whatisyourworldview RSS feed

Two Titanic Clashes!

Jason Ramasami — 2008-10-26T14:01:44+00:00

Staff vs Sixth Form Kingball 2008!

Sion vs Durrington October 2008
See the yr10/11 boys take on an equally matched side in a tense face-off.

These clips are also available on the extras page.

Joseph tells his story of suffering

Jason Ramasami — 2008-10-25T16:01:30+01:00

We had none other than Joseph from the Old Testament in the classroom along with his brothers to tell us all about his life of suffering and how it was used for the saving of many lives - including his own undeserving family.

An amazing story.

Thanks to Jo, Sam, Ralph and Connor for participating in my nonsense!

More Evil (and some good)

Jason Ramasami — 2008-10-22T12:44:49+01:00

wiyw podcast 20 - 22ndOct08

10set2 yak attack on Good and Evil.

Also available on the audio podcasting page!

Two new podcasts!

Jason Ramasami — 2008-10-21T13:32:45+01:00

Here you go!

wiyw podcast 18 - 21stOct08

9D have a free-ranging chat about the Nature of God unit. They are happy, they know it and they clap their hands.

wiyw podcast 19 - 21stOct08

10set1a have a jawbone about the Good and Evil unit. So much to discuss, so little eardrum security.

Also available on the audio podcasting page!

Year 7 French Trip October 08

Jason Ramasami — 2008-10-20T07:25:09+01:00

Eleven minutes of random reportage. Enjoy!

Year 7 French Trip October '08 from whatisyourworldview.com on Vimeo.

Coming Soon: Goal Ball

Jason Ramasami — 2008-10-13T15:51:34+01:00

I took part in an amazing game at the weekend called ‘goal ball’. This is a sport that visually-impaired people play. It was an amazing experience that you will hopefully see soon because we filmed it. Hopefully the editing won’t take as long as it did with the Sikh movie.

7Z-Particles take part(icles) in the WV discussion

Jason Ramasami — 2008-10-13T15:39:58+01:00

wiyw podcast 17 - 13thOct08

7Z Particles make it happen. In fact - they get the feeling as soon as they enter the RS room...

7 Wombles/Whirlpool or Whateveryouarecalled...

Jason Ramasami — 2008-10-09T16:05:35+01:00

wiyw podcast 16 - 9thOct08

7 Whirlygigs WithWonderfulWorldviewWanderings...

7 Xylophonics speak...

Jason Ramasami — 2008-10-08T15:59:41+01:00

wiyw podcast 15 - 8thOct08

7 Xylophonics hurt my ears with chaotic worldview ramblings. Actually it was pretty interesting as we discussed the influence of violent games and sarcastic soaps.

SCHOOL PODCASTS 2008-2009

Jason Ramasami — 2008-10-07T15:55:33+01:00

Season 2 is now on the march! In the first episode, 7 Yellow Jerseys discuss their role as a bunch of worldview detectives. Brilliant.

wiyw podcast 14 - 7thOct08

You can subscribe to the WIYW podcast on iTunes:

About the Bible... now uploaded.

Jason Ramasami — 2008-10-03T06:41:08+01:00

For a couple of years I have been using a really helpful interview that explains some basic (but very important) stuff about the Bible. Finally the world of technology has caught up and it is happily sitting online for you to enjoy. You will need the password to watch (just get in touch to find out).

About the Bible from whatisyourworldview.com on Vimeo.

It is usually found sitting on the Bible page of the Christianity section.

As ever, any feedback or thoughts on the material covered are warmly welcomed.

Christian responses to evil...

Jason Ramasami — 2008-09-30T18:05:00+01:00

The lesson I did on how Christian people might respond to suffering is now linked here. You can also find this on the suffering and evil page under the ‘Questions that this topic raises about God...’ section.

The Sikh film has arrived!

Jason Ramasami — 2008-09-27T10:02:31+01:00

Here it is folks - the 15 minute gem from the Sikh trip last year.

Meeting the Imam

Jason Ramasami — 2008-09-27T09:58:56+01:00

Fantastic! Daniel Kassim and Jacob Osborne made a short film about meeting a mosque leader last year and I only got to see it on Friday last. Such a brilliant piece of work.

Meeting the Imam from whatisyourworldview.com on Vimeo.

You will need the usual password to watch it (so just get in touch if you can’t remember).

Arguments pages... fixed.

Jason Ramasami — 2008-09-17T16:04:07+01:00

I think that the pages people were moaning about now work... sorry and thanks.

Happy New Year!

Jason Ramasami — 2008-09-09T11:43:24+01:00

Happy New School Year everyone! I am so excited!

Jason Ramasami — 2008-08-03T14:28:43+01:00

The Forest Monk video has been password protected to ensure respect to the people involved. The people at the Monastery were unhappy with youtube exposure, I have placed the video onto an alternative video hosting site with password protection. If you know the password you can view the film easily enough. Get in touch if you want to see it. Apologies for any awkwardness - it is important to respect the feelings of the people involved.

