. In what ways does she see TikTok as similar to and different from these social media sites?
4. Jon Caramanica, pop music critic, analyzes the music in TikTok videos. What role does he see music playing on the platform and why?
5. Gia Kourlas, a dance critic, looks at TikTok users’ dance moves. According to her, what makes dancing videos on the platform so magnetic?
6. Finally, Wesley Morris, a critic-at-large, is more critical of the app. What about TikTok does he find unsatisfying or irritating and why?
7. Which essay resonates with you and your experiences on the app the most? Which one resonates the least? Why?
Going Further
Imagine The Times wants to add one more essay to this collection — this one from a teenager’s perspective — and you have been asked to write it.
Compose your own short piece with your take on TikTok. Like the essays above you have read, you might choose to do one or more of the following:
Choose one of your favorite TikTok videos (or create your own) and break it down. What happens in it? What makes it special, interesting or otherwise culturally significant? What does it demonstrate about the platform as a whole?
Dive deep into one aspect of TikTok — the music, the dance challenges, the theatricality, the memes. Do you find this element entertaining or obnoxious? Why?
Compare TikTok to other forms of social media. What makes it unique? Do you find it more entertaining than television, movies or other video platforms? Why or why not?
Give an honest review. What do you think of TikTok? How does your point of view as a teenager influence your interpretation of it?
Explain what you think TikTok as a whole says about our society, culture or the world today. Why do you think the app has become such a “cultural force”?
There’s no doubt about it. Accounting is the language of business. Study a Bachelor of Accounting with University of South Australia through Open Universities Australia (OUA), and you’ll develop business acumen you can take anywhere in your career.
“When you study accounting, you’ll learn basic business functions, day-to-day transactions, understanding statements and the bottom line,” says Heather Prider, coordinator for ACG11 Accounting for Business with University of South Australia.
If you think this sounds like a career that will confine you to corporate cubicles, think again.
Heather’s career in accounting took her all the way to Russia. There, she worked on fraud, and in film production – proving that accountants can take their skills to exciting and unexpected places.
Every business needs accounting information and know-how. And it isn’t about numbers.
Half of what any accountant will do involves written and verbal communication – interpreting what’s going right and wrong, and explaining exactly what the numbers mean to their business.
More than numbers
Choose to study the Bachelor of Accounting, and you’ll get under the hood of decision-making in business.
Learn about debits, credits, journal entries, and ledger – all the basic elements that build basic statements.
You’ll also come to understand what’s involved in analysing statements (from income statements, to balance sheets and cash flow statements). What’s more, you’ll develop the skills to examine what the information in front of you shows, and how you can use it to make better financial decisions.
Then there’s management accounting. That’s how to manage a budget, plan ahead, audit, work through insurance, taxation, consulting, insolvency, recovery and more.
You’ll also cover subjects in economics, law and marketing. These will give you a big picture understanding of business and how accounting can support all of these functions.
A career that spans industries
Accounting opens doors in many businesses or industries. Nail numbers, and you could run the financial side of film production companies, law firms, not-for-profit organisations and more. Put simply, accounting lets you use your skills in an environment that speaks to you.
When it comes to the roles you could find yourself in, they’re just as varied. You could start out in Accounts Payable, work your way up to Chief Financial Officer, and even progress to CEO.
Make it happen through OUA
Through OUA you can study the Bachelor of Accounting online, at your own pace, from wherever you are. What’s more, you’ll graduate with exactly the same degree as on-campus students.
To learn more about how to study through OUA – fill out the form on this page, and a friendly student advisor will get in contact.
Having a way for your readers to contact you is extremely important. Your blog should have an easy-to-find contact page that implements a contact form. You can learn how to add a contact page to your blog using this tutorial (Blogger) or this tutorial (WordPress). Then follow the tutorial below to get a contact form added to your contact page.
There are countless ways to add a contact form to your site, but today I’m going to share with you a method that works well on both Blogger and WordPress blogs. Blogger does have a new Contact Form gadget which allows you to easily add a contact box to the sidebar of your blog. Unfortunately, the contact form gadget does not allow the form to be added to a page, which is the ideal location for a contact form. In WordPress, there are a variety of great plugins like Contact Form 7 or Fast Secure Contact Form which are easy to install and use–however, they require the use of a plugin and having too many plugins installed to your site can slow it down.
