i-Learner Newsletter - Austen Term 2021

Contents: Sneak Peek: Five Children and It Ch.2 A Positive Approach to Self-Growth 如何在應試教育大背景下培養學生的 創新能力 Mental Health and Staying Positive 「疫」時空徵文比賽 Books that Inspire Student Voices: My Big Idea 進入元宇宙 It Starts at Home 寫出有新意的文章 Fun and Games Answers

Are you ready for summer?

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View our Summer Term information below.

Regular Summer Term Kindergarten: 5th June - 4th September Primary and Secondary: 12th June - 4th September Special Courses and Camps 18th July - 26th August ・Stella ・Fun, Fun, Fun! ・One-on-One Project-Based Learning ・Oxbridge Virtual Experience Camps (Humanities and Science) ・Language Fun Fair (Spanish, German, French, Latin and Classical Greek)

Message from Ms Pun The bustling metropolis of Hong Kong is bursting at the seams with a mix of inspiration, both old and new.

Here, East meets West; glittering skyscrapers tower over lush jungles and beautiful beaches; cuisines mix in new and delicious ways, creating both a literal and figurative melting pot of cultures in this amazing city. Are these not the conditions under which big ideas develop?

One might think that our global perspective and world-leading education system would be a breeding ground for inventions and innovations that change society. Yet we don’t see that sort of significant impact coming out of this city. As an educator, I come across countless bright, creative young minds, and I want to see them fulfil their fantastic potential. However, all too often, they lose their individual spark within the pressure cooker of the school and exam system.

Frequently, students whose grades drop in one subject are pushed to drill, memorise, and tackle that single area until their marks go up again. That level of focus pushes out all other interests in their life and makes them view education as a chore. I have seen many children drop writing classes to focus on grammar for a few months. When they try to return to their creative lessons, they struggle to develop original ideas.

Sacrificing a little writing time for good grades may feel worth it in the short term. However, many of these young minds would have taken their creativity into new and exciting places in the future, helping them cure cancer, explore new planets, and develop technology we can’t yet conceive of.

In spite of a difficult few years, Hong Kong is still here. We still have our buildings, our streets, our beautiful mountains and our blue-green seas. We are still kind, enthusiastic and eager to learn. Maybe it is time for us to learn in a different way. Maybe it is time for us to extend our classrooms to libraries, nature and communities. Maybe it is time for us to find out what we love and reach for it.

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Kemmiss Pun

Levels 1-6 of Key to Classics are OUT NOW! Read one of the Level 4 stories, adapted from the novel by E Nesbit.

r e n d l i and It h C e v i F Chapter 2: As Beautiful as the Day ‘What is it?’ asked Anthea.

‘Don’t you know?’ asked the creature. ‘I’m a sand fairy.’

‘You don’t look like a fairy,’ said Jane.

The creature looked sad.

‘Can you give us wishes?’ asked Robert.

‘Fairies in stories do that.’

The sand fairy looked very old and tired. ‘One,’ he said. ‘I’ll give you one wish.’

‘Each?’ asked Robert.

‘No,’ said the sand fairy. ‘One wish together. And it ends at sunset.’

The children didn’t think it would work.

They chose a small, simple wish.

‘Make us beautiful,’ said Anthea.

To continue reading, get your own copy of this book from the Key to Classics Level 3-4 set in i-Learner Education Centres or buy it online!

The next instalment of this story will be published in the 2022 Summer Term newsletter.

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A Positive Positive Approach Approach A to Self-Growth Self-Growth to The idea of ‘self-growth’ simply refers to improving yourself and developing as a person. This movement acknowledges that everyone can learn and grow throughout our lives, and we can all strive to become better people.

Scarlett Long English Teacher

Some people may pursue a larger aspiration or dream in life and set themselves targets for achieving this. For others, self-growth can be smaller in scale. It may involve eliminating bad habits or trying new hobbies or activities.

Efforts to improve ourselves will undoubtedly have positive consequences on our lives. We can reap direct benefits from a specific new practice, such as experiencing better health after exercising more, or greater productivity following a new work schedule.

