HOW LUTHER WENT VIRAL

“Five centuries before Facebook and the Arab spring, social media helped bring about the Reformation” The Economist, December 17^th, 2011; http://www.economist.com

Level of difficulty:****

BEFORE YOU READ

·         What are the positive effects of social media on an individual?

·         What infamous 20^th century event was instigated partly via the media?

·         In what 21^st century events did the social media play a crucial role?

·         Do you believe that this role of the social media is a relatively new phenomenon or not?

·         Read the title and subtitle of the text. How do you imagine the social media could have been responsible for the spread of Luther’s words in the 16^th century?

QUESTIONS

1.       Read the first two paragraphs of the text and state clearly what feature the Arab spring and the Reformation share?

2.       What does the phrase “this long running debate” at the beginning of paragraph 4 refer to? Use your own words and be very precise.

3.       What qualities of a marketing campaign did Tetzel’s behavior exhibit? How did Luther describe his actions?

4.       What consequence of the writing of the “95 Theses” surprised Luther? Why did this consequence come about?

5.       What qualities did the media campaign in Luther’s day share with its modern day counterpart?

6.       What conclusion can be drawn from the information in paragraph 9?

7.       What measure of popularity do items printed in Luther’s day and current items in social networks share? Use your own words.

8.       Who did Luther seem to have more respect for; Tezel or Mazzolini? Why?

9.       What completely novel social consequence did this rapid flow of pamphlets from rival camps have?

10.   What was one of the main purposes of the news ballads?

11.   What was the second way in which Luther sought to reach the illiterate? How did he defend this medium?

12.   What tactical error did the defenders of the Pope make?

13.   Why did censorship of Luther’s material fail?

14.   Read the section “From Wittenberg to Facebook”. Now state clearly what advantage the use of the social media provided both during the Arab spring and during the Reformation?

15.   Which sentence in the last paragraph best expresses the conclusion that can be drawn from the whole text? There are two synonymous sentences that serve this purpose; find them both.

WRITING TASK

Write an essay either discussing the effects of social media in bringing about change or turn to the writing files and write the essay discussing the effects of Facebook.

HOW LUTHER WENT VIRAL / TEACHER’S NOTES AND KEY

This beautifully organized and written text is worth examining closely not only for the content but more importantly, for the brilliant planning and essay writing technique. There is a tidy four paragraph introduction including the main thesis and transition to the development where this thesis is analyzed. The essay is rounded off with a brilliant conclusion which the development seems flow into if you will. The last paragraph includes the concluding statement which in turn ties back to the introduction. This superb planning needs to be analyzed with the students either while working on the text or when the task is complete. The topic is one hitherto unexplored so there is novelty value and a wow factor. This, it is hoped, will help the students tackle the questions – which have turned out to be quite challenging comprehension questions. The whole activity needs to be rounded off with a writing task either about the effects of social media in implementing social change or the writing activity concerning Facebook on this blog, in the writing files.

KEY

1.       The protestors’ message spread through social networks making it impossible to suppress and highlighting the extent of public support for revolution. The word “viral” needs to be left out if both movements are to be covered. Or the combination of improved……

2.       Whether printing or preaching and other forms of oral transmission was more important in the Reformation.

3.       He was selling indulgences to raise money to fund a pet project by the Pope; Hand over your money…. , As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, so the soul from purgatory springs/ Luther felt this was an example of “the pious defrauding of the faithful”

4.       The rapid spread; To ensure that his words were intelligible from Rhineland to Saxony.

5.       It was a decentralized system whose participants took care of distribution deciding collectively which messages to amplify through sharing and…

6.       A popular pamphlet would thus spread quickly without its author’s involvement.

7.       How much they are shared. Although this idea is clearly expressed, no phrase in the paragraph will cover both times.

8.       Tetzel because he quoted scripture.

9.       It gave people a thrilling and unprecedented sense of participation in a vast distributed debate.

10.   To spread the words even among the illiterate (through the practice of communal singing)

11.   Woodcuts; without images we can neither think nor understand anything.

12.   They wrote in impenetrable Latin

13.   Material printed elsewhere still flowed into the city.

14.   They were a collective signaling mechanism; people became aware of how others felt or a similar answer.

15.   Social media are not unprecedented; rather they are the continuation of a long tradition. Or today’s social media systems do not just connect us to each other; they also link us to the past.