Meeting the Forest Monk from whatisyourworldview.com on Vimeo.

Arundel and happy holidays!

Jason Ramasami — 2008-07-10T22:37:11+01:00

This one is for Mr A who checks the website most days... unless he has started using an RSS reader? Have a safe and happy holiday people!

Student voice - now speaking.

Jason Ramasami — 2008-06-23T07:01:42+01:00

Well done to those students (the Bard and Jim-bob) who have begun to contribute to the website with their own articles.

Sikhism - filming the Chaplain at Heathrow AIrport

Jason Ramasami — 2008-05-31T13:40:15+01:00

Thanks to Tom, Harry and Fergus for getting involved during a wet bank holiday during half term. I am in the middle of editing this footage and will post updates.

EQUALITY - the legend of the lost unit!

Jason Ramasami — 2008-06-02T14:26:01+01:00

Yes folks - if you are in year 10 you have just a few weeks before the grand final. If you are in year 9 then you will be starting this unit before we reach the end of the year. For this reason, I have been working extra hard to provide some decent materials for this elusive of units. I travelled into remote villages armed with nothing but a miniDV camera and microphone. A cleaning lady walking along a street almost ended my life with her mop. Crazy times.

The equality page is now up. You will need in-class assistance with the DVD interview.

UPDATE!
There is also a downloadable printable one page summary of the material covered in the DVD interview. It includes a new invention called the 'GEDIT' box. It is just simply amazing.

The check yourself questions...

Jason Ramasami — 2008-05-12T19:39:20+01:00

If these aren't immediately easy to you then you need to do some work before the exam.

Paper 1

Unit 1: Nature of God
1. List 6 characteristics of God.
2. What does the term 'Trinity' mean?
3. What reasons do christians give for believing in God?
4. Give two opposite arguments.
5. What does the word 'revelation' mean?
6. How important is the Bible for Christians and why?
7. List three things from the Bible that affect the way christians live.
8. How do christians believe that God has intervened in the world?
9. List three miracles of Jesus.
10. List three experiences of God that Christian might have.

Unit 2: The Nature of Belief.
1. What ways do christians worship?
2. How does prayer work for a christian?
3. Is fasting compulsory for christians? Why bother?
4. How do christians use food to help them worship?
5. What does the term 'nature of belief' actually mean?
6. How does a building help a christian to worship?
7. Does music or art help? How?
8. Why is a symbol a good and bad thing for worship/belief?
9. What is contemplation?
10. Why is this the least popular unit of the lot?

Unit 4: Death and the Afterlife
1. What do christians think happens to you when you die?
2. What is a soul?
3. What is Heaven like?
4. What is Hell like?
5. Which aspects of God's character make him a judge?
6. Is it as simple as do good: go to Heaven/do bad: go to Hell?
7. List 8 things that might happen at a christian funeral.
8. How does the idea of a harvest help people at a christian funeral?
9. List 3 benefits of having a funeral in general.
10. List the three main ideas about what happens when you die.

Unit 5: Good and Evil.
1. What does the Bible say about the devil's relationship to God?
2. Give four responses that a christian might make to suffering.
3. What questions might someone have if they faced suffering?
4. How does prayer work when you are suffering?
5. Give two specific examples from the Bible of people who face suffering - both have the letter J in their names.
6. Why should a christian bother being good?
7. Give three examples of how a christian should act 'goood'.
8. Why would a christian have a problem with train-bunking?
9. How does the Holy Spirit relate to any of this?
10. What does any of this have to do with Jesus? Be specific.

Paper 2

Unit 6: Relationships
1. Are there any specific instructions in the Bible about how men and women should be if they are married to each other?
2. Give two or three points of view on the different roles that men and women should play in a marriage.
3. What is a covenant?
4. How does a Christian wedding reflect the main ideas of Christian marriage?
5. Which R word is essential to most questions of christians and divorce?
6. Why?
7. Give three views on divorce that are held by real christians.
8. How many types of contraception are there?
9. What are the main teachings that Christians have about sex and why?
10. Which forms of contraception do Christians disagree with and why?

Unit 7: Medical Ethics
1. Which two S words can be related to most of this unit?
2. Explain the types of fertility treatment that are available for people to use.
3. Why would or wouldn't a Christian want to have fertility treatment?
4. What are the stages of development for an unborn child?
5. Which words do pro-life campaigners not feel happy to use?
6. Give two arguments on both sides of the abortion debate.
7. List four types of euthanasia.
8. What might be an alternative to euthanasia and why?
9. Why might a christian be interested in the rights of animals?
10. How might a Christian differ in their view of animals to others?

Unit 8: Equality
1. List 5 types of inequality,
2. Which Bible teachings can be used to combat racism?
3. How might a woman find help from the Bible to support the argument for equality?
4. What do Christians think about their faith in relation to other religions and worldviews?
5. What is ecumenism?
6. Is ecumenism regarded as a good thing by all christians?
7. How does any of this unit relate back to Jesus?
8. Explain what forgiveness and reconciliation have to do with how a Christian relates to other faiths.
9. Give three major differences between the Christian faith and one other major world religion.
10. What is evangelism and why bother?