Self-growth can also lead to the satisfaction of achieving a goal we have set ourselves.

Importantly, it can give life a sense of purpose – putting us firmly in control of certain activities in our lives.

However, some people may still struggle with self-growth. For people who have found selfimprovement difficult to achieve, here are two suggestions to help:

1. Tailor self-growth ideas to your own needs and priorities.

Commonly touted suggestions for self-growth include ‘wake up early in the morning’, ‘learn a new language’ or ‘finish reading at least three books a month’.

But these goals may have little positive impact on your life specifically. Worse than that, pursuits that don’t match your interests can even become a source of frustration.

If you are choosing to set personal-development targets, reflect on what it is that you wish to improve. You should be confident that these are your own goals, not somebody else’s.

2. Allow yourself rest time.

Self-improvement does not have to be constant. If you have just finished a period of deadlines or stress, take some time for yourself.

You don’t have to immediately move on to the next goal on the list and check that box. In fact, it can often be healthier to take some time to assess and praise your own achievements. Constantly chasing the next goal post may very well lead to burnout.

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With these caveats in mind, here are three possible ideas for change that all readers could benefit from:

Work mindset: It is so easy for us to criticise ourselves when we feel we have done badly, yet we fail to praise ourselves for doing well. If you are at work or school, take the time to recognise your own strengths. Praise yourself for projects or assignments you have completed. This can create positive motivation for working hard, rather than punishment for perceived failures.

Relationships: If the last two years of the pandemic have taught us anything, it is the importance of spending time with the people we love. When restrictions allow, make an effort to regularly set aside time to see family members and friends.

Sleep: Many people are aware of the effects of exercise and diet on our health, but the priority of sleep is overlooked. Scientists recommend 7-9 hours of sleep a night for adults, and 8-10 hours for teenagers. This is non-negotiable, and even one extra hour a night can have profound impacts on our physical and mental health.

Try setting up a schedule to squeeze in an extra hour of sleep.

While the self growth experienced from these three ideas may not produce hard evidence of new skills, they may help us significantly improve our lives in other ways.

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如何在應試教育大背景下 培養學生的創新能力

/ 劉惠娟老師

考試自古已經在教育系統中存在，它可用於評估學生的學習進度和成效，給予回 饋信息以激發教和學的效能，以及為社會選拔合適的人才等。但是，應試教育在儒家 文化的大背景下，在華人社會中特別盛行。應試教育把考試和教學的關係本末倒置， 把考試當作「教學目的」。由此，教學原來的目標、內容和方法被扭曲，教學效能被 削弱，學生最後得不到適當的教育，而培養出來的學生質素亦不是社會所需要的。 教育局在《香港教育制度改革建議》中提到，世界正經歷前所未有的變化，知識 型經濟已經發展成為主流，全球一體化的趨勢構成很大的挑戰。資訊科技的迅速發 展，對生活的每一個層面，都開拓了新領域，也產生了新衝擊。在這樣的大變動中， 溝通、自學、應變、合作、創新等能力，已是每個人在社會立足的必備條件。社會越 來越重視和需要創新人才，培養學生的創新能力，已成為重要的教育目標之一。 然而，香港作為華人社會，應試教育作為一種傳統，始終有其揮之不去的影響。 應試教育和教育改革所提倡的「創新教育」是背道而馳的。因此，在這樣的大背景下， 我們應該如何培養學生的創新能力？這個問題，除了是教育政策主事者應該重視的， 也是各位教育工作者，甚至是家長們都應該要思考的。以下是我對於上述議題的一點 心得和思考：

一、鼓勵多問和重視思考 我們應該保護孩子的好奇心，鼓勵他們問問 題，並且帶領著他們去找答案。另外，我們應 當著重培養孩子的思考能力。一切學習活動的 安排，都要從思考出發，而不是只羅列學科的知 識和概念。我們應當常問：我們為何而學？得到 這些知識和概念，可以在日常生活中得到哪些應 用？這些知識和概念，如何能幫助解決問題？

