Digital Technology in Educational Settings

A workshop for educators based in Hanoi. Wednesday 8th May @ the Eastern & Oriental Tea House & Coffee Parlour, 26 Quang An St, Tay Ho. Register here

Digital technologies are often presented as solutions that can simply be transported from one context to another that solve problems and enhance student outcomes. In this presentation Dr Michael Phillips will argue that such ‘silicon bullet’ models inevitably miss their target. In contrast, Michael will introduce technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) as a way of understanding the ways expert teachers use digital technologies. Furthermore, Michael will provide insights into the ways in which individual schools and teachers can enhance powerful technology practices including Augmented Reality.

About the presenter 

Dr Michael Phillips is an internationally recognised researcher and author who explores the challenging problem of teachers’ powerful integration of digital technologies. In particular, Michael focuses on the ways in which expert teachers develop understandings of the most effective uses of digital technologies in particular contexts.

Additional workshop: Benefits of double degrees in the age of multidisciplinary knowledge

After the workshop, you will also have the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion with Monash University representatives from the faculties of Arts, Education, Information Technology and Science about the benefits of studying a double degree.

Lately, the AQI in Hanoi has been off the Richter scale & air pollution is generating a lot of discussion and panic in our community. Here are some helpful tips to keep the air in your home cleaner:

Replace paraffin candles with bees wax candles. Paraffin candles (which, incidentally, contain petroleum) release benzene and other harmful chemicals as they burn. Beeswax candles are a far better option for your lungs & health

Avoid dry dusting – this simple moves dust particles from one part of the house to another. Instead, use a damp cloth to wipe down surfaces.

On days with heavy pollution, keep the windows closed and use fans to keep the house cool

Get the filter cleaned on your air conditioners and your air purifiers regularly. This will help both devices to filter the air more efficiently

Head over to Hoang Ho Tham Street & buy some pot plants. These ones are very efficient air purifiers:

Chrysanthemum

Aloe Vera

Dracaena

Snake plant

Golden Pothos

Red-edged Dracaena

The opening of our new cafe, The Eastern & Oriental Tea House & Coffee Parlour, last Saturday night was tons of fun. We hope you enjoy the photos & hope to see you at the cafe soon:

We hope you can join us at the official opening of our new cafe: The Eastern & Oriental Tea House & Coffee Parlour

Free flow of champagne, beer & wine, plus canapes

Artist Astrid Bant’ s current exhibition The Power of Possibilities features a collage of Osana-san, a Dutch-Japanese woman who became the consort of Vietnamese King Le Thanh Tong in 1630. Her influence and ability to translate facilitated a trade deal between Vietnam and the Dutch East Indian Trading Company, enabling the Dutch to buy Vietnamese silk for the Japanese market. Her statue can be found in the Mat pagoda, Thanh Hoa province.

Astrid’s work is on display at

Art Vietnam Salon GalleryAlley 66, House #2, Yen Lac Street, Hanoi, Vietnam. Email: astridbant@yahoo.com

Apples

Eating an apple a day will not only keep the doctor away; it will also make you feel cooler & will reduce your hunger. If you’re extra hungry, try a little peanut butter with the apple to fill you up. If you need further convincing that apples are beneficial, think about this: the pectin in apples aids weight loss. Case closed!

Pineapple

Few fruits cool you down as quickly as a juicy pineapple that has been refrigerated. They are also great in smoothies, combined with banana, spinach & cucumber. Pineapples contain a natural anti-inflammatory agent, bromelain, so they’re great for joint pains too.

Lemons & limes

Anything from the citrus family has a cooling effect on your body in summer. Add lemon or lime juice to cold water, to encourage yourself to rehydrate more regularly on hot days. Both of these fruits are detoxifiers and help to cleanse your skin from the inside.

Watermelon

Nothing cools your body on a hot day quite like a slice of cold watermelon. They are delicious put in a blender with a handful of ice; add a dollop of plain yoghurt if you’re super hungry.

It’s Dengue fever season again & time to ramp up the battle against mosquitoes. These plants can all deter mozzies, but keep in mind that not exposing your skin is the best defense.

Lavender – not only do mosquitoes hate this plant, but so do flies and moths. It’s an all-round winner!

Citronella Geranium – only some varieties of geranium repel mosquitoes, so choose carefully.

Citronella – it looks boring, but mosquitoes hate it!

Peppermint – smells delicious to humans & it’s perfect in your iced tea. Also keeps mozzies at bay

Lemon Balm – so easy to grow – in fact, you’ve got to be careful it doesn’t take over your garden.

Basil – apparently the oils from this plant can kill mosquito larvae. Mosquitoes loathe it

Mint – ordinary garden variety mint repels most insects. In addition, you can crush the leaves and rub it on itchy bites to soothe the pain

Marigolds – the pyrethrum in marigolds makes them toxic to most insects, mosquitoes included

It only takes two days of humidity for mold to start growing inside your home, so don’t wait until you can see signs of mold – take action as soon as the weather changes.

1. Wash down your bathroom with one cup of lemon juice and a handful of salt, diluted in 4 litres of boiling hot water.
2. Wipe down your kitchen surfaces with vinegar or eucalyptus oil. Both of these liquids have mold-inhibiting properties
3. Put your pot plants outside during super-moldy weather, or douse the soil with water laced with apple cider vinegar or taheboo tea. The soil in your pot plants can harbour mold so deal with them immediately after an increase in humidity.
4. Remove soap scum from your shower and bath with a mixture of baking soda and white vinegar – soap scum serves as an anchor for mold, so eliminate it. Use a wet pumice stone to remove a serious build-up of soap scum.
5. Don’t throw away your old toothbrushes. Instead, keep them to clean the gaps between the tiles in your bathroom and kitchen to keep mold at bay.

We brainstormed our Top Ten romantic flicks, with a few art-house favorites thrown in:

An Affair to Remember

Call Me By Your Name

10 Things I Hate About You

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Amelie

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Shaun of the Dead

Manhattan

Carol

Brief Encounter