EXAMS IN SOUTH KOREA

THE ONE SHOT SOCIETY

Published: The Economist, December 17, 2011; http://www.economist.com

Level of difficulty: ***

BEFORE YOU READ

·         What do you know about the various systems of entering university in countries around the world?

·         What is the system like in your own country?

·         What effects does this system have on students in the short term?

·         Are there any long term effects you can think of or not?

·         What do you expect the system in South Korea to be like? Better? Worse? Or about the same?

QUESTIONS

1.       How does the day the students take the university entrance exam in South Korea compare to the same day in your own country?

2.       How does what the above exam stand for compare to your own country? Use your own words.

3.       Now read paragraphs 3 and 4. What are the three advantages of Korea’s university entrance system?

4.       Read the story of Min-sung. What seems to be unnatural about the life he leads? And what is the irony of it all? Use your own words.

5.       Now read as far as Seoul Children. What surprising and tragic reaction to the system is observed among students?

6.       The irony is that there is a negative correlation between……………………………………………………

7.       It is stated in the text that “Korea’s rigid social model aggravates the nation’s extreme demographic problems”.  What will the ultimate consequence of this upset of balance be?

8.       What radical changes in hiring policy does the president want to implement?

9.       There are two changes that have recently taken place concerning children’s education and upbringing. They are: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

10.   There are two reasons why the tradition of lifetime employment is losing its importance. They are: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

11.   Why do Korean employees wish to go on working for the same companies although they feel they aren’t valued as individuals?

12.   What disadvantages does the Chaebol’s employment policy have for the companies?

13.   Read the stories of Richard Choi and Charles Pyo to the end. Why are these two people’s companies spurned?

14.   Read the conclusion of the text and state clearly what kind of a conclusion it is and why it works for the text?

WRITING TASK: PROBLEM / SOLUTION ESSAY

Write an essay in which you suggest solutions to the twin problems of higher education and employment in Korea using the information in the text and your own opinions. Use the plan below.

In your introduction: Describe the kind of country Korea is and introduce some of the problems that are beginning to emerge. Explain that preventing the situation from getting worse will mean radical changes in two areas: education and employment policies.

In the first developmental paragraph: Address education. Suggest solutions and support your views.

In the second developmental paragraph: Address employment policies. Suggest solutions and support your views.

In the conclusion: Write a summary or restatement.

EXAMS IN SOUTH KOREA: THE ONE SHOT SOCIETY / TEACHER’S NOTES AND KEY

This text is a beautiful analysis of a society of overachievers and the effects of this attitude on individuals and society. I have given it three stars assuming that you have been working on serious comprehension questions as of day one in simpler settings. If this is not the case, however, you may need to tread more carefully. Not all the questions are the same level of difficulty and I have some questions where students will need to use their own words as I believe the latter is the best way to teach the requisite reasoning skills. The text is one the students ought to be able to relate to.

KEY

1.       South Korea goes silent (the shortest and most direct answer)

2.       In South Korea, it is more a matter of life and death.

3.       It is efficient; the exam’s importance prompts students to pay attention in class and their parents to hound them about homework; Korea’s educational results are the envy of the world.

4.       He has no free time; he wants to be an agent for sports stars for which he doesn’t need a degree.

5.       A fifth of Korean middle and high school students said that they felt tempted to commit suicide and in 2009, a tragic 202 did so.

6.       The number of university graduates and the possibility of finding a job.

7.       Korea will age and shrink into global irrelevance.

8.       Make merit count more than academic background; urging Korean firms to recruit people with a wider range of experiences.

9.       Local authorities have been allowed to limit hagwon hours and fees; many young people are beginning to question whether the old rules about how to live one’s life will make them happy.

10.   Cash strapped companies are backing away… ;Many young people don’t want to be chained to the same desk for years.

11.   Because of the difficulty of switching employers.

12.   They fail to get the best out of Korean women; they miss clever people who are not much good at exams and late developers; they shunt older people into retirement when they still have much to offer.

13.   People care too much about other people’s expectations. Incidentally, they are not Samsung won’t do at all. What about all those other globetrotting companies? Samsung is just one example and students should see that.