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二、培養發散性思維 我們可以向孩子提一些培養發散性思維的問題， 這些問題沒有標準答案，需要他們打開腦洞。我們 可以用日常生活中一些常見的物品來提問，比如「一 個可樂罐除了裝可樂之外，還有甚麼用途？」發散 性思維還可以跟想像力結合起來，例如，可以問「假 如你認識天上的神仙，你想要天上掉下甚麼就能掉 甚麼，那你希望從天上掉下甚麼東西？」

三、啟發創造和想像 我們應當鼓勵孩子異想天開，當孩子在想像 時，他其實是在練習在現實世界中思考和解決一個 新問題的能力。當孩子在閱讀的時候，我們可以根 據劇情問一些「如果……會怎樣」的問題，讓孩子 對已經發生的劇情產生不同的聯想。在教學設計的 時候，還可以鼓勵孩子想像未來的各種可能性。

愛上語文班 在幼兒階段，課程通過唱誦兒歌、朗誦童詩、 閱讀故事和遊戲等方式，幫助學生提高詞彙量、 掌握基本的語文知識，並獲取中文閱讀的語感。 在小學階段，通過豐富有趣的繪本、故事、少 年小說等類型的篇章，提升學生的閱讀能力， 培養學生的閱讀興趣。小學四級以上的課程會 加入古詩和文言篇目，幫助學生熟悉古漢語， 為未來的學習打下良好的基礎。 在「愛上語文班」，我們會和同學們一起走進中文 的世界，在不同的書本中流浪，從中學得一手流利 的中文。「愛上語文班」旨在讓學生在提高語文能 力的同時，培養對語文的興趣。

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在中學階段（中一至中三），帶同學在日常中 熟悉考試的模式。我們也會挑選古今中外的經 典名篇，延續文化熏陶，培養學生對語文的興 趣。

Mental Health and Staying Positive Arisht Jain English and STEM Teacher

Did you know?

- 61% of Hong Kong adults currently suffer from poor mental wellbeing, with 1 in every 7 people developing a common mental disorder in their lifetime.* - 1 in 4 Hong Kong workers suffer symptoms of depression and anxiety, which is 2.5 times more than the global average.*

There is no question about how alarming these facts are. In our fast-paced society where work is highly valued, most people don’t take a step back to address their state of being or how they feel. The irony of the situation is that people end up spending half their life gaining wealth at the expense of their health; and once they have acquired some wealth, they spend most of it gaining back their health.

It's a fact that the most complex chemical factory in the world is our human body; the physiological changes that our bodies go through are tremendous. They govern everything, from our body’s response to danger to feeling emotions like anger, joy, fear, excitement and more. Knowing that your body is such a sophisticated machine, wouldn't you like to be a good manager of it? If your factory is producing chemicals that induce stress, panic and anxiety, would you like to take control of it or let it run itself? The answer is obvious. We want to be in control. Yet, in reality we hardly do anything about it, or we try to fix something from the outside when in fact everything is happening within. Happiness is an inside job.

*Mind HK Mental Health in Hong Kong. Available at: https://www.mind.org.hk/mental-health-in-hongkong/ (Accessed: 10 May 2022) 8

Now the question is: how do we reach that state of inner happiness? How do we achieve the same levels of focus without constantly putting our bodies through stress? The doorway to taking charge of ourselves is right under our noses. We can attend to our inner faculties through the power of breath and meditation.

Research shows that if we breathe the right way, our emotions can be taken care of. A daily practice of rhythmic breathing can make us experience a significant reduction in stress, heighten focus levels and boost happy hormones. For example, the SKY breathing technique has shown some astounding results on our well-being, such as a 200% increase in deep sleep, 50% increase in secretion of well-being hormones and about 60% reduction in stress levels to name a few. Its positive effects have been studied at Stanford and Yale. Follow the links at the bottom of this page to learn more.

At the expense of our wellbeing, we push ourselves to create more output, while not realising that if our wellbeing is taken care of, increased productivity will naturally follow. If we take care of our problems at their root – by looking inward – outward expressions like happiness, empathy and focus will simply be by-products.

