Lesson 14 – Discussion & Presentation Preparation

Discussion
We discussed the videos from this class. 


Next Week: Presentations 
Next week you will give a presentation on what you have learned from the videos and discussions in this class. You should make a connection between 3-5 videos. Be sure to explain why you were impressed.

However, one video can be the main video. You will have a strict 4-minute limit. If you go over, you will be interrupted. Practice! Practice! Practice!


CRAP Review and 2nd Design Prezo
I gave two presentations about design. The content may be part of a quiz in the near future. You can review the presentation by looking at the slideshow below:

Prezo design 2 – images from Daniel Beck

Here are some more slides to help you in your preparation.

Presentations – Just Say No from Daniel Beck

Presentations Fonts from Daniel Beck

Lesson 13 – Brain Rules #10

Brain Rule #10

We watched the video for Rule #10. For homework, watch it again and answer the questions on the handout:

Brain Rules 10 Handout

Rule 11 is optional. The video is below if you are interested in watching it.

Video – Me and My Cello - Happy Together (Turtles) Cello Cover - The Piano Guys

Happy Together is a popular song by The Turtles. In this version, Steve from The Piano Guys answers the question about why he always seems so happy playing the cello. It is because of quality time together. This video shows the many things Steve and his cello do together.  Enjoy watching it again.






Here is the original version by the Turtles from 1967.

 

Here are the words:

Imagine me and you, I do
I think about you day and night, it's only right
To think about the girl you love and hold her tight
So happy together

If I should call you up, invest a dime
And you say you belong to me and ease my mind
Imagine how the world could be, so very fine
So happy together

I can't see me lovin' nobody but you
For all my life
When you're with me, baby the skies'll be blue
For all my life

Me and you and you and me
No matter how they toss the dice, it had to be
The only one for me is you, and you for me
So happy together

I can't see me lovin' nobody but you
For all my life
When you're with me, baby the skies'll be blue
For all my life

Me and you and you and me
No matter how they toss the dice, it had to be
The only one for me is you, and you for me
So happy together

Ba-ba-ba-ba ba-ba-ba-ba ba-ba-ba ba-ba-ba-ba
Ba-ba-ba-ba ba-ba-ba-ba ba-ba-ba ba-ba-ba-ba

Me and you and you and me
No matter how they toss the dice, it had to be
The only one for me is you, and you for me
So happy together

So happy together
And how is the weather
So happy together
We're happy together
So happy together
Happy together
So happy together
So happy together (ba-ba-ba-ba ba-ba-ba-ba)

Lesson 12 – Dan Pink (rewatch)

We discussed answers from the Dan Pink handout and watched again with more explanation.

Homework
Watch the Dan Pink video again and finish answering the questions for next week's lesson.

• Make a new Google Doc and share it with me.
• The title should be your full name + AL + L12 (ex. Reiko Suzuki AL L12).
• Type your answers for questions 22 & 23. 
• Due 7/9 23:59.

End of the term
We have three more lessons. Here is the general plan.

• 7/10 Brain Rules 10 & 11
• 7/17 Group discussions about the videos
• 7/24 Presentations

In the next lesson, I will explain more about the discussions and presentations. In the presentations, you will describe some of the lessons from about three videos, show how the ideas connect, and give some practical advice. You should begin to outline what the key lessons were from each video to prepare.

Video — Indiana Jones Rocks Petra with this Arabian Classical Remix! - The Piano Guys (Wonder of the World 4 of 7)

Indiana Jones Rocks Petra with this Arabian Classical Remix!
(The Piano Guys Wonders of the World Series)

This is the fourth in the series where The Piano Guys go to one of the 7 Wonders of the World.  In this video, they go to Petra a city built into the rock in Jordan. The name Petra means rock.

Because Petra was a location in the 3rd Indian Jones movie, they use music from the soundtrack in this tune.

Enjoy the video again.


 





You can read more about the New 7 Wonders of the World in simple English here:
New 7 Wonders of the World 

Lesson 11 – Dan Pink: The Puzzle of Motivation

Video
 

If you want to watch the video with subtitles, you can visit the website for TED:
Dan Pink – The Puzzle of Motivation


Pink mentions the Candle Problem (Dunker, 1945). Read more about it here:
The Candle Problem


Homework
Watch the video again , multiple times if necessary. Download the PDF and answer the questions. We will discuss those questions in class. Don't worry if you cannot complete the answers perfectly. I will be explaining the video further in sections. But, please do your best!