Unit 9: Poverty and Wealth
1. What causes poverty?
2. What example does Jesus provide when it comes to considering the poor?
3. Give three Bible texts that deal directly with the issue of money.
4. What two conclusions can you draw from those texts about a christian view of money?
5. Give two specific examples of modern day christian giving.
6. What jobs are right or wrong for Christians?
7. Is it simply a question of what job you do, or is there more to it?
8. What kind of difference would becoming a Christian make to your idea of future possible careers?
9. Evaluate the giving that you participate in against someone like Eric Harmer: what would he think of you?
10. Is gambling good or bad? Why?

In case you got lost... the life of Jesus workbook

Jason Ramasami — 2008-05-08T21:23:14+01:00

You can download this workbook from the Christianity page if you lose any of your sheets.

Warning: some of the studies aren't easy and might need some teacher help - but hey, what am I paid for?

Medical Ethics... fertility, euthanasia, abortion pages

Jason Ramasami — 2008-05-06T20:32:03+01:00

Just head over to the various pages when you want - they will help you with some good links etc for this unit.

Lots of updated material.

Jason Ramasami — 2008-05-05T13:22:43+01:00

Sorry it's been so long since I have updated the site. You may not notice it yet, but there is much more multimedia material on the site now due to using youtube embedding. Here is a recent example of what is to come - thanks to Billy, Theresa, Ed, Florian and Dan for the help.

I have also uploaded all of the revision materials for the various taught GCSE units. You can find these on the GCSE specific page.

Poverty and Wealth Podcasts!

Jason Ramasami — 2008-03-03T14:56:34+00:00

The podcast page has these goodies all waiting for you to devour...

Eric on responding the UK/Sussex-related poverty.

Jen on global poverty, including some material on modern slavery.

For those interested in doing the leg work, here is the pdf worksheet to download and fill in.

Relationships Unit Podcasts are up!

Jason Ramasami — 2008-03-03T14:54:04+00:00

The podcast page has this stuff on it:

Penny on how becoming a Christian affected her thinking on marriage and purity.

Rev Phil on marriage, three broad views of divorce and reconciliation.

For those interested in doing the leg work, here is the pdf worksheet to download and fill in.

Unlucky Bob Story

Jason Ramasami — 2008-02-26T17:38:25+00:00

Here it is.

Your homework is to make sure your own copy of it is completed. Hey - why not colour it in?

New Unit: Poverty and Wealth!

Jason Ramasami — 2008-02-04T21:43:31+00:00

That's right my delightful class people.

By the time you read this, you will have undertaken the notorious Bib-Nav course and have the following references written down from the lesson:

Matthew 22v36-40 James 2v1-13
1Timothy 6v6-10 James 4v13-16
1Timothy 6v17-18 Philippians 2v4-11
Matthew 19v16-29 2Corinthians 9v6-8

An online Bible is available for use here.

a. Please get yourself a copy of each text.
b. Read them.
c. Make some marks on the page - which are the relevant parts?

And by 'relevant parts' please remember that the four aims of the course are these:

1. The causes of hunger, poverty and disease;
2. Christian teaching about concern for the poor and about the right uses of money;
3. Giving to charity in Christianity;
4. Christian teaching about moral and immoral occupations.

Year 10 Mocks!

Jason Ramasami — 2008-01-28T12:55:21+00:00

All the best with the exam on Friday. Don't forget to come and chat if there are any problems or anxieties. I will be expecting you to also hand in your A3 revision sheets to demonstrate your abundant preparation...

See you then.

BibNav!

Jason Ramasami — 2008-01-28T11:37:10+00:00

Now you have passed the BibNav download session you are free to become a confident and competent RS student!

Here are the Bible texts that you are to bring in to next lesson:

Genesis 2:23-25
Genesis 1:27-28
Matthew 19:4-6
Ephesians 5:21-33
Hebrews 13:4
Exodus 20v14
Matthew 5v27-30

a. You can photocopy them, cut and paste online or even write them out (although that may take a while). Please have a copy of each to refer to for the remainder of the unit - they are key Bible texts.
b. Go through each one and read them. Ask yourself which of the areas each one relates to. The areas we are touching on are:
- s-x/contraception
- men/women roles
- marriage/cohabitation
- divorce

If you ever get stuck this is the link for the online Bible.

The Ten Commandments Podcasts...

Jason Ramasami — 2008-01-27T18:56:35+00:00

Here we have it - the ten commandments have been covered with year 7 and these podcasts give you a good idea of what has been said by the groups. The original links are found within the 'School Podcasts' section on the podcast page.

(please excuse the crude and strange image)

The different downloads can be made here:

7BY

7BZ

7AX

7AW

Enjoy!

How does the architecture ACTUALLY help worship?