If you’re curious to learn more, explore these resources to learn about breathwork: Yale News: To improve students’ mental health, Yale study finds, teach them to breathe Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor SKY Breathing programme in Hong Kong

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賽 賽 比 比 文 文 徵 徵 空 空 時 時 」 」 疫 「疫 「

疫情使我們的生活變化不少，試發揮你的想像力， 結合你在疫情下的所見所聞，書寫疫情下的那些人、 那些事、那些情。

初小組（小一至小三） 題目：在家樂趣多！

高小組（小四至小六） 題目：與眾不同的一節課

中學組（中一至中六） 題目：空無一人的街頭

體裁 散文、短篇小說或新詩皆可

字數 初小組限 400 字內，高小組限 800 字內，中學組限 1500 字內 （標點符號計算在內）

獎項

每個組別各設冠亞季軍，優秀作品更有機會配以精美插圖，刊登於本 中心的學期通訊及各社交媒體版面。得獎者將獲取獎學金及獎狀乙張： 冠軍：3000 個書蟲金幣、$1000 獎學金及獎狀 亞軍：2000 個書蟲金幣、$800 獎學金及獎狀 季軍：1000 個書蟲金幣、$500 獎學金及獎狀 ＊

截稿日期

書蟲金幣只可用於智愛中文平台或 Reading i-Learner 平台，而獎學金只可用於智愛

學教育中心任何課程。

2022 年 7 月 31 日 下午 6 時前

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比賽評審

評分準則

李愛潔老師（前中文科主任） 吳志欣（詩人和作家）

根據參賽作品的內容、文筆、創 意、組織、結構及流暢度評分。

來稿須知 • 每位參賽者只能遞交一份作品，如遞交多於一份作品，將被取消參賽資格。 • 參賽作品必須為原創，且未經任何形式公開發表或參賽。一旦發現參賽作品涉及 抄襲，曾經公開發表或參賽，將被取消參賽資格。 • 作品一經提交後不可再作修改，且一概不發還，請自留底稿。 • 得獎作品的版權歸本中心所有，本中心有權將作品刊登、上載至網絡平台或印刷 發行。 • 如有任何爭議，本中心將擁有最終決定權。

參賽方法 • 電郵：參賽作品以 Word Document 附件形式繳交，並連同真實姓名、參賽組別、就讀學校 名稱、所讀年級及聯絡電話電郵至 competitions@i-learner.com.hk，電郵標題請註明「智 愛中文徵文比賽（組別）」。 • 親遞或郵遞：把作品打印或寫在原稿紙上，連同真實姓名、參賽組別、就讀學校名稱、所讀 年級及聯絡電話郵寄或親身遞交至「智愛學教育中心」，地址為「香港九龍尖沙咀柯士甸道 112 號麗斯中心 2 樓」，信封上請註明「智愛中文徵文比賽（組別）」。

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Books that Inspire The Time Keeper

Mitch Albom

S1 - S3

What is this book about? Why is it inspiring?

The Time Keeper (spoiler alert) is about time, but surprisingly, not about keeping it. In this book, Mitch Albom explores the idea and philosophy of what time stands for through the whimsical interaction of the characters, particularly Dor, Sarah and Victor, who all put very different values on time.

Why do I enjoy it?

Albom's novels are famous for their provoking and thought-inspiring dialogues and interactions. The Time Keeper mixes just the right amount of realism to keep the story believable and the perfect measure of fantasy to give insight into what time can be. I certainly enjoyed this reading escapade and took a leaf out of the book.

Mr Jamez enjoys reading novels that allow him to turn them into movies in his head.

Imagine a movie that you can replay any time, anywhere. What could be better?

Who would like this book?

Secondary students beginning to organise their own schedules may find this book rewarding. As a plot-thick novel, this novel suits a patient reader.

Under the Sun: Discover Your Calling and Live a Meaningful Life

by Andrew Gilmore

S3 - S6

What is this book about? Why is it inspiring?