Today’s tutorial will show you how to add a contact form to your WordPress or Blogger blog without the use of a plugin or gadget by using a service called Wufoo. Wufoo is a fabulous online form building service that is super easy to use. It is hosted on a cloud so it doesn’t require you to install anything to your server. Their interface is really fun to use and is extremely user friendly. They also have a great help section with tutorials for just about anything you may find you need help with. A free account plan from Wufoo includes all the basic form features to quickly accept forms now. The free plan includes 5 free forms and 100 form entries per month.
Step 1: Create the Form
To begin, head on over to Wufoo and click the “Sign Up Free” button. Then enter in the info to create a free account.
Once your account is created, click on the “create a new form” link.
A pop-up window will pop up with two options. Let’s select the “I want to build my form from scratch” box to create a custom form.
The “I want to use a template from the form gallery” is great if you would like to use a premade form. Wufoo offers a variety of form templates that cover topics such as invitations, sign-ups, order forms, registrations, surveys, and more.
Once on the page to create your form, you’ll definitely want to know the names of the people contacting you, so let’s start by adding a name field. Click on the “Name” button and voilà — the name field will be added. Simple, right?
Next let’s add a place for people to leave their email address, so you’ll have a way to reply. Click on the “Email” button to get the email field added.
Now you’ll want a place for people to leave you a message, so click on the “Paragraph Text” button to get that added. You’ll notice that this field appears with the title “Untitled.” To title it, click on that field or you can also click on the “Field Settings” tab to edit the options . Give it a title under “Field Label.” You can also select whether or not you want the field to be required. I recommend setting each of the three fields we’ve added to “Required.” You can play around with the different options for each field until you get it looking right. Also, feel free to add any additional fields your form might need.
Now you’ll want to title the form, so click on the “Untitled Form” field or click on the “Form Settings” tab to edit the form settings. Change the title to something like “Contact Form.” You can leave the description blank or customize it with whatever you’d like it to say.
*If you have a paid plan, you’ll want to click on “Customize Confirmation Message” to change the message people receive when they submit the form. The field options with a white star on a red background are premium features for paid plans.
Then click the “Save Form” button at the bottom of the page to save the form.
Step 2: Set up Email Notifications
Now we need to set up the email notifications for the form, so click on the “Setup email notifications for this form” button.
Enter in the email address where you want to receive the forms. Also, make sure to set “Set Reply To” to “Email.” This will allow you to simply hit reply in your email account to reply to each contact form submission.
Then click the “Customize Notification Email” and in the pop-up window, under “Your Name or Company” type in your blog/company name.
Then hit the “Done” button. You can also set it to send notifications to your mobile device if wanted. When you are done hit “Save.”
Step 3: Embed Form to Site
Now click on the “Forms” tab at the top of the page and it will take you to a list of the forms you’ve created. On the Contact Form that you just created, click on the form to show the “Share” button. Click on the “Share” button.
On the share page, scroll down to the “Embed a form on your website” section. Copy all of the code.
In Blogger, find your contact page and then paste the code into the html of that page.
In WordPress, find the contact page and paste the code into the Text editor of that page. You can also install the Wufoo Shortcode Plugin and then paste in the shortcode rather than the html code.
Hit “Update”/”Publish” and then view your page to see your new contact form! Be sure to test it to make sure that it works.
If you want to change the design of the form to coordinate with the design of your site, go to the “Themes” tab in Wufoo.
On this page, you can adjust the colors, fonts, borders, etc.
Please let us know if you have any questions about this tutorial or run into any issues!
A former member of the United States national team, Bedoya had scored the opening goal in the Union’s 5-1 win over D.C. United and then peeled off toward the sideline, where he celebrated with his teammates. But as the gathering broke up, Bedoya headed toward a television microphone placed on the grass, leaned down to grab it and shouted: “Congress, do something now. End gun violence. Let’s go.”
… His sentiment was vague, which was understandable given its brevity. But Bedoya’s social media account already had made clear what kind of action he was seeking. Bedoya, the Union’s captain, had posted on Twitter earlier in the day about the weekend mass shootings that killed 29 people in El Paso and Dayton, Ohio, saying, “We can start with stricter background checks, red flag laws, making a registry for gun purchases, closing gun show loopholes, and taxing ammunition.”
