1. First up today, Familiar Strangers, an ambitious post by Jamie Keddie on his LessonStream blog, “in which (says Jamie), with the help of three videos, I want to explore how media shapes the way we see each other and challenge the lazy idea that the political right are simply stupid”. https://www.lessonstream.com/newsletters/lessonstream-blog/posts/familar-strangers

2. Here’s a typically useful video from Russell Stannard, CHATGPT for Language Teachers & Students: Practical Ideas. “In this video (says Russell) I develop some more advanced ways of practising speaking with ChatGPT to practise language learning.”https://youtu.be/ItF96l_64dw

3. It’s a long time since I was a teenager, but I don’t remember needing extra sleep  – which might have been a function of boarding school life where each minute of your day each day was accounted for, I guess. Here’s a piece from BOLD, How schools can adapt to teens’ sleep rhythms  https://boldscience.org/how-schools-can-adapt-to-teens-sleep-rhythms/

During adolescence, a lot is going on: hormonally, emotionally, socially. It’s a phase filled with challenges and changes, which is why sleep is absolutely crucial. The teenage brain needs to rest and process what’s going on. Despite needing more sleep at this stage of life, many teenagers don’t get enough. They have to wake up early for school, which often prevents them from getting the recommended 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night.

4. Provoke with Describe image is the slightly cryptic title of the next Pearson webinar, with Kamil Petryk, at 16:00 UK time next Tuesday, 30^th September https://pearson.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nEwY9Pv2TumKYPkrFwIUMg#/registration

This session encourages teachers to think creatively, discover innovative techniques, and embrace non-traditional study methods. Through analyzing images, you will learn how to enable students to create vivid descriptions and communicate complex ideas effectively. Our experts will lead engaging activities and thought-provoking exercises that push the limits of traditional learning.

5. And, finally, a piece for Engelsberg Ideas by Muriel Zagha, The pen that became a symbol of France https://engelsbergideas.com/notebook/the-pen-that-became-a-symbol-of-france/ Do you know which pen that is? We all had one in our pencil case at school, as I remember.