This book is about finding your purpose. It’s about developing the confidence to be yourself and to bring your creativity and authenticity into the world. We often try to imitate others, follow the latest trend and listen to the crowd, and we are not sure if our ideas are special enough. This book guides you to be your authentic self through biblical advice. The instructions are practical and feasible.

Why do I enjoy it?

I always question my own uniqueness and the strengths that I can offer the world. This book shares the idea that everyone has something special to give. The humour and sarcasm make it lighthearted, likeable and interesting to read.

Ms Anna is passionate about personal growth. She finds autobiographies and self-help books interesting as she can get answers about life from different perspectives.

Who would like this book?

Anyone who questions what they can offer the world and is curious about their identity and purpose in life should read this. Whether you are a Christian or not, this book could be eye-opening in sharing inspiring ideas with you.

Sideways Stories from Wayside School

by Louis Sachar

P1 - P3

What is this book about? Why is it inspiring?

This book is about the fictional Wayside School, which was meant to be built one storey high with thirty classrooms but was instead built thirty storeys high with a single classroom on each floor. Each chapter focuses on a different student or teacher at the school. This book makes everything light and fun and features a memorable quote: 'You need a reason to be sad. You don't need a reason to be happy.'

Ms Vineeta enjoys reading lighthearted stories with quirky characters because they make her laugh and inspire her to think creatively.

Why do I enjoy it?

Every chapter is full of laughter. The characters in the book are unique, and the strange things happening in the school take me away from reality and lighten my mood. I also love how touching the stories are and how smart the students are compared to the teachers in the book.

Who would like this book?

Young readers who love funny stories will laugh through every chapter of this book as they learn more about each classroom in the school.

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《被討厭的勇氣》

岸見一郎、古賀史健

P4-P6

內容簡介 ： 一名年輕人來到哲學家的家，他聽聞哲學家主張「世 界無比單純，人人都能幸福」，世界明明如此混亂不堪，人們又 如何能獲得幸福？於是他便決心前來推翻這種謬論。哲學家以阿 爾弗雷德·阿德勒的心理學說，與年輕人展開你來我往的思辯。

陳諾霖老師 畢業於創意 寫作系，熱愛閱讀和 寫作。

喜愛理由 ： 我們很多時侯把自己成長的責任拋給世界，以被動的態度來為自己開脫：因為過 往傷痛而無法獲得幸福、因為他人的期望而無法自由、因為自卑而無法成功等，把自己埋進了一個沒有出路 的困境中。本書以阿德勒的心理學為依據，由淺入深地探討生命中重要的成長議題：心理創傷、人際關係、 人生課題分離、接納自我及當下等，絕對畢生受用。 推薦受眾 ： 這是一本非常值得一讀再讀的好書，適合希望更了解自己，了解心理學及哲學的你。

《我是馬拉拉》青少年版

馬拉拉

P4-S6

內容簡介 ： 當巴基斯坦塔利班控制了史瓦特村莊時，少女馬拉拉 拒絕沈默，為受教育之權利而發聲。然而，年僅 15 歲的她卻因 此付出了巨大的代價——塔利班射擊其頭部，她的生命一度垂危。 不過，她卻奇蹟般的生還、康復，並到聯合國發表演說，成了全 球和平抗爭的象徵，並於 2014 年獲得「諾貝爾和平獎」。 喜愛理由 ： 馬拉拉為了爭取上學的機會、反對恐怖襲擊，善用每一個公開發表的 機會，宣揚和平理念，以及每一個孩子接受教育的權利。她勇敢地公開發聲，參 與公共事務，並始終相信「世事一定會變得更好」，使我大為感動。 推薦受眾 ： 每一位關心公共議題，致力於推動青少年兒童教育權利的讀者。

《十億分之一的文明》 劉慈欣

上官惠東老 師喜愛文 學，希望幫助小朋友 理解文字背後所承載 的思維方式與文化內 蘊，在觀照現實的同 時，體會智識的樂 趣，培養獨立之精 神，自由之思想，從 哲思中尋得力量與慰 藉。