Have you noticed when YouTube suggested videos that promoted a certain ideology? Have you ever encountered racist or extremist content online? Did you ever feel that someone or some group on the internet was trying to persuade you to believe a certain way?
In the Opinion essay “Racists Are Recruiting. Watch Your White Sons,” Joanna Schroeder writes about her experiences watching her teenage children being drawn to the kind of online content that right-wing extremists use to recruit young men. She writes:
A favorite activity for many boys is to watch gamers playing video games on YouTube. According to John Duffy, author of “Parenting the New Teen in the Age of Anxiety,” the problems come with advertisements that may appear during the videos. Kids can be exposed to dozens of ads in a sitting. They might hear about the border, or “Crooked Hillary” or a conspiracy theory on how the left works, Dr. Duffy said. Many of these spots are created and promoted byorganizationslike PragerU, which, Dr. Duffy notes, is not an accredited university but a propaganda machine that introduces viewers to extremist views via video. And YouTube’srecommendation algorithm offers videos that become more and more extreme as viewers watch them.
“There is a sophisticated psychology at play,” Dr. Duffy warns, noting that today’s teenagers have been using smartphones and tablets their whole lives. They like to dive deeper into topics that pique their curiosity, which is a great thing. The problem is they often turn to the internet before their parents for answers. Recommended videos and comments left on YouTube can lead them to threads full of racism and conspiracy theories on forums like 4chan. Google may lead them to white nationalist outlets like The Daily Stormer, where hate and harassment are normalized. Often, they have no idea which sources are reputable.
The Op-Ed continues:
Inevitably, kids who have encountered these messages will mimic extremist talking points, and those of us who find these views repulsive may be tempted to yell at them, ground them or take away their devices in a futile attempt to keep them away from this propaganda.
The problem is, punitive responses often create a sense of shame that can feed a growing sense of anger — an anger the alt-right is eager to exploit.
What really hooks many white teenagers is the alt-right’s insistence that white men are under attack in America, the true victims of oppression. If your child has already been punished for his opinions, this message is especially resonant. They find a home for their rage, a brotherhood of guys like them, and that oh-so-alluring heroic struggle — and that’s how an extremist is born.
Later she writes:
Perhaps the best tool is prevention. Kids need to understand — before they encounter their first alt-right memes — what white supremacy looks like. It’s not just a person in a K.K.K. hood but also the smooth-talking YouTuber in the suit or the seemingly friendly voice in the video game forum.
If we avoid talking about our values about race and the experiences of marginalized people, strangers on the internet will be happy to share theirs.
Students, read the entire article, then tell us:
To what degree, if at all, do you identify with the details Ms. Schroeder shares about her sons’ experiences online? Have you ever encountered racist or extremist videos or memes online?
Do you talk to your parents about what you watch online? Should your parents be worried about the messages you’re receiving on the internet?
Ms. Schroeder shared an anecdote about her son “liking” a meme about Hitler, and then saying he didn’t like it “on purpose.” Do you think indiscriminate “liking” is a common experience teenagers have? Does it ever lead to problems?
Ms. Schroeder writes, “It also seems to me, as a mom, that these groups prey upon the natural awkwardness of adolescence.” She continues, “Many kids feel out of place, frustrated and misunderstood, and are vulnerable to the idea that someone else is responsible for their discontent.” Does that analysis resonate with you? Do you agree that tweens and teens are particularly vulnerable to this kind of “blame someone else” messaging?
What do you think of the parenting strategies that Ms. Schroeder recommends? What advice would you give to parents concerned about the online messaging their children are seeing?
The headline of the Opinion essay and much of its content is about white teenage boys. In your experience, do teenage girls — or teenagers of other races and ethnicities — also encounter hate speech and extremist ideologies online? Please share.
Students 13 and older are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.
Read the article, then answer the following questions:
1. Explain in your own words why Eliud Kipchoge’s record-setting marathon time won’t be recognized as official.
2. What are three reasons Vienna was chosen for the event?
3. Kipchoge had already set an official world record for his 2:01:39 marathon finish in Berlin in 2018. Why did he want so badly to beat this record, even if the results wouldn’t be considered official?
