Keep Calm and Teach English

EU Code Week (6th - 21st October) is a grassroots initiative which aims to bring coding and digital literacy to everybody in a fun and engaging way. Learning to code helps us to make sense of the rapidly changing world around us, expand our understanding of how technology works, and develop skills and capabilities in order to explore new ideas and innovate. Coding and 21st century learning Coders or programmers are people who write the programmes behind everything we see and do on a computer. Most of our students spend several hours playing online games, but few know how to create a game. Learning to code encourages students to become creators, not just consumers of the technology they use, in other words it teaches them to use their personal devices productively rather than distractingly. When children or adults learn to code, it helps them to develop essential skills such as problem solving, logic and critical thinking. Through coding, we realize that there’s often...

With 800 million Europeans represented in the Council of Europe, and 47 member states, it's no wonder that the Council strongly believes in linguistic diversity as a tool for achieving greater intercultural understanding and a key element in the rich cultural heritage of our continent. The general objectives of the European Day of Languages are to: alert the public to the importance of language learning and diversify the range of languages learned in order to increase plurilingualism and intercultural understanding; promote the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe; encourage lifelong language learning in and out of school. In keeping with these rules, people, young and old, are encouraged to take up a language, or take special pride in their existing language skills. Also, those responsible for providing access to language learning are encouraged to make it easier for people to learn a range of languages, and to support policy initiatives to promote langua...

On Safer Internet Day (SID) 2018 (Tuesday, 6 February), an EU-wide series of initiatives entitled #SaferInternet4EU  was launched at an event at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Throughout 2018, a range of #SaferInternet4EU initiatives will reach children, young people, parents, teachers, and other EU citizens to become empowered and responsible digital users. It will cover a wide range of topics, such as critical thinking, media literacy and digital skills necessary to identify and combat fake news and the risks brought by emerging online technologies and connected devices; and provide tips on cyber hygiene. A number of initiatives will be launching as part of the campaign, including: a European contest to reward high quality resources and inspiring initiatives pursuing Better Internet for Kids objectives. The competition will cover three categories: professionals, teachers and youth. a massive open online course (MOOC) on child online safety with resou...

For Safer Internet Day 2017 , 1,500 young people aged 8-17 years took part in an online survey conducted by ResearchBods and commissioned by the UK Safer Internet Centre. The aim was to explore the role of images and videos in young people’s digital lives and the influence this can have on their self-esteem, behaviour and emotions. The findings reveal how important images and videos are in young people's digital lives, demonstrating the positive role this plays as well as the risks and pressures they may face as a result. It underlines the importance of ensuring that all children have the skills, knowledge, confidence and resilience to communicate using images and videos safely, responsibly and creatively. Parents, teachers and most importantly schools in general should be able to understand the implications such surveys convey in order to guide children and teens towards better and  safer  internet use. 

Safer Internet Day 2017 will be celebrated globally on Tuesday 7th February with the slogan ‘Be the change: Unite for a better internet’.  The day offers the opportunity to highlight positive uses of technology and to explore the role we all play in helping to create a better and safer online community.  As young children and teens are more and more involved in social media without actual guidance, it is vital for schools to offer them advice on internet etiquette and safety  as well as model responsible behaviour and use.  The official page  of the campaign offers a gallery of resources in many languages together with lesson plans for students of all ages.  You can find ready made activities especially designed for EFL learners in the British Council . Levels range from A1 to C2 so there is something for everyone there. 

An interactive map showing when women got the right to vote in countries around the world. By The Guardian. women's vote timeline