Jason Ramasami — 2008-01-21T07:09:01+00:00

Having marked the Nature of Belief end of unit test I am setting you the following homework:

Go and find out how the church building assists worship.

I don't mind this work being shared between friends, but some of you have to do the leg work and go and ask someone who worships in a church building how the architecture ACTUALLY helps.

The Ten Commandments!

Jason Ramasami — 2008-01-16T11:37:54+00:00

Your homework is to produce a diagram that demonstrates what the ten commandments are. You can base it on the stuff in class or do something totally different... all the best!

Sufi Muslims...

Jason Ramasami — 2008-01-16T09:39:47+00:00

What is a Sufi Muslim?

This is to back up some of the video we are watching in class. Just bring in a short piece and stick it into your book.

The Joseph ending... what did you learn?

Jason Ramasami — 2008-01-08T11:22:28+00:00

So then, we are at the end of the Genesis storyline and have seen the amazing ending where Joseph forgives his brothers for their horrible behaviour. One of the brilliant things about the story is how it demonstrates the way in which God works so positively to use bad times to bring good.

Your homework is to write what you have learned from this.

Finishing the Nature of Belief unit

Jason Ramasami — 2008-01-07T10:21:31+00:00

Please finish those A3 revision sheets for homework so we can move on. Due in next lesson.

Do you know what a Muslim Worldview is?

Jason Ramasami — 2008-01-07T09:42:17+00:00

Do you know what a Muslim worldview is? You have to prepare a homework that explains this before we finish the unit.

Death and the Afterlife Unit: an interview that will certainly help.

Jason Ramasami — 2007-12-04T14:34:13+00:00

We may be laughing in the picture, but it is a heavy topic, so be careful...

The fourth unit on the GCSE (see this page) is all about what happens when you die, whether there is a body/soul difference, and also what happens at a funeral. This is the audio from a Skype video interview I conducted recently with a Christian minister from Birmingham. (Thanks John!)

Muslims and Purity

Jason Ramasami — 2007-11-27T14:22:37+00:00

We have been watching the helpful interview with Samira (go here for the audio-only version). This has brought up some very interesting discussions on why she chose to wear the Hijab at age 18, and whether there is anything for us to learn about our own western-influenced society.

Homework: to look up the term 'Hijab' - you can use the links on this page.

Don't forget that this homework is about you researching something interesting and not simply finding a quick definition! Bring the class something that will get you an outstanding mark.

The Adventures of Abraham

Jason Ramasami — 2007-11-26T16:11:37+00:00

We are looking at the adventures of the Bible hero Abraham - a character of massive importance to Jewish and Christian people. The homework is to find out how Abraham is important to the Jewish people. Have a look at the Judaism page where there are some website links for you to use.

If you don't fancy clicking your mouse two times, you can use the following web pages to guide you.

Judaism 101 has lots of helpful starting points for investigation. Don't forget that you can use the side menu to look up keywords or topics.

The BBC Worldservice Guide is very clear.

Independent Learning

Jason Ramasami — 2007-11-26T06:48:54+00:00

Independent learning is when you don't wait about for the teacher to put the bib on and spoon feed you. I will be encouraging all year 9s and 10s to adopt the practice of self-help so that you can get further in the short time available.

There are now more comprehensive notes to download on the GCSE page for units 1, 2 and 4.

Finally - the Nature of Belief DVD is finished.

Jason Ramasami — 2007-11-20T19:03:22+00:00

After quite a lot of work (sorry Mrs Rama - I remember who you are, honest!), the DVD interview with Ross Ciano is now completed. The audio is up on the podcast page if you are interested in a cut-down audio-only version. Best to wait for the DVD in class. Many thanks to all concerned who helped me get this done - not least the Year 7 boys.

The 'BIG CHECKLIST'...

Jason Ramasami — 2007-11-20T18:49:42+00:00

Here is the 'BIG CHECKLIST' - a downloadable document for you to look at and tick off everything you think has been covered in each of the units. It is a useful way of asking yourself 'Mmmm has my teacher really been earning their mortgage/skateboarding/gadget-getting/charity-donating money?'

Be nice if you do spot any gaps - asking is always preferable to ninja-attacks in corridors. And anyway - I have 'oo-na-gee' so don't try anything.

The original link is on the revision section of the GCSE page.

A chat with the chief examiners about the GCSE!

Jason Ramasami — 2007-11-20T17:05:48+00:00

This is a real scoop people! I managed to get some time with the two key figures in how the GCSE is devised, marked and run. In this podcast episode I ask them about good and bad responses to exam questions and whether examining people they live under the ground...