AL Homework – Dan Pink Homework (PDF)

If you have any questions, leave them in the comment section for this post.

Video — What Makes You Beautiful (The Piano Guys Cover of One Direction)

What Makes You Beautiful 
(The Piano Guys Cover of One Direction)

I wonder how much practice they must have done to make this video. Enjoy it again!

Lesson 10 – Brain Rules 4, 5, 6

We watched the videos for Brain Rules #4 and #5-6. We also talked about the questions on the handout. You can watch them again below.


Brain Rules #4 Attention





Brain Rules #5-6 Memory




Here is the handout if you need to download it:
Brain Rules #4 and #5-6 Handout


Homework
Watch the videos again and finish answering the questions for next week's lesson.

• Make a new Google Doc and share it with me.
• The title should be your full name + AL + L10 (ex. Reiko Suzuki AL L10).
• Type your answers for question 9 for Brain Rule #4 and question #5 for Brain Rule #5-6.
• Due 6/25 23:59.

Spend some time on Quizlet.

Video — The Jungle Book / Sarabande (Mayan Style) - The Piano Guys (Wonder of the World 3 of 7)

 The Jungle Book / Sarabande (Mayan Style)
(The Piano Guys Wonders of the World Series)

This is the third in the series where The Piano Guys go to one of the 7 Wonders of the World.  In this video, they go to Chichén Itzá on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. The most famous view is of El Castillo, a big Mayan pyramid.

The music is a medley of tunes from the soundtrack to Disney's The Jungle Book. Did you see the bear and the panther in the video? They are two main characters from the movie

Enjoy the video again.


 



You can read more about the New 7 Wonders of the World in simple English here:
New 7 Wonders of the World 

Lesson 9 – Brain Rules #2 and #3

We watched the videos for Brain Rules #2 and #3. We also talked about the questions on the handout. You can watch them again below.


Brain Rules #2 Survival

Brain Rules #3 Wiring

Here is the handout if you need to download it:
Brain Rules #2 and #3 Handout
Homework
Watch the videos again and finish answering the questions for next week's lesson.

• Make a new Google Doc and share it with me.
• The title should be your full name + AL + L09 (ex. Reiko Suzuki AL L09).
• Type your answers for question 5 for Brain Rule #2 and question #9 for Brain Rule #3.
• Due 6/18 23:59.

Spend some time on Quizlet.

Video — Bohemian Rhapsody – Pentatonix

My wife and I went to see Pentatonix at the Tokyo Forum on Wednesday (5/31). It was a fun show. In this video, they cover Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. The original version is like rock opera. You can read the lyrics at the bottom of the page. Enjoy watching it again.


 



In the Pentatonix video above, they pay tribute to Queen by imitating part of the original video. You can watch that below:

 



There is also a famous and fun scene from the comedy movie Wayne's World. You can check it out.

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality
Open your eyes, look up to the skies and see
I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy
Because I'm easy come, easy go, little high, little low
Any way the wind blows doesn't really matter to me, to me

Mama, just killed a man
Put a gun against his head
Pulled my trigger, now he's dead
Mama, life had just begun
But now I've gone and thrown it all away
Mama, ooh, didn't mean to make you cry
If I'm not back again this time tomorrow
Carry on, carry on as if nothing really matters
Too late, my time has come
Sends shivers down my spine, body's aching all the time
Goodbye, everybody, I've got to go
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth
Mama, ooh, I don't want to die
I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all

I see a little silhouetto of a man
Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango
Thunderbolt and lightning, very, very fright'ning me
(Galileo) Galileo, (Galileo) Galileo, Galileo figaro magnifico
(I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me)
He's just a poor boy from a poor family
Spare him his life from this monstrosity
Easy come, easy go, will you let me go?
Bismillah! No, we will not let you go
(Let him go) Bismillah! We will not let you go
(Let him go) Bismillah! We will not let you go
(Let me go) Will not let you go
(Let me go) Will not let you go
(Let me go) Ah, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
(Oh mamma mia, mamma mia) Mama mia, let me go
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me, for me

So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye?
So you think you can love me and leave me to die?
Oh, baby, can't do this to me, baby!
Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here!