14.   A summary

WEATHERING THE STORM

Psychology Today; http://www.psychologytoday.com/print/29564

Level of difficulty: ***

BEFORE YOU READ

·         Think back on a time when you failed at something; what was your initial reaction?

·         Did your mood change in any way after a little time had elapsed?

·         In retrospect, do you feel this failure was useful in some way or was it a set back?

·         What is the correct attitude to failure in your view?

Your teacher will now read the first two pages of the text out loud to you in sections. These two pages include a lot of examples of failure and the consequences thereof. Discuss your views as you hear about each case. The questions below start at the top of page three of the print version.

QUESTIONS (from the top of page three: “We do know that learning is error driven…”)

1.       Read the information concerning Paul MacCready. What was his immediate reason for courting failure? What was his long term goal in courting failure?

2.       What overall generalization can we make concerning failure based on MacCready’s story?

3.       What does “it” in the phrase “it doesn’t make sense” in the last line of paragraph 2 refer to?

4.       What personality changes are brought about by failure?

5.       According to the information provided in paragraph 5, what does “equanimity” mean?

6.       Have another look at paragraph 5 and state clearly what advantage equanimity in a member of staff has for a company?

7.       Have a look at paragraph 6 and state clearly what you think “categorically” means.

8.       Read paragraph 7 and 8 carefully. The publication of the book “How to Get Divorced by Thirty” is proof that…………………………………………….. (There are two alternative answers; find them both)

9.       Read paragraphs 9, 10 and11 of this text. Now state what you think the most important advantage of failure is? (Be general)

10.   Which type of person, a ruminator or a resilient, controls his emotions, adjusts his thinking and recalibrates his beliefs? What do you think the words ruminator and resilient mean roughly?

11.   At the beginning of paragraph 15, the writer says “Pandolfini teaches his students this calming sense of perspective”. What does “this” refer to in this phrase and what does it enable the prospective chess players to do? Question suggested by Berna, Emre, Betül Sena, Sinem, Ayça, Serhan and Büşra

12.   Read paragraphs 16, 17, and 18. What view of intelligence would a ruminator hold? There is a positive correlation between resilience and ………………………………………………………………….. Question suggested by Sinem, Ayça, Büşra, Serhan, Güner, Kadir, Melih, Çağatay, Öykü, Tuna and Ferhunde.

13.   Read paragraph 19, carefully and state what you think “sweet pot” means in this context? Based on a question by Elif and Hakan.

14.   What does “This” refer to in the phrase “This is how we learn to solve problems…” in paragraph 20? Question suggested by Ayça, Sinem, Büşra and Serhan.

15.   Now read on as far as “Nine Ways to Fail Better”.  Why did Phil Schultz get such a positive reaction after the publication of failure? Based on a question by Kadir, Melih and Güner.

It is suggested that you stop at this point, discuss your answers and try and predict what the solutions are going to be.

 QUESTIONS (Page six: Nine ways to fail better)

1.       If an embarrassment has made for an entertaining story for someone, what has he succeeded in doing?

2.       Read the section titled “Join the Club”. People were only able to start posting productive hints once …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

3.       Read the section titled “Feel Guilt not Shame”. If you were the head of the planning department in a large company and the plans you produced resulted in failure for three consecutive years, what would you need to do?

4.       Read “Cultivate Optimism”. The quote by Hamlet seems to support the view that………..(Be very specific

5.       Margaret Evans said “This turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to me”. What does “this refer to in this sentence?

6.       Read the story of Gilbert Brim’s father. How exactly did his father avoid feeling a failure?

7.       Read “Harness the Bridget Jones Effect”. In your opinion, what advantage of journalism may have helped the middle aged engineers who had lost their jobs find reemployment?

8.       Read don’t blame yourself. Is there a positive correlation or a negative correlation between depression and attribution?

9.       Read the section “Act”. What does “it” refer to in the sentence “Seize it”?

WEATHERING THE STORM / TEACHER’S NOTES AND KEY

Published on Psychology Today; http://www.psychologytoday/print/29564

It is suggested that you read the first two pages out loud to the students, one instance of failure at a time, and discuss each one. This will enable them to predict some of the content of the text and thus iron out some possible problems. It will also be novel pre reading activity. The questions start at the top of page three (We do know that learning is error driven).  As you see from the question sheet, some of the questions have been written by the students. You could do the same. After all there is no rule saying the whole of a text needs to be handled in the same way. My thanks go out to the students who contributed.