Subscribe to the WIYW podcast on iTunes:

Exam feedback - Good and Evil

Jason Ramasami — 2007-11-15T14:52:09+00:00

a. Explain Christian beliefs about why there is evil in the world. (8 marks)
- Adam and Eve, original sin/a virus out in the open on all of our world, the devil - personal/other, psychological damage
- explain your ideas clearly. No opinions needed.

b. Explain how a Christian might find out the right way to behave. (7 marks)
- not enough to say 'read the Bible'... what is in it? Sermon on the Mount?
- just saying 10 commandments isn't adequate - how do they try to obey? Is there anything you can say about how in reality this sort of thing works... what are their motives? Sister Anne Brittain? Jesus? Sermon on the Mount?
- home influences, church community? church leaders?
- give us a sense of what the reality is like for people who really do believe and follow this... waffle and blagging are easy to spot

c. ‘Being happy is more important than being good.’ Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer, and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Christianity in your answer. (5 marks)
- which is more important? Good or happy? Can you have both? What if you had to choose?
- what do Christians think? Any specific examples you could use? What about Jesus? Joseph? Sermon on the mount?
- examples and specifics are the key... give us grounds for a decent higher grade by showing you know...
- have you included all the ingredients?
- concluded a clear perspective?

The day it all got messed up... the fall of mankind.

Jason Ramasami — 2007-11-15T12:01:01+00:00

The homework is to put in the remaining images from this page, and to read the original text from Genesis chapter 3.

The Names of Allah?

Jason Ramasami — 2007-11-13T15:44:55+00:00

Your homework this week is to try and dig up something about the names of Allah. Anything you can find on this will be useful for your grasp of this important world religion.

Don't forget that you can always use great websites like this one to find out the info.

End of Unit. Feedback this week.

Jason Ramasami — 2007-11-12T17:38:04+00:00

That's it people.

The unit is now officially over. I have sent out a request for final note-submissions for Tuesday 13th first thing at the latest. The rest will be all feedback for both you and your parents on the evening of the 14th. See you there - you have been a fantastic audience!

Made in God's Image.

Jason Ramasami — 2007-11-12T17:31:47+00:00

According to the end of Genesis chapter 1, the human race has something in common with God. We appear to be like Him - three ways I described in class were:

- being moral (having a sense of right and wrong)
- being creative (making things, art, music, which pencil case to buy, style of sport you play etc)
- relationships (love, kindness, showing mercy etc)

Your homework is to write down some good examples of these and bring them to class for a nice old chat about it.

Quantum Mechanics and Faith?

Jason Ramasami — 2007-11-10T07:27:32+00:00

According to the two boffins in this interview, 'Quantum Mechanics' is a VERY big deal in the scientific world... if you can understand it. I asked them to explain what it is and whether it has any links with religious faith. Very interesting chat even if your brain starts buzzing uncontrollably before the 15 minutes is up. (Thanks Kev and Lou for putting up with me during a tense drive during the half term).

Get podcasts automatically by subscribing to the WIYW podcast on iTunes:

Getting higher grades

Jason Ramasami — 2007-11-09T15:55:30+00:00

This sheet provides you with some guidance on how to approach the three questions in each section. The original section is on the GCSE page here.

What do you know about Islam?

Jason Ramasami — 2007-11-09T15:53:39+00:00

The first homework of this unit is to uncover what you think you know about the Muslim religion.

Next time we shall be meeting Samira.

The Creation Story

Jason Ramasami — 2007-11-09T15:50:39+00:00

Now you have had a good introduction to the creation story using these simple images, have a read of the actual text and work out what is different/better.

The new Sion School resource centre opening and PSHE on cyber-bullying...

Jason Ramasami — 2007-10-16T18:06:15+01:00

I attended the official opening of the centre and spoke to various people about the ethos and history of the school. Find the link on the podcast page. Nice violin playing by the way...

Also, you can go here for further information on cyberbullying if you were interested in any follow up to today's lessons. It's an american site, but it has some really helpful ideas on it.

9D do it with 'Chapel-debate-frozen-facebook'...

Jason Ramasami — 2007-10-15T17:02:18+01:00

The awesome Delta bunch bring this unit to a close (find it in the school section on the podcast page) with a remarkable and memorable recording in the chapel. Go people. I really enjoyed the laughing.

'Goodbye dirt!'

Interview with Sister Anne Brittain about flash floods in the Philippines

Jason Ramasami — 2007-10-15T11:49:30+01:00

We had a memorable assembly with Sister Anne this morning. You can find a further interview on the podcast page which delves deeper into the experience of facing flash floods in 2004 and how she processes this sort of tragedy as a christian believer. There are also a number of photos of the people involved for you to see. Below are two paintings representing the flash floods.

Just after:

After some of the restoration work had been completed.

More images here.

Anti-Garry Gum edition of 9Gs pitiful attempt at a discussion...

Jason Ramasami — 2007-10-12T13:10:24+01:00

Please please please don't judge me as a teacher (or anything else) by this recording. It was fun, but what will I be doing in the jobless gutter when people finally listen to this? As ever it is found in the school podcast section on this page.

Evil Robot Attacks Pea Farm: is it a moral issue?

Jason Ramasami — 2007-10-12T11:52:59+01:00

Homework:
Finish the A3 sheet and don't forget these reflection questions.