Nothing really matters, anyone can see
Nothing really matters
Nothing really matters to me
Any way the wind blows

Lesson 8 – Csikszentmihalyi (cont)

In this lesson, we finished going through the Csikszentmihalyi TED Talk. We spent time talking about the 7 conditions present when people experience flow.


7 Conditions Found in Flow
Here is the list. I may update it, so please check back again:

Engagement

Completely involved in what we are doing – focused, concentrated.

Ecstasy

Having a feeling of being outside everyday reality.

Inner Clarity

Knowing what needs to be done, and how well we are doing.

Competency

Knowing that an activity is doable – that our skills are adequate to the task.

Serenity 

We have no worries about oneself, and a feeling of growing beyond the boundaries of the ego.

Timelessness 

Thoroughly focused on the present, hours seem to pass by in minutes.

Intrinsic Motivation

Whatever produces flow becomes its own reward.

Homework

• Make a new Google Doc and share it with me.
• The title should be your full name + AL + L08 (ex. Reiko Suzuki AL L08).
• Type your answers for questions 29-33 on the Csikszentmihalyi TED Talk Handout.
• Due 6/11 23:59.

Video — Mission Impossible (The Piano Guys featuring Lindsey Stirling)

We watched the Piano Guys play Mission Impossible, a popular TV show turned into a movie series. This time they were joined by another YouTube star, Lindsey Stirling. She is known for playing violin while dancing. Enjoy it again below:

Lesson 7 – Csikszentmihalyi Video, pt 2

In today's lesson, I explained most of the video from last week. I will explain the rest next week. Before then, watch the video again. You can find the video in last week's lesson post and the link to the TED website where you can find the subtitled versions.

Here is my suggested pattern:

1. Watch again without subtitles
2. Watch again with English subtitles
3. Watch again with Japanese subtitles (only if needed)

Video — The Mission / How Great Thou Art - The Piano Guys (Wonder of The World 2 of 7)

The Mission / How Great Thou Art 
(The Piano Guys Wonders of the World Series)

This is the second in the series where The Piano Guys go to one of the 7 Wonders of the World.  In this video, they go to the Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). They also visit Iguazu Falls near the border of Argentina. 

The music is a mashup (mix) of two tunes. One is called Gabriel's Oboe. It is the most famous music from the soundtrack of the movie The Mission. The setting of the movie is at Iguazu Falls. It is a wonderful movie and I strongly recommend it. It has a beautiful theme about love (not romantic). I cry every time I see it. The other music is a Christian hymn called How Great Thou Art.

Enjoy the video again.


 

You can read more about the New 7 Wonders of the World in simple English here:
New 7 Wonders of the World 

Lesson 6 — Csikszentmihalyi: Flow

*note: I am posting this late. We will watch it again in class.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi at TED Talks (Flow, the Secret to Happiness).





Homework
Watch the video again and answer the questions for next week's discussion:
Homework Questions for Flow

You can control the subtitles by going to the the TED website here:

http://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_on_flow

Video — I Won't Give Up (Jayesslee Cover of Jason Mraz)

I Won't Give Up (Jayesslee Cover of Jason Mraz)
Jayesslee is the artist who sang the Gangnam Style cover we watched before. Jayesslee means J S Lee. Their names are Janice (Jay for J) and Sonia (Ess for S) and their last name is Lee. I love their harmonies. It must have been difficult to perform this on one take at the beach.

See the lyrics below the video.

I Won't Give Up

Jason Mraz

When I look into your eyes
It's like watching the night sky
Or a beautiful sunrise
There's so much they hold
And just like them old stars
I see that you've come so far
To be right where you are
How old is your soul?

Well I won't give up on us, even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love, I'm still looking up

And when you're needing your space, to do some navigating
I'll be here patiently waiting, to see what you find

'Cause even the stars they burn
Some even fall to the earth
We've got a lot to learn
God knows we're worth it
No, I won't give up

I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily
I'm here to stay and make the difference that I can make
Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use
The tools and gifts we got yeah, we got a lot at stake
And in the end, you're still my friend at least we did intend
For us to work we didn't break, we didn't burn
We had to learn how to bend without the world caving in
I had to learn what I've got, and what I'm not and who I am

I won't give up on us, even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up, still looking up.