P6-F3

內容簡介 ： 本書由三個科幻故事組成：來自宇宙的神秘晶體，帶 來了「吞食者」將要吞食地球的可怕消息，處於技術劣勢的人類 只能啟動最瘋狂的作戰計劃！（《人和吞食者》）幾首人類的古 典詩歌，讓「神族」遭遇了最大的挫折，爲了突破「作詩」這一 技術難題，神族竟要毀滅整個太陽系！（《詩雲》）地球資源即將耗盡，「方舟號」 飛向宇宙尋找適居星球，然而，重返地球時，却發現人類已被「細菌人」取代！ （《微紀元》） 喜愛理由 ： 本書適合兒童青少年的閱讀心理和接受能力，並兼顧了文學性和科學性。 推薦受眾 ： 具有科學精神、想像力，想要拓展視野和知識面的小讀者。

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劉惠娟老師 熱愛閱讀和 文字，希望帶領小朋 友從小小的窗口看見 萬千世界的廣闊和壯 美。

My Big M y Big B ig Idea IIdea dea My This term, we asked i-Learner students to share their most creative and innovative ideas with us. Read their big ideas below!

AI Robots

By Chloe Lai P1

Terraform Laser to Create a New Earth Earth

By Johnathan Lo P3

A Robot You Can Step Inside Inside

By Ally Yu P5 14

A New Dentist Experience

By Mia Cheung P1

This is a robot that is designed to collect rubbish from the sea. The robot contains a net which is supposed to trap all the rubbish and anything that doesn’t belong in the sea. However it is opened and closed by a sensor as we don’t want any marine life to be damaged in the process.

Additionally there is also another sensor to detect whether or not the things collected are beneficial to the ocean or not. As some animals like jellyfish might be mistaken for a rubbish bag. After it has collected the trash, it swims back to the headquarters and is then put in a machine that sorts the different materials into different categories which are then reused and recycled into different items used in daily life, for example benches and chairs.

Ocean Cleaning Robots 15

By Kevin Ka S3

進入

元宇宙

人類探索宇宙多年，曾經登陸月球，研究火星，

那你有沒有想過我們可以創造「宇宙」？二零二一年

十月，社交平台「Facebook」正式改名為「Meta」，

並宣布將會全力投入開拓「元宇宙」（Metaverse）。這番說話一出，隨即引起 國際關注，「元宇宙」這個概念亦首次打入公眾視野。

「元宇宙」又稱「後設宇宙」，「元宇宙」主要就是在討論透過科技設備

進入人造的虛擬世界，人們在虛擬世界內實時進行互動。聽起來很科幻陌生，

/ 蔡泳詩老師

然而，「元宇宙」概念早出現在小說家尼爾·史蒂芬森 1992 年的科幻小說《漬

雪》（Snow Crash）。在這本書中，「元宇宙」是一個虛擬的城市，這個虛擬 世界的土地可以被購買並開發建築，「元宇宙」的使用者可以通過高科技設備

進入其中，彼此進行互動。除《漬雪》外，及後還有不少創作作品應用這個概念。 到了今時今日，迅速的科技發展導致「元宇宙」的可能性越來越大，人們也逐 漸發現這個嶄新的「宇宙」在商業、教育、零售和房地產領域都有相當的發展 潛力。

所以，到底我們可以透過甚麼樣的設備進入這個全新的宇宙呢？那就 是俗稱 VR 眼鏡的虛擬實境眼鏡（Virtual Reality Headset）。VR

眼鏡一般由 3D 眼鏡、立體聲和頭部追蹤器組成，其中頭部 追蹤器的技術可以隨著人轉頭而改變視野，提供身臨

其境的體驗。現時 VR 眼鏡多數應用在模擬實境

的電腦遊戲或機動遊戲中，透過投 射超擬真環境，為玩家提供沉浸式 的遊玩體驗。如今 Meta 希望打造

的「元宇宙」，便是完善 VR 眼鏡， 擴充它的使用範圍至日常生活，從 而打造一個有別於現實的新環境。

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要在「元宇宙」裏面像現

實世界一樣生活，交易貨幣是

必不可少的一環。而「元宇宙」 的出現帶動了另一個新的貨

幣概念——NFT（非同質化代

幣）。第一個已知的 NFT 出現

在 2015 年，每個代幣代表一個獨特的

數位資料，作為虛擬商品所有權的電子憑證。由於

NFT 不能互換的特性，它可以代表數位資產，如畫作、藝術品、遊戲等不同形式的創意 作品。買家購買後可以獲得獨特的電子憑證，即使作品不斷被複製，這個代幣仍能為買 家提供所有權證明。