4. What are some of the special supports that Kipchoge had during the race to help him achieve this record?
5. What is your reaction to Kipchoge’s successful run? How big a deal is it?
6. Bonus question: Brigid Kosgei of Kenya set a women’s world record one day after Kipchoge’s race. What are two ways that Kosgei found inspiration in Kipchoge’s victory?
Going Further
In the related Opinion essay “How Did Eliud Kipchoge Break the Marathon Record So Soon?” Lindsay Crouse considers the degree to which the run was a “branding stunt” while at the same time being an accomplishment for all of us to share. She writes:
When he finished, Mr. Kipchoge compared what he’d just accomplished to man walking on the moon. It’s an apt analogy. Rather than showing what humanity is naturally capable of, his performance indicates what we can achieve with a boost from technology. For instance, Mr. Kipchoge wore an unreleased version of Nike’s special, and controversial, speed shoes, which were designed to give a significant edge to anyone racing in them. (Like a lot of runners, I have logged my fastest races in older versions of these shoes.) The shoes have enormous, spongy, springy soles. (Remember “barefoot running”? That era is over). If this performance was like walking on the moon, he was racing in the terrestrial equivalent of moon shoes.
The event could be dismissed as a branding stunt. Ineos, which sponsored the event, is a chemical giant that’s facing considerable opposition to its plans to frack for shale gas in the United Kingdom. At the behest of its founder and chief shareholder, Jim Ratcliffe, a Brexit supporter who is among Britain’s richest people, Ineos now owns Swiss and French soccer clubs and a British cycling team, and is financing a 2021 America’s Cup sailing team.
Of course, participants were covered in Nike logos from head to toe.
But it was never guaranteed that Mr. Kipchoge was going to succeed. In a similar attempt two years ago, staged by Nike on a Formula One racetrack in Italy, he came up just short. Two years later, the shoes are faster, the conditions were ideal and the runner himself was stronger.
You could tell from the reaction of his pacers, who were cheering despite running their own pacing 5Ks at a searing speed, that Mr. Kipchoge is widely liked and admired. That is partly because when he talks about running, he talks less about himself than about how his achievements fit into the context of “the world” and “humanity.” The joy and inspiration of the moment are hard to take issue with.
What is your take on all of this? Do you think Kipchoge’s achievement is something to celebrate for humanity? Is it a “historic run”? How much does it matter that this record is not a “real” world record? How much does it matter that the conditions of this race (the pacers, the laser, the speed shoes) were especially designed to create this outcome?
Collaborative working has become essential in today’s world and a collaborative approach can bring exceptional healthcare to life.
Collaboration gives organisations an opportunity to meet global healthcare needs faster, while creating a platform to improve the health and wellbeing of people worldwide.
Develop your network and expand the reach of your organisation
By fostering collaborative relationships, professionals can work with experts and reach new markets across the healthcare industry, from NHS organisations and universities to charities.
Cross-sector collaboration within healthcare is key to addressing wider issues facing the sector and finding opportunities to develop sustainable solutions for complex challenges.
Share best practice and work with other organisations
With new advances in technology, changes in healthcare services are substantial. By combining knowledge, resources, skills, and perspectives, organisations are able to solve problems more effectively and use the connection to communicate, share and discuss work.
Developing a deeper understanding of the healthcare landscape by working together is key to creating promising innovations in health.
Make a greater impact
True collaborative partnerships are a great platform to establish a global footprint.
Although it can be challenging, providing a space for organisations to distill what they’re great at and leveraging the combined strengths of multiple organisations can be far more impactful than if explored independently.
At FutureLearn, we’ve seen academia, business and governments collaborate to incredible success.
When universities and companies across the world share their expertise and resources, they can create new medicines, build state of the art medical devices, and find diagnoses and treatments for patients worldwide at a faster rate.
The FutureLearn healthcare network
We’ve partnered with leading medical schools, universities and organisations around the world to develop and share a portfolio of healthcare courses that reach millions of learners globally, including both health and social care professionals and patients.
Working together with renowned universities like the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, private-research focus institutions like the Pasteur Institut, and government bodies including the NHS and Public Health England, we help organisations expand their network. We’ll help build suitable collaborations to widen their reach and share best practices and knowledge to build a brighter future for the healthcare sector.
Become part of our network to unlock the power of collaborative partnerships, be part of a wider healthcare conversation and shape the learning agenda on healthcare.