Reflections section:

What things have you learnt from this unit - things that might actually help you in your life to deal with suffering and evil?
Have any views been radically different from your own?
What do you think about where evil comes from?

9S GUDRE show with Tom Pipi and Toooshd (Sponsored by Cillit Bang)

Jason Ramasami — 2007-10-11T15:45:20+01:00

Bizarre, entertaining and generally it worked pretty well. Thanks people!

Go to the podcast page to download/subscribe.

Part three for the yr 11 series.

Jason Ramasami — 2007-10-10T16:37:29+01:00

Tragedy! We lost the bit about buying Happy Shopper biscuits for 49p! The rest is pretty good though, I trimmed a couple of bits that I thought were slightly disrespectful to horses and 'cillit bang'. Enjoy.

Part two is up for the yr 11 series.

Jason Ramasami — 2007-10-08T14:53:34+01:00

Our second part in the series asking some year 11 students what they think about the big four questions. Little green men figure highly...

Summing up those little units and preparing for a podcast discussion

Jason Ramasami — 2007-10-07T21:04:01+01:00

What better way of preparing for the near future revision times: preparing A3 revision sheets and having a fantastic discussion in class that will then be used for a podcast! Please get your notes together and complete any undone homeworks before we wrap up this half term.

Extra help?
If you need any help getting stuff finished then please just ask ask (although preferably out of class - why not use this contact page?).

Even more help?
Why not get this book and download these notes. Lots of people have and even more people are doing it. They are finding that it gives them good skin and a greater life expectancy. Some of them even smile a bit more, although this hardly helps if you suffer from great ugliness.

hey it's a joke - don't take me to court over it...
PS. Thanks for the birthday well wishers and respect to KA who has probably already looked at this page AND printed it out AND laminated it for a rainy day...

Worldview presentation work... time is virtually up people!

Jason Ramasami — 2007-10-07T20:57:00+01:00

Okay then people, this week is really the last opportunity for you. My apologies for those of you who haven't had much help so far due to lots of people needing assistance! This week we shall either sort you out in class or I will arrange sometime out of class to get you the help you need. Either way, this is very exciting and the work looks amazing!

And don't forget about the jelly babies.

Craig David and Worldviews

Jason Ramasami — 2007-10-03T16:52:58+01:00

Mp3 players can't 're rewind'.
Further proof that Craig was
getting outdated early on...

Could this be the first proper year 11 podcast? No more lonely weeping into your revision guides by the swept hearth! Download/subscribe podcast 4! Many thanks to the noisy bunch for donating their views so admirably and sharing their desire to become the man Craig.

Where does right and wrong come from (and why bother)?

Jason Ramasami — 2007-10-01T14:39:34+01:00

We covered this topic in class and concluded that for Christians:

1. God has shown them what right and wrong is about through revealing it in history and Bible writings.
2. Behaving in a good/moral way and rejecting evil is a way of saying thankyou to Jesus who died to open up the doors of heaven.

Homework:
To read some or all of the 'sermon on the mount'* and bring back 7 quotes or specific examples that Jesus gives for Christian living.

*this a famous section of the Bible and lives in Matthew chapter 5 to 7.

Halo 3 podcast UPDATED

Jason Ramasami — 2007-10-01T16:30:25+01:00

That's right people - a full and frank discussion of the merits and demerits of this luxurious art form. Thanks to the boys who partook.

Charlie and the Factory

Jason Ramasami — 2007-09-30T21:08:36+01:00

I have been re-watching the old version of Charlie. I prefer it, although the newer Tim Burton version (that came out last year) is probably better for it's weirdness (Willy Wonka is actually a pretty strange person in the Roald Dahl book).

Leave a comment: which version is best and why? We might even do a podcast on this one if it gets enough comments.

No unkind comments about this photo and the new year 7s please.

Revelation: 2 types

Jason Ramasami — 2007-09-30T21:06:11+01:00

We will do a quick skim through the two types of revelation this week before embarking on some recapping.

Go to this page for the info.

Independent Learning

Jason Ramasami — 2007-09-30T20:44:33+01:00

This little baby:

...is the A3 sheet we will be using at the end of each unit to fill in summary notes and also crib any further information from the text book:

Your task will be to go over everything we have covered and make your own workable revision sheet for when we get near the end of the course and start doing the heavy recaps.

Worldviews Presentations...

Jason Ramasami — 2007-09-30T20:29:42+01:00

Can you show us 4 things?

That -
a. you have a good grasp of what a worldview is...
b. you know how to uncover a worldview
c. you can explain the different kinds of worldviews out there?
d. you know about your own current one

The next two weeks are really about proving that you know these things using one (or several) of the following:

- podcast discussion
- artwork
- drama/voiceover/weird video
- written piece
- review of a film/book

It is very important that you get help or get on!

Podcast 1 and (now updated) 2!

Jason Ramasami — 2007-09-27T17:48:16+01:00

That's right folks! It's time to subscribe to iTunes because the first proper Sion podcast has been uploaded.