NFT 熱潮興起後，不少名人都爭相出售自己的 NFT，就連日本的音樂大師坂本龍

一都推出了自己的代表作《Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrrnce》的 NFT 版——他把樂曲

右手部分的旋律，共 595 個音符分割成 NFT 作品，每個販售一萬日圓（約 683 元港幣）。 閱讀到這裏的你，有沒有想像過發展「元宇宙」後的我們，將來的生活會產生

甚麼樣的變化？也許有一天，我們會習慣在網絡上相見；會戴上 VR 眼鏡過 日子；會在「元宇宙」裏購物享樂……你也會期待這樣未知又充滿無限 可能的未來嗎？

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It Starts at Home!

Creativity is thinking up new things.

Innovation is doing new things.

—Theodore Levitt

Looking to get your child off screens? I understand the feeling… with so much time spent at home these last few years, the battle between the real world and the online universe has certainly ramped up. But there is hope!

Elissa Webb English Teacher

Let’s look at a few activities for all age groups that can challenge children to be both imaginative and hands-on while at home.

1. Make Your Own Time Capsule We are living through a unique time in history about which we will one day tell our children’s children. Creating a time capsule is a great way for the whole family to record life events. Time capsules can be physical (e.g. a box filled with keepsakes) or digital with important documents, photos, favourite songs or videos of family milestones.

Bear in mind physical time capsules need to be able to last a long time, so make sure you choose a sturdy container and carefully pick items to go inside - no favourite candy that will turn mouldy!

Ask your children to make notes about the contents of the family time capsule and let them decide on a date when the capsule should be recovered and unsealed.

Here are some more ideas: For younger children: Make a Family Time Capsule For older children: How to Make a Time Capsule For all age groups: How to Build a COVID-19 Time Capsule, Family Time Capsule Ideas

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2. Family EQ Games These are activities that bring the whole family together and promote mutual consideration, cooperation and kindness. Every family has come under strain during lockdown or study from home periods. These games can help redirect family members back to what is really important.

With the many prompts and ideas introduced through these games, children are equipped with lots of suggestions to develop their own approach to better social skills and self-management. In addition, these games offer a holistic approach towards learning the critical soft skills that will give children the edge in their future careers.

There are lots of games to choose from, and one such is ‘The EQ Game’ with 50 Situation cards that present a variety of circumstances to those participating. Add to that a ‘Self-Awareness card’ and the challenge starts! The latter set of cards tells the player how they are feeling in a given situation.

Social skills cards are also drawn, which relate to self-management, social awareness or relationship skills. The task for family members is to take into consideration the various factors at play and then work out the best way forward for everyone concerned.

For more examples and ideas on how to build your own family activities, check out these games to help improve your child's emotional intelligence. You can also read more about the benefits of developing EQ in children here.

3. Boredom Yes, you read that right! As parents know, previous generations of children had much less stimulation and input from external sources. As a result, we turned out to be resourceful and skilled in using our imaginations to make something out of nothing.

Encourage your child to fill their spare time in their own ways rather than always giving them ideas or arranging tasks and activities for them to do. Children are much more creative than we sometimes give them credit for. Balance is the key.

Try posing a problem to your child and challenging them to come up with a solution.

For example: ‘I keep misplacing my earpods when I get home.’ Watch your child set about figuring out a system to address it. Children love being entrusted to find solutions that contribute to the wellbeing of the family as well as being given age-appropriate responsibilities. With your child’s enthusiasm, and especially their digital know-how, you may well find it’s a win for them and a win for you too!