I won't give up on us (no I'm not giving up)
God knows I'm tough enough (I am tough, I am loved)
We've got a lot to learn (we're alive, we are loved)
God knows we're worth it (and we're worth it)

I won't give up on us, even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love, I'm still looking up

Lesson 5 – Brain Rules #1

In class, we watched and answered questions about the Rule #1 of Brain Rules by John Medina. You can watch Rule #1 again here:



You can download a copy of the handout here:
Brain Rules #1 Handout


Homework

• Make a new Google Doc and share it with me.
• The title should be your full name + AL + L05 (ex. Reiko Suzuki AL L05).
• Type your answers for questions 12-14 on the Brain Rules #1 Handout.
• Due 5/17 23:59.

Quizlet

Practice using Quizlet as well. Vocabulary study is a form of language-focused learning.

GTB on Facebook & Twitter

As I have mentioned in class before, you can follow me on social media with Facebook or Twitter. 

You are NOT required to. But, it's a fun way for us to connect. And, if you follow me on Facebook, you can see my wife's 100-day project of drawing Gumboくん、our cute Corgi (dog).

Also, as I said in class, these accounts are not my normal accounts where I use difficult English and talk about difficult topics. These accounts are for my students.

You can add me as a friend or follow me by clicking the links below:

.
GTB on Facebook

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GTB on Twitter

Lesson 4 – Brain Rules Introduction

Zander (pt 3)
We finished going through the Zander video. Send me your answers to questions 19~21 using Google Docs.



Brain Rules Introduction
We looked at the introduction video to Brain Rules by John Medina. You can watch it again here:





Brain Rules: Introduction Handout

Homework

• Make a new Google Doc 
• Share it with me at my samuraitheologian email address.
• The title should be your full name + AL + L4 (ex. Reiko Suzuki AL L4).
• Type your answers for questions 19-21 on the Zander Handout.
• Due 5/16 23:59.

Quizlet

Practice using Quizlet as well.

Video — Kung Fu Piano: Cello Ascends (The Piano Guys – Wonders of the World Series)

Kung Fu Piano: Cello Ascends 
(The Piano Guys Wonders of the World Series)

This is the first in the series where The Piano Guys go to one of the 7 Wonders of the World.  In this video, they go to the Great Wall of China. Enjoy the video again.






You can read more about the New 7 Wonders of the World in simple English here:
New 7 Wonders of the World 

Video — Gangnam Style (Cover by Jayesslee on YouTube)

We watched Jayesslee's (Janice & Sonia Lee) cover of Psy's Gangnam Style. They are a talented pair of Korean-Australian women from Sydney. Enjoy it again below:

Lesson 3 — Zander (part 2)

Benjamin Zander TED Talk Rewatch
We watched part of the Zander talk again with explanations. Could you understand it better? We will watch the last five minutes again next time.

Watch the video again before next time. If you think it will help you, watch it again with English subtitles (you can turn this on at the TED Talks website).


Quizlet
We spent a few minutes using Quizlet in class. Try using it whenever you have a few free minutes during Golden Week.


Next lesson
We will complete the Zander talk next lesson. Then, we will move on to a new, shorter video. This video is a part of a series based on brain research.

Video — Cello Wars (Star Wars parody by The Piano Guys on YouTube)

Please enjoy the Piano Guys video again.

Lesson 2 – Quizlet and Benjamin Zander TED Talk

We will use Quizlet, a free flashcard app to study vocabulary.

Quizlet Sign Up
Take the following steps to join our Quizlet group and begin studying.

1. Go to http://quizlet.com and sign up. Be sure to use your real name.
2. After signing up, click on this link to join our class's group: https://quizlet.com/join/DdpEMTmA3.
3. Try the set on our class page.
4. Download the Quizlet app for your phone from your app store (recommended).

Benjamin Zander at TED Talks (The Transformative Power of Classical Music)




Homework
Watch the video again as many times as needed to answer the questions on the worksheet. Be ready to discuss the answers to the questions in our next lesson. You can download the worksheet from the link below:

Benjamin Zander Questions Worksheet