KEY

1.       He wanted to perfect the aircraft he was designing or he wanted to learn; he wanted to win the Kremer prize.

2.       The brain feeds on failure or we are acutely sensitive to…( ask them to find both for a change)

3.       The term trial and success.

4.       One becomes tempered.

5.       We learn that trauma is survivable so we don’t plunge too deeply following setbacks. Nor conversely do we soar too high on our successes.

6.       They will perform but not get emotionally attached to losses.

7.       Complete, all encompassing.

8.       Guilt can be beneficial; guilt was actually productive.

9.       A shift from pursuing the kinds of happiness that flare briefly to the kinds of happiness that endure.

10.   Resilients. Ruminators wallow in self pity and resilients with stand failure.

11.   Putting the game behind them when they lose.  Succeed or to learn to play better.

12.   The view that intelligence is fixed. The view that intelligence is malleable or the view that the brain is plastic.

13.   Ideal balance.

14.   Facing or dealing with manageable risk.

15.   Because they had an entree to talk about it.

It is suggested that you stop here and discuss the answers thus far and discuss the possible solutions they think the writer might suggest before bashing on.

NINE WAYS TO FAIL BETTER (Page six)

1.       Stepping back for fresh perspective.

2.       They had vented themselves out.

3.       Own the failure, see what you can learn from it and move on.

4.       Optimism is the most important of the seven learnable skills of resilience.

5.       Being let go.

6.       He lowered his sights when that was realistically required/ he revised his outdated goals. ( ask them to find both)

7.       The fact that it boosted social skills…

8.       Positive

9.       The opportunity

WRITING TASK

You might want to let this slide as they will have been obsessing with the text for ages but should you wish to, an opinion essay where they state to what extent they agree with the writer may be nice.

WAS CHILDHOOD EVER INNOCENT?

By Tom Geoghegan

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7276939.stm

Published: 2008/03/05 14:35:24 GMT

© BBC MMVIII

A speed reading exercise or a nasty search reading or a careful search reading! You have two minutes per question. Can you rise to the challenge? You should not exceed 20 minutes tops; if you do, you lose the challenge. Level of difficulty: ***

Answer the following questions:

1.      What seems to be the major criticism concerning the modern child?

______________________________________________________________________

2.      What does ‘that’ refer to in the phrase ‘The Boy Scout movement was founded to address that’?

______________________________________________________________________

3.      There is a major difference between the way adults treated their children in the Edwardian era and now. Parents and other adults no longer resort to _________________________ .

4.      ______________________________________________________________ partly to address the problem of child labour; however, it didn’t solve the problem completely.

5.      Pre-marital sex was not common among Edwardian youngsters for two main reasons.

a)      _________________________________________

b)      _________________________________________

6.      An example of the change in child-parent relations in the post-war period is that ______________________________________________________________________.

7.      a) The 60’s and 70’s are described in the text as ________________________________.

b) What were the two reasons for the above description?

______________________________________________________________________

8.      How was the communist threat countered in the 60’s and 70’s?

______________________________________________________________________

9.      What characteristic of ‘the more sexual culture’ of the 90’s creates anxiety?

______________________________________________________________________

10.  Read the section on the 80’s through carefully and decide whether the fact that 50% of parents believe that childhood is over at 11 is justified (The second paragraph). Prove your answer with information from the text and try to explain the reasons.

KEY

1. The fact that children act like adults at an alarmingly early age.
2. A moral and physical decline among the youth
3. Physical punishment
4. Schooling until ten became compulsory, and this was raised to fourteen in 1918.
5. Social pressure and Lack of opportunity
6. Children kept their earnings (rather than giving it to their parents)
7. The age of mass consumption; There was a newly emancipated working class and young people had cash and optimism in abundance.
8. By strengthening the family
9. The fact that it was an aspirational not an educational version of sex.
10. No. Home entertainment means kids are kept indoors; parents subsidize their children to a very late age. Dependency is a sign of childhood.