You can find out more about the benefits of boredom in this video.

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寫出有新意的文章 不少中小學生在中文寫作時都面臨著同一問題，就是看到題 目後，思考了大半天也不知如何入手，即使下筆了，也寫得流水 帳般，文章平平無奇，難以突圍而出。

/ 冼翠萍老師

要如何突圍而出呢？當然有一些是老生常談了，例如︰閱讀 與寫作相輔相成，平時多些閱讀，在閱讀中累積一些好詞佳句， 對寫作有莫大裨益。在日常生活中，也要鍛鍊對外界的觀察力， 多看、多聽、多聞、多感受身邊事物，從平凡的生活中，發現不 平凡之處。有了這些基本功後，便要思考如何把文章寫得有新意， 讓人有耳目一新之感。 文章要寫得有新意，首先可想想表達的方法是否創新。如敘 事文章，如只是按著時間順序去表達，當然令人感到沉悶。所以 在寫開首時，我們便可運用倒敘、反筆、設置懸念或對比等寫作 技巧，令文章的鋪墊增加新意。

另外，題材及內容需具新意，才可擺 脫「人云亦云」的枷鎖。因此我們要敢於 打破舊模式的束縛，在作文時要善於選擇 新的角度，探索新的結構，提煉新的觀點， 塑造新的形象，想人之所未想，用人之所 未用，寫人之所未寫。譬如說寫《我的媽 媽》，一般學生都會寫描寫對媽媽的愛、 描寫偉大的母愛，其實我們可以抒發對媽 媽有甚麼看法，從子女的角度去看「大 人」，「大人」也可以反思自己的行為。 同樣是寫媽媽的文章，以《愛嘮叨的媽 媽》、《時髦的老媽》、《爸爸眼中的「母 老虎」》等為題，可以讓人眼前一亮。

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最後，文章有新意，就要讓描寫的事表現出深度，以小見大，啟發別人 深思。在描寫時，可以從小處小事著手，這樣的描寫方法，可以使想表達 的內容及思想顯得更高更深。如題目《一件 事》，是半命題題目，可 以在記敘事件時，找一些微小的事去記敘，如一句不經意說話、一個微細 的動作，從生活小事折射優秀的品格，從小事中明白深刻的道理，從平凡 中感受偉大。這樣的情感才能打動人心，引起共鳴。又如朱自清的《背影》 寫父親的愛子之心，作者選取新的表現角度，採用特寫的方法，透過一件 小事︰爸爸去幫兒子買橘子，突出表現父親的幾次背影，以表達父子對兒 子的愛。 總之，寫作構思好了大綱，便要想想寫作內容的選材及立意如何與別不 同，到時寫作就水到渠成了。

中文寫作班 我們的中文寫作課程一方面教授孩子不同文體 的寫作方式，和提升作文可讀性的寫作技巧； 另一方面，也通過腦力激蕩、故事接龍、角色 扮演、字詞積累、範文閱讀等豐富的形式，幫 助孩子建立起自己的素材「寶庫」。 課程從即將升入小學的 K3 階段橫跨中學，無 論您想幫助子女寫出正確、完整而具體的句子， 熟練掌握各種文體、實用文格式和修辭技巧， 還是寫出優美的小小說、戲劇乃至嚴謹的專題 小論文，這裡都有為您子女量身定做的課堂。

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Bookworm Comic

Bookworm Game Find 5 differences between these pictures from The Robot from 2045, a Level 6 book from the Bugbug’s Library series.

Find the answers on the back cover.

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一齊來設計漂亮的文字吧！ 一齊來設計漂亮的文字吧！

花

新

提示：如圖一所示，發揮你的想象力，動動手指，將你設計的字畫在圖二、圖三中吧！

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P.22 Answers 答案：

Wan Chai Centre 6/F, 303 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong Tel: 3611 8400 WhatsApp: 6468 8366 Tsim Sha Tsui Centre 2/F Ritz Plaza, 122 Austin Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong Tel: 3113 8815 WhatsApp: 9049 3014