Both year 8 and 7 have been contributing to the world of podcasting. Thanks for the lively discussions folks.

Origins of Evil: the Garden of Eden.

Jason Ramasami — 2007-09-22T11:27:34+01:00

This week it is all about looking at the way in which the Bible explains the origins of evil in the world.

Homework:
1. Read the Genesis text (chapters 2 and 3) for yourself.
2. Present your own version of this story (notes/diagrams/whatever).
3. How far do you agree with this view of the origins of evil?

LOST? There is a whole section on the garden of eden story here.

God's Existence? For and Against Arguments.

Jason Ramasami — 2007-09-22T11:04:59+01:00

This week I shall be aiming to cover five for/against arguments used when it comes to God existing or not*.

Homework:
Do a review of the arguments with a few of your family/friends/aquaintances: which ones are the most convincing? Which are the least? Why?

*it should be acknowledged that for many people, the idea of arguing this is neither here nor there. Hardened atheists like Hawkins make the assumption that you are a fool for believing it in the first place, and conversely there are tons of theists who find it bizarre at we should even be asking the question because it is obvious that there is a creator (see Psalm 19 for an example).

Nice assembly!

Jason Ramasami — 2007-09-21T16:44:10+01:00

Nice one - it felt like you had about 5 assemblies worth of material in one go.

So entertaining - especially the cup cake brothers.

Year 9 and 10 GCSE revision notes.

Jason Ramasami — 2007-09-21T16:28:21+01:00

The notes for GCSE revision can be found on this page. These are useful for doing a bit of your own reading up on any of the units, and also if you haven't got the book yet.

Nice sculpture (but not very safe).

Year 7 and Year 8: worldview surveys

Jason Ramasami — 2007-09-21T16:42:52+01:00

Thanks to all who took part in the surveys. Very interesting results. I hope that you had fun doing it and thinking about who you are in the world.

If you want to read up on some real responses then you can get them from the worldviews page.

Year 10: FOSSIP/the problem for believers in God

Jason Ramasami — 2007-09-16T22:02:24+01:00

The Homework involves two activities*:

1. Remember the FOSSIP thing?

- faith: it builds your faith (or trust) in God
- others: can be helped by you if you have experienced suffering.
- success: cannot happen without it. No pain, no gain is what they say...
- strength: lots of people who face suffering find that it makes them strong in unusual ways
- isn't pointless: there is a reason for you to go through it.

Rate these responses in order of importance, saying why.
Include if you think any aren't worth bothering with.
Have you ever seen them happening?

2. The problem of being a believer in God when suffering and evil affect you.
Explain (in your own words) the problem that was outlined for you in class and the 'solution' that Rama provided. Don't forget to say what you think.

*of course - they might have been partially covered in class, so just go along with it.

Podcasting will soon go live.

Jason Ramasami — 2007-09-16T22:00:55+01:00

Anyone interested in doing some podcasting? In the next two or three weeks I shall be starting to record stuff.

Year 7 and 8: where do you fit?

Jason Ramasami — 2007-09-16T21:53:29+01:00

The homework for this week, folks, is to

1. Produce a decent version of the worldviews diagram (if you haven't done it already).

2. To do some interviews with up to 3 people using the four questions.
3. Put yourself and the people you interviewed on to the map.

Year 9 - real examples and real arguments.

Jason Ramasami — 2007-09-16T21:35:26+01:00

If everything goes according to plan this week then you will have dug into the following things:

1. Some real examples of TOMPIPI and TOOOsHd.

Your homework:

a. complete any notes from the lesson - they MUST be readable and revisable for you (and checkable by me).
b. include a reflection on how you are similar or different from the two examples.

These sausage rolls came up when I typed in 'tompipi' into google images...

Year 9 Introduction to Nature of God unit.

Jason Ramasami — 2007-09-12T14:42:41+01:00

In two very tight lessons we have:

1. Handed out folders (yay!).
2. Given you an idea of where things are going in the two years.
3. Shown you the text book which is worth asking for as a birthday/christmas/halloween/tooth-fairy/whatever present.

4. Shown you that the world of beliefs about God is wider than you might have previously thought (3 massive worldviews involving loads of interior ones).
5. Shown you where lots of the different major religions reside on the map.
6. Begun to tackle some important words for describing God.

Homework:
1. Read up on Worldviews on this site
2. Aim to learn most of the terms from the TOMPIPI/TOOOsHd sections.

Unit 5: Good and Evil - Year 10 homework

Jason Ramasami — 2007-09-11T17:29:57+01:00

Having listened to the majority of the difficult interview, please go away and write a reflection on how you would have responded to the same situation.

Some of the points from the lesson to consider:
1. This is a real case study which is useful to your grasp of this unit.
2. If God is all-knowing/all-powerful* then does that mean that He is unloving?
3. If God is all-loving, does that mean that He isn't in control?
4. Is the Christian worldview easy to understand when it says that God is both loving and powerful...? How hard is it to reconcile this statement in the face of such suffering?

