1. First out of the blocks today, the Cambridge English Generative AI Idea Pack for English language teachers, put together by Jasmin Silver, Jo Szoke & Vicky Saumell https://cambunipress.prod.acquia-sites.com/sites/default/files/media/documents/GenAI-Idea-Pack-for-English-language-teachers.pdf

PDF below as well.

We have designed this idea pack to help you become more confident when using generative AI tools in your teaching practice. It offers research-based, practical suggestions that will aid you in navigating the exciting yet occasionally daunting field of generative AI. Some of these ideas are ideas for activities in the classroom, others are for you to consider and perhaps embed in your professional development goals. You might go through the whole pack at once, or you could take a one-a-day approach and start your week (or day) with a new card.

2. I’d forgotten I have ten gift articles from The Daily Telegraph each month, so here’s three:

i) the Telegraph take on that Edinburgh University report on slavery and racism that I shared last Tuesday https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/b8cc2d5ee44bf5bb

This devastating critique was not commissioned by Edinburgh’s rivals but by the university itself. Led by academics, the investigation into the university’s historic links to slavery and racism is being lauded as one of “the most ambitious, wide-ranging and sustained consultations of its kind”. The result is 130 pages of self-flagellation.

ii) a comment piece with which it’s unfortunately hard to disagree, Trump just exposed how irrelevant the Europeans have now become: Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer are small men commenting on events over which they have no control https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/721273fced4463aa

Before flying to Scotland on Friday, Donald Trump subjected the preening French president to his worst humiliation: that of irrelevance. Macron’s geopolitically illiterate announcement on recognising Palestine “doesn’t matter”, Trump said. “He’s a very good guy. I like him, but that statement doesn’t carry weight,” he added (…) As if that wasn’t bad enough, then came the real twist of the knife. “Here’s the good news,” Trump concluded. “What he says doesn’t matter. It’s not going to change anything.”

If you’re unsure of The Daily Telegraph’s politics, here’s a clue from the article: When Israel and America so magnificently bombed Iran last month …

iii) Mankeeping: Finally, a word to describe the emotional labour of my 38-year marriage The term describes the unreciprocated work women do to manage the emotional and social needs of men in their lives. I know all about that https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/f5d24fb499d13f29 The unfortunate – or should that be fortunate? -man in question was, however, prepared to be photographed in his pyjamas for the rather strange photo accompanying the article.

3. Boba and I have supported the UK charity, Freedom from Torture, for a long time, ever since we won an uncomfortably large raffle prize from them, which we’ve since repaid many times over https://www.freedomfromtorture.org Their current campaign is Test your memory! https://secure.freedomfromtorture.org/page/175435/survey/1 We know that memory is not straightforward. Our ability to remember things is impacted by both time and trauma. To help demonstrate this, we’re asking you to share a recent memory with us. In 40 days’ time, we’ll reach out again and see how accurately you remember the same event. Give it a go? I just did.

4. This one’s not for everyone. Kristian Krempel’s cold-eyed Afghanistan war documentary about The Battle of Qala I Jangi in 2001 https://youtu.be/S3zdczaYDs0

The Battle of Qala-i-Jangi, also known as “The Fortress of War”, was a 2001 uprising of Taliban prisoners held at the Qala-i-Jangi fortress in northern Afghanistan, which lasted from November 25 to December 1. The uprising began with prisoners-of-war, and Northern Alliance fighters, with assistance from British and American special forces, eventually quelled the revolt after seven days, leaving only 86 prisoners alive out of an original 300. At least 470 people were killed, including CIA agent Johnny “Mike” Spann.

5. And, finally, free to read courtesy of Granta until the end of August, Frederick Seidel’s The Desert Song https://granta.com/the-desert-song/ There’s also an audio version read by the poet: maybe read along as you listen?