*omniscient/omnipotent remember?

Worldviews Introduction Homework

Jason Ramasami — 2007-09-11T17:17:10+01:00

You guessed it folks, the first serious homework of the term is to write about what experiences you have had with religion.

Try to explain what you think of religion as well.

Are there any other views of religion that you might want to include? Perhaps you could chat to some family or friends about their views.

Feedback on the broken elbow saga and John 13

Jason Ramasami — 2007-09-09T19:17:15+01:00

I have been amazed at the entries for the broken elbow competition. Here are a number of the entries just in case you were interested... the ones in bold are my current favourites.

Year 7
Cross country/a tank drove over it/fighting a waiter/rescuing a kite while flying/dog attacks/alien operation/window chopped it/parachute and trampoline/hair growing from cupboard powers and falling down the stairs/board attack/magic vase/books snapped it/dragon battle and a zip-wire/drugs in china and spying/the dark ninja battle on the fiji mountains/alps cable car/drunkeness/spiderman/superbowl/trapese act/last day at Durrington/fish bite/Mr Scullion throwing my plant Vishnu at me/Jack and Jill/burger beach hole/trying to open a packet of pants/penguin chase/gun fight/fake pink arm and the karate master/bristol bulldogs/bird attack(see image above)/boxing/rose slip

Year 8
running from bees/serial killer elbow in the head/ 2 kilos of candy floss/sucked out of plane window/car park monster/aliens/red fish/evil fairies/sharks/trampoline and black hole/kung fu cat/playing pirates/elephant/fridge fall

Year 9
knife attack/bees/toddler attack(on me)/water slide in my sleep (in my bed)/handcuffed at durrington/human tetris/fish attacks/diving 100m and missing the pool/trying to assassinate my replacement at durrington/old lady rescue gone wrong/flirting on a horse and my wife catching me (it never happened!)

Year 10/11
parachute/attic trap door and four mouldy rotting floors to fall through/drunken and stairs/larva under my skin/zurich advert stilts/hardcore triangle playing/ attacked by underpants/accident while spying on neighbours/lads night out-jumping out of a window/castaway/tractor crash/stunt man life/bus stop lady/leprechaun/caught fire/rubber duck attack/pushed off a building/scuba dive/mini-moto/microwave german transit van moose collision/harry, haribo and tesco value ramasami/oompa loompas

Thanks everyone for making the first week such good fun!

John 13
In case you were stuck or couldn't remember the assembly points, here they are:

1. What does 'consideration always' actually mean if we take it seriously?
- according to Jesus in John 13, it means serving others humbly and not taking an arrogant, snobbish position.

2. What do you think this means in terms of how you relate to others at school? How far would you go to do it?
- I think it doesn't stop with just friends, it goes further to people who (like Judas to Jesus) might even be horrible to you.
- it also doesn't stop at the school gate... it hopefully means being a humble servant to people who normally you might look down on.

3. There is a promise from Jesus: 'you will blessed if you do these things'.

4. How does one live up to this? How did Jesus?
The clue I mentioned is in verse 3 of John chapter 13. Here is a link to the actual text in case you were interested in trying to work it out for yourself. Come and chat if it seems complicated.

Bye bye... have a nice weekend...

Jason Ramasami — 2007-09-07T15:48:42+01:00

Well done! You made it to the openly secret location...

Jason Ramasami — 2007-08-30T22:00:19+01:00

Yes, well done. This is where homework and stuff will be posted in case you fell asleep in class. Something I am looking for help with is writing and contributing stuff to the site. If you get any enthusiasm or ideas then please tell me here, at school or even email.

And finally: just in case you were wondering... the story of the fractured elbow is to do with not wearing an elbow pad and tearing about madly on a Lush longboard in a multi-storey NCP car park in Brighton with another teacher (who should also know better).

Here is the link for the pdf homework sheet just in case you lost it.

PS Respect to Raffaella for helping with the room. Congratulations on Tring!

DHS results and farewell dear ex-students...

Jason Ramasami — 2007-08-26T09:57:09+01:00

After a fantastic 95% pass rate from the bunch at Durrington I would like to say thanks for being such a fun class even when things occasionally felt a little bleak. May you have a brilliant future and keep in touch.

Rama

GCSE overview

Jason Ramasami — 2007-06-30T13:29:24+01:00

Newly uploaded: a very basic overview of the GCSE course.

This book is very useful for the course.

WIYW Podcast - old content newly linked...

Jason Ramasami — 2007-06-26T18:36:20+01:00

Okay, so the recordings may not have much new content (or even a fresh zingy jingle to mark their birth into a rough and visually dominated universe), but they are there on the lovely podcast page. All you really need now is a juicy broadband connection (or dial-up and a few spare days of not getting calls from your mum/gran/boyfriend/vet/computer repair person/hairdresser/local police chief) and you are away - either direct or via the now well publicised iTunes subscription method:

Feedback always appreciated.